Over 1,000 Windows 95 Programs/Over 1000 Windows 95 Programs (Microforum) (Disc 2).iso/0107/setup.exe/PROGRAMS.TXT

Text File | 1996-12-29 | 21.2 KB | 531 lines

Loan*Calculator! Plus v2.0
PROGRAMS.TXT
REVISED 11/96

In addition to Loan*Calculator! Plus for Windows, we also publish two
other programs, SolveIT!, The Financial Calculator and AmortizeIT!, The
Complete Loan Solution. Evaluation copies of these programs can be found
at our web site at http://www.pine-grove.com or at many other locations
on the World Wide Web or on Compuserve or America On-Line.

SolveIT! v4.3  $69.95/$40.00 with Loan*Calculator! Plus Registration

AmortizeIT! v2.1 $50.00/$30.00 with Loan*Calculator! Plus Registration

plus appropriate shipping and handling ($5.00 ea. copy for US First
Class mail. $8.00 for North American air mail and $9.00 air mail else
where.)

Both of these programs are DOS based. (Windows versions are in the
works.) They do ship with Window ICONs and PIF files so that they can
easily be run from within Windows if you so decide.

Details follow:

SolveIT!, The Financial Calculator
Version 4.3

**General Features

SolveIT! is a general purpose financial calculator that is capable of
answering many of the questions that you might have when it comes to
money. Its features a VERY EASY to use user interface that asks a
series of questions. You simply "fill-in-the-blanks" and press <F9>
and the program will calculate the results. There is NEVER any need to
do any programming. And all of the routines are accessed using an
standard menu system.

SolveIT! 4.3 is a MAJOR update. SolveIT! now sports a new, even easier
to use, user interface. The user can more easily edit any of the
inputs. The cursor keys can be used to go back and correct an entry
even before you calculate the results.

You can press <F1> at any time, and a help window will appear
providing detailed information about the routine and the question that
is being asked. For those who are not familiar with all of the
concepts used in these routines, reading the help screens will be very
educational.

Extensive printing is available in version 4.3. Our routines are
written to work with any printer. In fact, we have NEVER found a
printer that SolveIT! does not support. Schedules can also be printed
to disk so that you may later load them into your word processor. This
will allow you to edit them or highlight important points.

The professional user will appreciate the way that SolveIT! saves its
data. All data for one client is kept in one file. This way,
information on Mr. Samual's mortgage is available in the same file as
his budget and net worth statements.

There are too many changes to describe in this short flier, but
suffice it to say that every single routine in SolveIT! has been
greatly enhanced since version 3.1. As we developed SolveIT!, we gave
two things over riding concern. First, the program had to be VERY easy
to use. Even though an extensive manual is supplied, we hope that you
never need to use it. And secondly, the program had to be fast.
Therefore, data is easy to enter quickly and the program will often
perform a calculation instantly.


The 30 Routines of SolveIT! 4.3


**Future Value

Calculates the future value of a single deposit or series of deposits.
The interest rate may be changed at any time during the term. The
deposits may be made in any amount either on a regular or irregular
basis. The user also specifies a starting date, term, payment period,
compounding period and whether the deposits are in advance or arrears.

In addition to doing a quick future value calculation, this routine
will do a schedule that shows the future value at the beginning or end
of each period, as well as the deposit amount for the period (if any),
the accumulated interest and the total principal.


**Present Value of an Amount

Solves for the present value of a future amount. The routine prompts
for the amount, the number of periods, the compounding frequency and
the interest rate.


**Present Value of a Series

Solves for the present value of a series of future payments. The
payment amounts can be changed as well as the interest rate. Besides
calculating a quick present value amount, this routine will also do a
schedule that shows the individual payments, the value of the
accumulating payments, the rate, and the running future and present
values of the payments.


**Internal Rate of Return (New Routine)

Takes a series of complicated cash flows and answers the question,
"What is the rate of return on this deal?". You will be prompted to
enter the initial investment and then the projected income from that
investment as a series of positive or negative cash flows. The IRR
result will tell you the return on your investment. Use this figure to
compare what you could earn on your money using another investment.


**Net Present Value

Is an investment a good investment? Enter the minimum rate of return
that is acceptable to you or your firm and then enter the cash flows
that the investment will generate. If the NPV result is positive then
the investment is exceeding your minimum requirement. On the other
hand if it is negative, it is not meeting your expectations.

