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Need to know…

• Boehner Announces “Plan B” to Avoid Tax Hikes. With slow progress in negotiations over the looming fiscal cliff, House Speaker John Boehner announced a "Plan B," legislation that would avoid the tax increases set for the end of the year. If passed, the plan would extend tax rates for tax payers earning $1 million or less a year, increasing the top marginal tax bracket to 39.6%. The plan would not, however, address the debt limit, sequestration or unemployment benefits. Such a plan would likely pass the House, but it would not pass the democratically controlled Senate. A House vote on the plan is expected this week.

• U.S. Trade Imbalance Lowest Since 2010. The U.S. current account trade deficit fell to $107.5 billion in the third quarter, the lowest level since 2010, reports the Commerce Department. The Q3 imbalance is down 9% from $118.1 billion last quarter. The current account tracks commerce and investment flows between nations, which is an indicator of how much the United States will borrow from abroad. Some economists think this drop in the deficit will be short lived, with the continued global economic slowdown hurting demand for U.S. exports and potentially swelling the country's trade imbalance in the coming months.

•  “Fiscal Cliff” Failure Could Hurt U.S. Credit Rating. The ratings firm Fitch says the United States could lose its AAA credit rating if the federal government is unable to address spending reduction and tax increases before the end of the year. The firm's 2013 global outlook notes failure to avoid the fiscal cliff would increase uncertainty and throw the country into a recession. Fitch reports a negative current outlook on the U.S. sovereign rating and could potentially follow the 2011 AAA downgrade implemented by its rival rating firm Standard & Poor's.

Worth the read…

• Builders Hanging Help-Wanted Signs as Industry Rebounds – Bloomberg
• House Republicans to Vote on "Fiscal Cliff" Bill Thursday – Reuters
• How Soon Could Jobless Rate Reach 6.5%? – USA Today
• U.S.-China Talk Trade in a Time of Transitions – Washington Post
• Fitch Warns U.S. Could Lose AAA Status if Fiscal Cliff Hits – Fox Business
• VC Predictions for 2013: Good, Bad, and Ugly – CNBC
• Once Proudly Web Only, Shopping Sites Hang Out Real Shingles – New York Times
• Five Small Business Finance Trends of 2012 – Fox Business
• For Sale: U.S. Highways and Bridges – CNN Money
• Jack Frost Arrives Just in Time to Save Retailers' Holiday – CNBC
• The Government Policies That Are Suffocating Entrepreneurs – Business Insider