About Us

We founded the Alan James Group in response to today’s unprecedented crisis confronting college students and their families. Tuition has skyrocketed. Now, more than ever, families cannot afford college for their children. In addition, students face a bewildering choice when trying to find the school that suits them best.

We, Alan L. Geraci APLC and James Barnhart, PhD, MBA, CCPS, have co-founded the Alan James Group to assist families with the creation of a comprehensive customized college “game plan.” Our plans included paying for and attending K-12 private schools as well as for college. We involve the whole family, including students, parents, and grandparents in the planning process. With them, we develop a strategy to address college admissions, financial aid, college financial planning and academic requirements. We also discuss common problems of adjustment that both students and parents face at a time of major transition in all their lives. We emphasize open communication with our clients. We are devoted to providing the most comprehensive personalized service that we can. We are dedicated to working honestly and diligently with our client families.

Alan L. Geraci has 26 years of legal experience and is a former Deputy City Attorney for the City of San Diego and trial attorney. His present focus is on estate planning, probate, business and real estate. He is a business entrepreneur. His professional corporation manages this income tax preparation company, mortgage company, franchising company and law partnership. The Alan James College Group is part of a larger financial enterprise which includes professional tax preparers, an enrolled agent, mortgage advisers, business and mortgage brokers, and investment advisors.

Jim Barnhart has a PhD in physiology and an MBA. He has taught and done biomedical research at universities and private companies. He is a certified tax preparer and financial consultant. Jim is also a Certified College Planning Specialist (CCPS). This is a certification awarded to financial professionals who have demonstrated the skills necessary to assist families in identifying the most economically advantageous methods to save and pay for college.

The National Institute of Certified College Planners (NICCP) is the governing body which promotes the CCPS designation program. NICCP’s mission is to educate and provide ongoing support and assistance to those practitioners who are truly committed to ethical standards and continuous professional education in the college financial planning marketplace.