About Us

Byron Harlan had an award-winning 30-year broadcast news career, before he decided to fulfill another professional dream – to become an elite Financial Planner. The pillars of his practice are embedded in four core concepts: compassion, truth, transparency and independence.

Byron has a bachelor’s degree in political science from UCSD, a master’s degree in journalism from USC and an MBA from UC Irvine. In addition to being a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner, he also holds the RICP® and the ChFC® planning designations.  He is an Op Ed contributor to the San Diego Union-Tribune and charter member of the publisher’s Community Voices project. He and his wife Judi are presenters during the financial literacy seminar for graduating doctors at UCSD.

Byron has finished eight marathons, is in the hall-of-fame at his high school for basketball and baseball, enjoys extended, up-tempo bike rides and is not afraid to break-out a yoga pose, or two. He plays a five-string, upright bass and a five-string fretless bass, the mandolin and dabbles a bit on the viola. He’s recorded many songs, which he will happily share with you from his tiny home that overlooks San Diego Bay.

He’s married to Judi Harlan, who he readily admits, is smarter than him. She too is a Financial Planner, who holds the CFP® certification as well as the CDFA®, ChFC® and BFA™ designations.  They have a son, August Cash Harlan, who adores flag football and is a fierce gamer.  He attends a German language school and is also learning to speak Spanish.  His English is pretty good, too.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, and CFP®  in the United States, which it authorizes use of by individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.

Judi Harlan is a partner at August Financial Alliance, a boutique financial planning practice in San Diego, CA.  She and her husband, Byron Harlan, have worked together in the financial services industry since 2013 and in 2019 they started their own independent practice.

Judi manages daily operations and financial planning support alongside Byron, to create a unique, intimate and professional client experience focused on a holistic approach to planning.

Judi earned her ChFC® planning designation in 2017.  In 2019 she earned a BFA™ designation and became a CFP® professional.  She earned her CDFA® designation in the spring of 2022.

Judi was born and raised in Orlando, Florida. She graduated from the University of Georgia with a B.A. in English. She moved to Chicago after her graduation and worked as an advertising associate and later a real estate professional in Chicago for 15 years before moving to San Diego in 2011. 

She and Byron have one son, August Cash Harlan, who is the center of their universe and the namesake of their company.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, and CFP®  in the United States, which it authorizes use of by individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.