Bloomberg Finance

If you currently work in the financial sector or aspire to do so, chances are you've heard of a Bloomberg terminal. This Bloomberg Beginner's Guide tutorial will introduce you to one of the most widely used sources in the industry for real-time financial insights. This guide is intended for new Bloomberg users and will provide an overview of using a Bloomberg terminal. If you're a more experienced user, or after reading this guide, you'd like to dig deeper into Bloomberg's features, check out Bloomberg's Advanced Guide.

In this basic guide, we'll look at how to sign up, install, and access Bloomberg. We will then move on to the basic navigation on the Bloomberg system. The navigation in Bloomberg is somewhat unique in that the system uses a special keyboard with different keys than those found on a "normal" keyboard. Therefore, the navigation section of this guide is going to be necessary for newcomers. After gaining a working knowledge of these basics, we will then move on to discuss some of the market surveillance functions and news available on Bloomberg. The rest of the tutorial will include information on title analysis as well as some tips and tricks to get the most out of this remarkable machine.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

The Bloomberg terminal has been an important knowledge and knowledge system for monetary professionals for many years.
Once standalone terminals, subscribers can now download and run Bloomberg software on PC or Mac.
Today's terminal offers a multitude of news and securities, real-time quotes on many markets, fundamental and technical analysis tools, economic research, etc.

Installation and access

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There are two ways to start using Bloomberg. The primary is to buy the Bloomberg service. You can do this by contacting them (the general contact number is (212) 318-2000).1 The representative you are talking to can then write down the details of what you are looking for and ask someone from the sales team to contact you. The prices and terms of the contract are specific to each user and will be discussed when the sales team contacts you.

However, be aware that Bloomberg is an expensive system and having your own terminal may not be convenient for all users. If you decide to subscribe to your own service, Bloomberg can help you install the software over the phone, or can come to visit you and assist you with the installation.2 Note: The software can be installed on most PCs or Macs, but the company will give you a special keyboard to navigate the system.

The second method of accessing Bloomberg is to find a public institution with a Bloomberg terminal. Many large libraries and universities have one, so it's a good place to start searching.3

The draw back of this approach is that you simply will not be ready to customise the system and can need to share it with different users. However, for many users, these disadvantages can be offset by the savings made on subscribing to the system as an individual.

Once you have accessed the system, the next trick is to understand how to navigate. A good place to start would be to either schedule a visit from a Bloomberg customer service representative or call customer service for help. Bloomberg is usually good enough to provide technical support and assistance, and a representative should be able to give you a good start to using the terminal.