August 2026 – Living Beyond the Numbers

Retirement, Legacy, and the People Behind the Planning with John Longstaff (Ep. 23)

By Living Beyond the Numbers | August 25, 2026

Retirement is supposed to be a finish line, but for a lot of people, it’s really a transition, identity, purpose, relationships, and what you do with your time when the calendar finally opens up.

In this episode, Jude Boudreaux and Caleb Arringdale discuss retirement, legacy, and what it looks like to build a people-first planning career with John Longstaff, founder of The Planning Center’s Fresno office. John shares his unexpected path from pharmacy to financial planning, his leadership experience during the early CFP organization years, and what he learned after decades of guiding families through real-life money decisions. He also reflects on succession, trust, and why consistency matters more than perfect timing.

Here’s what you can expect:

John’s transition from pharmacist to planner, and why service always came first
What it was like helping shape the CFP profession through the ICFP and the eventual merger into today’s landscape
The real drivers behind moving a firm to fee-only, and how client trust made the transition work
Retirement realities, purpose after work, and how a chef gig became a second calling
And more!

Connect with Jude Boudreaux CFP®:

Connect with Caleb Arringdale:

Connect with John Longstaff:

LinkedIn: John Longstaff

About our Guest:

John Longstaff is the retired founder of The Planning Center’s Fresno office and a longtime financial planning practitioner with more than three decades of experience. He has served in leadership roles within the CFP profession, including as president of the Institute of Certified Financial Planners (ICFP), and has been deeply involved in the evolution of the planning community. In retirement, John stays active through service and community work, including leading meal preparation for events at his church.

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Why Financial Planning Is a Lifelong Relationship with Matt Sivertsen and Marty Kurtz (Ep. 22)

By Living Beyond the Numbers | August 11, 2026

What happens when financial planning stops being about products and starts being about people, trust, and long-term relationships? This episode pulls back the curtain on what it really means to live beyond the numbers.

In this episode, Jude Boudreaux and Caleb Arringdale sit down with Marty Kurtz, founder of The Planning Center Moline office, and senior planner Matt Sivertsen to reflect on the firm’s origins, Marty’s retirement, and the philosophy that shaped decades of client relationships. The conversation explores how financial planning evolved from transactional sales to a deeply relational, multi-generational process rooted in trustworthiness, curiosity, and life context.

Here’s what you can expect:

Why trustworthiness matters more than asking for trust
How financial planning became a 30–40 year relationship, not a one-time decision
The shift from selling products to creating lifelong clarity
What it really means to help clients live beyond the numbers
And more!

Connect with Jude Boudreaux CFP®:

Connect with Caleb Arringdale:

Connect with Matt Sivertsen:

Connect with Marty Kurtz:

LinkedIn: Martin Kurtz

About our Guests:

Marty Kurtz is the founder of The Planning Center and a pioneer in the financial planning profession. After beginning his career in food distribution and insurance, Marty helped shape a more holistic, relationship-driven approach to financial planning. Over more than two decades, he built The Planning Center around the belief that trustworthiness, curiosity, and long-term partnership matter more than products or short-term outcomes. His legacy continues through the firm’s multi-generational client relationships and planning philosophy.

Matt Sivertsen is a shareholder and senior financial planner at The Planning Center’s Moline office. Joining the firm in its early years, Matt played a key role in helping formalize the planning process, deepen client relationships, and carry forward the firm’s values. With decades of experience, Matt is known for his thoughtful, client-centered approach and his commitment to helping families navigate life transitions with clarity and perspective.

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