You may use this routine and the IRR for any investment from stocks
and bonds to a capital investment in a plant.


**Time To Withdrawal (Annuity Payout)

Answers the question, "How long will an amount last assuming a regular
withdrawal?" The amount withdrawn can be adjusted by an inflation
factor. SolveIT! can calculate the results using either the Annuity
Due or the Annuity in Advance Method. The user can also specify the
payment and compounding periods.

This routine reports not only the length of time that the funds will
last, but also the total amount returned with interest, the net gain
and the date of the last payment.

A schedule can also be calculated. This schedule will show the payment
amount, the interest for the period, the accumulated interest, the
remaining balance and the total amount paid.


**Required Payment for a Future Sum

Answers the question, "How much do I have to put away on a regular
basis to reach some amount at a particular point in the future?" The
routine asks the user for the interest rate, compounding periods,
payment periods and the desired term. Besides calculating the required
payment, SolveIT! also reports the total amount invested, the gain
over the invested amount, the total years invested and how long it
takes money to double at the prescribed scenario.


**Purchasing Power

The Purchasing Power Routine looks at the value of money two ways. It
calculates both the declining value and the equivalent value of an
amount. The routine allows any amount to be entered and adjusted by
any inflation rate over any period of time up to a maximum or 40
years. The inflation rate may be adjusted every year and the context
sensitive help screen includes the percentage of change in the
Consumer Price Index from 1960 through 1989.

The equivalent purchasing power (constant dollars) will tell you how
much money is equal in value to the original amount. The declining
purchasing power tells you what the original amount is worth in
current dollars.


**Equivalent Interest Rate

Is it better to invest money at 8.25% compounded quarterly or 8.12%
compounded monthly? This routine will tell you the equivalent rate to
a given rate at a particular compounding period assuming a different
rate of compounding.


**Interest Rate Earned

If you invested $10,000 in a venture that returned $18,900 after 8.5
years, what was the yield on your original investment? This routine
lets you look at money compounded 8 different ways.


**Loan Calculator

You provide the Loan Calculator with three of the four standard loan
variables, amount, term, interest rate or payment, and SolveIT! will
solve for the unknown value. The routine also considers 8 different
compound and payment periods and whether the payment is made in
advance or arrears.


**Amortization Table

The Amortization Routine is as powerful as any found in standalone
amortization programs. The routine prompts you for the loan amount,
the term, whether the loan is based upon a 360 or 365 day year, and
the interest rate (or rates). This routine supports 8 different
payment and compounding periods which may be set individually. (Choose
from: daily, weekly, biweekly, monthly, bimonthly, quarterly,
semiannually or annually.) You also get to select how the table will
be displayed. That is, do you want the totals displayed based upon a
calendar year, fiscal year or loan year. Finally, you provide the
starting date, amortization method (Normal, Rules-of-78, Interest
Only, Fixed Principal, or U.S. rule) and payment method (Arrears for
standard loans or Advanced for leases).

The resulting schedule will give both totals for the year displayed
and from the origination date of the loan. The program will accept a
change of interest rate (ARM) on any payment date. You may also skip
payments. And you can make random or regular extra payments to be
applied to principal.


By pressing <S>, you will be able to summarize the loan through any
period. That is, you will be shown the total amount of interest paid,
total principal paid, the interest saved as the result of extra
payments and the remaining balance.

Finally, the Amortization Routine will also handle a loan that is
being negatively amortized (i.e. accrued interest) over all or part of
its term.


**Balloon Payment

The Balloon Payment will tell you what the periodic payment will be
for a loan when you specify a loan amount, term, interest rate,
payment method and period, compounding period, balloon payment amount
and balloon payment number. This gives you the power to design a loan
to fit your criteria.


**Accelerated Payment

While the Amortization Routine will calculate interest saved for
random or regular extra payments of any amount, the Accelerated
Payment Routine will very quickly solve for the interest saved and
calculate the reduced term for a series of regularly paid extra
payments.


**Remaining Balance

Calculates the remaining balance of a loan after any payment. Again,
this is a very fast routine to use. You fill-in-the-blanks, and
SolveIT! will instantly calculate the results. Nothing could be
simpler. Loans can be paid using one of eight different payment
periods and the loan may be compounded in one of eight different ways.
Like the other loan routines, the payments may be paid either in
advance or in arrears.


