I agree, make it simple.  Pick 5 - 7 good quality income stocks for both income and capital gains.  BP, V, MA, GOOG, APPL, Microsoft.  The financial advisors will have get a mix of stocks to balance the ups and downs.  If I had listened to my so called financial advisor I would definitely have needed my suggestions to balance off his, as his were always losers.  But that is what the corporate office wanted to them to push.  Stay away from advisors.  If you need advice, get a fee-based person and see him or her once a year and then buy your own stocks on line at TDAmeritrade or some place like that.