Bernanke: Housing Market Is Cooling

Speaking at a Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago annual meeting, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said it "seems pretty clear" that housing markets are cooling.But, as reported by The Wall Street Journal, Mr. Bernanke responded to a question saying that the housing slowdown is "orderly and moderate" at the time being. In his prepared speech, Mr. Bernanke also addressed new mortgage products, saying that innovation in housing finance has led to "more sophisticated and flexible instruments, more liquid markets, and better risk-sharing." While the net benefits have been positive, Mr. Bernanke said "rapid financial innovation carries some risks," and he urged regulators to be ready to mitigate those risks.