Family game nights can do more than bring people together. They can build connections across generations, teach resilience, and create memorable moments that outlast the scoreboard.

In this episode of Living Beyond the Numbers, Jude Boudreaux and Caleb Arringdale are joined by Rob Baner, Tax Advisor, and Abney Fortino, Tax Analyst at The Planning Center, for a fun and surprisingly thoughtful conversation about why play still matters, especially for busy families.

Together, they discuss:

• How childhood board games influenced their competitive streaks and problem-solving styles
• Why games offer a meaningful way for families to connect across ages and personalities
• The rise of modern board gaming and how it brings people together in new ways
• Practical recommendations from avid gamers on the TPC tax team
• Lessons families can model through play, including sportsmanship, handling loss, and healthy competition
• And more!

Resources:

• Axis & Allies: 1941 (WWII strategy board game)
• Just One (cooperative party game)
• Codenames (spy word game)
• Diplomacy (Cooperative Board Game)
• Hickory Dickory (worker-placement clock game)
• Ticket to Ride (railway strategy game)
• Kingdomino (strategy tile game)
• Flamecraft (dragon-themed strategy game)
• CMYK Wavelength: The Mind Reading Party Game
• Root (asymmetric woodland strategy game)
• Risk (classic strategy board game)

Connect with Jude Boudreaux CFP®:

• The Planning Center
• LinkedIn: Jude Boudreaux
• jude@theplanningcenter.com
• Phone: (504) 717-4862

Connect with Caleb Arringdale:

• LinkedIn: Caleb Arringdale
• caleb@theplanningcenter.com
• Phone: (309) 797-4030

Connect with Rob Baner:

• LinkedIn: Rob Baner
• rob@theplanningcenter.com
• Phone: (309) 797-4030

Connect with Abney Fortino:

• LinkedIn: Abney Fortino
• abney@theplanningcenter.com
• Phone: (309) 797-4030

About our Guests:

As a CPA, Rob Baner’s responsibilities focus primarily on taxes and tax matters. Rob joined The Planning Center in 2015, after working with a full-service Quad Cities CPA firm from 2010 to 2015. Though his duties vary based upon the needs of our clients, Rob works collaboratively with our financial planners to provide integrated tax preparation and tax planning services to our clients. It’s important to remember that tax planning is a year-round job and April 15th is simply the culmination of our work. Nothing gives Rob greater satisfaction than knowing that we have helped our clients navigate the maze that is our tax system.

Abney Fortino joined The Planning Center in 2018. Abney’s responsibilities as a tax analyst include tax planning, preparation, and reviewing tax forms for individuals. In addition to those duties, Abney assists with accounting and operations within the company.

When markets move fast, having a disciplined process matters even more.

In this episode of Living Beyond the Numbers, Jude Boudreaux and Caleb Arringdale sit down with Kevin Olson, Trade Desk Associate at The Planning Center, for a rare behind-the-scenes look at how portfolios are managed day to day and what really happens when markets swing. Together, they unpack how The Planning Center’s investment committee works, why rebalancing is one of the most important (but least understood) parts of long-term investing, and how their systems keep clients focused on what truly matters: peace of mind, not market noise.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• The real role of a trade desk and how it supports clients behind the scenes
• What rebalancing really means and why it protects your portfolio over time
• How to stay calm and think long term when the headlines get loud
• The power of process, philosophy, and teamwork in financial decision-making
• And more!

Connect with Jude Boudreaux CFP®:

• The Planning Center
• LinkedIn: Jude Boudreaux
• jude@theplanningcenter.com
• Phone: (504) 717-4862

Connect with Caleb Arringdale:

• LinkedIn: Caleb Arringdale
• caleb@theplanningcenter.com
• Phone: (309) 797-4030

Connect with Kevin Olson:

• LinkedIn: Kevin Olson
• kevin@theplanningcenter.com
• Phone: (888) 333-6986

About our Guest:

Kevin Olson, CFP®, is a Trade Desk Associate at The Planning Center in Moline, where he brings 7 years of investment experience, having previously worked for The Vanguard Group in Scottsdale, Arizona. He is responsible for running our trade desk, which includes daily trades as well as weekly rebalancing of accounts. I also serve as a member of our Investment Committee.

