Investment return calculators are a great benefit to investment bankers and brokers. There was a day when the financial specialists hand-calculated potential returns on stocks and other scenarios. Then the advent of the computer reduced the work, and the wall-sized monster slowly worked on the problem for the investment banker, often slower than the hand calculation. Today, investment return calculators and investment banking financial models are available and prepare quick, pristine, conference-ready pages.

Not all investment bankers make full use of the investment banking and brokerage calculators. Part of the reason is that their first experience was on the early models. Calculating investments today is much easier with new programs that are users friendly. You can:

1. Create quantitative analysis of investments with an investment brokerage calculator.
2. Use an investment growth calculator and other investment banking calculators available at all times.
3. Work with the debt structures of acquisitions using investment loan calculators to see if you can create a more palatable financing method.
   

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Search for investing calculators that offer more complicated functions

If you're a securities analyst you need to not only know about the industry and how to communicate that knowledge with clients, you need analysis of the market and both fundamentals and quantitative skills. There are tools for calculating investment returns that make your job easier, so you have more time with clients and other projects.

I recommend: Insightful has a Regulatory Compliance program that offers diverse a Capital Requirement calculator based upon aggregated risk distributions. You can find other program with additional calculators offered by Insightful as well. Modern Investment Technologies also offers technical analysis for professionals.

Use investing calculators on the run

Most of the time investment bankers are in the field actively working with clients and running back to the office is not an option. If you want to travel light, without a laptop, use Bluetooth technology for smartphones and mobile pocket PCs as your investment brokerage calculator.

I recommend: 3GR Technologies offers the MxCalc 12c Platinum that has 130 built in functions like bond calculations, cash flow analysis and statistical calculations. Softtrends has several financial calculators, including one from tApCalc with a programmable tape that allows you to save, edit and rerun after edit.

Use a simple investment calculator to find the best finance method

Project finance professionals often need funding methods that are flexible for their clients. Sometimes, when loan options are scarce, adjusting repayment and interest rates on projections become necessary. Investment banking calculations make it necessary to find a method that allows the necessary changes without taking a lot of time.

I recommend: Carleton provides investment loan calculators and creates custom programs to meet your needs. KJE Computer Solutions offers free online debt service calculators if you only use one occasionally.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Many companies that offer investing calculators allow a free trial, which helps you see how user-friendly the program is before you buy.