Calculators

[blueyzz28]

For those that have taken Statistics and Finance or Business Math, which calculator will do the job for all exams? I have read on the board that the TI36X is a good one to use for stats and the BAII is good for Finance.

[mstcrow5429]

Without having used it, knowing it only by (extremely high) reputation, the HP-12C is the gold standard for financial calculators, and has been for over 20 years. There's also the HP-12C Platinum. Both have statistical functions. They most likely cover anything you'd come across, but should cross reference desired features with listed features. Also should double check if calculators are allowed on the exam you plan to take by looking at the exam bulletin.

I am partial to the idea of getting a calculator that excels at finance for finance, and another that excels at statistics for statistics, ensuring that it is within the allowed calculator parameters for the exam in question. Unless you have a software based calculator on your Palm or somesuch that can easily toggle between modes, which is moot, as the exam testing procedures still stuck in the 90s and don't allow PDA/smartphone-based calculations.

[Kiwi Lover]

Originally Posted by blueyzz28

For those that have taken Statistics and Finance or Business Math, which calculator will do the job for all exams? I have read on the board that the TI36X is a good one to use for stats and the BAII is good for Finance.

Blue,

The Texas Instruments BAII Plus is good for BOTH Statistics and Principles of Finance and I know several people who have used it successfully for both exams (and it's reasonably priced).

JoAnne

[cbrchris]

Copied this from the other thread I originally posted in.

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For anyone considering the BAII-Plus Professional that is in the states and has a Sam's Club membership they have it for $25.82 via there website. They do charge shipping and tax. Total: $32.65 for me.

At my local Office Depot they wanted $49.99 for the Professional version and $29.99 for the basic one.

Texas Inst. BaII Plus Professional Calculator
Sam's Club - Texas Inst. BaII Plus Professional Calculator

I found some reviews on amazon that swayed me away from the HP12C and to go with the BAII-Plus

Finally! This is a superb upgrade to TI's previous BA II product. I hated the previous model with a passion given the near "touchless" keypad (allowing for frustrating key entry). THIS is the calculator that I would want to use for the CFA exam (did I mention how much I HATED the previous TI BA calculator??).

For those thinking of the HP12C line, I had a 12C for many years and loved it. However, after it got ruined due to a playful two year old, I bought a new one and found it cheaply made compared to the one I bought in the 80's (very disappointing) and have since abandoned using it. Interestingly, I found the following calculation example from a review of the HP 12C Platinum edition to be very interesting: "If possible, I would suggest that potential users and buyers try this data set on both the 12C and 12cP before buying. Clear register. Find [i] after input [PMT]=-1458;[FV]=0,[n]=84,[PV]=103600. The HP12C would take 20 seconds "running" while the HP12cP would take about 30 seconds to give the same answer [i]=0.4059!"

How long for the BA II Plus Professional? I timed it at about one second.

As calculators go, this is a mighty sweet device -- especially given the clear HP-like display viewable at all angles!! Count me as a definite TI BA II convert!

I recently purchased both an HP 12C and a TI BA II Plus Pro. I have also used the HP 12C Platinum edition. While I am well-versed in RPN and like the HP models of calculators, I think the BA II Plus Pro is fit to surpass the 12C as the new standard in financial calculators for a number of reasons.

First, the newer 12C models are no longer made in Singapore. They definitely do not feel as sturdy as the older ones. While many like the firm tactile response of the 12C keys, the BA II Plus Pro has a similar tactile response.

Second, HP failed to improve the design of the 12C Platinum by adding trigonometric functions. The BA II Plus Pro includes the trigonometric functions, and one could viably use it for a general-purpose calculator, not just a financial calculator. One improvement made in the 12C Platinum edition, while bemoaned by fans of RPN, is the choice between algebraic and RPN modes.

Finally, the BA II Plus Pro is significantly faster than the 12C and slightly faster than the 12C Platinum. While the 12C models are programmable and the BA II Plus Pro is not, if you are merely looking for a sturdy financial calculator and do not care about the 12C's programming capabilities, I would recommend considering the BA II Plus Pro. However, keep in mind that while the BA II Plus Pro has an adequate manual, the 12C manual is excellent in every respect and much more in-depth.

[Matymus]

Originally Posted by Kiwi Lover

Blue,

The Texas Instruments BAII Plus is good for BOTH Statistics and Principles of Finance and I know several people who have used it successfully for both exams (and it's reasonably priced).

JoAnne

I fully concur with JoAnne on this one. The BA-II Plus is a GREAT calculator!