Federal Reserve chairman Ben S. Bernanke said yesterday that many businesses and consumers are finding it easier to borrow as banks shore up their balance sheets, the Associated Press reported yesterday.Bernanke said that large companies were selling bonds at historically low interest rates and that people with strong credit had “ready access” to credit card and auto loans. However, he also noted, many creditworthy Americans were finding it difficult to get mortgage loans. Small-business owners who have used their homes as collateral for loans also face "challenging" conditions, he said.
