Hi guys, Any advise on the calculator i should get? and where i can get tips on how to use it to calculate Bond prices and other related functions?
Go with the TI BAII Plus (over the HP). Standard, easy to use, less expensive.
BA II Plus Professional seems to be the consensus everywhere. Learning all the relevant keys and functions takes awhile though.
Thanks guys. will check it out
I recommend HP 12c because it uses RPN what is similiar to the way you count in your mind. RPN seems difficult at the beginning, but when you make some practice - you will be able to do calculations much faster than TI.
I can use both - BA II Plus is much easier to pick up
Goodwill Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > BA II Plus Professional seems to be the consensus > everywhere. Learning all the relevant keys and > functions takes awhile though.
That’s what I’ve heard as well. I used the TI myself and didn’t take too long to get comfortable with it. kohsamed Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I can use both - BA II Plus is much easier to pick > up
I’ll go against the grain and say 12c. There are ways to do problems that don’t require you to memorize answers “mid-problem” with the 12c that aren’t possible with the TI. For example, doing a problem like this (similar to inventory turnover formula): 12/(6.6+8.9) Using standared notation on the TI, you’d have to solve the (6.6 + 8.9) first, write it down/memorize it, then enter 12 and divide by what you’ve already written down. With RPN on the 12c, you can do the entire problem “straight through” without the “memorization” issue. Plus, if you get the Platinum edition, you can always switch it back to arithmetic mode (standard calculator notation) if you don’t feel comfortable with RPN.
with proper use of brackets you can do the same on the TI BA as well. (without the intermediate storing required). Folks not used to RPN functionality need to turn it off on the HP 12C. I have both calcs. with me, and feel inherently more comfortable with the TI BA 2 Plus.
@thisisbrianly Can do it in less than a second without writing/memorizing on the TI: 6.6 + 8.9 [1/x] x 12
Or, use the parenthesis for the second part of the equation.
Haha yes yes, I know that problem isn’t that hard. I think you guys are missing the point of my suggestion…I don’t think many people that can proficiently use both calculators would think that the TI is more efficient (even though they might be more comfortable using arithmetic). I’m glad you can do that in less than a second, but I think RPN is more useful in calculations that are a bit more complex than that, without having to fumble around with parens. All I’m saying is that if you’re willing to take the hour to learn how to use it, it can save you some time, particularly on more complex problems. However, I agree the TI is probably the easy choice for the original poster - theres enough to learn in the CFA program without having to add new calculator notation to the cirriculum. 
There is no point to using the 12C if you’re not going to use RPN. RPN is infinitely better than the algebraic entry on the TI POS. Further more, This calculator is the industry standard. If you pull out the crappy pice of plastic TI in a client meeting or with a supervisor, you may lose some respect. Just kidding. If you practice and study with the 12c in rpn notation, you will have no problem come test time. I liken this calculator to using excel. I know this calculator has made long equation a breeze for me. Plus the calc has a weighted average function which the TI doesn’t have, which I find very useful.
chandsingh, bapswarrior posted the following thread that has BA II+ calculator tutorial. This talks about the functions we will need to use for CFA Exam. http://www.analystforum.com/phorums/read.php?11,1221790 This should give you an insight into using the BA II+ calculator. Check it out, and decide if this helps you make your decision.