373 Quotes by Ben Bernanke

Nobody really understands gold prices and I don't pretend to understand them either,

The Federal Reserve will not monetize the debt.

At this point, a leveling out or a modest softening of housing activity seems more likely than a sharp contraction, although significant uncertainty attends the outlook for home prices and construction.

If your uniform isn't dirty, you haven't been in the game.

Community banks are generally doing quite well, and I expect that good performance to continue. Neither bankers nor their supervisors should become complacent.

Economics is a very difficult subject. I've compared it to trying to learn how to repair a car when the engine is running.

Congress had made clear that it has affirmed the principle of keeping banking and commerce separate. This loophole ... circumvents that principle. If Congress wants to revisit banking and commerce, that's their prerogative but it doesn't seem a good approach to allow a loophole in which that distinction breaks down.

With respect to their safety, derivatives, for the most part, are traded among very sophisticated financial institutions and individuals who have considerable incentive to understand them and to use them properly.

Equally important, stable prices allow people to rely on the dollar as a measure of value when making long-term contracts, engaging in long-term planning or lending for long periods.