1) You buy funds based on your goals (good point)
And isn't one of your goals that the fund should increase in value over time?

2) Do you want your retirement $ dependent upon the S&P 500, which can be risky or under performing based on the timing?
Let's see, it's retirement money. I would assume that means you've got a lot of time before you need it. So what's market timing got to do with it? Aren't you planning on being in it for the long-term?

3) Yes, a large number of mutuals have been outperformed by the index funds in the last few years, but he thinks this will change and you'll
see mutual funds kick back ahead! "He doesn't buy yesterday's winners today"
And he thinks this will changed based on what data, exactly? Sounds like intuition to me, so what makes his intuition better than say, yours or mine? And exactly how much commission is he making if you buy these funds or losing if you don't buy them?

4) He firmly stated that since 1950 mutual funds have historically outperformed the S&P and Dow.
Again, the data for this? Everything I've seen has shown the S&P to be outperforming. Is he picking one particular mutual fund for this statement, which I'm sure there must be one that has done well?

5) Buying funds is an art, not a science!
And he's a better artist than you? How much is this guy being paid?

6) Said paying expense ratio fees was a good thing, as it takes money to make money. (he didn't comment on 12b-1 fees)
He's kidding, right?

7) Said the S&P was not a particularly good benchmark. The more relevant benchmark is one based on your goals and objectives. Rather
banks savings rates were better.
As I said above, wasn't one of your goals to increase the value of your account, and most likely stay ahead of inflation? So here we have a stockbroker telling you, essentially, not to buy stocks but to just put all your savings in a bank?

8) Basically slammed "getting on the internet for about 30 minutes and picking out some good funds" (i.e. VFINX).

I'm confused. I want to move my AIM funds into an index fund as safe harbor until I've built up enough capital/knowledge to buy into the FF
or other program. Therefore, my thinking is that funds are not part of the long-term picture anyway, but he made some emphatic and
contrary points to the general consensus at TMF re mutual funds.

After all he's said, which makes very little sense to me other than to give you reasons why you need to continue supporting the lifestyle to which he's become accustomed, you're actually thinking about his advice seriously? Seems to me that the only thing he gave you were all the reasons why you shouldn't be cutting out his commission and not one shred of any plan or way that he intended to make your account grow more than the cost incurred by his commissions and the amount you would be making if you just went with an index fund. Given that you gave him the boot, I would think you'd do the same with his advice.

Sounds like you really do know what you want to do, and you're second-guessing yourself based on this guy's nonsense. Perhaps you need to take some more time to research your particular investment ideas and understand more how they support your goals, but that's not the same thing as following what seems like advice that is more in someone else's interest than yours. Since it's your money that's being affected, I would think you'd want your particular needs put ahead of any one else's [like the broker's need to earn a living].

Just my $0.02. This one sort of hit a nerve with me.