CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Wherever you get your news, bank stress tests are one of those things you'll keep hearing about this week.

But what are they? And why do they matter to you?

That's what an Eyewitness News crew spent the day tracking down.

On Tuesday, when Charlotte's big banks got their grades from government-imposed stress tests, many people in Charlotte said they still have no idea what a stress test is.

“No, I didn’t know they were doing it,” said Neil Crandall.

“No idea what the stress test is about?” asked reporter Jim Bradley.

“No,” Crandall said.

In short, the stress test is the government's attempt to predict whether financial giants like Bank of America and Wachovia can weather an even deeper recession.

That would happen if housing prices continues to fall, if the nation's gross domestic product shrinks or if unemployment continues to climb. Will the banks have enough money to cover losses and keep lending to consumers and businesses?

“The idea is: what's the worst thing that can happen?” said University of North Carolina at Charlotte banking expert Tony Plath.

Plath said Bank of America and Wachovia/Wells Fargo are likely in better shape than many other big banks. He said they are both trying to avoid taking any more government money. He said they’re arguing that they can raise whatever is necessary themselves.

For thousands of bank employees in uptown Charlotte, the stress test grades are critical because they signal the relative health of the banks they work for. But the tests are important for everyone else, too.

“Banks need capital in order to continue to make loans, so the less the need for additional capital, the better shape they're in to make new mortgages, new car loans, new credit cards,” Plath said.

The results of the stress tests are expected to be released to the public on Thursday.