Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Monday banks need to have more capital at hand in order to ensure the financial system is stable.
Bernanke said regulators were taking steps to force financial institutions to hold higher capital buffers, even if they allow for a long period of implementation to prevent any market disruptions.
“We need to have higher capital, and that’s what Basel III does,” he said in response to questions at an Atlanta Fed conference, referring to the latest international effort to tighten bank oversight. “That’s essential for a stable financial system.”
