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.