Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said the central bank is ready to take additional action if needed to boost the economy, after leaving its policy unchanged today. “We remain prepared to do more as needed to make sure that this recovery continues and that inflation stays close to target,” he said at a press conference today following a meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee in Washington. Central bankers today upgraded their forecasts for economic growth and unemployment while repeating their view that borrowing costs are likely to remain “exceptionally low” at least through late 2014. The Federal Open ... (full story)