Matthew Patten is CEO and Investment Portfolio Manager at Cutler Investment Group. He is a graduate of Jacksonville Elementary School and South Medford High School. Matt earned BA degrees in Economics and Environmental Geo-Sciences from Boston College and a MBA from the University of Chicago.
Erich Patten is President and Chief Investment Officer at Cutler Investment Group. He is a graduate of Jacksonville Elementary School and South Medford High School. Erich earned a BS in Economics from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and a Masters in Public Policy from the University of Chicago. 
THIS PAST YEAR was one of transformation. Perhaps the biggest change occurred in the political realm, with President Trump pursuing a policy agenda unlike any in the past century. Tariffs dominated headlines, until they didn’t. The government shutdown dominated headlines, until it did not. Investors able to be comfortable […]
ON MOST THURSDAYS for the past decade, Scout Troop 17 has met on the Bigham Knoll Campus. Cutler has a long history with this troop—both Matt and Erich Patten achieved their ranks of Eagle from Troop 17 in the 1990’s; Matt’s two sons earned Eagles from […]
THE FOLLOWING is an excerpt from Cutler’s most recent market commentary:
“The future is not set. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves.”
— Sarah Connor, The Terminator
Artificial Intelligence has become the most transformative force in today’s economy. The field was founded in the 1950s by John McCarthy, […]
ONE OF THE JOYS of living in Jacksonville is the sense of steadiness you feel walking down California Street. The historic buildings, the brick sidewalks, the same courthouse tower that’s stood for more than a century—time moves a little slower here. For many residents, that’s part of our town’s […]
THE ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL ACT (“OBBBA”) was signed into law on July 4th. There’s a lot to digest in this bill, which means it will certainly have an impact on households, small businesses, and our retirement plans right here in the Rogue Valley. Let’s break down some of […]
OREGON IS a phenomenal place to live. The quality of life in Southern Oregon and the community of the people who live here are both amazing. Oregon, however, is not a great place to die! Oregon is one of just a handful of states (16 states and Washington DC) […]
NEARLY ALL the businesses operating in Jacksonville are small businesses. That’s not unique—in fact there are over 33 million small businesses in the U.S. that employ roughly 60 million people (and account for 99% of the firms in the country!). Many business owners pour everything into their business and […]
WITH SUMMER’S ARRIVAL, things are ramping up here in Jacksonville! The Britt Festival is in full swing, and California Street will be lined with tourists. But even as life gets a little busy, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t plan ahead—especially when it comes to retirement. One tool we work […]
FOR MOST OF US in Jacksonville, stocks and real estate are our biggest investments. Real estate is typically held as the value of your home. Traditionally thought of as the road map to the American dream, homeownership is largely made possible through bank financing. Stocks are a different story, […]
IN THE 1850s, Jacksonville was filled with miners hoping to strike it rich. Some did—but just as many lost everything. One man, profiled previously in the Jacksonville Review in a great series by Carolyn Kingsnorth, was Cornelius Beekman. Beekman built his fortune not on speculative gold dust, but instead […]
AT CUTLER, teaching financial literacy is a priority. Our advisors aim to help our clients develop healthy money habits for positive financial outcomes. Financial literacy, however, should start well before meeting with a financial advisor. Parents and grandparents can play a pivotal role in fostering these skills early on. […]
“Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago. A good financial advisor helps you plant that tree.” ~Warren Buffett
FOR OVER 10 YEARS, we have used this space to discuss a variety of money issues. From market updates, tax changes, political events, […]
SO FAR IN 2024, the S&P 500 has hit a new all-time high 44 times. And even though California Street is a long-way from Wall Street, at Cutler we have a great deal of gratitude for this extended bull market. After all, stock ownership in the US has never […]
