Ben Bernanke gave the U.S. economy a nod of approval just a month before he leaves the Federal Reserve, moving the central bank to begin winding down a bond-buying program meant to boost growth with the recovery on firmer footing. The Fed has pulled back its stimulus efforts before, only to restart them when the economy disappointed, and new challenges loom, including a surprising slowdown in inflation. But Mr. Bernanke said in his final news conference as Fed chairman that the economy was getting to a point where it needs less help. “Today’s policy actions reflect the [Fed’s] assessment that the economy is continuing to make progress, but that it also has much farther to travel before conditions can be judged normal,” Mr. Bernanke said. After months of wringing their hands about the implications of less Fed stimulus, investors resoundingly approved of the latest action to begin paring the […]