All Clear on the Bernanke Front

Inflation happens for lots of reasons. Maybe the supply of something drops -- such as the decrease in natural gas because of a hurricane. Inflation could also be caused from an increase in the demand for something -- such as lumber to rebuild those hurricane-afflicted areas. Either way, it throws the economy off.

Big Ben wants us to understand this stuff because it helps us make smarter choices, and that keeps the market on an even keel. So start paying attention to his upcoming speeches. He uses a much more folksy tone that you'll most likely understand.

In the end, Bernanke wants his policies to be crystal clear. And remember, the guy's a former professor. So hopefully he'll follow through on his transparency pledge and we'll all benefit from it.

So at a time when people are unsure of where the markets are going, Everyman might be the guy to help us out.