Rick MacDonald is the Director of Investment Research and Analysis for Action Economics, LLC. Previously he worked as a Senior Economist/Investment Strategist at Standard & Poor's MMS. In this role, he was responsible for generating in-depth forecasts and post-release analysis on critical U.S. economic indicators, with an emphasis on the implications for broader economic trends, Fed policy, and financial markets. Rick has been quoted in numerous financial market publications, including Barron's, Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Bloomberg. Before working at MMS, Rick worked as a Research Associate for Bridgewater Associates, a macro-fundamental global bond and currency investment management firm with over $45 billion in assets. He graduated from Dartmouth College with a B.A. in economics and is a CFA charterholder.