Category: BA II Plus

TI BA II Plus: Best Value in a Financial Calculator


TI BA II Plus

The Texas Instruments BA II Plus provides the best value in a financial calculator because it has all of the functionality of its competitors but comes at a lower price. TI created the first pocket calculator and the BA II Plus is a long way from their first offerings. The advances that TI has made over the years have created a great machine at an affordable price. This calculator provides the most bang for your buck.

The BA II Plus is one of two calculators allowed on the CFA exam so if you are a budding finance professional you can be confident that this calculator has the necessary functionalities that you will need for finance exams in college and beyond. The TI BA II Plus is a cheap financial calculator that doesn’t skimp on calculations and speed.

I have owned a TI BA II Plus for 15 years. I bought the calculator as an undergraduate and continue to use it as a finance professional. It served me very well in professional exams and I feel confident enough to take it to the car dealership to figure out the implied interest rate on a loan. I bought it because it was cheap and easy to use. At the time, I didn’t feel comfortable using the Reverse Polish Notation operating system that you have to learn for the HP 12C. The TI BA II Plus uses the standard Algebraic Operating System that is familiar to anyone who has used a pocket calculator. I have no regrets. It has served me well.

What Calculations Does the TI BA II Plus Perform?

Loan Interest
Loan Payments
Present Value of a Lease
Perpetual Annuity
Present Value of an Annuity
Value of a Lease with Uneven payments
Bond Price, Yield to Maturity, and Accrued Interest

I’ll stop there but here is a link to the owner’s manual so that you can figure out if it does what you need. I’m confident that this financial calculator has what you need.

Besides the financial functions, you’ll also find statistical functions for logs and regressions.

The user manual is an excellent resource. It will teach you how to perform the functions and help you logically walk through the calculations, teaching you how to quickly and effectively organize a problem and then find the solution. (I used to take it to class with me).

TI BA II Plus User Manual and Guidebook

You can’t go wrong with the TI BA II Plus. It’s the best value in a financial calculator.

Buy the TI BA II Plus from Amazon by clicking on the link below.

All the best in your financial pursuits.

Financial Calculators That Are Allowed on the CFA Exam

The CFA Calculator Policy is very strict. There are two types of calculators allowed in the exam room:

Texas Instruments BA II Plus (including the BA II Plus Professional)

HP 12C (including the HP 12C Platinum and anniversary models)

The good news is that the HP 12C is the most widely used financial calculator and will be a companion throughout your career. In fact most banks will provide this calculator to their incoming class of investment bankers.

The TI BA II Plus is also an excellent calculator. It might not be as popular as the HP 12C, but it has the same functionality.

I owned and used the BA II throughout college and would never consider changing to the HP 12C for the exam because in a timed test environment, speed is important. My familiarity with the BA II Plus provides that speed.

If you are starting out in college and wondering which one to buy, there is no wrong answer, but know that the 12C comes with a certain cachet because of its long history with the banking industry. Pick one of the two, use it through your undergrad years and then as you study for the CFA knowing that you won’t have to learn a new calculator on top of studying for arguably the most difficult of professional exams.

To buy the 12C or BA II Plus on Amazon, click on the pictures below.

All the best on your studies.