Center Street
Partners

Dear clients and friends,

Jay Hinkel

A few weeks after that first meeting, Jay called and came to my office. Although he was a graduating business major, I had a way of turning his world upside down. He became a student of monetary history, and that eventually led him into the world of cryptocurrencies.

Jay began investing in junior high. He and his sisters maintained a produce booth at a Farmer's Market in Michigan. Jay's dad was using Larry Burkett's financial principles with his three children. As the kids earned money — eventually, in high school, Jay worked in a hardware store — he was taught to give away 10% and save 50%. Except, instead of saving it was investing. Early stock purchases were Stryker and Apple. Eventually, Dave Hinkel, Jay's dad, left teaching school to become a financial advisor with Prudential. He then passed away in 2018. By watching his dad's life, Jay learned the benefit of good planning and caring for a family.

After college, Jay continued to save and invest, building a personal portfolio through swing trading. He has studied technical analysis and often has trading software open on his personal computer tracking market data. He brings a fresh and valuable perspective to Center Street Partners.

I've been emphasizing that my focus is fundamental analysis. I've studied this for 16 years. Jay and I have great discussions. His technical analysis complements my fundamental focus. He knows a lot about cryptocurrencies; I know a lot about precious metals. Jay has also invested his personal wealth in precious-metal strategies, as I have. We share a common view of the global economy and the challenges ahead. We make a good team.

I am not retiring. At age 69 (this summer), my goal is to help accelerate Jay's ability to work with his friends and clients. Jay will be 36 this year. He and his wife, Mary, welcomed their daughter, Esther, into their family last November. They enjoy living at Winona Lake, and Jay is active at Winona Grace Church. He also enjoys jiu-jitsu, refereeing rugby games, and reading financial topics.

How Jay Joined Center Street Partners

Jay will be helping me serve some of my clients, but most of his focus will be building his own client base and business. For years, I've had a goal of having someone like Jay involved in my business by 2027. It wasn't a plan when he contacted me last summer to ask if we could meet. He reminded me of our first meeting in 2013.

His career path — business analytics in the orthopedic industry, occupational therapy, and asset management in the digital-asset space — gave him broad experience and helped him identify that his true passion is helping people with financial advice. When Jay and I met last summer, we both assumed we were simply going to discuss the economy and monetary concerns. After two hours, I asked him to pray about joining me. He completed his investment licensing in February 2026 and officially began with me on Monday, February 16, 2026.

Jay considered other traditional financial firms as he began this career. Any of them likely would have offered him more than I did. I offered him nothing but office space and my experience. Within Center Street Partners and LPL Financial, he found the network of financial resources that aligned with his passion and investment views.

Looking Ahead Together

The financial services career is about serving people. Jay shares my concern that our national debt is an issue that makes the future different from the past. We're not going to be replaced by artificial intelligence. There is a need for contrarian thinking. What I've been thinking about for more than 30 years is now happening. The rest of this decade is going to be difficult to navigate. Wrong decisions here may have generational impact.

Too many financial advisors focus too much on the past rather than the future. Many have not been trained to see the potholes in the road ahead. If you've benefited from my advice, perhaps you may be able to introduce friends or family to Jay. Because we want more people in lifeboats. Our financial-lifeboat strategy has the potential to grow wealth while also protecting purchasing power.

With many regards, — Brad  ·  Psalm 20:7

Important Disclosure: The information provided here is for general information only and should not be considered an individualized recommendation or personalized investment advice. Any investment strategies mentioned here may not be suitable for everyone. All investing involves risk including loss of principal. No strategy assures success or protects against loss. All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results. Bradley K. Skiles, CLU, ChFC, CFP, CLTC is an LPL Registered Representative and Investment Representative. Securities and Advisory Services are offered through LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC. Center Street Partners is independently owned and operated. Tracking #1087418, April 9, 2026.

Were these ancient rules meant to guide every culture — including ours?

