Fed rate hikes & gold: My El Paso perspective, feeling the squeeze on other investments

• •Anyone else feeling like the Fed's been playing a cruel game of 'chicken' with the economy and our portfolios?
• •Seriously, the last few rate hikes, especially those 75 basis point monsters, have me re-evaluating everything.
• •Figured it was a good hedge, a tangible asset when the dollar gets twitchy.

Anyone else feeling like the Fed's been playing a cruel game of 'chicken' with the economy and our portfolios? Seriously, the last few rate hikes, especially those 75 basis point monsters, have me re-evaluating everything. I got into gold a couple of years ago, around when things started feeling a little wobbly globally – probably have about 15-20% of my 200k portfolio in a Gold IRA now. Figured it was a good hedge, a tangible asset when the dollar gets twitchy. Living on the border in El Paso, I see firsthand how fast economic sentiment can shift, how currency fluctuations hit real people, real businesses.

I'm mostly in coins and some larger bars, just because I like the physicality of it, and historically, it’s always offered a sense of security. But watching other investments, particularly some real estate plays I was looking at here and across the border, get hammered by borrowing costs going up... it's a gut punch. Those higher rates make the dollar stronger in the short term, which can put pressure on gold prices if you're only looking at the dollar value. But then I think about inflation, which still feels sticky despite what the official numbers say sometimes. My suppliers for a couple of my ventures are still raising prices, man. It feels like a push-pull dynamic, and honestly, it’s a bit anxiety-inducing.

So, I'm trying to gauge the temperature here. With the Fed hinting at slowing down, maybe even pausing soon, how are you all reading the tea leaves for gold? Is this the moment where a weaker dollar expectation finally lets gold shine again, or do you think there's still too much uncertainty globally for a sustained breakout? I'm not looking for get-rich-quick advice, just genuine insights from other folks who've been through a few cycles. Are you adding to your positions, holding steady, or even divesting a bit?

Part of me is tempted to move a little more into silver now that the gold-silver ratio is looking more attractive, but then I remember the volatility. It's not as stable as gold, that's for sure. It feels like every financial decision right now is a chess game. Would love to hear how the Fed's recent moves have impacted your thinking specifically about your precious metals allocations. Specifically, are you more bullish on gold now that the hiking cycle seems to be reaching its peak, or are you still wary of other factors?