Speculation over the future of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell intensified on 16 July, with several market-monitoring services reporting that he is weighing resignation and could step down as soon as August. FirstSquawk said multiple sources familiar with White House deliberations have described early succession planning, while other financial news feeds cited bipartisan political pressure on the 72-year-old central banker. Calls for Powell to leave have been led by U.S. Federal Housing Director Bill Pulte, who has publicly urged the Fed chief to resign and argued that his policy decisions show limited awareness of everyday credit conditions. Pulte’s remarks have circulated widely over the past 24 hours, adding momentum to the rumours. Neither the Federal Reserve nor the White House has confirmed the reports, and no timetable or potential successor has been formally announced.