The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by .75% on Wednesday. This was the second consecutive 3/4 point increase and was largely anticipated by markets. Why didn’t the Fed raise interest rates by more and what guidance was given on future rate hikes? Gross Domestic Product measures collective economic activity and is used to gauge if an economy is growing or shrinking. GDP shrank in Q2 and, after Q1’s decrease, could be accepted as announcing a recession. Economists disagree where the economy is headed and we discuss why. Gold has long been valued by humanity. What place does gold have in a portfolio and how does gold stack up as a long-term investment?