A Note For Graphing Calculators In The Fundamental Finance Course

Abstract

The financial calculator is incorporated in finance education.  In class, the instructor shows students how to use the financial calculator’s function keys to solve time value of money (TVM) related problems efficiently.  The fundamental finance course is required for all majors in the business school.  Some students, especially non-accounting/non-finance majors, still want to use their graphing calculators rather than purchase financial calculators to save the cost.  In fact, graphing calculators, such as TI-83 Plus and TI-84 Plus, also contain finance functions and many undergraduate students had owned TI-83 Plus or TI-84 Plus before they took the fundamental finance course in the junior year.  This note provides a perspective that instructors of the undergraduate fundamental finance course may consider teaching students how to use finance functions of the graphing calculator in addition to teaching students how to use the financial calculator in class.