DARREN GERSH, NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT CORRESPONDENT: Ben Bernanke’s favorite options for fixing the economy would be for Europe to get its act together followed by Congress removing the uncertainty over expiring tax breaks and looming spending cuts. But that’s not going to happen. And that’s why Bernanke is exploring other options, like communication. The Fed now promises to keep interest rates low through 2014. It could extend that to mid-2015, a move that might lower some interest rates a bit. But there is a credibility problem here. Ben Bernanke is scheduled to leave the Fed in early 2014. A new chairman could chart a new path. Another option: cut the interest rate the Fed pays on almost one and a half trillion dollars in excess reserves banks keep at the Fed. That might force some banks to look for another place to park their money. KAREN PETROU, MANAGING PARTNER, FEDERAL FINANCIAL ANALYTICS: Banks need to put the money someplace and it might help to get some of that money out into the market. But they could put it elsewhere if they were afraid to make new loans. They could invest it directly in Treasury obligations or similar types of instruments.
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