Additional Functions of the Advanced Financial Calculator
The advanced financial calculator is an upgrade of the
basic financial calculator and the main screen
of the advanced model is essentially the same as the keypad of the basic
model. (See the financial calculator
tutorial for information about how to use the functions of the main
keypad.)
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Only one button of the main keypad has changed. The key that was labeled
x<>y (the register swap key) has been replaced with a new key that is
labeled ALT. The ALT key is used to access the advanced
functions keypad, where you'll find the x<>y key in addition to
all of the new functions of the advanced model.
The new functions fall into four categories:
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- functions for editing input,
- the payment mode selection key,
- functions for discounted cash flow analysis, and
- statistical functions.
You can get back to the main keypad from the advanced functions keypad by
pressing any key other than the CF0, CFn, or the numeric data
entry keys.
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New Display Features
In addition to the new functions of the advanced model, there are new
display features that support the new functions. Two new items appear
in the numeric display area. The first appears on the main keypad display.
This feature is the payment mode annunciator, a single letter (E or B) that
appears in the upper left corner of the display. This letter indicates
whether calculations are being made based on payments made at the
Beginning or End of a payment period. The
basic financial calculator makes all calculations
based upon the assumption that payments are made at the end of the payment
period. You can change the payment mode by tapping ALT and then
B/E.
In textbooks about finance, a series of regular payments is called an
annuity. When those payments are made at the end of each period,
the annuity is refferred to as an ordinary annuity. If payments are
made at the beginning of each period, that annuity is called an
annuity due.
The second new display feature appears on the advanced functions screen.
This is a one- or two-digit number that appears in the upper left corner
of the advanced functions screen. This number indicates the number of
periods that are being used in a discounted cash flow scenario
(more about this later), or (in the case of the
statistical functions) the size of a statistical sample. This number is
set automatically when you enter cash flows or statistical data values.
What's Next?
On the next page of this tutorial, I'll
introduce the additional input editing features of the advanced financial
calculator before discussing the functions for discounted cash flow analysis
and then close with an overview of the statistical functions.
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