To explore that, we need to look at the earliest days of trade. According to NOVA, China was using metal money around 1000 B.C. But even earlier, in Moses' time, commerce depended on weights and measurements. Trade only worked if everyone agreed on the standards.

So, when Moses wrote, "Do not use dishonest standards… your scales and weights must be accurate," he wasn't offering a religious suggestion. He was establishing the economic foundation of a nation. And he wasn't alone. Over the next two centuries, multiple biblical authors repeated the same theme: Honest weights. Honest measures. Honest means of exchange.

It was the backbone of a stable society.

The Power of Fixed Measurements

Our entire culture still depends on fixed units: 12 inches in a foot, 3 feet in a yard, 16 ounces in a pound, 32,000 ounces in a ton. The U.S. Constitution empowers Congress to fix weights and measures. (See Article I, Section 8, Clause 5.)

Imagine watching a football game where the referees quietly changed the definition of a yard. Or playing Monopoly with your grandkids and the eight-year-old banker keeps raising the price of every property. You'd quit. Everyone would. Standards matter.

And yet, while we would never tolerate changing inches or ounces, we've accepted a monetary system where the value of a dollar changes every second of every day. The dollar — our national unit of economic measurement — is no longer fixed. It floats. It drifts. It erodes.

Most Americans alive today have never lived under a gold standard. We've only known a fiat dollar, a currency created at will, with no intrinsic value behind it. When we trade our labor for dollars, we assume those dollars will hold the value of our work. But when money can be created "out of thin air," the measurement becomes dishonest — even if unintentionally so.

And dishonest measurements always hurt the people who can least afford it.

Back to 1400 B.C. — A Nation Built on Honest Measures

When Israel left Egypt and formed a new nation, God gave them laws that shaped everything from worship to economics. Even if someone doesn't believe the Bible, it's remarkable how clear and consistent these monetary principles were.

The message is unmistakable: a society cannot thrive when its measurements are corrupt. The prophets condemned merchants who mixed grain with chaff or used rigged weights to cheat the poor. Proverbs calls dishonest scales "detestable." The Levites were even assigned to check the weights and measures — an ancient version of the Bureau of Standards. This wasn't just about economics. It was about trust, justice, and the dignity of every person.

Were These Principles Meant for Us?

Our Founding Fathers thought so. They lived through the collapse of colonial paper money and the disaster of the Continental Dollar. They saw firsthand what happens when a nation manipulates its own currency. So when they wrote the Constitution, they intentionally tied money to precious metals — a standard that couldn't be printed, inflated, or manipulated.

Their warnings sound almost prophetic now:

• George Washington: "Depreciation keeps pace with the quantity of the emission."
• George Mason: "Paper money is founded upon fraud and knavery."
• Oliver Ellsworth: "Shut and bar the door against paper money."
• Thomas Jefferson: "The end of democracy… will occur when government falls into the hands of lending institutions."
• Andrew Jackson, confronting the central bank: "You are a den of vipers and thieves."

These weren't fringe voices. These were the architects of our nation. They believed honest money was essential for a free people.

The Legacy Builder's Question

So here we are — thousands of years after Moses, hundreds of years after the Founders — still wrestling with the same issue: can a society flourish when its measurements are constantly changing?

Legacy Builders know the answer. Whether you're running a business, leading a family, or stewarding resources, the principles are the same:

• Integrity in small things creates stability in big things.
• Honest measurements build trust.
• Trust builds nations.

The ancient world understood it. The Founding Fathers understood it. And deep down, we know it too. There's a reason we call it "honest money."

Important Disclosure: The information provided here is for general information only and should not be considered an individualized recommendation or personalized investment advice. All investing involves risk including loss of principal. No strategy assures success or protects against loss. Precious metal investing involves greater fluctuation and potential for losses. Bradley K. Skiles, CLU, ChFC, CFP, CLTC is an LPL Registered Representative and Investment Representative. Securities and Advisory Services are offered through LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC. Center Street Partners is independently owned and operated. Tracking #1085390, April 3, 2026.

