U.S. Federal Reserve

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Outgoing Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke speaks about the Federal Reserve's first and next century, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2014, at the Brookings Institution in Washington. In his final public appearance as chairman of the Federal Reserve, Bernanke took a moment to reflect on the 2008 financial crisis and compared it to a very bad car crash. During an interview at the Brookings Institute, he recalls some "very intense periods" during the crisis, similar to trying to keep a car from going over a bridge after a collision. But after some time, he looked back and said, "Oh my God." (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

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Outgoing Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke speaks about the Federal Reserve's first and next century, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2014, at the Brookings Institution in Washington. In his final public appearance as chairman of the Federal Reserve, Bernanke took a moment to reflect on the 2008 financial crisis and compared it to a very bad car crash. During an interview at the Brookings Institute, he recalls some "very intense periods" during the crisis, similar to trying to keep a car from going over a bridge after a collision. But after some time, he looked back and said, "Oh my God." (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

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The news conference of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke appears on a television screen at a trading post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2013. The Federal Reserve has decided to reduce its stimulus for the U.S. economy because the job market has shown steady improvement. The Fed will trim its $85 billion a month in bond purchases by $10 billion starting in January. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)