Then don't use your advisors advice. Is that the only fund options you have? Do you have passive managed funds available to you within the 401k? Not every plan is good, many aren't, and just have high ER funds. Yours could be that. If so, then I would only put in what it takes to get the match then focus on IRA. Only come back to the 401k after the IRA is capped out. Few things outperform the S&P 500 as that's a pretty close measure to the whole market. Not the most inclusive, but close.