Free Essay

Who Is the Federal Reserve Chairman?

In: Business and Management

Submitted By pglass01
Words 414
Pages 2
Who Is The Federal Reserve Chairman?
Ben S. Bernanke is the chairman for the Federal Reserve. Dr. Bernanke was born in December 1953 in Augusta, Georgia, and grew up in Dillon, South Carolina. His father Philip was a pharmacist that managed a theater part-time and his mother Edna was an elementary schoolteacher. Bernanke has a brother and sister and is the eldest. His younger brother, Seth, is a lawyer in Charlotte, North Carolina, and his younger sister, Sharon, is a longtime administrator at Berklee College of Music in Boston. As a teenager, Bernanke worked construction on a new hospital and waited tables at a restaurant at nearby South of the Border, a roadside attraction in his hometown of Dillon, before leaving for college. Bernanke met his wife Anna, a schoolteacher, on a blind date. She was a student at Wellesley College, and he was in graduate school at MIT. The Bernanke’s have two children. He received a B.A. in economics in 1975 from Harvard University, and a Ph.D. in economics in 1979 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Bernanke originally took office as Chairman on February 1, 2006, when he also began a 14-year term as a member of the Board. Before his appointment as Chairman, Dr. Bernanke was Chairman of the President's Council of Economic Advisers, from June 2005 to January 2006. By virtue of the chairmanship, he sits on the Financial Stability Oversight Board that oversees the Troubled Asset Relief Program. He also serves as Chairman of the Federal Open Market Committee, the System's principal monetary policy making body. During Bernanke's first term as Chairman, the Federal Reserve experienced its largest increase of power since its creation in 1913. On August 25, 2009, President Obama announced he would nominate Bernanke to a second term as chairman of the Federal Reserve. When Senate Banking Committee hearings on his nomination began on December 3, 2009, several senators from both parties indicated they would not support a second term. However, Bernanke was confirmed for a second term as Chairman on January 28, 2010, by a 70–30 vote of the full Senate, historically the narrowest margin for any occupant of the position. Bernanke has been subjected to criticism concerning the late-2000s financial crisis. Bernanke has been attacked for failing to foresee the financial crisis, for bailing out Wall Street, and, most recently, for injecting an additional $600 billion into the banking system to give the slow recovery a boost.

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Finance

...Response to the Finance Questions Name University Response to the Finance Questions Response to Question 1 Liquidity premium theory states that the yield obtained from the bonds that are long term are greater than the return that is expected from short-term bonds that roll over so as to compensate long-term bonds investors for bearing the risks of interest rate. Bonds that have different maturity can, therefore, have different yields regardless of the possibility of future short rates being equivalent to the present short rate. This results in a yield curve that bends upwards even if the short rates are expected to fall if liquidity premiums are sufficiently high. However if the curve slopes downwards and an assumption is made that the liquidity premiums is positive, then we can presume that future short rates would be lower than the present short rate (Lim & Ogaki, 2013). Liquidity premium theory agrees with expectations theory since it gives the same significance to the expected future spot rates though it puts more weight on the impacts of the risk preferences that exist in the market. The main concept of this theory is to compensate an investor for the additional risk of having his capital tied up for a more extended period. It, therefore, aims at enticing investors to engage in long-term investments. Due to the uncertainty associated with long-term rates which have less marketability and greater price variability, investors, therefore, need to be given higher...

