Hassett says new Fed chair should be 'an independent person' who respects mandates

BY Reuters | ECONOMIC | 01/22/26 07:00 AM EST

Jan 22 (Reuters) - White house adviser Kevin Hassett, who is a ?candidate to replace ?Federal Reserve Chair ?Jerome Powell, told CNBC ?in ?an interview on ?Thursday that ?the central bank's new chair should ?be "an ?independent ?person who respects the mandates".

Hassett also praised ?BlackRock's chief bond investment manager, Rick Rieder, also in the ?running ?for the same position.

"I've been ?friends with Rick for a long time. He's the best bond guy," ?Hassett said. (Reporting by Devika Nair in Bengaluru; ?Editing by Alex Richardson)

In general the bond market is volatile, and fixed income securities carry interest rate risk. (As interest rates rise, bond prices usually fall, and vice versa. This effect is usually more pronounced for longer-term securities.) Fixed income securities also carry inflation risk and credit and default risks for both issuers and counterparties. Unlike individual bonds, most bond funds do not have a maturity date, so avoiding losses caused by price volatility by holding them until maturity is not possible.

Lower-quality debt securities generally offer higher yields, but also involve greater risk of default or price changes due to potential changes in the credit quality of the issuer. Any fixed income security sold or redeemed prior to maturity may be subject to loss.

Before investing, consider the funds' investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Contact Fidelity for a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus containing this information. Read it carefully.

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