Vacations are important, but they shouldn't leave clients with months of credit card debt.

Short term, Judy and Charles want to pay off a $15,000 line of credit and travel extensively 'in the early years of retirement,' Judy says.

As protection against financial market volatility, Thelma may want to discuss a 'bucketing' strategy with her adviser to ensure there are enough cash and cash equivalents to safeguard one to three years of required portfolio withdrawals, experts say.

Some clients seek a second opinion when they're looking for a broader product offering or feeling anxious about their portfolio performance, but relationship issues with advisors are an even bigger driver.

People have been dreaming of early retirement since the days of Freedom 55, but to the FIRE crew, that magic number is closer to 40.

In this new column, we look at how two professionals benefit from working together — and what you can learn