Words: 1288 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Great Depression

...deficits when economies needed governments to run deficits. It was a devilish device for turning recessions into depressions. The answer is that some people aren't worried about depressions. Some people are worried about inflation. 2. Who was J. Pierpont Morgan? What was his role in stopping the Panic of 1907? John Pierpont "J. P." Morgan (April 17, 1837 – March 31, 1913) was an American financier, banker, philanthropist and art collector who dominated corporate finance and industrial consolidation during his time. In 1892 Morgan arranged the merger of Edison General Electric and Thomson-Houston Electric Company to form General Electric. After financing the creation of the Federal Steel Company, he merged in 1901 with the Carnegie Steel Company and several other steel and iron businesses, including Consolidated Steel and Wire Company owned by William Edenborn, to form the United States Steel Corporation. - The Panic of 1907 was a financial crisis that almost crippled the American economy. Major New York banks were on the verge of bankruptcy and there was no mechanism to rescue them until Morgan stepped in personally and took charge, resolving the crisis.[10][11] Treasury Secretary George B. Cortelyou earmarked $35 million of federal money to quell the storm but had no easy way to use it. Morgan now took personal charge, meeting with the nation's leading financiers in his New York mansion; he forced them to devise a plan to meet the crisis. James Stillman,...

Words: 2057 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Complexities of the U.S. Financial System

...development and economic growth. The markets help to efficiently direct the flow of savings and investment in the economy. Credit-rating agencies are known to be influenced by stock prices, and their decisions have a large effect on the availability of credit to the firm. Regulators, who take actions that affect firm cash flows (most prominently, in the case of banks), follow market prices very close. Business owners with good ideas are constrained by the amount of capital they can raise. Although they can use their own money and borrow from their family and friends, these are limited sources of capital. Eventually, as they desire to grow their companies or reach their potential, they have seek to fund-growth using other people’s money. They can borrow from fellow citizens under a contractual obligation to pay them back with interest, or they could make these citizens co-owners, with a promise to share all the ups and downs of ownership. Hence, stockholders of their company. Similarly, employees and customers may base their decisions on whether to work for a firm or buy its products on information they collect from the market.” Briefly explain the primary roles of the U.S. Federal Reserve, the...

Words: 862 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Federal Reserve

...Eventually, people lost faith in the notes and they quickly became worthless. This would lead to three failed attempts to decentralized US Banking in an effort to restore trust and avoid economic disaster, after the failed attempts, The Federal Reserve Act was established in 1913 by Congress. This, at the time secured and stabilized the nation’s economy. From December 1912 to December 1913, the proposal underwent heated debates, a lot compromising, molding, and reshaping.  By December 23, 1913, when President Woodrow Wilson signed the Federal Reserve Act into law. This was the first accepted decentralized central bank that balanced the competing interests of private banks and populist sentiment.  The Federal Reserve or the “Feds” has the authority to make bank loans and back the notes printed. The purpose of the Federal Reserve System is to regulate banks and to manage the amount of money that is accessible within the economy. The Feds uses two of its tools to accomplish this, one, it can change the interest rates on the money it lends to banks. A higher interest rate makes money more expensive, thus discouraging banks to lend. Lowering interest rates causes the opposite effect. Two, they have the authority to change reserve requirements. A reserve requirement is the percentage banks must keep in their vaults of their total loan portfolio. Obviously, if the Fed lowers this requirement, the banks can increase their leverage and lend out more. By controlling...

Words: 3835 - Pages: 16

Free Essay

Too Big to Fail

...to the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers. It starts with the failure of Bear Stern, one of the biggest banks in American. Bear Stern found the bank having too many toxic assets and could not cover its liabilities. The United States implement their own economy in the history of the largest and deepest government intervention. In May of 2008, the Federal Reserve did sale support to the fail Bear Stern to JP Morgan. Something similar happened to Lehman Brothers in September 2008, Lehman was one of the American five original investment banks. The author discusses that because of bad investment in the subprime mortgage market, insolvency, and shattered investor confidence led to the inevitable downfall of Lehman. At the beginning, Lehman was looking for 30 to 50 billion dollars in financial support by Warren Buffett. Moreover, Lehman tried to seek the financial assistance of the Korea Development Bank. The bank also wanted the government to provide financial assistance. But the results have failed. On September 12, 2008, many different banks including bank of America, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, and Barclays met at the Federal Reserve in New York to try to come up with a way to save Lehman Too Big to Fail chronicles the 2008 financial meltdown, focusing on the actions of U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson (William Hurt) to contain the problems during the period of August 2008 to October 3, 2008. Dick Fuld (James Woods), CEO of Lehman Brothers, is seeking external investment...

