vafoodie, a lot of people here are going to tell you they don't think you don't need an advisor because THEY don't think they need an advisor. And that's fine, maybe they don't. But maybe you do. As someone who's been an advisor, here's what I recommend:
-Ask lots of questions. The #1 question to ask sincerely is "What value am I getting for what I'm paying you?". Ask, listen, and then decide if it's worth it. Unlike some of the assumptions you may have heard, they're very unlikely to list "market outperformance". That's just not the core value most advisors would be trying to bring to you. And if there's any sign of them hiding a fee, that's a big red flag. If they can't point to the numbers, look you in the eye and say "This is what you pay", that's a problem.
-Be direct and honest with whoever you're dealing with. There's nothing wrong with saying "Everyone is telling me X, what do you think of that?"
-Educate yourself as much as you care to. A good advisor WANTS you to be educated. In our firm we loved well-educated clients. And contrary to popular belief I never once had a client who learned so much they decided they didn't need me. And I personally loved working with clients that were knowledgeable.
-If you decide to make a change, do it when you think you're ready. If you decide to stay, change advisors, or go DYI, do it because you're comfortable doing it and not because anyone told you otherwise.
You also mentioned you weren't comfortable with one of the advisors. If you've had multiple bad interactions with them, they're probably not a good fit. That alone is a good reason to make a change.
Good luck!
