The Fed chairman said that banks had made "considerable progress" in shedding risk from balance sheets and building cushions against future loan losses.
Preservationists try to cushion the impact of building restrictions with tax breaks for owners.
His offices were damaged, "but we were cushioned by the American Express building, and we went back to work the following Monday," said the executive, who talked on the condition that his company not be identified.
To cushion the blow, G.M. is building a fund for these workers to use when they retire, setting aside 1percentt of their salaries each year.
Life has a natural way of derailing even the best-laid plans, so experts recommend building a cushion, or a slush fund of sorts.
If banks cope by building bigger cushions against losses, shareholders take the hit in the form of lower dividends, lower earnings per share, lower stock prices or some combination.
Palestinians have to see their new security services as building their state, not cushioning Israel's occupation.
She recommends talking over job possibilities with family members and, if possible, building a financial cushion.
The industry has been modestly profitable last year and this year and was building a cash cushion until fuel prices soared in recent weeks.
After laying people off in 2001, Fine Point waited until it was clear that 2004 would be much busier than previous years, and spent the last six months building a financial cushion.
He believes that building a capital cushion is the catalyst that will eventually send the stock back to its normal multiples.
