Money affects every stage of life. Understanding it should not require a finance degree.
Business Casual is a personal finance podcast hosted by financial professionals Shane Stelma and Keith Smith of Alliance Financial Group. Through candid conversations, practical examples, and plenty of personality, Shane and Keith make complicated financial topics easier to understand and apply to real life.
Explore conversations about:
Cash flow, saving, and emergency funds
Credit cards, student loans, mortgages, and debt
Investing, retirement accounts, and taxes
Life insurance, disability insurance, and long-term care
Retirement income, Social Security, and healthcare
Estate planning, beneficiaries, and building a legacy
Financial decisions at every stage of life
Business Casual challenges one-size-fits-all financial advice by explaining the tradeoffs behind common strategies. Whether you are starting your career, raising a family, preparing for retirement, or already retired, you will find practical financial education built around the decisions that matter to you.
Our Purpose
Meet Your Hosts
Shane Stelma and Keith Smith are financial professionals with Alliance Financial Group. Together, they bring real-world experience, different perspectives, and an approachable style to conversations about money.
They are not afraid to disagree, challenge popular financial advice, or admit when the right answer depends on the person. That honesty is what makes Business Casual practical, entertaining, and relevant to real life.
Series to Check Out
Follow Shane and Keith through the financial decisions that arise at each stage of adulthood, from building a foundation to planning for retirement and beyond.
Explore how The Living Balance Sheet® brings your financial picture together and shows how one decision can affect another.
Business Casual Toolkit
Organize your income and expenses in one place and see how much money you have available after your regular spending.
See how different payment amounts can impact your credit card payoff timeline and interest costs.
Can’t attend live? Watch the on-demand webinar and explore strategies for managing cash flow and paying down debt.
Explore your financial picture with Keith’s Living Balance Sheet tool.
Explore your financial picture with Shane’s Living Balance Sheet tool.
Think a good credit score is all you need to get approved for a loan? Think again.
Banks look at more than your credit score when deciding whether to lend you money. Your debt-to-income ratio, payment history, available assets, and even the type of loan you're applying for can all influence their decision.
In this episode of Business Casual, Shane Stelma and Keith Smith are joined by Erin Fusco, who brings 20 years of banking industry experience, to break down how lenders evaluate borrowers, the financial consequences of taking on debt, and three common mistakes that can keep people trapped in the debt cycle.
Whether you're preparing to buy a home, considering a new loan, working to improve your credit score, or trying to break out of debt, this conversation offers a closer look at the financial decisions that can affect your future.
Latest Episode
Watch the latest episode on YouTube or listen to Business Casual on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Have questions about your own financial situation? Suggest a topic for us to discuss or schedule a meeting below.
A Registered Representative and Financial Advisor of Park Avenue Securities LLC (PAS), 14021 Metropolis Avenue, Fort Myers, FL 33912 (239) 561-2900. Securities products/services and advisory services offered through PAS, a registered broker/dealer and investment advisor. Financial Representative, The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian), New York, NY. PAS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Guardian. Alliance Financial Group is not an affiliate or subsidiary of PAS. PAS is a member FINRA, SIPC. CA Insurance License #4100687