When Is the June 2017 FOMC Meeting?

The next FOMC meeting will take place between June 13 and June 14. At the conclusion of the June 14 meeting, the Fed is expected to raise interest rates.

When Is the June 2017 FOMC meetingAccording to CME Group's FedWatch Tool, there's now a 96.9% chance the Federal Reserve will raise rates from 0.75%-1% to 1%-1.25%.

And there are two reasons why investors are almost certain a rate hike will happen on June 14...

2 Reasons Why the Fed Will Raise Rates After the June 2017 FOMC Meeting

Back in December 2016, the Fed announced it wanted a total of three interest rate hikes in 2017. The Fed raised interest rates after the March FOMC meeting but kept rates unchanged after the one in May.

And if the Fed doesn't raise rates now, it may not make its objective of three hikes in 2017...

Interest rates are still low, but too many hikes within a short time frame can cause panic. The best way for the Fed to avoid this panic is by raising rates now and then again in November or December 2017.

The second reason the markets expect the Fed to raise rates on June 14 is the low unemployment totals.

On June 2, the U.S. Labor Department reported the unemployment rate fell from 4.4% to 4.3%, a 16-year low.

Must See: This Great Depression-Era "Secret" Helped Transform Two Teachers into Millionaires. Read more...

Also, average hourly earnings increased 2.5% year over year.

Investors should expect a rate hike in June, but there's always a chance the Fed doesn't raise rates. And if it doesn't, we want to make sure Money Morning readers are able to protect their portfolios and profit, no matter what happens after the June 14 FOMC meeting.

Here's everything you need to know about our protection and profit strategy...

Make These Moves Before the June 2017 FOMC Meeting

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Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are an easy solution for portfolio protection and profits if the Fed raises rates.

"ETFs basically let you trade an entire sector instead of having to pick and choose specific stocks to trade within a sector. ETFs are also a great way for you to hedge against rising interest rates," Money Morning Options Trading Specialist Tom Gentile said on May 26.

For stocks, Gentile recommends monitoring the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (NYSE Arca: DIA). For bonds, he recommends monitoring the iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (NYSE Arca: TLT).

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How Interest Rates Are Set

"Now, bonds and stocks don't always have an inverse correlation, but most of the time they do. So when the Fed decides to jack up rates on June 13, DIA and TLT are the best two considerations to have in your portfolio for both protection and profits," Gentile said.

When the Fed raised rates on March 15, the DIA fell by 1.86% over the next month. In comparison, the TLT stock price climbed 5.01% over the next month. If there is a rate hike, investors can open a bullish position on TLT and a bearish position on DIA.

For investors who believe rates will remain unchanged, a bullish position on DIA and a bearish position on TLT can be opened.

"In either case, you've got a way to hedge against, and profit from, any action the Fed takes next month - and any time after that. Of course, you'll want to talk to your broker before you make any changes to your portfolio," Gentile said.

This "Secret" Helped Transform Two Teachers into Millionaires: Donna and Dave R. were both teachers in Boston. But today they're retired millionaires who are also earning $10,000 a month in income. Their secret? Much of their wealth is due to a Great Depression-era "program" most have no idea exists. Learn more...

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