**Interest Due & Calendar Math (New Routine)

The Interest Due Calculator is a new feature with SolveIT! 4.3. Using
this routine, you will be able to calculate how much interest is due
for any number of days or between any two dates. SolveIT! prompts you
to enter either a starting date or ending date or the number of days.
You enter any two of the three values. Then you enter the amount,
interest rate, payment and compounding period. The routine will not
only solve for how much interest is due, it will also tell the day of
the week for the starting an d ending dates.

We can not imagine a more flexible interest due calculator than this
one. If you are due interest today on a financial instrument that you
know you had to hold for 45 days, just enter today's date as the
ending date, and 45 days for the term and SolveIT! will tell you the
date that the financial instrument was purchased on as well as the
interest due you. Since this routine calculates the starting date,
you can compare the calculation with the date you actually bought the
security. This enables you to check to make sure that the term was
actually 45 days and not 46 or 47 days.

This routine supports both long and short periods as defined by The
U.S. Government's Truth-In-Lending Act, Regulation Z, Appendix J.
Therefore it is also a handy routine to use to calculate how much
interest is due on a loan when a loan is being paid off on other than
a payment due date.


**Gross Profit Margin

If you are a stock and bond trader or in a retail wholesale business,
and you want to see what the gross profit is for a series of trades or
sales, then this routine will handle the task for you. You enter
quantities and cash flows for amounts spent and received. The program
will calculate the gross profit, total cost and total revenue as well
as the return on investment and gross profit margin.

This routine is particularly handy if you are a trader who might buy
1,000 units of an item at one price and then sell the 1,000 units at
different prices over many different transactions. Of course the Gross
Profit Margin routine will allow you to do many different purchases of
an item at different prices as well.

Believe us, as traders, when we tell you that this routine is by far
easier to use than your desk top calculator for all but the very
simplest sales transactions.

**Weighted Average and Analysis

This routine will take the values from the Gross Profit Margin routine
and do some basic analysis on the numbers such as weighted averages,
minimum and maximum values on both the costs and the revenue. You are
also given the opportunity to key in a new set of values or to edit
the existing values.


**Break Even Analysis

In a matter of seconds you will be able to determine not only the
break even point for any business or department but also the gross
sales needed to achieve break even. Gross sales at break even is an
important concept. For often a new business person will achieve a
large cash flow, but he will not be aware of future payables and
therefore redirect cash flow out of the business.

By using this routine, you can determine not only the number of units
that need to be sold or the number of hours billed to break even but
also what level of gross sales you need to have to be at break even.
Sometimes it is more difficult to track inventory or hours billed,
than it is to track the gross income of a business. By using this
routine and knowing your gross sales, you will be able to calculate
whether you are below, at, or above break even.

This routine prompts you for a series of fixed costs, variable costs
and if applicable for a series of costs associated with the product or
products sold. In addition to a break even figure and gross sales at
break even, fixed, variable and material costs are reported as a
percentage of sales.


**Economic Ordering Quantity (EOQ)

If you buy large quantities of an item, this routine will tell you the
most economical quantity to buy considering your overhead costs and
the time value of money. Use this routine to do a quick check to see
if you are over or under ordering. Remember, inventory costs can kill.


**Affordable House

If you use this routine you will very quickly know how much you can
afford to spend on a home given your life style. The routine asks you
for your gross annual income, the cash you have available for a down
payment, the term of the mortgage, the interest rate plus the
estimated taxes, insurance, and maintenance. Finally, you are asked
what percentage of your gross income you want to devote toward
housing. SolveIT! calculates the total price of a home that you can
afford, the amount of financing needed and w hat percentage the cash
available is of the total house price so you can see if the terms for
the downpayment of the lending institution are met.


**Second Mortgage Calculator

Often, when one property is being sold and a second property is being
bought, a short term bridge loan is needed since the proceeds from the
first sale are not available when it is time to close on the second
property. This routine will calculate the first and second mortgage
payment. It is assumed that the second mortgage is only a short term
loan on which only interest is being paid.


**Rental Income Analysis

This routine will do a very complete analysis of income derived from
rental units. It looks at variables such as the purchase price of the
property, your tax bracket, monthly expenses, percentage occupied and
property tax to name a few. SolveIT! allows you to assume different
inflation rates for maintenance, rent and property tax increases. The
routine will calculate mortgage costs using one of three methods for
one or two mortgages. Depreciation, business use percentage and useful
life are also considered. The bottom line result will be the
profitability of the property.

