I would love to think that I can manage it on my own w/o paying the fee but these guys do it daqy in day out.

If you're only paying them $2500 a year, they are not going to be managing your portfolio day in, day out.

And also they have a conflict of interest: if they know the best fund for you is not a fidelity fund, they'll still be inclined to keep all your money at Fidelity.

However if your investing decisions are ruled by fear and greed (you jump in and out too soon or too late) a pro might do better, even with his conflict of interest, simply by virtue of being more disciplined.

But you don't need to pay $2500 a year for it. Just find a financial advisor who charges a fee based on the time he spends ("fee-only"). Two places I've seen are www.napfa.org and www.garrettplanningnetwork.com