When results from the 19 banks undergoing the Treasury Department's stress test are released on May 4, what will the numbers mean for Main Street consumers, small businesses, community banks and the economy?
Chicago-area economist Mike Moebs, whose firm has been gathering economic data on US banks and credit unions for more than 25 years, can comment on why the 19 banks in the stress test only represent Wall Street and not Main Street financial institutions, which have more impact on consumers and small businesses.

Among the topics Mike can discuss are:

The "safety" of community banks and credit unions compared to the 19 Wall Street banks.

What the results will mean for bank capital standards.

The trend in bank fee hikes for consumers: a "double whammy" for taxpayers.

Historical pricing patterns during economic turbulence and government bailouts.

Expense control and its role in troubled banks.

The "bailout desert" community banks are in and how this impacts small businesses.

How banks in different regions of the US stack up.

Beyond the 19 Wall Street banks - stress testing all 16,300 depositories.

Mike is a knowledgeable, articulate spokesperson on the subject of bank fees and pricing trends, and a recognized expert on strategies for pricing and expense control. The author of 19 books on economics, a CPA and a consultant to the Federal Reserve, GAO, Pew Foundation, and numerous banks and credit unions, Mike has an MBA from the University of Chicago, where he studied under Milton Friedman and George Stigler, creators of the Chicago School of Pricing and Free-Market Economics.