Originally Posted by Skid Row Joe

I don't trust 'em either. I never have, FWIW.

When you know what your investments have been invested in, and for how long, it's then possible to easily assess performance.

Once those questions are answered, simply do the assessment of their performance doing a side by side comparison of what the broad stock market averages produced for the same period of time.

Then there's the question of how much sales or service charges your advisor(s) are costing you every year, based on the amount, and or performance of your specific portfolio(s).

Then lastly, align that performance or non-performance against the same period of time's annual inflation in your Country.

Our Country's broad stock market has tripled since 2009. That's 300% Up in less than (6) years. Not sure what your stock market(s) i.e. performance(s) are? You'll have to find that out.

Inflation is running less than 3% in our Country, for several years now.
There is no inflation to speak of - even today (in our Country anyway.)


Since you brought-up family too, I'll comment on that aspect.
You may have a blended family situation? IIRC, you've been married before this wife. If that's the case, and there are children or step-children involved, you've got the opportunity now to set things up via your Will to remove any situations from developing that you can circumvent now while you can plan for it - financially speaking of course.