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

Besides Marks & Spencer Car Insurance, Marks & Spencers Money Credit Cards and other financial products, Marks & Spencers Money Home 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 Marks & Spencers Money 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 and Spencer purchases are also protected while you take them home.

Also, on both Marks & Spencers Money Premier Home Insurance and Standard Home 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.

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 Spencers 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 & Spencer, through its Marks & Spencers 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 Home Insurance, M&S Travel Insurance, M&S Pet Insurance, savings products, M&S Credit Cards, M&S Loans, and much more besides.

Rosina Large 2-Seater Occasional Sofa Bed, at Marks n Spencer
H85 x W196 x D97cm (opens to L233cm) Seat: H47cm (all dimensions are approximate) Seat cushions filled with shape-retaining foam - superior quality foam with a high density for added comfort and support Other cushions filled with polyester fibre. Gives a soft sit with a lived-in look, which will soften and relax even further with use. Fibre is sewn into channels within the interior to prevent settlement in one area of the cushion Fabric options feature reversible cushions Frame made from solid hardwood. All main joints are glued and screwed to give the frame strength Frames are rigorously tested with 95kg weight equivalent and exceed standards set for heavy domestic use Solid birch feet with a medium finish Mattress: L180 x W130 x D6cm Foam mattress rests on polypropylene base Mattress recommended for occasional use Sofa bed will support a maximum combined weight of 160kg All of our fabrics are treated with Stain-Defence™ - a stain resistant finish - at no extra cost. Fabrics are tested for resistance to wear and fading Detailed care instructions are included Free eco-friendly home delivery. Our crews will unpack, assemble and position the item This product is not available for international delivery. Find out more Free swatch service: Order up to 6 free swatch samples of any fabric to help you choose your upholstery by calling 0845 603 1 603 Please note: Images displayed here act as a guide and may not be representative of the finished item. Fabrics are overlayed onto model images, so actual seams and pattern match may differ from what is shown. Leather furniture, in particular, has more seams that fabric upholstery due to the nature of the material, Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Pure Silk Geometric Swirl Lightweight Scarf, at Marks & Spencer
Add a luxurious finishing touch to your look with this elegant pure silk geometric swirl print scarf. The perfect accessory to this season's styles

Pure Cotton Roll Up Jeans, at Marks and Spencer
Fashionable and practical, these cotton jeans are hardwearing and comfy. The roll up leg design gives a cute trendy look

Multi Strand Shell Jumble Necklace, at M&S
Button fastening Shell jumble detail Multi strand design

Total Support Floral Non-Wired Bra, at M&S
Soft and comfortable, this non-wired bra gives all-round support and uplift with good coverage, extra wide straps and 3 hook-and-eye fasteners. It's secure but gentle and lightweight, an ideal choice for everyday wear

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

Medium Blonde Doll, at Marks and Spencer
Suitable for ages 1-3yrs H39cm This product conforms to EN71 and the Toy Safety Directive, Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

23cm Springform Cake Tin, at Marks and Spencer
Ideal for baking cakes, and cheesecakes with easy release closure Heavy gauge easy to clean bakeware Premium non-stick coating Soft grip handle Diam: 23cm (9") Height: 7.5cm, Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

2 Piece Pure Cotton Dinosaur Dungaree Outfit, at Marks & Spencers
Fun and practical, this cute 2-piece dungaree outfit features an embroidered dinosaur motif and slogan. It's made from soft cotton to keep him comfy.

°Climate Control Short Sleeve Crew Neck Thermal Vest, at Marks & Spencer
Climate control keeps you cool when you're hot and warms you up when you're cold so you're always at your optimum temperature. Exclusive to M&S, Climate control clothing is comfortable and breathable - ideal for sportswear. The Outlast technology behind this innovative fabric was originally developed for astronauts and is recognised by NASA as Certified Space Technology.

Wool Blend Stripe Tie, at Marks & Spensers
Add a smart finishing touch with this hardwearing stripe design wool mix tie

Pure Move DAB Digital Radio, at Marks & Spencer
Frequency ranges: DAB Band III 174-240 MHz, FM 87.5-108 MHz Audio power output: 1.8W RMS Input connectors: 5V DC power adaptor socket (230V supplied), 3.5 mm Aux-in, and Mini USB connector for software upgrades Output connectors: 3.5 mm stereo headphone output Controls: Power, Lock, Info, Preset, Navigator, DAB/FM and Menu LCD Display: Orange backlit LCD display with 16x2 characters, function icons (volume, battery life, time, EQ, signal strength, DAB/FM and stereo) and clock. Key-press activated backlight can also be set to 'always on' for optimum visibility or 'always off' for longer battery life Mains power supply: 230V AC to 5V (0.6A) DC external power adapter Battery power supply: ChargePAK-inside Li-ion 4200 mAh rechargeable battery provides over 40 hours of portable DAB listening Aerial: Recessed telescopic aerial supplied. Headphones act as an aerial when connected. (Headphones not supplied.) Text scan: Pause and control scrolling text, giving you time to note down web addresses, competition phone numbers or song titles USB: Add new features as they become available via USB RDS: RDS support for station name display on FM and RDS scrolling text 20 presets: 20 presets (10 DAB and 10 FM) Connection: Connect an iPod/MP3 player or portable CD Dimensions: W15 x H8.5 x D2.7cm Weight: 280g 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