Dear clients and friends,

Jay Hinkel

If we could rewind to Friday, February 27, 2026, and we had inside knowledge that the U.S. was about to begin a war with Iran, what would be the right investment position? I asked this question to ChatGPT, and here is its answer:

I thought it would have said "dollars." Dollars have been the primary safe-haven position for times like these. As I write this, the dollar has gained about 3% during this period. For many of my clients, we've had a strong position in energy stocks for a number of years — that has been profitable so far this year.

10 Fundamental Factors Driving Gold

Here are the 10 fundamental factors that I believe have driven the price of gold since the year 2000. Consider how many are impacted by this war:

1. Shrinking supply of new gold
2. Growing demand from central banks
3. Growing demand from consumers in developing countries
4. Global fiscal and monetary policies
5. Reckless U.S. government spending
6. Outstanding derivatives yet to be valued
7. Geopolitical risks
8. Minimal U.S. investor ownership
9. Small trading volumes for gold and silver
10. Growing recognition of manipulation of paper contracts

#7 — Geopolitical risks. "War" is the worst risk. So, the fact that we have a war is generally viewed as fuel for higher gold prices. Then why hasn't the gold price increased? Hold that thought.

#5 — Reckless U.S. government spending. Some reports estimate our war costs at $1 billion per day. Part of the problem is Iranian drones costing $20,000–$50,000 are being shot down with $3–$5 million interceptor missiles. Prior to this war, military spending for this year was planned at $1 trillion. ChatGPT gives a range of $100B to $500B for the increase in war spending and rearmament. As I write this, our national debt is $38.9 trillion. Wars ALWAYS require more spending. Since the Revolutionary War, wars have always created money printing.

#4 — Global fiscal and monetary policies. The monetary policy of the U.S. is to print more money. Our political class knows they cannot stay in office by raising taxes to pay for a war. So they give us a stealth tax — a tax not seen on our radar screen. By printing money, the currency loses purchasing power and we pay a tax called "inflation." The classical definition of inflation is: "an increase in the money supply, which leads to higher prices." Inflation is not a mystery. It is a government plan.

#10 — Growing recognition of manipulation of paper contracts. Andy Schectman, owner of Miles Franklin, says the withdrawal activity at the COMEX is the equivalent of four feet of snow in Death Valley. With more than 30 years of precious metals experience, he says he has never seen this volume of bullion leaving the COMEX vaults. He concludes that "big money" is taking physical delivery of bullion to be held outside the system.

Why Have Precious Metals Declined?

First, let's acknowledge we are at the highest level for both gold and silver for any March in history. Gold has what looks like a solid bottom at $5,000. The weakness in prices has been created in the futures (paper) market — not the underlying story. The physical market is strong.

I do not think these first two weeks are an indicator of future momentum. I think we are still on track. Perhaps we've seen the low for this year. Maybe not. That is why this is called "investment risk."

Introducing Jay Hinkel

I have a new associate helping me — Jay Hinkel. Together we plan to call clients when we see momentum changing. We want to discuss allocation changes. We are not suggesting leaving precious metals investments entirely.

I first met Jay in 2013 when he was a senior at Grace College. He graduated and had a variety of experiences that have prepared him for his new career. We are both excited about our teamwork. I am not retiring. I have no intention of stopping what I'm doing. This is a very good move for my business.

— Brad Skiles, Psalm 20:7

Important Disclosure: The information provided here is for general information only and should not be considered an individualized recommendation or personalized investment advice. Any investment strategies mentioned here may not be suitable for everyone. All investing involves risk including loss of principal. No strategy assures success or protects against loss. The fast price swings in commodities will result in significant volatility in an investor's holdings. Precious metal investing involves greater fluctuation and potential for losses. Bradley K. Skiles, CLU, ChFC, CFP, CLTC is an LPL Registered Representative and Investment Representative. Securities and Advisory Services are offered through LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC. Center Street Partners is independently owned and operated.