John Kennedy has been Managing Partner & Certified Financial Planner of Central Illinois Group since January 2025, is a control person of the firm and directly owns between 10% and 25% of it. John Kennedy studied at Illinois State University.
Central Illinois Group, LLC is a Champaign, IL firm with $492M under management, 433 clients and 6 advisers across 2 offices, as of its September 2026 filing.
John Kennedy is Managing Partner of LifeWise Wealth Advisors. He has been part of the LifeWise team since October 2017, starting as a client service associate and then moving into an advisor role working directly with individual clients. He became a partner at the start of 2023.
John Kennedy’s longest registration was 4 years at Cetera Advisor Networks LLC (2019–2023). Before joining Central Illinois Group in 2026, John Kennedy was registered through Cetera Investment Advisers LLC and Cetera Advisor Networks LLC.
- Lifewise Wealth AdvisorsCurrent– present · under a yearChampaign, IL · Adviser representative · Firm CRD 341748
- Cetera Investment Advisers LLC– · 3 yearsChampaign, IL · Adviser representative · Firm CRD 105644
- Cetera Advisor Networks LLC– · 4 yearsChampaign, IL · Adviser representative · Firm CRD 13572
- Ipi Wealth Management, Inc.– · under a yearChampaign, IL · Adviser representative · Firm CRD 111872
Professional designations
Listed by Central Illinois Group
- CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®)
Investment adviser representative registrations
John Kennedy is registered as an investment adviser representative in Illinois, since July 2026.
- IllinoisSince 27 July 2026
Examinations
| Exam | Name | Passed |
|---|---|---|
| SIE | Securities Industry Essentials Examination | Credited |
| Series 66 | Uniform Combined State Law Examination | 23 July 2018 |
| Series 7 | General Securities Representative Examination | 30 May 2018 |
- Name
- Securities Industry Essentials Examination
- Name
- Uniform Combined State Law Examination
- Name
- General Securities Representative Examination
- Full name
- John Ryan Kennedy
- CRD
- 6866166
- Firm
- Central Illinois Group · CRD 341748
- Role
- Managing Partner & Certified Financial Planner
- Office
- 2911 CROSSING COURT, SUITE 102, Champaign, IL 61822
- Registration
- Investment adviser registration
- In the industry since
- May 2018
- Disciplinary history
- Not yet shown here · SEC record
- Firm bio
- lifewisewealth.com
Where does John Kennedy work?
John Kennedy has been Managing Partner & Certified Financial Planner of Central Illinois Group, LLC since January 2025, and is a control person of the firm.
Is John Kennedy a financial advisor?
Yes. John Kennedy has a current investment-adviser registration in Illinois, through Central Illinois Group since July 2026.
How many years of experience does John Kennedy have?
John Kennedy has 8 years in the financial industry, since May 2018, across 4 adviser firms.
What exams has John Kennedy passed?
John Kennedy has passed 2 licensing exams: the Series 7 and Series 66. The earliest, the Series 7, was passed in May 2018. FINRA credited John Kennedy with the SIE, which began in October 2018.
Where did John Kennedy work before Central Illinois Group?
Before Central Illinois Group, John Kennedy was registered through Cetera Investment Advisers LLC, June 2023 to July 2026; Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, January 2019 to June 2023; Ipi Wealth Management, Inc., July 2018 to February 2019.
Where is John Kennedy based?
John Kennedy’s registered office is in Champaign, IL.
Is John Kennedy registered with FINRA?
No. John Kennedy has no current broker registration.
Is John Kennedy a CFP?
Central Illinois Group lists John Kennedy with the CFP credential (“CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®)”) on its website. CFP Board confirms certification status.
How can I verify John Kennedy’s record?
Search CRD 6866166 on the SEC’s adviser search (adviserinfo.sec.gov), which publishes John Kennedy’s full registration record.
