Oh, I take all that stuff with A "Grain of Salt", seeing as alot of it is marketing by Vanguard and the Indexer's band of reknown..... and alot of Indexer Firms.   And it gets more Press by them when They start loosing Clients.. and $...   and Hey? Aren't we a Capitalistic-Supply Side  Society? If we don't get the people to Spend and Buy vs save? What happens?  Our Economy will  Collaspe! And Kiss your Job Good bye..

And do you want to see Thousands of Bear Stearn type People Driving Taxi cabs?Selling Apples and Pencils on street corners?

They need that $ to pay for the BMW's, +$500k Homes in the Suburbs and live the Good life ! The American Dream...And 50% of the East Coast would go into Bankruptcy! Especially Boston,Mass..!

Sure, go ahead and pay less fee's, but you also will make Less..And Ever notice how  these Aritcles always come out of the Woodwork during a Down Market?  mmmmm

8% apy? In what? a Bal Index Port? Probably have to be at least a 70/30 if not higher equity mix per my Records, since 60/40 and less did only about 7% past 10 yrs,.

And I like how they like to leave out AMBF's that ave 10-12% apy for past 10 yrs...

and how would you like to be paid less for your Job? and are you self employed? And the average working Life of a Fund Mgr. is how Long? and he is more Self Employed than anything else and thus should and has to make at least 5x as much if not more..since if he screws up? his career is Ruined and has to become either a Taxi cab driver or worse, A Index Fund Mgr..

And I love how Salary people attack the Self Employed.. not even having been there ..

I think All Salaried People ought to be converted to at least 25% to 50% on commission basis... Giving one a Guaranteed Salary is more Unionizing than anything else..and restricts production and performance and Attitudes..

same kinds of people probably complain their Dr. is overpaid too or a Top Speicalist is way over paid.... Like Europeans and Canadians about our Health Care system, but they change their tunes when they have to come to us to save their lives/butts.( even Their  Prime Min. and Gov't Leaders & Familes Come to us to save their Lives )

If a Guy/Firm wants 3% fees to make me 25-100% more than the next guy? He's worth it! IMO and they should Be raising their rates and Fees to All those Nickel and Dimers..> would you want to have to spend the time  taking care of some $5,000-$50,000 account making a lousy $30/mo from it ( Ave 1.3% on $27k = $350/yr fees)  ?

Min. should be raise to Get into the game.. To at least $10k per fund.. It will keep those Nervous -Nickle & Dime people out of the markets,  that influence the markets and drive them down alot more than they should be..when they should be putting their Nickels and Dimes into a Home and CC's instead..?

hey? There's an alternative to paying those Fee's! Own Rental Property instead..