Best Financial Calculators

The HP 12C Platinum takes the industry-standard HP 12C and improves it. In addition to everything the world-renowned device was already fitted with, this model's offering both RPN and algebraic entry, not to mention extra power that allows the calculator to perform industry-specific calculations using four times more memory.

Including heavy-duty calculations pertaining to real estate, banking, and finance, the updated device adopts more than 130 functions. Its statistical features include but not limited to cumulative analysis, linear progression, correlation coefficient, standard deviation, mean, weighted mean, forecasting.

Meanwhile, the business and finance functions are offering the standard TVM package (meaning loans, savings, and leasing), amortization calculation, bond price and yield to maturity configuration, as well as registered-based cash flow analysis that includes access to the model's improved memory facilities with 30 available cash flows.

Where things get a little hairy is its construction. To be more precise, we're talking about the pads on the bottom that are not the same height, so the device rocks when used on flat surfaces.

Aside from that, the HP 12C Platinum is an excellent upgrade to an already impressive little machine that can do anything even remotely related to finances.

The Texas Instruments BA II Plus earns its "professional" title and the "advanced business analyst" label you'll find below the buttons. With this device, you'll be able to make short work of the most complex equations. From entry-level to advanced finance, from investment and statistics, from accounting, economics, and different business classes, the model's application rage is practically limitless. This is what you should bring to the next Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exams, provided you want to ace the tests.

To go with the standard features that include amortization, accrued interest, time-value-of-money, cost-sell-margin, and depreciation calculations, the device will allow you to solve more complex business- and finance-related issues. From net future value (NFV), modified internal rate of return (MIRR), and modified duration to payback, discount payback, and more.

Setting aside what this device can do, with its rugged metal housing, firm-touch buttons, and anti-slip rubber feet, you can bring this calculator with you to any meeting without worrying about what the road might do to it.

In short, the Texas Instruments BA II Plus is the device that will allow you to connect any numbers, figuring out cost, expenses, profits, and much more.

The HP 10bII+ Financial Calculator is less complicated and convoluted than its HP relative that we've reviewed above yet, as far as most business and finance needs are concerned, about as productive and efficient. The device will let you easily calculate anything from loan payments, interest rates, and conversions to standard deviation, percent, TVM, NPV, IRR, cash flows, the list goes on. Its features include amortization, depreciation (SL, SOYD, DB), cash flow analysis (IRR, NPV, NFV), break-even analysis, margins, sales costs, interest conversion, date calculations, bonds, and more.

Apart from its calculation prowess, the model only measures 3.2 x 5.7 x 0.6 inches and weighs no more than 3 ounces, so you can put this thing inside most pockets.

Considering the device's affordable price though, cutting some corners was inevitable. From where we're standing, the corner that was cut the most was its disposition towards batteries, making the device burn through one CR2032 battery within ~12 months, whereas most calculators can last ~2 years on that battery.

Even taking that into account though, the HP 10bII+ Financial Calculator is easily the most well-rounded product within this lineup, suitable for professors, students, and different professionals of all levels.

The Texas Instruments IIBAPL, with its massive financial worksheet collection, might take some time and effort to figure out but you'll be glad you did since this device can increase productivity and streamline efficiency unlike most financial calculators. First, you can choose between standard calculator and worksheet modes.

The first, standard mode allows you to perform common math and operations that involve the time value of money, meaning applications like mortgages and annuities where payments are equivalent and evenly spaced. This mode will also be able to tackle trigonometric functions.

Now, the worksheet mode includes more hardcore tables, such as amortization, bond, depreciation, and compound interest. Those who are not acquainted with these calculations can refer to the supplied user manual that can guide you through them.

With 10 user memories available, the device allows you to store more previous worksheet values than most calculators so that you're not forced to retype all the bond maturity and cash flow analysis figures when you need them again.

Bottom line, the Texas Instruments IIBAPL is as good at tackling basic math problems as it is at calculating hardcore worksheet tables.

The Casio FC-200V looks sleek, not what we're looking for and expecting from financial calculators first and foremost yet something that we can always appreciate. What's more important though is that the model's design offers high availability, scalability, and excellent flexibility. Before anything else, what these words hint at is the device's 4-line, 14-character screen. With 4 lines rather than 1, the screen enables easy input, confirmation, change, and correction regarding each and every parameter. We can also somewhat extend the same sentiment towards the 3-digit, comma-markers feature.

The device can handle anything that has anything to do with numbers and finances. Without even touching upon the standard functions lineup, the model allows you to calculate the depreciation amount using the straight-line method, declining balance method, fixed percentage method, or sum-of-the-year's digits method. You'll be able to calculate sales and leverage within the break-even point. Plus, using two shortcut keys, the device can memorize and store different values and settings that were used before to recall them with one push of shortcut key.

To sum up (pun somewhat intended), with its powerful yet original financial functions, the Casio FC-200V takes the brunt of the work related to financial calculations.