puttin in a formula with a(-) sign rather than an (=)
i am trying to put in this equation into my formula box:
-pmt(rate/12,12*years,loan_amt and it says that it is susposed to be a minus sign (-) instead of an equal sign (=) when i push enter it just adds the equal sign(=) right in there so then it doesnt do what i want it to do |
puttin in a formula with a(-) sign rather than an (=)
Serina
All formulas(equations) must be prefaced with the = sign. Where does "it" say that "it" is supposed to be a minus sign? Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP On Fri, 25 May 2007 14:22:00 -0700, Serina wrote: i am trying to put in this equation into my formula box: -pmt(rate/12,12*years,loan_amt and it says that it is susposed to be a minus sign (-) instead of an equal sign (=) when i push enter it just adds the equal sign(=) right in there so then it doesnt do what i want it to do |
puttin in a formula with a(-) sign rather than an (=)
On May 25, 2:22 pm, Serina wrote:
i am trying to put in this equation into my formula box: -pmt(rate/12,12*years,loan_amt and it says that it is susposed to be a minus sign (-) instead of an equal sign (=) when i push enter it just adds the equal sign(=) right in there so then it doesnt do what i want it to do What does it do differently than you intend? I suggest that you provide a concrete example -- real numbers, not conceptuals value like "years" and "loanAmt" -- together with your intended result and the actual result. To my knowledge, Excel formulas must always begin with "=". (Although there might be some Lotus compatibility feature that allows for another starting character. I don't recall off-hand.) The "-" is simply part of the formula. In this case, it negates the result of the PMT() function. So you might enter the following: =-pmt(rate/12, 12*years, loanAmt) And that is exactly what Excel does for you automagically if you simply entere "-pmt(...)". No harm; no foul. Alternatively, you might enter the following (my preference): =pmt(rate/12, 12*years, -loanAmt) Note that the loanAmt is negated so that the financial function always returns a non-negative result. This can get tricky and confusing in functions such as FV(), where both a payment and a "present value" amount must be entered. You need to be sure that the relative signs are correct, depending on the problem statement. |
puttin in a formula with a(-) sign rather than an (=)
On May 25, 2:22 pm, Serina wrote:
i am trying to put in this equation into my formula box: -pmt(rate/12,12*years,loan_amt and it says that it is susposed to be a minus sign (-) instead of an equal sign (=) when i push enter it just adds the equal sign(=) right in there so then it doesnt do what i want it to do To my knowledge, Excel formulas must always begin with "=". (Although there might be some Lotus compatibility feature that allows for another starting character. I don't recall off-hand.) The "-" is simply part of the formula. In this case, it negates the result of the PMT() function. So you might enter the following: =-pmt(rate/12, 12*years, loanAmt) And that is exactly what Excel does for you automagically if you simply entere "-pmt(...)". No harm; no foul. Alternatively, you might enter the following (my preference): =pmt(rate/12, 12*years, -loanAmt) Note that the loanAmt is negated so that the financial function always returns a non-negative result. This can get tricky and confusing in functions such as FV(), where both a payment and a "present value" amount must be entered. You need to be sure that the relative signs are correct, depending on the problem statement. |
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