College was very confusing times...

At Texas A&M I studied Finance. It was pretty clear after talking to professors and reading a bunch of books in the library, that low-cost, market cap weighted index funds were the best investment products for most people. You can appreciate the disconnect I felt on the recruitment days at the business school when most of the financial firms in the halls promoted a VERY different philosophy of investment than what the school taught. The firms recruiting seemed to rely on high priced products, complex strategies, and commission based compensation structures.

Why was there such a large disconnect between the classroom and the marketplace?

Follow the money………$$$$$$

You simply do not make as much money promoting low-cost products in a no-commission environment. This is why it is VERY difficult to find a low-cost, objective, financial advice firm to work for out of college and as a result, it is just as hard to find financial advice that is objective and low-cost.

One of the first steps I take with my clients is to make an evaluation of the current products and accounts they currently hold. Oftentimes in this exercise, the client discovers they are paying a LOT for their financial products relative to the other low cost options that are available to them in the marketplace. This is usually the case because they were sold products by a salesman instead of buying the products themselves with the guidance of someone like Robert Hunt.

Be sure you are equipped and educated to buy your own financial products to meet your goals. It will require more work on your part, but the payoff is huge.