End of FDIC program may hurt small firm lending  @CNNMoney May
1, 2012: 2:10 PM ET Small banks say lending to small firms will
be hurt if the FDIC's transaction account guarantee program ends
this year.   NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Small business lending could
take a major hit if a federal program that insures small
business accounts ends later this year.  The program, run by the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, provides unlimited
insurance for $1.4 trillion in noninterest-bearing transaction
accounts, the kind small firms generally use to do payroll.
Started in 2008 while the financial crisis was in full swing,
the program was created to encourage small business owners to
keep their deposits at community banks.  But with the program
set to expire at the end of December, community banks fear small
companies will shift billions of dollars in deposits to the
nation's largest banks. Larger banks are viewed as safer
institutions because of their size. If small banks lose their
deposits, it could stifle or kill