Bernanke buzzwords

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke delivered more than 200 speeches over the last 8 years.
We tracked some of his buzzwords over that time period.


July 10, 2007

Ahead of the crisis, Bernanke delivered a long speech on inflation, largely dismissing concerns about rising food and energy prices. The Dow tumbled 100 points after his remarks.

March 26, 2012

By early 2012, the unemployment rate had improved considerably since its 2009 peak, but Bernanke was concerned about long-term joblessness and workers dropping out of the labor force.

March 26, 2012

Bernanke expressed deep concern for the long-term unemployed, warning that their skills could atrophy, leading to a permanent problem in the labor market.

September 2, 2010

In official testimony before Congress, Bernanke said "although subprime mortgage losses were the most prominent trigger of the crisis, they were by no means the only one."

November 20, 2012

In late 2012, Bernanke discussed the "disappointing pace" of the recovery, and also warned Congress not to amplify the problem by sending the country over the "fiscal cliff."

May 13, 2008

Three months before the Lehman Brothers meltdown, financial markets were already in turmoil. Bernanke spoke of the Fed’s efforts to extend financing to big banks and invoked British business journalist Walter Bagehot: "you must, if possible show that you have money," he said.

The word 'taper' is popular on Wall Street to describe the Fed’s gradual wind-down of its bond-buying program, but Bernanke never uses the term in official remarks.

The Fed Chairman is a huge baseball fan. His team? The Washington Nationals. No surprises here — he brings it up in a few speeches.


Source: Federal Reserve Board
Footnote: This chart includes Bernanke’s prepared remarks for speeches and Congressional testimony. It does not include impromptu remarks given in Q&A or in press interviews.
Interactive: Annalyn Kurtz & Tal Yellin / CNNMoney



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