Fed hikes - good or bad for my tiny gold IRA?

• •Okay, so I'm trying to wrap my head around this whole Fed policy thing and how it actually impacts my little gold stash.
• •I just rolled over about $15,000 from an old 403(b) into a Gold IRA a few months ago.
• •My thought process was that gold is supposed to be this safe haven, especially when things get volatile.

Okay, so I'm trying to wrap my head around this whole Fed policy thing and how it actually impacts my little gold stash. I've been seeing all these headlines about the Fed raising interest rates again (or pausing, or whatever they're doing this week!) and honestly, it's just a lot of noise that I'm struggling to translate into something meaningful for my retirement savings.

I just rolled over about $15,000 from an old 403(b) into a Gold IRA a few months ago. I'm a teacher here in Columbus, and obviously, that's a pretty big chunk of my retirement at this stage, so I'm trying to be super diligent about understanding what's going on. My thought process was that gold is supposed to be this safe haven, especially when things get volatile. But then I hear people linking higher rates to a stronger dollar, which could make gold less attractive because it becomes more expensive for international buyers. Is that right? Or am I completely missing the boat here?

I feel like I'm constantly playing catch-up. Does anyone have a good rundown of the cause-and-effect with Fed rate changes and gold prices, especially for someone who's just getting started like me? Is there a point where the Fed's actions actually make holding gold less smart? Or is it more about long-term inflation protection, regardless of the short-term rate dance? I'm trying to learn as much as I can, and I even took that Gold IRA Quiz to get a better handle on the basics, which was actually pretty helpful for understanding the different types of gold and such, but the macroeconomics of it all still feels a bit like trying to read tea leaves.

Any insights from you veterans on what I should be paying attention to, or if these Fed announcements are just background noise for a long-term hold, would be amazing. Thanks!