Financial regulation becomes law; Bernanke calls outlook ‘unusually uncertain’

President Obama made it official yesterday: the financial overhaul bill has been signed into law. So who are the winners as this new law takes effect? Takeaway contributor Beth Kobliner believes the consumer is the real winner in financial reform, with new rules about mortgages, credit cards and student loans. However, she reminds us that car dealers are not included in the law, so it’s important to stay vigilant.

On the same day as financial overhaul became law, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke testified before Congress and said “the economic outlook remains unusually uncertain.” Greg Robb, reporter for MarketWatch at The Wall Street Journal joins us with details. He says that Bernanke was vague in his statement, but that essentially, “Bernanke still thinks the economoy is not going to fall into a ditch… he’s hoping that it won’t and he’s forecasting that it won’t.”