Calculator

Who needs a calculator for the CFA? Seriously?
HP BA II + I posted a thread two days ago with some good info on it.
 
Hello… I want to get my TI BA II Plus cheap on eBay, but, seriously guys, I don’t know which one it is. They all look so different. Same stands for those on eBay. Will ANY of them do as TI BA II Plus, or is it just one (which?)? Help me in my distress!
 
Those are all BA II Pluses, the square ones are the oldest, but I doubt much has changed function-wise. The two you are most likely to find in a store are the metal one (pro) and the standard BA II Plus which is the plastic, rounder model. There is a lot of discussion between whether you should get the pro model or not, I for one have had my standard model for about 7-8 years now and wouldn’t trade up. That being said, there isn’t really anything on the CFA exams that either calculator will have problems with, you may just approach the question in a slightly different way. Do a search and you’ll find lots of more comparison info.
PS. If you haven’t used a BA II Plus calculator in the past and you’re writing in June, spend A LOT of time getting to know how to use it. There are so many little things it does that can save you time and prevent you from remembering formulas that the calculator already knows, and I’m still finding new tricks all the time.
 
hm, why not go for the HP12C app? Still plenty of time to learn RPN and the Iphone 5 is pretty fast! AND: its only 15 bucks!!!
 
Sens89, thank you for the reply. I’ll get this model. Also, it’s a bargain (or at least do I believe so).
Good luck, all!
 
If you’re comfortable with RPN, the HP’s a good calculator. If not, I’d suggest the TI.
I have an HP 12C primarily because I needed it for a class in cash flow anlaysis that I taught a few years ago: the textbook was based on the HP calculator. I should probably get a TI one of these days simply to be able to tell my students how to get it into Begin or End mode.
In the final analysis, it really doesn’t matter. Whichever one you get, spend enough time working with it so that you can do the standard calculations (annuities, NPV, IRR, TVM) without having to think about them. The last thing you want to experience is failing this exam because you forgot how your calculator works.
 
I’ll be needing a new calculator. The used one I got has given up on life and uses up the battery within a few hours of replacing it.
I’ll now know better than to buy a used one for half the price of a new one, and I advise you against it too. :P
 
S2000magician wrote:
If you’re comfortable with RPN, the HP’s a good calculator. If not, I’d suggest the TI.
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This. If you know (and like) RPN, get the HP.
If you don’t know RPN, get the TI.
And if you’re asking, “What’s RPN?”, then you don’t know RPN. Get the TI.
 
Lots more people use the TI because that’s what is used in undergrad, hence the responses to this question. In the real world though, no one uses TI calcs, everyone uses HP 12C. And RPN is not rocket science, it’s very easy to pick up. The new models of HP like Platinum also allow you to turn off RPN you just can’t hack it. Strongly recommend picking up an HP for MBA or CFA, or for work if you’re in finance.
 
Topperharley wrote:
Lots more people use the TI because that’s what is used in undergrad, hence the responses to this question. In the real world though, no one uses TI calcs, everyone uses HP 12C. And RPN is not rocket science, it’s very easy to pick up. The new models of HP like Platinum also allow you to turn off RPN you just can’t hack it. Strongly recommend picking up an HP for MBA or CFA, or for work if you’re in finance.
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I think in the real world people use Excel.
Anyway, the Schweser notes cover the usage of both calculators, though they do seem to prefer the TI.
 
Topperharley wrote:
You think people use excel for their calculator?
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Yes, why not. Whatever I can’t work out in my head I use Excel for. Doesn’t really happen too often at work where you’d need to calculate something and not be behind a computer.
 
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