Precious Metals, Real Estate & the Markets

Bulletin for April 2, 2026

Precious Metals, Real Estate & the Markets

OPENING

Benny offered a prayer for Holy Week, blessing the meeting, fellowship, and food. Marti led the Pledge of Allegiance.

“Believe in yourself, set clear goals, love God and your parents. If you fail, get up and never give up.”

— Jay R. Vargas, United States Marine Corps Medal of Honor

CLUB BUSINESS

• Roster: Published in October and April. Members asked to review and note any changes. Heidi to be added; process is ongoing.

• Speaker cancellation: Brad Ausmus (Colorado Springs Switchbacks) could not attend due to a family funeral in Seattle.

• Robson Arena tour: Sign-in sheet to be circulated. Meet at the northwest corner of the arena to meet Rick Green. Access to all areas expected, including a possible manufacturers’ equipment vault. Discussion centered on college hockey prospects, transfer protocols, and long-term viability at CC.

• Mackenzie’s restaurant: Positive comments about the service. Members encouraged to leave Google reviews — the restaurant monitors them.

• Club email: pikepeakceo@gmail.com. Access issues noted; site managed by Dalton. Possible pending online applications to verify.

• Kiwanis Car Show (May 16): ~25–27 entries currently; goal is 50 by end of April. Seeking car entries and sponsors — logo placement on website, Facebook, and banner. Entry fee ~$20. Members discussed potential entries: Porsche 911, Model T, Cybertruck.

• Upcoming Concerts: JP plays in the New Horizons Symphonic Band. Next concert is the last Saturday of June (~3:00 PM), likely at Mitchell High School auditorium — program will feature patriotic and popular songs honoring the country’s 250th birthday. (Barbara’s note: They are an amazingly wonderful and talented group. See them if you can.)

• Pumpkin Patch: New items acquired at a haunted house convention, including a tall display prop. Much enthusiasm for the season ahead.

• Marlene’s Book: Members encouraged to circulate Contentious Custody: Is It Really in the Best Interest of Your Children? at the club. (From Barbara: It is very good.) Marlene also has a weekly one-hour video podcast and a one-minute “Doctor Marlene’s Marvelous Minute,” which gets more views. She will share the one-minute video for the club site.

• Silver Key Summit: Free event with food and parking at Great Wolf Lodge (May 14–15). Focus on elder care services; ~1,000 attendees and hundreds of vendors expected. Members encouraged to attend.

• Artemis II: Uplifting news shared. A member’s son at Sierra Space moved from the Dream Chaser program to National Defense Satellites after layoffs. SpaceX contract for ~18 satellites expected to launch late this year or early next.

• Winners: Kevin (names) and Benny (numbers) took home the big prizes — though it sounds like such a fun meeting that everyone came away a winner.

PRECIOUS METALS DISCUSSION

• Silver and gold markets remain volatile; silver swings roughly 4 points daily.

• Dealer premiums are high: $12–$14 per ounce on silver (~20%).

• COMEX trades paper contracts; many do not intend physical delivery.

• Physical demand is rising: sovereign buyers (India) and manufacturers (Samsung, Tesla, solar panel producers) are increasing demand for physical silver.

• Historical note: gold was used as a conductor in older auto windshield defrosters.

Storing Physical Metals

• Home storage is typically not covered by homeowners insurance unless specifically added to the policy.

• Bank safe deposit boxes do not insure contents — this is stated in the agreements.

• Depositories provide insured custody: the safest option, though not inexpensive.

• Physical metals incur protection costs and produce no financial return.

• Patriot Gold Group offers a no-fee-for-life IRA (custodial fee waived) with a $100,000 minimum. One member holds ~65% silver and the remainder in gold with Equity Trust and offered to present more details at a future meeting.

BANKING AND MARKETS

• Geopolitical uncertainty is driving volatility. The yield curve is flattening as long-term rates rise to meet short-term rates.

• Mortgages briefly dipped below 6% but improvements have paused.

• Short-term rates around 3%; CDs across 3–12 months are at similar rates.

• Bonds viewed favorably with stabilized rates; recommendation to maintain long-term strategy.

• Credit card note: Chase raised one member’s APR from 14.99% to 21.97%. Escalation failed; considering switching to a local bank at ~15%.

• Homeowners insurance: One member’s premium increased ~$5,000 (~35%) discovered through escrow. Shopping around saved $2,000–$3,000 with a higher deductible. Wildfire risk and older roofs are driving coverage challenges.

REAL ESTATE

• Long-term holding (“time in the market”) continues to be the primary recommendation.

• Market is more balanced; buyers are less rushed, though aggressively priced homes still attract multiple offers.

• Builders on the east side are offering concessions as margins thin and sales slow.

• Sellers should assess motivation and competition carefully.

• Institutional investor influence noted as a market factor.

COLORADO POLICY AND TAXES

• Reports of population loss and concerns about business-friendliness in Colorado.

• A proposed “graduated tax” ballot initiative discussed; TABOR implications and comparisons to New York taxation and outmigration noted.

• Concerns about state spending programs running deficits.

• Members encouraged to monitor state legislative actions.

AI TOOLS

• Conflicting responses observed between ChatGPT and Perplexity on the same event — suggestion to cross-check with Grok.

• Emphasis on “trust but verify” when using AI tools.

PEAK NEWS EDUCATION FOUNDATION

• Mission: Train ethical, accurate local journalists and counter AI misinformation.

• Initial D11 partnership fell through; pivot to BOCES requires recruiting at least 20 students to unlock funding.

• Grant submitted for marketing, website, and recruitment events. Board includes local leaders.

• Invitation extended for board engagement and potential guest presentations.

NEXT ARRANGEMENTS

• Update club roster; confirm Heidi is added.

• Confirm rescheduling for Brad Ausmus.

• Finalize Robson Arena tour headcount and vault access with Rick Green.

• Resolve access to pikepeakceo@gmail.com with Dalton; retrieve pending applications.

• Recruit car entries and sponsors for Kiwanis Car Show (goal: 50 cars by end of April).

• Confirm June concert time and venue; share with members.

• Provide guidance on insured storage for physical metals.

• Send “Doctor Marlene’s Marvelous Minute” video for posting on the club site.

• Consider hosting a monthly market update segment for members.

• Confirm Cheyenne Mountain Zoo availability for the 80th anniversary; communicate subsidy details.

• Organize Lower Arkansas Water District field trip; determine State Capitol visit timing.

• Schedule a 5-minute segment for Benny to present on precious metals IRAs.

• Review Peak News Education Foundation grant at the board meeting.

Conclusion: Becky sends her regards and says she misses you all.

The Pikes Peak Club · pikespeakclub.com