Sebo K3 Vulcano Cylinder Vacuum Cleaner, at Marks & Spenser
Requires 3-litre filter bag Hospital grade pre-motor filter 2.1 metre extra-long hose Triple microfilter S-CLASS system - The Sebo S-CLASS system will remove 100% of particles of 1 micron and above Excellent for carpet, hard flooring and pet hair Includes crevice nozzle and upholstery nozzle Anti-allergy design with British Allergy Foundation approval Quiet operation Dusting brush with clamp Floor turbo brush for powerful easy cleaning Airbelt soft bumper system Light and compact - 5.5kg weight 2100W motor 5 year parts and 2 year labour domestic use warranty 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 , Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Luc Saint-Roche White 2007 - Case of 12, at Marks & Spencer
Country of origin: France Closure: Screw cap Bottle: 12 x 75cl. Alcohol by volume: 12.5% vol. Alcohol units per bottle: 9.4 Alcohol units per 125ml: 1.6 Contains sulphites

XBOX 360® Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® Vegas 2, at Marks & Spencer
Full PEC Experience: A greatly improved PEC experience - your character evolves online and offline, in both single-player and multiplayer modes. Terrorist Leaders are now a strategic target for Rainbow - leaders control respawns, so when you take out the leaders, enemies can no longer respawn. Terrorists Enemies have a wider variety of reactions and use ballistic shields. Team Rainbow Can use the Leap-frogging technique for safely approaching an area defended by an opposing force. Teammates cover each other successively when they move forward. Up to 16 players (360) and 14 players (PS3) Two-player split-screen mode 13 maps for co-op and adversarial play Including three maps from R6 Vegas, revamped maps from R6 Raven Shield and all-new maps All-new co-op experience. Co-op story mode, Jump-in-jump-out mode and Co-op terrorist hunt. New adversarial modes: Demolition - Attackers plant an explosive device at one of two predetermined locations and protect the bomb until it explodes Team Leader - Teams must keep their leader alive while they escort him to the extraction point while preventing the enemy from extracting their own leader You must be 16 years of age or over to purchase this product 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, Platforms: Xbox 360, ESRB Rating: Teen

Rockridge Merlot 2008 - Case of 12, at Marks & Spencers
Style: Medium bodied Grape variety: Merlot Country of origin: South Africa Closure: Screw cap Suitable for vegetarians Bottle: 12 x 75cl. Alcohol by volume: 14% vol. Alcohol units per bottle: 10.5 Alcohol units per 125ml: 1.8 Contains sulphites You must be 18 or over to purchase this product This product is not available for international delivery. Find out more

Harbour Scene 60th Birthday Card, at Marks & Spencers
Cover text: Happy 60th Birthday Inside Message: Blank for your own message This card is made with material from FSC certified sustainable forests. Protecting the world's forests for the future Approx size: 230 x 114mm

Pure Cotton Quick Iron Check Shirt, at M & S
Stylish and innovative, this pure cotton easycare shirt is quick and easy to iron for a smart crisp look

Per Una Rainbow Stripe Bikini Bottoms, at Marks & Spencers
Fashionable stripe bikini bottoms featuring a side tie

Long Sleeve 'Cymru' Zip Fastening Jacket, at M+S
Sports fans will love this Wales jacket featuring the team motif. A practical, easycare style

Silver Plated Simple Oval Necklace & Earring Set, at M&S
2 part set Hook fastening drop style earrings Clasp fastening necklace with pendant Oval design

Stripe Lined Espadrilles, at Mark & Spencers
Round toe Stripe lining Flat sole

Divan On Legs & Autograph M500 Mattress - Medium, at Marks & Spencer
No turn mattress Mattress and divan are anti-allergy Mattress: spring count 1225, depth 27.5cm 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

Platinum Plated Marquise Promise Ring, at Marks & Spenser
Cubic stone Platinum plated

Vantage Point Blu-ray DVD, at Marks & Spencers
Rating Suitable for 12 years and over,

Bride & Groom Outfits Wedding Card, at Marks n Spencer
Cover text: Bride and Groom Inside message: Congratulations to you both! Approx size: Unfolded: 178 x 126mm

Handcrafted Westies Valentine Card, at Marks & Spencer
Cover Text: I Love You... Inside mesage: Be my Valentine This card is made with material from FSC certified sustainable forests. Protecting the world's forests for the future Approx size: 230 x 114mm

Large Diamanté Platinum-Plated Square Stud Earrings, at Marks and Spencer
Stud earrings Diamant design Butterfly fastening Platinum-plated For hygiene reasons, refunds will only be given in accordance with your legal rights

Limited Collection Faux Snake Fold Over Clutch Bag, at Marks and Spencer
Fashionable and fabulous, this fold over clutch bag is designed in one of this season's key shapes. It's strong and practical as well as a trend-conscious accessory. Get the latest look!

Performance Long Sleeve Zip Neck Top, at MarksandSpencer
Innovative and high-performance, this top is made with moisture control and anti-odour technology. It's designed to keep you at a comfortable temperature so you feel warm, fresh and dry

When you're shopping at Marks & Spencers online store for your summer outfit, or looking for furniture to give your home a makeover, then spend a moment to also consider products from Marks & Spencers Money. Offering everything from savings accounts and credit cards, to Home Insurance and Car Insurance, there's a lot more going on at M&S than you might imagine.

In particular, if you're thinking of travelling soon, then consider Travel Insurance from Marks & Spencers Money. With images of volcano ash still fresh in many traveller's minds, it's good to remember there were many travellers who ended up wishing they had spent just a few pounds extra to obtain travel insurance for their trip. Of course, unfortunately, after the event is too late!

In fact, had you purchased travel insurance from Marks & Spencers Money, you would have been in good hands; within just a short time of the volcanic ash disruptions, visitors to the Marks & Spencers Money website would have seen a message stating that although claims relating to volcanic eruptions are not normally covered by travel insurance, that on this particular occasion, they would "allow claims from UK customers affected by the volcanic ash that has recently grounded flights."