Words: 1196 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Complexities of the U.S Financial System

...offering ( IPO) is the sale of stock by a company to the public which allows its to raise money by issuing either debt or equity. The financial market also impact individuals by allowing them for example to invest their savings such as 401K or IRA’s in the stock market in the hope of a better retirement. In the United Stated and most developed countries the financial markets are strongly linked to the political system of the countries. Financial markets are where investors can make it known if they believe there is a stable or unstable environment business. Any bad political news or rumors of possible turmoil in the country, can create a panic movement on the markets and provoke financial instabilities on the markets. The role of the Federal Reserve Bank is to formulate a monetary policy by regulating the flow of money in the U.S economy and promoting...

Words: 685 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Complexities of the U.S. Financial System/ Assignment 1

...Complexities of the U.S. Financial System/Assignment 1 Student's Name Professor's Name FIN 100: Principles of Finance December 2014 The U.S. financial markets definitely play a big role in the economy. Unless people invest in businesses, there is no way that they can get started. This is also how they eventually grow in the future in order to meet county's needs and demands. The amount of stocks bought and sold each day directly impact the economy. Prior to the United State's stock market crash in 1929, there was an economic boom. Many Americans had already invested a tremendous amount of money in France. Once the French economy inflated, so did the economy her in the United States. French economy crashed because Americans took their money out of France and put it in U.S. stocks. If that ordeal was to happen today, where all or most of Americans pull their investments, the same economic decrease would happen. Not only would businesses fail, the U.S. would go into even more debt than they already are. The financial market affects all individuals in many ways that we may not even realize. “Many believe that if you don't invest in the stock market, a stock market crash doesn't affect you. However, any average person loses money and opportunities all based off the stock market”.( How does the Stock Market Affect You?, 2011.). When the stock market begins to fall, employers start cutting back on employee benefits. These benefits can include health insurance...

Words: 953 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

The Federal Reserve

...The Federal Reserve Term Paper The Federal Reserve After several periods of economic and banking problems, the United States of America was searching for a fix. In December of 1913, the American Congress approved the Federal Reserve, which President Woodrow Wilson signed into law. By 16 November 1914, a working Federal Reserve was set up in 12 cities chosen as regional Reserve Bank sites. These reserve banks were privately owned banks. The Federal Reserve wielded unprecedented power, which was noticed during the beginning of World War I (WW-I) when the Federal Reserve set interest rates for American banks and helped finance Europe’s war efforts until 1917, when the U.S. declared war on Germany and financing America’s war efforts became paramount (Education, 2013). “I am a most unhappy man. I have unwittingly ruined my country. A great industrial nation is controlled by its system of credit. Our system of credit is concentrated. The growth of the nation, therefore, and all our activities are in the hands of a few men. We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated Governments in the civilized world no longer a government by free opinion, no longer a Government by conviction and the vote of the majority, but a Government by the opinion and duress of a small dominate men.” Woodrow Wilson (History of the Federal Reserve, 2013). As you can decipher from President Woodrow Wilson’s quote about the Federal Reserve...

