HP - Financial Calculator - Black

RPN (reverse polish notation) calculators are faster than algebraic calculators... even for algebra; because they work the way you think. With algebraic calculators you write the whole formula down and then key it into the calculator using parentheses () and the = key, from left to right, With RPN you enter in the formula the way you think, from the inside of the formula to the outside, using the Enter key as you go along to STORE the intermediate results. Much faster, easier and intuitive once you learn how. The 12C also has many common financial formulas built in and allows some programming as well. I have all of the HP Financial calculators but this is the one I grab most often. I wish they would re-release the model 22 as that had the perfect form-factor for 1-handed use.

After using an HP 12C financial calculator for over 30 yrs, I bought an HP 10 to save money (half the price of the 12C). Cumbersome to use, I returned it the next day and purchased another 12C. It doesn't get easier to use than the 12C as long is you can get comfortable with the RPC (Reverse Polish Calc) keystroke sequence --> 12x2=24 --> is 12 ENTER, 2 x. The new 12C is a 1000x faster than the 25 yr old 12C I had. Try amortizing 10 yrs into a 25 yr mortgage to calculate interest paid, principle paid, and remaining balance and the answer takes less than a second. On my old 12C it would take 30 seconds! Gotta love the new chips!

I don't recollect when I bought my first HP12C; (the one I am reviewing is a replacement for one that I lost), but it must be about 25 years ago because I was using it in a job in the finance business. Frankly, it can do more types of calculations than most professionals in finance will ever need--discounted cash flows, lease vs buy, mortgage amortizatoins with and without balloon payments and on and on, all at a very reasonable price, about the size of a deck of cards and possessing a responsive keypad, great battery life, etc. etc. in addition to being fully programmable for those who wish to design their own computer-in-a-pocket; a great tool

As a longtime financial advisor, I used the HP12c Financial Calculator for nearly 30 years. It served me well, and helped me greatly in my work. Now retired, I took a real estate investment class with my wife.. The instructor recommended the HP 10bII+ calculator to the class. I bought 2 of these calculators for class use, and was amazed at how easy it was to learn how to use. It is far more intuitive to use than the 12c. My wife caught on how to use it quickly, and has become quite skilled at it. I had to unlearn a few things, but once I did, I now prefer using the HP 10bII+ financial calculator.

I had a HP-12C from the 1980s. I could enter numbers without looking at the display because it was easy and dependable to work. The buttons are harder to work on the brand new version and sometimes do not register. Now I have to glance at the display and this slows me down considerably! The calculator still calculates beautifully and is much faster with some functions than was my original HP-12C. That's just the state of the art: in 1980 HP made their products in the USA. Today: better components made somewhere else.

Good caluculator for work and personal use. Once you learn how to use the HP 12 c it's difficult to go back to using an ordinary calculator. However I question it's durability. I seem to be replacing this calculator every 2 to 3 years which is becoming very costly. I question it's duarability as the same thing keeps happening.....'it just stop working" even after replacing the battery, it doesn't work. If I didn't think the functions were so great, I would not keep replacing.

The 12C is an old classic, this is my third or fourth buy of this type of calculator. Not for those who are not used to the reverse polish notation, which is actually more efficient. These have a great key action and feel. These used to be made in the USA, then later on off shored to "low cost" regions, so the more recent ones do not last as long. Pricey for the functions, but if you are used to HP calculators, it is hard to settle for other types of calculators.

I am a commercial bank credit underwriter and I have to have a good financial Calulator . I have used the HP Financial Calulator for 28 years and this is my 3rd version of this particular financial Calulator .. Not because it stopped working but b/c I lost them .. So, I recommend the HP financial Calulator as it is functional, easy to use, and accurate.