Paul Merski joins Jim Blasingame to report on the new GDP report that shows the Q2 resutls at 4%, and what that means for the rest of the year.

Paul Merski joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the Fed's plans to unwind their monetary easing in a way that does not spook the stock market and derail the recovery.

Recent legislation reduced deposit insurance which is not good for community banks. Paul Merski joins Jim Blasingame to report on the recent lowering of FDIC deposit guarantees hurt community banks and therefore, small businesses.

Will the 113th Congress get anything done? Paul Merski joins Jim Blasingame to report on some of the issues facing the 113th Congress and whether the gridlock and partisanship will continue to be the order of business.

It's getting harder to found a community bank. Paul Merski joins Jim Blasingame to discuss some of the regulatory and economic headwinds that makes it difficult to start a new community bank, which is not good news for small businesses.

The TAG program of guaranteeing business checking accounts is important for small banks and small businesses. Paul Merski joins Jim Blasingame to explain what the Transaction Account Guarantee program is, why it should be extended and why you should care.

How does the ICBA see the current economy? ICBA chief economist, Paul Merski joins Jim Blasingame to report that continuing political, tax and regulatory uncertainty is putting a drag on consumers and businesses and resulting in a continued slow recovery.

How bad is the fiscal cliff the U.S. is racing toward at year-end? Paul Merski joins Jim Blasingame to report on the tax, spending and regulatory deadlines that if not dealt with could hurt the economy in 2013.

What do you need to know about doing business with an independent community bank? Terry Jorde and Paul Merski talk with Jim Blasingame about why an independent community bank in your market continues to be an excellent banking option for your small business.