Jeffrey C. Lewis, RICP®, CFP®, ChFC®, CLU®

Two things shaped how I think about money, risk, and what people actually need from a financial advisor. The first was surviving leukemia as a kid growing up in Smithtown. The second was an economics elective I took at SUNY Binghamton when I was supposed to be on the pre-med track. Both experiences left me with a clear sense of what it means to face an uncertain future and how much it matters to have someone in your corner who genuinely knows what they're doing.

After graduation, I joined Mutual of Omaha, where I spent five years, including time as a field medical underwriter. That background still informs how I work, particularly with clients who are sorting through long-term care options, healthcare costs in retirement, or insurance decisions that most advisors don't have the training to explain well. In 1995, I founded Planning Financial Futures in Melville, and I've been working with Long Island families and clients across the country ever since.

My practice covers everything money touches, from retirement income and investment management to insurance, estate planning, and long-term care. The clients who come to me are often at a real transition point, whether that's retirement on the horizon, the end of a marriage, the loss of a spouse, or a long-overdue reckoning with finances they've been putting off. They want a straight answer about where they stand and a plan that makes sense when they take it home. The feedback I hear most often is that I keep things simple and get back to people quickly. That's exactly how I want it to be.

A few years back, a client called me after her husband passed away unexpectedly. She hadn't known he had a life insurance policy. I tracked down the carrier, processed the claim, and brought her the check. Those are the moments that keep me here after 36 years.

My wife, Maddie, and I live in Huntington. We have raised four kids and cater to our two Ragdoll cats. I'm a certified fitness trainer and spend most of my free time playing tennis, weight training, and continuing education. There's more overlap between physical conditioning and financial planning than people might expect. Both reward patience, penalize impulsiveness, and produce the best results for people who stop looking for shortcuts.

• B.A. in Economics, SUNY Binghamton
• Series 6, 63, 7, and 66 Securities Licenses
• Multi-State Insurance License