Words: 3118 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

The Complexities of the U.S. Financial System

...Complexities of the U.S. Financial System Dr. Marcus Crawford Strayer University, School of Business Complexities of the U.S. Financial System How Do U.S. Financial Markets Impact Individuals? The effects of a collapsing market can effect individuals in several ways. One of those ways is savings. As a result of a declining economy, money becomes more precious, as commodities take precedence over luxuries. College funds, for example, is one of these luxuries. The need to pay for everyday expenditures, such as food, and utility bills, can outweigh the need to save for a child’s college education. As a result, not only may the deposits come to a halt, but withdrawals, may become a common occurrence as well. Individuals may also stop saving for retirement in this same manner, as well. How Does the U.S. Financial Market Impact Businesses? When the market crashes, businesses usually feel its effects immediately. As stated earlier, luxuries, such as dining out, for example, become non-existent, and sales start to decline. Since most businesses have their assets tied into mixed equities, these assets, can be dissolved, quite rapidly. Business begin pulling back on employee benefits, to include health care, dental plans, and matching retirement. To also make up for these losses, companies in cut other expenditures, such as payroll. Usually employees are laid off, to compensate these deficits. How Does the U.S. Financial Market Impact the Economy? With the market...

Words: 920 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Business Financing and the Capital Structure of the Federal Reserve

...Business Financing and the Capital Structure of the Federal Reserve Strayer University Principles of Finance (FIN100) Abstract This paper will describe one way the US financial markets impact the economy. How the US financial markets impact businesses and one way that they impact individuals. Providing a brief explanation of the primary roles of the US Federal Reserve, the Federal Reserve Chairman, and the Federal Reserve Board. Explaining the ways that interest rates influence the US and global financial environment. We will also give an example of influence for both the US financial environment and one example of the global environment. The Federal Reserve System or Federal Reserve is the central banking system of the United States (US). Congress established this system in 1913 to provide America with an organized, secure, flexible monetary and financial system. This essentially creates stability by balancing systematic risks; according to the Federal Reserve website. There are a total of 12 Federal Reserve Banks located in major cities throughout the US. The banks generate their income based on services provided to other banks, interest accrued on government security bonds and interest accrued on loans and deposits. Each of the aforementioned generates income which is circulated back into the US Treasury. As mentioned in Investopedia, “The Fed’s mandate is to promote sustainable growth, high levels of employment, stability prices to help preserve the purchasing power...

Words: 911 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

The Fed

...FEDERAL RESERVE • In 1913 the Federal Reserve Act was passed, establishing reserve requirements for those commercial banks that chose to become members. • There are 12 Districts across America • It earns most of its income in the form of interest on its holding on US. Government securities as well as providing services to financial institutions. • The income earned is transferred to the Treasury • It regulates commercial banks and conducts monetary policy, adjusting the money supply to achieve full employment and price stability ( low inflation) • Has five major components o Federal Reserve District Banks o Member Banks o Board of Governors o Federal Open Market Committee o Advisory Committees Federal Reserve District Banks • Federal Reserve District Cities: o 1. Boston, Massachusetts o 2. New York, New York (Most important District City) o 3. Philadelphia. Pennsylvania o 4. Cleveland, Ohio o 5. Richmond, Virginia o 6. Atlanta, Georgia o 7. Chicago, Illinois o 8.St. Louis, Missouri o 9. Minneapolis, Minnesota o 10. Kansas City, Kansas o 11. Dallas, Texas o 12. San Francisco, California • Commercial banks that become members must purchase stock in the FED • Each District has 9 members o 6 are elected by member banks in which 3 are professional bankers and 3 are engaged in business o The remaining 3 are appointed by the Board of Governors o All nine directors appoint their Fed district bank president • District banks facilitate...

Words: 1233 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Complexities of Us

...Complexities of the U.S. Financial System Tariq DeLong Strayer University Professor Arbeiter January 28, 2014 Abstract This assignment was conducted to explore how the U.S. financial system has many complexities and how it is impacted by several environmental factors, including federal regulations and the economy. It also explores the primary roles of the U.S. Federal Reserve, the Federal Reserve Chairman, and the Federal Reserve Board. Furthermore, it explores how interest rates influence the U.S. and global financial environment. In the financial system, there are many actions in the financial segment that transpires in minor financial markets, where securities are traded between investors without capital flowing to firms. The stock market is the typical example; however, we look upon the financial market overall to investigate how it affects economic activity. Financial markets help to proficiently direct the flow of savings and investment in the economy in ways that smooth the progress of the increase of capital and the production of goods and services. The combination of financial markets and institutions, as well as a diverse collection of financial products, go well with the needs of borrowers and lenders and the economy. Pettinger (2013) says, “Movements in the stock market can have a profound economic impact on the economy and everyday people” (How does the, para. 1). He also states that a major fail in share prices are likely to cause extensive economic disturbance...

