On November 4th, Alex Knepp, Senior Vice President and Financial Planner at German American Bank, shared his expertise with the Daviess County CEO Cohort. His message resonated clearly: career paths are rarely linear, and discovering work that brings genuine fulfillment is essential to long-term success.
Throughout the session, Alex offered invaluable guidance on the importance of future planning. He encouraged students with straightforward advice: "No matter how uncertain you feel right now, do the best you can with what's in front of you. Always leave positive impressions and keep doors open rather than closing them." He reinforced this by adding, "The impressions we leave are extremely important."
Alex emphasized the value of flexibility in both career choices and financial planning, noting that financial planners strive to build lifetime partnerships with their clients. He highlighted how decisions made in the next three to four years could create lasting financial impacts, comparing the financial trajectories of those entering the workforce directly after high school with those pursuing college degrees.
He also educated the cohort on essential financial principles, including:
**Maximizing employer matches in retirement accounts
**The Rule of 72 for estimating investment growth over time
**Investment strategies, comparing mutual funds to individual stocks
**The difference between long-term and short-term investing
**The importance of being proactive and starting financial planning early to maximize returns
**Time as the "magic element" in investing
Additionally, Alex discussed the versatility of an accounting degree, showing how it can open doors to various career paths within finance and beyond.
The Daviess County CEO Cohort expressed sincere gratitude to Alex for his time and expertise.
