Fed's keeping me up at night - gold going up or down?

• •Okay, so I’m really trying to get a handle on how all this Fed policy stuff actually translates to my gold IRA.
• •I just started dipping my toes in, put about $10k into a GoldCo account a few months back.
• •But then I hear about inflation being stubborn, and how gold is a hedge against that.

Okay, so I’m really trying to get a handle on how all this Fed policy stuff actually translates to my gold IRA. I just started dipping my toes in, put about $10k into a GoldCo account a few months back. I'm a teacher here in Columbus, and honestly, every time Powell speaks, I feel like I need a financial dictionary just to get the gist, let alone figure out if my precious metals are gonna go up or down.

I know the general consensus is that when the Fed hikes rates, it’s not always great for gold because the dollar strengthens and bonds look more attractive. But then I hear about inflation being stubborn, and how gold is a hedge against that. It feels like I'm trying to catch water with a sieve sometimes. I’m just trying to build a little cushion for retirement, and I don't want to make any dumb moves this early on.

With all the talk about potential rate cuts later this year, or maybe none at all depending on inflation, what are people's actual predictions for gold? Is it better to hold tight, or should I be thinking about allocating more or less to gold if there are clearer signals from the Fed? My total portfolio is still under $50k, so these decisions feel pretty big to me right now.

What are you all doing in response to these Fed announcements? Are you seeing any patterns that I'm totally missing as a newbie? Any advice for someone trying to make sense of the macro stuff and how it hits my small gold holdings?