Sometimes the path forward looks more like a winding trail than a straight line.

In this episode, Jude Boudreaux, CFP®, and Caleb Arringdale, EA, sit down with Michael Branham, CFP®, Shareholder and Senior Financial Planner at The Planning Center’s Alaska office, to talk about career pivots, family priorities, and why retirement isn’t really an ending, it’s a transition into a more intentional way of living.

Mike shares how his journey, from the Midwest to Alaska and from chasing success to defining balance, has shaped his perspective on money, legacy, and fulfillment. Together, they explore what it means to build a financial life that’s resilient, values-driven, and grounded in real life.

Listeners can expect insights on:

• Navigating major life transitions with clarity and adaptability
• Redefining retirement as a phase of purpose and reinvention, not withdrawal
• Understanding your “why” before focusing on “how much”
• Finding a balance between professional ambition and a meaningful personal life
• And more!

Connect with Jude Boudreaux CFP®:

• The Planning Center
• LinkedIn: Jude Boudreaux
• jude@theplanningcenter.com
• Phone: (504) 717-4862

Connect with Caleb Arringdale:

• LinkedIn: Caleb Arringdale
• caleb@theplanningcenter.com
• Phone: (309) 797-4030

Connect with Mike Branham CFP®:

• LinkedIn: Michael Branham, CFP®
• mike@theplanningcenter.com
• Phone: (763) 494-0095

About our Guest:

Mike embraces his fiduciary duty to clients and believes that the best path to help you reach your life’s goals is through an integrated planning approach that coordinates each facet of your financial life. We start each engagement with an in-depth conversation about your goals and aspirations. Next, we collaborate to customize a plan that incorporates your resources, current and future, into achieving your life’s dreams. From there, we continue our work together to maintain and adjust your plan as “life happens”, and to help you navigate each of your key personal and career transitions along the way.

When it comes to financial planning, it’s often the behind-the-scenes teamwork that makes everything work seamlessly.

In this episode of Living Beyond the Numbers, Jude Boudreaux and Caleb Arringdale sit down with two of The Planning Center’s client service specialists, Marisa Hardwick (Chicago) and Blake Murphy-Skelley (Moline), to spotlight the people who make sure every account, transfer, and detail is handled with care.

Together, they pull back the curtain on what it really means to serve clients well, solving problems quietly, building trust, and creating a sense of calm even during life’s most stressful moments. From handling RMD season to comforting clients after loss, Marisa and Blake share how empathy, precision, and teamwork bring The Planning Center’s mission to life every day.

What to expect:

• The role client service specialists play in delivering peace of mind
• How small details and follow-ups create big client trust
• What happens behind the scenes during transfers and RMD season
• The emotional heart of financial service and why it matters

Discover the care, coordination, and human connection that keep your financial life running smoothly.

Connect with Jude Boudreaux CFP®

• The Planning Center
• LinkedIn: Jude Boudreaux
• jude@theplanningcenter.com
• Phone: (504) 717-4862

Connect with Caleb Arringdale:

• LinkedIn: Caleb Arringdale
• caleb@theplanningcenter.com
• Phone: (309) 797-4030

Connect with Marisa Hardwick:

• LinkedIn: Marisa Hardwick
• marisah@theplanningcenter.com
• Phone: (312) 664-4090

Connect with Blake Murphy-Skelley:

• blake@theplanningcenter.com
• Phone: (309) 794-4030

About our Guests:

As a Client Services Specialist, Marisa Hardwick’s responsibilities include providing administrative support to our financial planners and excellent customer service to our clients. With a background in healthcare services and working in residential life as a Resident Advisor while in college, it has always been a passion of hers to help those in need. Marisa strives to foster a supportive environment for our team, assuring they can depend on her to deliver top-notch service to our clients.