Words: 929 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Complexities of the Financial System

...four types of financial markets and they are; debt securities markets, equity securities markets, derivative securities markets, and foreign exchange markets. Financial markets are also known to facilitate the transferring of previously issued debt and equity securities from existing to new investors. Financial markets are where traders buy and sell stocks, bonds, derivatives, foreign exchange and commodities. U.S. financial markets impact the economy because it can influence prices, whether they increase or decrease. For instance when there is too much money in the real estate market, interest rates plummet. This caused peopled to take out loans, even if they were considered ineligible buyers thus creating unacceptable risks to investors who began selling them to get rid of them. This causes a crash in the real estate market and also leaves the investors high and dry. Finance is one of the most important functions of any business. Companies are financed in one or two ways; debt or equity. The definition of debt is the amount owed or that one is bound to pay to or perform for another and equity is defined as the funds supplied by the owners that represent their residual claim on the firm. Debt financing is a negative cash flow and not only does it represent a fixed obligation for repayment, but also that the repayment come at set intervals that are set amounts regardless of this excess or earnings of the company. Equity financing does not require the same set of regular payments...

Words: 1205 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Inflation and Its Impact

...Keynote Address, Conference on Price Stability Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Thursday, November 3, 2005 From Inflation to Disinflation and Low Inflation By Allan H. Meltzer Volume 2 of A History of the Federal Reserve covers mainly the years of inflation and disinflation, followed by a return to what is now regarded as relatively low inflation. It treats four questions: Why did inflation start? Why did it continue for 15 or more years, from 1965 to about 1982? Why did it end? Why did it not return? In this paper, I give an overview of the material that I consider in much greater detail in my book. As we look back to the 1950s and 1960s from the early 21st century, two of the many changes in the Federal Reserve System affecting inflation deserve comment. First, in the 1950s the goal was price stability, zero reported inflation, not inflation of about two percent. The 1959-60 disinflation brought reported cpi inflation, measured as a 12-month moving average, to less than 1 percent from March through August 1959. This measure again was below 1 percent through most of 1961, and it did not reach 2 percent until early 1966. Properly measured and adjusted for biases in the price index, the true price level probably declined modestly during this period. This period of deflation was also a period of sustained economic growth. It, and several periods of deflation discussed in volume 1 of A History of the Federal Reserve, show no evidence of the liquidity trap that...

Words: 4732 - Pages: 19

Premium Essay

Complexities of the U.S. Financial System

...process it takes for you to obtain a loan for your business, or who your personal bank might report to? Do you ever wonder exactly why are economy is in debt, how major business fail, or just exactly where does the bank get their money from or who what our country imports or exports? Well, the financial market is responsible for regulating all that you may have had questioned. The financial market is the electricity to our economy and without them, what would you do if the bank did not have your withdrawal available for you? Financial markets serve a purpose of creating a system for people to understand what controls their economic behavior. The market economy sets guidance as our economy revolves around goods and services. The main question is what purpose do financial markets serve? The financial market acts as a liaison between consumers and goods or services. To be more specific, the financial market would be the middle man- customers, finance, and goods/services. Take for example; a business wants to promote their product on a commercial- which might cost thousands of dollars. Financial intermediaries, like banks, will get involved and transfer capital by pulling savings from many consumers who might bank with this bank (Florida Internationl University, 2008, p.3). This process in return will create a new asset- a loan. Once the bank charges the interest rate and pays their portion of interest rate to the Federal Reserve, the bank then makes profit of the company that is borrowing...

Words: 960 - Pages: 4