Bernanke probably won't stand for third term at Fed: NYT
October 23, 2012 12:02 PM ET

(Reuters) - U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has told close friends he probably will not stand for a third term at the central bank even if President Barack Obama wins the November 6 election, the New York Times reported.

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has already said he would not re-nominate Bernanke if he wins the presidency. Bernanke's term as chairman ends in January 2014.

Bernanke, who was first appointed to run the U.S. central bank by former president George W. Bush and was given a second term by Obama, has declined to comment publicly on whether he would accept another four-year term.

"I am very focused on my work, I don't have any decision or any information to give you on my personal plans," he told a news conference last month after the Fed announced a new and open-ended round of bond buying to support the U.S. economy.

The Fed and the White House declined to comment.