Decoding Wall St. Asks: Playing "What-If" with the Buffett Rule

What top earners may decide to do if it becomes law:

• Curtail charitable giving.
• If a small business owner, hire fewer people and invest less in equipment.
• Think twice about buying an investment property or retirement residence.
• If working at a large company, may work slightly less hard (more money, more will be paid in taxes).
• Change how and what types of stocks they invest in.

The potential side effects:

• The poor lose access to care and shelter.
• Output of the economy weakens.
• Local residents that depend on tourism suffer.
• Companies earn fewer profits, stocks go down.
• Investors may forego buying dividend-paying stocks and assume more risk by purchasing growth stocks (the risk being they lose their shirt as growth stocks are less reliable than dividend payers).

One proposed rule, two words, derived by a wealthy old guy…now you know the backstory!

Employee Pet Names

When did it suddenly become a business no-no to call an employee, an employee? Is every executive consuming way too many management training guides? As earnings season begins, we are already seeing hints that corporate chieftains will address the hard work of their employees, but in an odd manner. For instance:

• Chemicals maker WD-40: Calls its employees a “tribe.”
• Technology company Rackspace: Calls its employees “Rackers.”
• Home Depot and Wal-Mart: It’s “associate” instead of “employee.”

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Based on the book co-authored by former CNBC anchor Nicole Lapin and Wall Street analyst Brian Sozzi, Decoding Wall St., the daily Decoding Wall St. newsletter is a lifeline to unlocking, and acting upon, an endless array of hidden financial and world news clues. On FaceBook and Twitter, Decoding Wall St. releases unique streaming content daily, as a compliment to the newsletter, to help get you through interviews right on down to after work cocktail parties.  For more information, including to join the movement, please visit www.decodingwallst.com.