Just how inflexible are lending standards these days? Ben Bernanke said at a conference Thursday that he’d been unable recently to refinance his mortgage.

“It’s entirely possible” that lenders “may have gone a little bit too far on mortgage credit conditions,” he said at a conference in Chicago, according to Bloomberg News.

But wait. Surely a man with high income, lots of equity in his home, good credit and a solid net worth must be able to get a mortgage. Mr. Bernanke stepped down as the chairman of the Federal Reserve in January and joined the Brookings Institution as a “distinguished fellow in residence.” He’s also writing a memoir and giving speeches (reportedly for hefty speaking fees).