US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has narrowed down his list of potential Federal Reserve chair candidates from 11 to just five. The final choice is expected to be announced in January, but a delay may occur. 5 finalists were identified: Michelle Bowman (Vice Chair for Supervision), Christopher Waller (Board Member), Kevin Hassett (National Economic Council Director), Kevin Warsh (former Fed Governor), and Rick Rieder (BlackRock Chief Investment Officer). 2nd round of interviews will feature Bessent, two senior Treasury officials, and two White House officials. The process may be delayed until after Thanksgiving due to Bessent’s commitments at the World Bank/IMF meetings and a subsequent trip to Asia with President Trump.