Top 5 Finance Apps for the iPad

The purpose of gadgets like the iPad is to make your life simpler, from planning your day to reading local news. I consider the iPad a companion gadget; it doesn't replace your smart phone or your computer, but it can perform some of the tasks of each when you need it to pinch hit. One of the most useful aspects of the iPad is its platform for finance apps.

There are more than a few finance tools designed specifically for the iPad, or modified from existing versions on the iPhone or the computer. These finance apps can help you make conscious financial decisions and keep track of your budget in a more universal way.

Compoundee HD

Anyone who invests his or her money can find a use for Compoundee HD. It's a finance app that allows you to calculate the potential for any specific investment over a particular period of time. According to TechRepublic.com, this finance tool can calculate anything from amortization schedules to inflation- and tax-adjusted progression of investments.

App Cost: $2.99

Grocery IQ

Many of us, myself included, tend to spend too much money at the supermarket. You're wandering the aisles, perhaps before dinner so you're starving, and everything on the shelf looks delicious. So you start throwing things in your cart. This exact conundrum is why finance apps were created for the iPad.

Grocery IQ lets you plan and execute your grocery list with little fuss. Scan barcodes, type in product names, or select auto-suggested items from the list. You can also obtain coupons through this finance tool and send them to your e-mail account or even to your grocery savings card.

App Cost: Free

MarketScan

If you're the type of person whose excitement is triggered by the stock market, MarketScan is the perfect finance app for the iPad. This tool allows you to quickly and easily find stocks using pre-defined or user-generated search criteria, then analyze your options with a multitude of options. The price tag is prohibitive for all but the most dedicated of investors, according to TheNextWeb.com, but the features are plentiful.

App Cost: $30

Square

Originally conceived for the iPhone, Square is now a finance app for the iPad that allows you to accept credit cards for your business or charity, or even for the average individual running a weekend garage sale. This finance tool generates receipts, stores credit card records, and even allows customers to sign for their purchases.

App Cost: Free

Expense Tablet

I've written before about how important a family budget is if you want to keep your finances on track. The Expense Tablet app for iPad is a finance app that allows you to create and track your budget on the device. Record all monthly spending and generate lists and graphs to depict your patterns. You can't export the data to other applications yet, according to the Expense Tablet web site, but that functionality might appear in a future release.

App Cost: $0.99

There are multitudes of finance apps available for the iPad, many of them free. If you want your iPad to work for you, it helps to explore these options and put them to good use.