Page 20 - Exposed Final

Let me interject: fees are not a bad thing when you are receiving something

of value in exchange. I am not against fees; they are necessary, but a fee

without value is not a good investment of your hard-earned money.

To add fuel to the fire -- or shall I say, more fees in their coffers -- the

financial industry has developed fancy software programs to help you feel

more comfortable about turning over your cash. You receive a so-called

comprehensive financial plan that requires you to answer questions, such

as:

What age do you want to retire? Most everyone has an answer

to this question.

What's the average rate of return you expect to achieve on your

investments before retirement? Now you have to guess.

What's the average rate of return you expect to achieve on your

investments during retirement? You have to guess again.

What's the average rate of inflation during your lifetime? Again,

you have to guess.

What will the tax rate be during your lifetime? Yet another guess.

How long do you expect to live? The ultimate guess.