Not so long ago, only banks and traditional insurance companies offered financial or insurance products, yet today it may often seem as if even the local corner shop is offering financial products. That's not quite true, of course, but many more companies do offer financial products than used to be the case, and it can sometimes be difficult to decide who is offering the best deal.

And, while Marks and Spencer once offered mostly fashion products, with the only hint of a credit card being when you paid for your shopping at the checkout, today you'll find as good a deal on M&S credit cards as you will with the latest range of M&S fashion.

In fact, these days Marks and Spencers, through its M&S Financial Services website, offer a range of financial products which would not look out of place in many banks, including M&S Car Insurance, M&S Household Insurance, M&S Travel Insurance, M&S Pet Insurance, savings products, M&S Credit Cards, M&S Loans, and much more besides.

Contrary to popular opinion, not every insurance company is out to get you, and it's not every insurance company that will disect the fine-print until they find some way of denying your insurance claim. However, you do need to shop around for the financial products and insurance policies that are the best suited for your individual needs.

That's why insurance policies, and other financial products, from Marks&Spencer are so useful. M&S Financial Services financial products are, of course, designed to make Marks & Spencer a profit, but there is no denying that they are also very good value for money, offering many features as standard which you'd often need to pay extra for at other insurance companies.

Take, for example, Household Insurance policies. Usually, UK Household Insurance policies have limits on particular types of items such as freezer contents, garden furniture and outdoor toys, outbuildings or cars, etc. These restrictions are called inner limits. However, the only inner limits on the M&S Financial Services Household Insurance policy are £500 for cash; £2m for property-owners and personal liability; £10m for domestic employees liability and £40,000 for tenants liability. Even better is the fact that you're likely to pay no more for M&S Financial Services Household Insurance than you will anywhere else, and you may even pay less with M&S.

There are lots of ways to save money using M&S Financial Services. Not least of these is Marks and Spencer Standard Car Insurance. With M&S Financial Services you can keep the cost of your Car Insurance down by choosing Standard cover, over Premier Cover. UK Vehicle can then be added to your policy as optional extras, if you wanted to.

If you're thinking of adding both Breakdown Cover and Motor Legal Protection, then it would cost less to upgrade to Premier Car Insurance cover from M&S Financial Services, which also has other features.

Nonetheless, many features are standard to both the Premier and the Standard Car Insurance policies on offer from Mark & Spencers, and these include: Courtesy car (subject to availability); Loss, theft, damage and destruction of vehicle; Loss or damage to personal property in vehicle; Personal accident cover up to £10,000; Windscreen cover (£75 excess); a 24 hour claims service, and many other options as standard on each policy. In short, with Car Insurance from M&S Finance, you get more, and you pay less.

Florentyna Eau De Toilette 30ml, at Marks & Spencer
Eau de toilette perfume 30ml This product is not available for international delivery. Find out more

Wizards And Magic CD, at Marks and Spenser
Audio CD, Marks & Spencer

Ultra Bright LED Torch, at Marks & Spenser
Scare away the dark with this super bright 3 LED Bulb Torch! Its superb 3 white LEDs provide an amazing brightness. Ultra Bright torch is compact and a very handy size. This torch does not just light the way ahead, it practically scares off the dark

Short Sleeve Camouflage Surfer T-Shirt, at Marks and Spencer
A practical, casual top in pure cotton featuring an embroidered camouflage surfer design. A great value easycare style

Per Una Pure Cotton Mosaic Floral Kaftan, at Marks and Spencers
A casual 3/4 sleeve kaftan in pure soft cotton featuring a mosaic floral print and tie bow feature

Pure Cotton Thomas & Friends© Top & Joggers Outfit, at M & S
Fans of Thomas & Friends will love this 3 piece joggers outfit featuring the popular character Thomas the tank engine. Fun, practical and great value

Gold Band Champagne Glass, at Marks & Spencers
Flute style Gold band Long stem Wide base Height: 27.5 cm Capacity: 14cl, Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Limited Collection Long Boho Necklace, at Marks and Spenser
Boho style Long length Necklace length: 150cm

Per Una 3/4 Sleeve Beaded Neckline Cardigan, at Marks and Spencers
An elegant 3/4 sleeve cardigan featuring a beaded neckline and assorted button fastening

Thank You Teacher Bottle Bag, at Marks and Spenser
1 bottle bag Approx size: 370 x 120 x 80 mm

Numbers Book, at Mark's & Spencer
Little hands will love this bright chunky numbers book

Autograph White Lacquer Stool, at Mark's & Spencer
H50 x Diam 35cm High gloss white finish Delivered boxed to your door. No assembly required but you will need to unpack and position the item yourself Care & Cleaning - Wipe with a soft clean cloth and use a mild furniture cleaner or polish occasionally. Be sure to follow the manufacturers instructions, and be aware that polishes can add sheen This product is not available for international delivery. Find out more , Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

European Travel Adaptor, at Marks and Spencer
UK socket to 2 round pin plug adaptor

Autograph Pure Cotton Animal Border Duvet Cover, at Marks & Spencer
Co-ordinate with satin stitch white plain dye sheets and pillowcases strokes T356490F,T356490S,T356940P Embroidered detail Comes in Single (3ft), Double (4ft 6in), King Size (5ft) and Super King Size (6ft), Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Maternity Cotton Rich Frill Shirt, at Marks and Spencer
Fashionable and modern, this short sleeve shirt is designed to flatter you and your bump. The ruched style and clever cut give a neat, comfortable fit with room for growth. Enjoy your pregnancy in style!

