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 M & S 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 Mark's & Spencer, through its Marks & Spencer Money website, offer a range of financial products which would not look out of place in many banks, including M&S Car Insurance, M&S Buildings Insurance, M&S Travel Insurance, M&S Pet Insurance, savings products, M&S Credit Cards, M&S Loans, and much more besides.

There are lots of ways to save money using Marks & Spencer Money. Not least of these is Marks & Spensers Standard Car Insurance. With Marks & Spencer Money 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 Marks & Spencer Money, which also has other features.

Nonetheless, many features are standard to both the Premier and the Standard Car Insurance policies on offer from Marks and 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.

Marks & Spencer Money Insurance: There are, quite literally, hundreds of companies in the UK from whom you can purchase insurance. Whether you're looking for the best deal on Car Insurance, buildings and contents insurance, or even wedding insurance, it doesn't take long to find a company that will sell you a policy.

However, not all insurance companies, and certainly not all insurance policies, are the same. What may be standard on one insurance policy may be an optional extra on another, for instance; Car Insurance and Buildings Insurance are especially like this.

For example, most home and contents insurance policies either ask you to provide the total cost of rebuilding your home plus the total value of your home contents, or they will set an upper limit. This may seem fine at the time, but, in the event of a claim on your Buildings Insurance policy, the values act as maximum limits, and so you may, in effect, be under-insured and not receive the full value of your insurance claim.

Fortunately, Marks & Spencer Money Insurance does not have these insurance limits, excepting liability and cash cover, and therefore you can not be under-insured.

Per Una 3/4 Sleeve Jersey Top, at Marks n Spencer
A beautiful jersey top, featuring contrasting chiffon sleeves. Gathered detail gives it the Per Una touch

Cream Aluminium Frying Pan, at Marks and Spencer
Diam: 24cm Non-stick coating, Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Col Glass Vase - CHOC OVAL VASE, at Marks & Spencer
Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Barbecue Mitt, at Marks and Spencers
Hanging loop Stripe design Approx size: 38 x 18cm, Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Floral Cut-Out Jewellery Roll, at Marks and Spencers
Tie fastening Flap over style 2 inner zip compartments Floral cut-out design

Short Sleeve Textured Cardigan, at Marks and Spencers
Modern and stylish, this cardigan features a textured knit. Ideal for layering

Blue Harbour Pure Cotton Highlight Stripe Polo shirt, at Mark & Spensers
Stylishly smart casual, this polo shirt is made from pure cotton so it's soft, breathable and comfortable to wear

First Readers The Ugly Duckling Sticker Activity Book, at Marks and Spencers
Help your child learn to read with this Read and Learn sticker activity book. It's specially designed to help develop your child's early learning skills and includes interactive sticker versions of the story, as well as over 20 pages of extension activities to reinforce your child's learning and further develop their skills

Chambolle Musigny Cru Les Fuées 2004 - Case of 6, at Marks & Spenser
Style: Medium bodied Grape variety: Pinot Noir Country of origin: France Closure: Natural cork Suitable for vegetarians Bottle: 6 x 75cl. Alcohol by volume: 13.5% vol. Alcohol units per bottle: 10.1 Alcohol units per 125ml: 1.7 Contains sulphites You must be 18 or over to purchase this product This product is not available for international delivery. Find out more

Pure Cotton Washed Cargo Trousers, at Marks and Spencers
Relaxed and comfortable, these pure cotton cargos feature multiple pockets. A practical easycare style

Color Glass Bowls - CHOC BOWL, at Marks and Spencer
Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Blue Harbour Luxury Pure Cotton Royal Oxford Check Shirt, at Marks and Spencer
Stylishly smart casual, this check shirt is made from pure cotton so it feels soft and comfortable to wear

Adored Comfort Padded Plunge Bra, at Marks & Spensers
Elegant and stylish, this padded bra is made from the softest fabric and embroidery, so it feels blissfully comfortable to wear. The underwired plunge style gives a flattering uplifted shape and an enhanced cleavage. Feminine everyday lingerie

Classic Collection Straight Leg Pull On Trousers, at Marks n Spencer
Stylish and versatile, these straight leg trousers are smartly finished with a stitched crease and decorative fob. Dress them up or down with smart or casual tops in coordinating colours. Discreet elastication gives a perfect, comfortable fit.

