I just started my preparation for CFA Level I exam. I need help in choosing the right financial calculator. Below are my options, could some one please list the pros & cons of these and suggest the best one. Price is a not a factor for me. * HP 12c - Special Edition cost is US$ 99.99 * HP 17BII - Cost is US$ 109.99 * Texas Instruments BAII PLUS - Cost is US$ 59.99 Thanks
go for BAII! btw HP 17BII is not allowed in CFA exam
wtF we have to buy a freakin calculator for this exam?! sigh…
buy the TI BA II Plus Professional from Amazon.com. I remember it used to be close to about 35$ or thereabouts, when I bought it last year. CP
Buy the Texas Instruments- it’s what most people use…pretty much a standard in the Finance field. And pretty much all finance books/prep courses that have calculator directions/tips are for that calculator.
Since you are just starting out, I would also suggest the BAII Plus. It is more user-friendly, plus it is in the same layout/format as regular calculators. I decided to go with the HP 12c, and have been using it since I started studying for the exam (5 months). It takes a while to get used to the RPN (Reverse Polish Notation) that the HP uses, and would definitely cause you unnessary confusion at this point in time, especially since you have the whole CFA curriculum ahead of you. Just my 2c. Good Luck!
Definitely the BAII PLUS. I used the HP12C on a different exam and the BAII PLUS is heads and shoulders above it. Everything is very intuitive and it can do a lot of things I never figured out with the HP.