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” ~Benjamin Franklin
WHEN IT COMES TO OUR HEALTH, we often hear the importance of regular check-ups, balanced diets, and exercise routines. But what about our financial health? Just like our physical well-being, our financial health requires regular attention and care. […]
“TO INFINITY, AND BEYOND!” In the Toy Story movies, Buzz Lightyear believes he can set a course to infinity. Buzz, of course, is a “space explorer” misplaced here on Earth with a cast of misfit toys. Perhaps Buzz is also an investor in NVIDIA. After all, the stock price […]
AS A PARENT of a 15-year-old, learning to drive has been an adventure. Recently, when we were sitting in traffic I said to my daughter, “If traffic makes you upset, just remember that you are part of the problem!” It is often helpful to think of our individual impact […]
CUTLER ADVISES OVER 2000 INDIVIDUALS. As you can imagine, we have clients across the political spectrum. And they are all worried about the election. Democrats are worried about Trump, Republicans are worried about Biden, and Independents are worried about both of them! As we get asked on a daily […]
SPRING IS IN THE AIR, and this is a time when investors often say “Should I sell in May and go away?” There are always concerns bubbling to the surface for investors, but ultimately staying committed to your investment strategy has generally proven to be the most prudent strategy. […]
AS YOU THINK ABOUT planning your retirement expenses, Medicare plays an essential role. This US government healthcare plan, established in 1965, serves as the insurance plan for over 65 million Americans. Medicare can be very confusing, with significant penalties for missed deadlines. For those who have not yet signed […]
IF THERE IS ONE THING that keeps our clients up at night, it is the question, “What will my health care costs be in retirement?” Of course, the answer to this question depends on the health and longevity of each individual client, but we can use actuarial estimates to […]
AS WE BEGIN A NEW YEAR, we can’t help but ask if 2024 will be the year that everything finally feels “normal” for investors. Stocks and bonds have been trying to escape the shadow of the pandemic, but lingering inflation has been a reminder of the lasting impacts of […]
Taxes are something that are always on investor’s minds. With record-high fiscal deficits and the “sunsetting” of the Trump tax cuts after 2025, a lot of people have raised concerns that their future tax rates will be going up. Last month we tackled the subject of gifting and […]
It’s that time of year when Jacksonville lights up in all its holiday splendor. And as we approach year-end, many of us will be thinking about gifts. Perhaps for you this means buying gifts at one of our California Street boutiques. But for some, it may also mean giving […]
The broader US economy is built upon the successes of small businesses. In fact, there are nearly 27 million small businesses nationwide! And Jacksonville is no exception. As anyone can tell from walking down California Street, small businesses are the lifeblood of our community. As an entrepreneur, you work […]
The Federal Reserve’s recent tightening cycle, initiated in 2022, is making waves in the everyday lives of ordinary Americans—from Wall Street all the way to California Street, here in Jacksonville. The rate hikes, aimed at curbing inflation and stabilizing the economy, affect everything from car loans to credit card […]
Asset allocation—it’s a term you may have come across in conversations with financial advisors, CPAs, estate attorneys, or while watching business news channels. But what exactly does it mean, and why is it important for your investments? This month let’s go back to basics and talk about portfolio construction.
At […]
This article is not written by a robot. At least, not yet. But we’ve all heard about the coming “artificial intelligence” revolution. ChatGPT, the language model now owned by Microsoft, has in just a matter of a few months exceeded 100 million users. But, unlike social media (which makes […]
“The Fed will keep raising rates until something breaks!” is an often-repeated Wall Street axiom. Well, this past quarter when Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) failed, something broke. But can it be fixed?
