Photograph of model Carolyn Murphy, Estee Lauder chairman Leonard Lauder, model Hilary Rhoda, hidden, actress Elizabeth Hurley, and Estee Lauder president Thia Breen at the New York Stock Exchange by Henny Ray Abrams/AP
Even though spokesmodels for Estee Lauder, including Elizabeth Hurley, prettied up the New York Stock Exchange by ringing today's opening bell, the mood has been dark as "frightened money is jumping all over the place." Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke tried to soothe the market, by saying the Fed might extend emergency lending to investment firms. He told a FDIC forum, "Allowing Bear Stearns to fail so abruptly at a time when the financial markets were already under considerable stress would likely have had extremely adverse implications for the financial system and for the broader economy."
Bernanke also said the Fed would work to, per the NY Times, "restrict exotic mortgages and high-cost loans for people with weak credit," saying, "The financial turmoil is ongoing, and our efforts today are concentrated on helping the financial system return to more normal functioning."
Here are the top six points from Bernanke's speech. And one Federal Reserver Bank president said the Fed shouldn't wait too long to raise rates.