A cash flow schedule is also generated by the program showing the cash
flow before and after tax considerations.


**Budget

The budget routine will now allow you to work with both protected and
actual income and expenses. You can work with up to six different
categories of income and thirty one categories of expenses. The
description for each income and expense may be change by the user so
that the budget may be set up for an individual, a small business or a
department in a large corporation.

The routine tracks income and expenses over any twelve month period
and generates several cash flow reports. Totals for all items are
reported on a twelve month basis as well. A report comparing Actual
figures as a percentage of the projected figures is generated without
any rekeying of data.


**Net Worth

This routine will calculate an individuals net worth. Often, a
borrower will have to present a net worth statement to a bank when
seeking a loan. This routine will perform such a calculation in a
matter of seconds. Just spend a few minutes filling in the values that
SolveIT! is asking for such as the value of your car, cash in the
bank, credit card balances, etc. And it will tell you your net worth
as fast as you can press the <F9> key.


**MACRS Depreciation

The routine displays a depreciation schedule using the method as
defined by the 1986 tax law. All data from the IRS's tables are
include in the program so there is no need to use the government's
tables. And in fact, if you have questions about depreciation, the
help screens are a handy reference tool for they quote liberally from
IRS Publication 534. SolveIT! supports all conventions and both the
Accelerated Method as well as the Alternate Straight Line method of
depreciation.


**ACRS Depreciation (New Routine)

If you have an asset placed into service before 1987, then you
probably need to depreciate the asset using this method as defined by
the federal government.


**Other Depreciation Routines

SolveIT! also supports three other generally used methods of
depreciation. They are the Straight Line Method, the
Sum-of-Years-Digits Method and the Declining Balance Method.

****************
SolveIT! v. 4.3 added Bond yield and value routines. These routines
will allow you to compare up to 3 bonds at one time. You may also
optionally factor in taxes and/or inflation.


*****************
AmortizeIT!, The Complete Loan Solution

AmortizeIT! is a SUBSET of SolveIT!. It includes 6 calculators taken
from SolveIT! v4.3. They are LOAN, AMORTIZATION SCHEDULE, INTEREST
DUE, REMAINING BALANCE, BALLOON PAYMENT and ACCELERATED PAYMENT. Plus
there is an additional seventh calculator, REFINANCE.

Additionally, the following new features have been added to the
calculators found in AmortizeIT!:

  Easily set any custom payment amount

  Short or Long initial first period options

  Interest Basis: Ordinary, Actual/360 or Actual/365

  New Refinance Routine -- compares refinancing choices

  Schedules optionally track both payment due date and actual
   payment date which lets interest be tallied for a year if 13 payments
   are made in that year

  Optional proof payment feature

  Support for 15 currency's & International Date format option

  Points & Origination Fees

  Stores data in dBase compatible files so that 3rd party reporting
   package can be used and data can be read by any application that can
   read dBase files such as Lotus 1-2-3

  Support for multiple loan advances (Construction Loans)

  Maximum number of periods limited by free base (640K) memory
   (approx 900)

  Accelerated biweekly - two 1/2 monthly payments made each month

  Automatic prepaid next period principal acceleration

  Optionally show taxes, penalties and/or miscellaneous fees with
   payments

  Canadian Mortgages i.e. monthly payments with semiannual
   compounding

  Supports any number of initial interest only payments

  Shows/prints schedule until required balloon payment

  New APR detail screen

  Prints Regulation "Z" APR Disclosure statement

  Annual Percentage Yield (APY) calculations per Regulation "DD"
   (Truth-In-Savings)

  Faster BIOS printer routines with support for LPT2 & LPT3 as well
   as LPT1

  Mouse support

  NEW Advanced Summary Screen that tracks tax consequences of
   mortgage, discount value of a mortgage, the future value of extra
   payments & much more.

  Remaining principal balance calculation on ANY date

  HyperText Help explaining how each feature is used

   And...

  Full support for MS Windows 3.1. Comes complete with PIF file and
   two Window icons.



     Pine Grove Software
     CN 5256, Box 272
     Princeton, NJ 08543        USA

     US Toll Free:  800-242-9192
     All Areas:  609-730-1430
     FAX:  [phone]
     CompuServe:  72366,306
     Internet:  [e-mail]

[PROGS.TXT]
[REVISED 10/23/96]