The Apple iPad is popular not just because of its cutting-edge hardware, but also because of the wealth of excellent third-party applications that can be downloaded in order to extend its functionality.

You can use the iPad’s web browser to compare credit cards at MoneySupermarket update your Facebook status and stream video, but it is within dedicated apps that the best features can be experienced.

If you are finding it tough to keep on top of your personal finances, you might find the following collection of applications useful because each is designed to help you tackle this area of your life in a different way.

Account Tracker
This app takes a holistic approach to personal finance, allowing you to get an overview of your finances and then letting you tinker with the smaller details to help you micro-manage as much as you like.

You can keep up to date with your expenses, add accounts to track how much cash you have and where it is at the moment and do achieve much more besides.

What makes Account Tracker stand out from its rivals is the fact that you can customise it to suit your individual needs.

iCurrency Pad
There are many other currency converters designed for the iPad, but none is quite as comprehensive as this particular app.

As well as letting you see the relative value of money across a multitude of currencies, you can also view this information expressed in the form of graphs and charts, which is a feature that is often missing from the more basic apps.

Real-time updates on exchange rates mean that you always have accurate information and the interface has been carefully designed to avoid confusion.

PowerOne Finance Calculator
If you are something of a financial wizard and work in the industry then this is an iPad app that needs to join your collection.

It lets you make many different kinds of financial calculations, from loans and interest rates to profit margins and compound growth.

If you want to simply use the app as a more basic calculator for uncomplicated sums then this is also an option. The main problem is that once you dig beneath the surface, things can get quite complicated, so basic users may be put off by this.

PayPal
Traditional forms of payment such as cash and debit cards are going out of fashion in favour of digital transactions, which is where the PayPal app for the iPad comes into play.

It is suitable for a variety of tasks and will help you if you are looking to send some money to a friend or family member and can even take payments while you are out and about doing your job.

The real downside of this app is that it can take a while to set up and some transfers are a little sluggish. But these are minor issues and anyone who already uses PayPal will be right at home with the features on offer.