Fed No. 2 Fischer says regulators must keep working to end 'too big to fail;' avert new crisis

The Federal Reserve's new No. 2 official says regulators must continue to work to end the need for the government to bail out big banks in a crisis. Stricter capital requirements, rather than breaking up the biggest banks, is the better remedy, he says.

Stanley Fischer, who became vice chairman of the Fed last month, made the remarks Thursday in his first speech since joining the central bank. He appeared to align himself with comments last week by Fed Chair Janet Yellen that signaled a key focus on bank regulation for the Fed under her tenure, to prevent the kind of risk-taking that triggered the 2008 financial crisis and nearly toppled the global banking system.

Fischer said regulators "need to be vigilant" in trying to prevent the next crisis.