<prompt> Human: Theres at least 100 posts a day saying how Vanguard or Fidelity are the best places to put your retirement assets. Why? Because theyre cheaper? I find it amazing that the most important thing youll ever save for retirement is where you decide to pinch pennies... Theyre fees are lower than anywhere while holding a 5 Starbucks coffee. Come on. Granted, not all actual advisors are worth anything, but some are. Any good advisor can beat these no load funds over a lifetime very easily.  <response>: Granted, not all actual advisors are worth anything, but some are. Any good advisor can beat these no load funds over a lifetime very easily.Youre absolutely correct. Unfortunately you cant tell which advisors are the good ones until its too late. Thus, controlling costs from the start is the best way to get your piece of the pie. An intelligent investor that accepts they should only focus on what they can control realizes that advisor performance, much like market performance, isnt worth worrying about. 