Blake Murphy-Skelley’s responsibility as a Client Services Specialist is to assist all clients of The Planning Center and members of our team. He has been working in customer service since he was 14 years old and is glad to be bringing that knowledge and experience to The Planning Center. Blake wants to provide a safe space for clients to feel comfortable as soon as they walk through the front door.

College decisions reveal more than numbers; they reveal what we value most.

Discover how to align your financial choices with the legacy you want to build for your family.

Money meets meaning in this candid conversation between Jude Boudreaux, Caleb Arringdale, and Ron Lieber, New York Times columnist and author of The Price You Pay for College and The Opposite of Spoiled. Together, they unpack the emotions and realities behind one of life’s biggest financial crossroads: sending your child to college. From fear and guilt to social pressure and “rejective” schools, Ron reveals how hidden feelings often drive family choices more than finances do. He shares practical insights for making smarter, values-based decisions, asking for more aid without “negotiating,” and teaching kids responsibility through money.

What to expect:

• Why college is a values decision wrapped in a financial one
• The emotional traps families fall into when paying for school
• How to approach merit aid and appeal letters the right way
• The conversation every parent should have before senior year
• And more!

It’s time to move beyond numbers and make decisions that reflect what truly matters to your family.

Resources:

• The Price You Pay for College by Ron Lieber
• The Opposite of Spoiled by Ron Lieber

Connect with Jude Boudreaux CFP®

• The Planning Center
• LinkedIn: Jude Boudreaux
• jude@theplanningcenter.com
• Phone: (504) 717-4862

Connect with Caleb Arringdale:

• LinkedIn: Caleb Arringdale
• caleb@theplanningcenter.com
• Phone: (309) 797-4030

Connect with Ron Lieber:

• Website: Ron Lieber
• LinkedIn: Ron Lieber

About our Guest:

Ron Lieber is the author of The Opposite of Spoiled: Raising Kids Who Are Grounded, Generous, and Smart About Money, which was an instant New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller when it was released in 2015. “The Price You Pay for College: An Entirely New Roadmap for the Biggest Financial Decision Your Family Will Ever Make,” was published by HarperCollins in January, 2021.

Ron has been the “Your Money” columnist for The New York Times since 2008. Before coming to The Times, he wrote the “Green Thumb” personal finance column for The Wall Street Journal and was part of the startup team at the paper’s Personal Journal section.

Ron’s first book, Taking Time Off: Inspiring Stories of Students Who Enjoyed Successful Breaks from College and How You Can Plan Your Own, co-authored with Colin Hall, was a New York Times bestseller in 1996. He also wrote Upstart Start­-Ups, a book for young entrepreneurs, and was the co-author of a guidebook to the best entry­-level jobs in the United States.

Ron spent 14 years at the Francis W. Parker School in Chicago and graduated from Amherst College. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two daughters.

Every entrepreneur’s journey is filled with twists, failures, resilience, and reinvention.

Few embody that better than Robert LeBlanc, founder of LeBlanc + Smith, whose 25-year career in hospitality began with a failed record label and evolved into a collection of acclaimed hotels, restaurants, and bars across New Orleans, Nashville, and beyond.

In this episode, Jude Boudreaux and Caleb Arringdale sit down with Robert to explore the lessons learned along the way about presence, parenting, building a values-based company, and raising the next generation to define success for themselves.

Here’s what you can expect:

• How a “failed” start sparked an entrepreneurial career in hospitality
• The power of presence and gratitude in both business and family life
• Teaching children discipline, resilience, and values without losing their freedom to explore
• Honest conversations about failure, grit, and redefining success beyond money
• And more!

