Like it or not, your credit score dominates all the financial details of your life. Most services that provide you access to these all-important values have a fee attached, but that's not the case with Credit Karma, which has just arrived on Android. You could be forgiven for being wary of an app that asks for so much personal information, but Credit Karma is the real deal and provides a killer service.

Credit Karma pulls its data from TransUnion, one of the big three credit reporting agencies. All you have to do is make an account, and provide the app with personal data to verify your identity. Credit Karma will provide you with weekly updates to your TransUnion credit score, ongoing credit monitoring, and reports on various aspects of your credit history. The app itself is a little awkward to use, and some parts of it behave sluggishly. There is also no tablet support as of yet. Still, it's got a ton of information and you can PIN lock it to keep others from snooping around.

I was actually somewhat shocked Credit Karma offers so much functionality without charging anything. Instead of asking you for money, the company displays super-targeted ads in the app. For instance, you'll probably see offers from various banks offering credit cards that suit your profile. The service has been featured extensively on TV and online, so it's fair to label this one "not a scam."

[SlickDeals, SlickDeals 2, Bargaineering]