The stress in the banking sector is not entirely surprising. Nearly all of us are aware that our […]
What makes a good investor? There is no single answer to that question. Some people would say that “luck” is the best course of action, while (similarly) others might say “timing.” We would agree! These definitely are keys to success, but unfortunately they are not something that we can […]
We’ve spent much of 2022 working off the fiscal and monetary excesses of the pandemic economy; excessive amounts of cash creation coupled with excessive lengths of time with suppressed interest rates. These mistakes led to excessive purchases of speculative asset classes such as cryptocurrencies (even dogecoin had its […]
To help combat persistently high inflation rates coming out of the pandemic economy, the Federal Reserve has increased the short-term lending rate from essentially 0% to 2.25% this year. Even more rises are anticipated, with the majority of future bets currently predicting that we will end the year with […]
Let’s take a break from all the debate about inflation and recession to provide some real hard hitting investment advice relating to one of history’s greatest storytellers—Aesop. Aesop was born in 620 BC, and storytelling in Ancient Greece was likely not the most lucrative career. But Aesop had a […]
A recession is not “officially” determined by two straight quarters of negative Gross Domestic Product (GDP) readings, but that definition has been used for so long that is has become accepted as fact. And after one of the worst starts to the year in history for stocks, the debate […]
After first quarter US Gross Domestic Product shrank 1.5%, and with second quarter GDP trending toward 0%, recession concerns are appropriately on investors’ minds. A recession is typically defined as “two quarters of negative growth,” and whether or not the US officially meets these numbers—unofficially, things sure feel that […]
There are a lot of free tools out there to help with financial planning. Most real estate websites will have a mortgage calculator. With rising mortgage rates, knowing what is affordable is essential for a prospective homebuyer. Another common tool asks, “Have You Saved Enough for Retirement?” If you’ve […]
Yield curves are supposed to slope upward. For example, if you loaned your neighbor $1000 for a day, you’d probably ask for $1000 tomorrow. But, if the loan were for a year, perhaps you’d ask for $1100. How much would you ask for if the loan was for 30-years? […]
Cutler has long been a supporter of the Boy Scouts. We provide volunteer hours, financial support, and have kids enrolled in the program. And, if there’s one thing that Scouting has taught us, it’s that you should always “Be Prepared.” This has been the Scouts’ motto since the organization […]
February is a month where we celebrate many things. President’s Day comes to mind, and with it a long weekend. Super Bowl Sunday should be a national holiday. And, of course, there’s Valentine’s Day. This month, let’s talk about love. And finance. Okay, words that don’t often go together. […]
From all of us at Cutler Investment Group, Merry Christmas! In past December Jacksonville Review articles, we have taken this space to highlight some year-end housekeeping items that investors should be aware of. Tax-loss selling is at the top of that list, which is selling your stocks that […]
A few articles ago, we identified inflation as something to keep an eye on. And sure enough, inflation has been putting on a show! Housing prices in Jackson County were up almost 25% in the 12-months ending in last May. The median house price in Jacksonville is now over […]
This past month, I completed a “bucket list” item—climbing Mt. Rainier. It took months of training, and all 14,411 feet were challenging, but it was also immensely rewarding. And at times terrifying. There were also a few lessons for a financial advisor along the way!
The final day began with […]
Inflation is on everyone’s mind these days. Looking at Google Trends data, May searches for “Inflation” reached the highest level since Google began tracking, nearly double the number of searches as recently as last fall. Should investors be scared of inflation? What should we be doing to position portfolios […]
Dogecoin (pronounced dowzh·koyn) traded at $.0054 on January 1st. By May, the price has reached over $.70- or over 12,000% higher! “Crypto-currency” has become the cocktail party (remember those!) conversation of the day. But, caveat emptor, this month’s article is a brief history of financial bubbles.
Bubbles have typically been […]
The financial response to this ongoing (and hopefully soon subsiding) pandemic has been enormous. And while that has helped to stabilize at-risk households and to boost many stock indexes to record highs, it has also led to increasing concerns about prospects for inflation. Total Covid-related Federal expenditures are approaching […]
Are you familiar with GameStop? If so, you probably know it as a place to buy and sell video games. But, for a brief moment, it was the center of the investing universe. (NYSE:GME) GameStop, like many retail stores, struggled in 2020 and had, understandably, seen its share price […]