Sonoma Office Dark Brown Leather Chair, at Marks & Spencers
H117 x W63 x D72cm Adjustable seat: H36 - 42cm Metal base Leather seat Gas lift function Delivered flatpack due to size. Free eco-friendly delivery to your home. Our crews will unpack, assemble and position the item This product is not available for international delivery. Find out more , Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Children of the World Puzzle, at M&S
45 pieces, including 9 stand-up pieces Explore the globe and meet some friendly faces Suitable for ages 3+ This product conforms to EN71 and the Toy Safety Directive, Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Watercolour Floral Multipack of Easter Cards, at Marks & Spencer
Cover text: design 1: Happy Easter, design 2: Easter Wishes Inside message: All designs, blank for your own message 6 cards, 2 designs Approx size: 145 x 70mm

Per Una Gathered Front Fine Stripe Mock Layer Top, at Marks & Spenser
A fashionable 3/4 sleeve mock layer top featuring a beaded front embellishment. The gathered detail makes it extra stylish.

Autograph Pure New Wool Single Breasted 1 Button Eveningwear Jacket, at Marks & Spencer
A sophisticated slim fit look for elegant occasions. Our Autograph suits are made from finer fabrics with superior attention to detail for the ultimate in quality and style

Blue Harbour Stormwear™ + Regular Fit Jeans, at Mark's & Spencer
These smart jeans are treated with new Stormwear™ +, which combines our unique stormwear finish with a stain repellent technology that'll keep dry and comfortable all day long

Sterling Silver Filigree Heart Drop Earrings, at Marks and Spencers
Hook fastening Drop style Filigree heart design

40th Birthday Cocktail Card, at Marks and Spencer
Cover Text: fabulously 40 Inside Message: happy birthday Approx size: 125 x 177mm

Petite Pure Cotton Ruffle Front Stripe Shirt, at Marks & Spenser
Chic and modern, this stripe shirt is made from cool comfortable cotton and features a ruffle front. Specially designed and perfectly proportioned for the petite frame.

Ceriso Snake Print Padded Balcony Bra with Silk, at Marks and Spencer
Unleash your wild side! This glamorous bra is made from silk mix fabric with a snake print, detailed with lace. The padded balcony style gives maximum uplift and a flattering fuller shape. Designed for women who want the latest look

5 Lace Bikini Knickers, at M&S
With a low rise design making these the perfect partner for jeans and trousers, an easycare fabric and added stretch provides essential everyday comfort and convenience

Autograph Gift Set, at Marks & Spencer
Contains: Autograph eau de toilette 30ml Autograph hair and body wash 30ml Autograph Sports eau de toilette 30ml Autograph Sports hair and body wash 30ml

M&S Ruby & Midnight 2 Slice Toaster - Black, at Marks & Spencer
Polished black and stainless steel finish 7 browning levels Defrost and reheat setting Cancel setting Removable crumb tray for simple cleaning Anti-slip base 2 year guarantee

Sony DAV-DZ280 Home Theatre System with iPod® Dock, at Marks & Spencers
DVD player CD player iPod/iPhone™ dock 5.1 channel surround sound system with 850W total power output 3 HDMI™ inputs 6 speakers Sony DIGITAL MEDIA PORT - connect to and release digital music stored on your WALKMAN or other mp3 players, mobile phones, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi devices Built-in upscaler generates a 1080p signal via HDMI™ cable for superb picture quality on your High Definition TV Progressive scan USB interface Dolby Digital, Dolby Prologic II and DTS Decoding FM radio tuner with RDS and 30 station presets Portable Audio Enhancer function - improves the sound quality of compressed music such as MP3s DCAC - one-push automatic sound set-up for flexible speaker placement and optimum sound quality New Precision Cinema HD Upscale technology that converts standard-definition signals (480i) to 1080p and outputs a full HD equivalent resolution signal to 1080p TVs via HDMI™ BRAVIA Sync for simple, integrated control with your BRAVIA TV and other compatible products using only one remote Dimensions (main unit): W43 x H6.6 x D3.9cm Weight: 12.3kg M&S is a member of the WEEE Distributor Take Back Scheme. Recycling your electronic waste has never been easier! Click here for more information This product is not available for international delivery. Find out more

Autograph Diamanté Key & Lock Keyring, at Mark's & Spencer
Clasp fastening Key and lock pendants Diamant detail

Besides Marks & Spencer Car Insurance, M&S Financial Services Credit Cards and other financial products, M&S Financial Services Household Insurance deserves particular mention, with it being particularly good value for money, and providing extra insurance cover that many UK insurance companies either don't provide at all, or would charge extra for.

With M&S Financial Services Premier Contents policy, for example, student's belongings are not only covered at home, but also at college or university. Additionally, dependent relatives are also covered if their belongings happen to be in a nursing home. Even better still, your Marks & Spenser purchases are also protected while you take them home.

Also, on both M&S Financial Services Premier Household Insurance and Standard Household Insurance policies, you can choose to include Contents Away From Home. This option would then provide valuable cover all of your personal belongings on a worldwide basis.