Connect with Jude Boudreaux CFP®

• The Planning Center
• LinkedIn: Jude Boudreaux
• jude@theplanningcenter.com
• Phone: (504) 717-4862

Connect with Caleb Arringdale:

• LinkedIn: Caleb Arringdale
• caleb@theplanningcenter.com
• Phone: (309) 797-4030

Connect with Robert LeBlanc

• Website: LeBlanc + Smith
• LinkedIn: Robert LeBlanc
• Email: info@leblancandsmith.com
• Phone: (504) 267-0241

About our Guest:

Robert LeBlanc is the founder and principal of LeBlanc + Smith, a New Orleans-based hospitality group known for creating boutique hotels, restaurants, and bars rooted in authenticity and community. Over the past 25 years, he has grown the company from a small music venture into a multi-city portfolio by combining creativity, resilience, and a values-driven approach. Passionate about presence, gratitude, and mentorship, Robert leads both his family and his business with a belief that true success is measured not in dollars but in relationships, experiences, and impact.

Every click, text, and email carries more risk today than ever before.

In this episode of Living Beyond the Numbers, Jude Boudreaux and Caleb Arringdale sit down with Brett J Lee, JD, MBA, CSCP, Chief Compliance Officer at The Planning Center, to unpack the evolving world of cybersecurity and what it means for families, professionals, and firms.

Here’s what you can expect:

• The biggest online threats facing high-net-worth families and why they’re different
• Common red flags in phishing emails, texts, and social engineering attempts
• Practical steps you can take today to strengthen your online safety
• How The Planning Center safeguards client information and verifies identity
• And more!

Connect with Jude Boudreaux CFP®:

• The Planning Center
• LinkedIn: Jude Boudreaux
• jude@theplanningcenter.com
• Phone: (504) 717-4862

Connect with Caleb Arringdale:

• LinkedIn: Caleb Arringdale
• caleb@theplanningcenter.com
• Phone: (309) 797-4030

Connect with Brett J Lee:

• brett@theplanningcenter.com
• Phone: (309) 797-4030

About our Guest:

In Brett J Lee’s role at The Planning Center, he strives to protect all stakeholders by cultivating an environment that allows all to feel safe and secure. By promoting an attitude of continuous learning, protecting the essence of the organization’s mission, values, and culture, and nurturing the firm through expertise and education, Brett navigates the organization through complex legal and regulatory environments in the name of protecting TPC and our clients.

Sending a child to college is exciting but it can also be one of the most stressful and expensive decisions a family faces. How do you choose the right school without losing sleep (or breaking the bank)?

In this episode of Living Beyond the Numbers, hosts Jude Boudreaux and Caleb Arringdale sit down with Heidi King from College Inside Track to unpack the overwhelming world of college planning. Heidi shares both her professional expertise and personal experience guiding her own children through the process. From navigating skyrocketing tuition to evaluating merit aid and building a school list that truly fits, she explains why college is not a prize to be won but a match to be found. Listeners will hear how early conversations reduce stress, why the “sticker price” isn’t always the real price, and how families can approach this milestone with clarity instead of panic.

What to expect:

• Why college is the second biggest family purchase after a home
• The surprising truth about merit aid and need-based aid
• How to help your child explore fit without obsessing over prestige
• Practical tips for starting the process early, and keeping stress manageable
• And more!

Connect with Jude Boudreaux CFP®:

• The Planning Center
• LinkedIn: Jude Boudreaux
• jude@theplanningcenter.com
• Phone: (504) 717-4862

Connect with Caleb Arringdale:

• LinkedIn: Caleb Arringdale
• caleb@theplanningcenter.com
• Phone: (309) 797-4030

Connect with Heidi King:

• College Inside Track
• LinkedIn: Heidi King
• heidikingcit@collegeinsidetrack.com

About Our Guest:

Heidi King is part of the education and partnerships team at College Inside Track, a firm that has helped families for nearly 20 years identify the right academic, social, and financial fit for their students. Having guided her own two sons through the process, Heidi brings a unique blend of professional expertise and personal insight to families navigating one of life’s biggest investments.