[throw0101c]

> They are cheaper than most for sure, but still more than buying individual ETFs.

At some point you are being penny-wise, pound-foolish: saving even 10bps (0.10%) on a $1e6 portfolio is saving $1000 dollars per year on management fees. If that kind of difference makes or breaks your retirement plans you have bigger problems (and most regular folks don't have that kind of portfolio, so the savings would be even smaller).

Certainly fees are important:

* http://larrybates.ca/t-rex-score/

but once you're <50bps, there are probably more important factors (like behaviour stuff: not panicking, actually putting money away monthly/regularly (especially in an automated fashion)).

Just saving the time-cost / hassling of rebalancing is worth something, and probably worth the fees you pay for an all-in-one / asset allocation solution.