Key focus of the Fed's October FOMC monetary policy meeting: Whether to cut interest rates by 50 basis points and announce the end of balance sheet locking.

Four key points to watch at the Federal Reserve's October FOMC monetary policy meeting: 1. Will the Fed announce an interest rate cut? Will the newly appointed Fed Governor Milan, appointed by President Trump, object or continue to demand a 50 basis point rate cut? 2. Will the Fed announce the end of the "balance sheet reduction" process? 3. The Fed's discussion of President Trump's tariff and fiscal policies. 4. The Fed's discussion of the US federal government shutdown.