Percentages hide dollars
Fees are quoted as percentages, so they feel small.
A 1.25% fee sounds modest. But a percentage doesn't tell you the size of the check. Two people can have the same annuity, the same advisor and the same conversation, and one pays ten times as much as the other.
Always translate a fee into dollars per year. It's the only way to judge whether you're getting your money's worth.