Sequin Bow Headband & Hair Bands, at Marks & Spencers
Coordinated looks are cute, so this matching sequin bow and hairbands makes a stylish choice

F100 Open Coil Memory Foam Coolmax° Mattress & Divan On Legs, at Mark's & Spencer
No turn mattress Mattress and divan are anti-allergy Mattress: spring count 288, depth 23cm Divan height: 31cm Single 3ft: W90 x L190cm Double 4ft6: W135 x L190cm King size 5ft: W150 x L200cm Super king size 6ft: W180 x L200cm This product is not available for international delivery. Find out more Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer, Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Oudinot Rosé Champagne, at Marks & Spencer
75cl Oudinot Ros Champagne You must be 18 or over to purchase this product This product is not available for international delivery. Find out more

Mother's Day Painterly Floral Medium Gift Bag, at Marks and Spencer
Contains: 1 gift bag H260 x W200 x D90mm

Per Una Linen Blend Zig Zag Stripe Skirt, at Marks & Spencers
An elegant knee-length skirt in a crisp linen blend. The zig zag stipe detail give it the Per Una touch

Per Una Single Breasted Crinkle Stripe Jersey Jacket, at Marks & Spencer
A fashionable single breasted jacket featuring a stripe design

Superhero Husband Card, at Marks and Spencer
Cover text: Husband... ... you're my hero! Inside message: Have a super birthday! This card is made with material from FSC certified sustainable forests. Protecting the world's forests for the future Approx size: 230 x 114mm

Autograph Leather Cross-Body Midi Bag, at Marks n Spencer
Luxurious and beautiful, this cross-body handbag is part of our exclusive Autograph collection. It's made from soft hardwearing leather, and is useful and practical as well as being a highly desirable fashion accessory

Burra Brook Merlot 2007 - Case of 12, at Marks and Spencer
Style: Medium bodied Grape variety: Merlot Country of origin: Australia Closure: Screw cap Suitable for vegetarians Bottle: 12 x 75cl. Alcohol by volume: 13.5% vol. Alcohol units per bottle: 10.1 Alcohol units per 125ml: 1.7 Contains sulphites You must be 18 or over to purchase this product This product is not available for international delivery. Find out more

Autograph Leather Faux Crocodile Skin Tote Bag, at Marks & Spencer
Luxurious and beautiful, this leather tote bag is part of our exclusive Autograph collection. It's made from soft hardwearing leather and is useful and practical as well as being a highly desirable fashion accessory

Cotton Rich Stripe Scarf, at Marks & Spencers
Keep out the cold in style with this warm, soft scarf

Per Una A-Line Applique Skirt, at Marks & Spencer
A fashionable a-line skirt featuring applique and bead detail

Autograph Bead Trim Halterneck Bikini Top, at M & S
Luxurious and exclusive, this glamorous bikini is beautifully designed in a flattering, fashionable silhouette for the ultimate in style. It's made from soft, comfortable fabric and finished with careful attention to detail

Artificial Cherry Blossom in Ceramic Vase, at Marks and Spencers
Artificial cherry blossom Ceramic oval pot Height: 80cm, Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Soft Vanilla Scented Candle, at Marks & Spencers
Vanilla scented Glass holder Burns up to 45 hours, Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Traditional Round Wall Clock, at Mark & Spensers
Traditional design Round face Roman numerals Dimensions: H32 x W32 x D8cm Slogan: Helping to preserve England's endangered species of Flora & Fauna, Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

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 MarksandSpencer are so useful. Marks & Spencer Money financial products are, of course, designed to make M&S 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, Buildings Insurance policies. Usually, UK Buildings 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 Marks & Spencer Money Buildings 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 Marks & Spencer Money Buildings Insurance than you will anywhere else, and you may even pay less with M&S.