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 Marks & Spenser, 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 Home Insurance, M&S Travel Insurance, M&S Pet Insurance, savings products, M&S Credit Cards, M&S Loans, and much more besides.

M&S Financial Services 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 Home 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 Home 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, M&S Financial Services Insurance does not have these insurance limits, excepting liability and cash cover, and therefore you can not be under-insured.

Besides Marks & Spenser Car Insurance, M&S Financial Services Credit Cards and other financial products, M&S Financial Services 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 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 and Spenser purchases are also protected while you take them home.

Also, on both M&S Financial Services 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.

Classic Colletion Pure Silk Blossom Print Scarf, at M&S
Add a luxurious finishing touch to your look with this elegant pure silk blossom print scarf. The perfect accessory to this season's styles

4 Pairs of Fine Cotton Multi Design Socks, at Marks and Spencers
Smart socks with a luxurious feel and appearance. A reinforced heel and toe gives extra durability

Leaf Guipure Moulded T-Shirt Bra, at Marks & Spencers
Smooth and versatile, this comfortable t-shirt bra is designed for a no-show look under your clothes

Crossover Strap Wedge Sandals, at Marks and Spencer
Open toe Crossover strap Stitch detail Buckle fastening Wedge heel Heel height: 95mm

Large Hoop Earrings, at Marks and Spencer
Hoop style Clasp fastening

Older Girls' Stretch Boots, at Marks and Spencers
Round toe Centre stitch design Knee high Mid heel Comes in sizes 1-6

Autograph Leather Shopping Bag, at Marks & Spensers
Fashionable and practical, this leather shopping bag is a useful accessory with bags of style!

Autograph Pure Cotton Floral Print Shirt, at Marks and Spencer
Feminine and elegant, this sophisticated shirt is beautifully designed and cut for a flattering shape and features a stunning floral print

Sprung-Edge Divan with 4 Large Drawers & M400 Mattress, at Mark & Spencers
Double mattress (4ft 6in): W135 x L190cm King size mattress (5ft): W150 x L200cm Super king size mattress (6ft): W180 x L200cm Double divan (4ft 6in): W135 x L190cm King size divan (5ft): W150 x L200cm Super king size divan (6ft): W180 x L200cm Mattress depth: 24cm Divan height: 41cm Large drawer: H14 x W78 x D52cm Mattress filling made from resilient foam and polyester fibre Further filling layers of cotton and lambs wool keeps you warm in summer and cool in winter Two rows of hand side-stitching give the mattress edge-to-edge support. This allows you full use of the sleeping surface Individually pocketed springs Pocket sprung mattresses give a flexible feel Mattress spring count: 1054 Sprung-edge divan can be used with any mattress All mattresses and divans are anti-allergy protected Mattress does not require turning All mattresses and divans are manufactured in the UK A sample mattress is subjected to 3 rigorous tests to ensure it remains comfortable. Surface fabric is rubbed 15,000 times against a hard surface to test resistance to wear. Mattress is pounded by a machine 80,000 times to replicate the movements of a human torso and subjected to 20,000 rolls of a roller machine to simulate the rolling motion of a sleeping person 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 , Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Ruched V-Neck Knitted Tank Jumper, at M&S
Modern and stylish, this jumper features a v-neck. Ideal for layering

Mini Roll Platter, at Marks and Spencers
16 rolls Serves 4-6 4 different sandwich fillings Ready to eat Contains sesame seeds As featured on page 8 in the food to order brochure Order by 5pm to collect in 2 days Available for collection in the majority of our UK mainland stores

Turned Wood Floor Lamp, at Marks and Spencers
Fabric shade Turned wood stem Round base Dimensions: H176.4 x Diam 41cm Bulb: BC GLS Max 60W, Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Per Una Crochet Bikini Briefs, at Marks & Spencer
Pretty and feminine, these gorgeous briefs are fashionably detailed with a crochet detail. The ultimate in poolside glamour

Wooden Body Hair Brush, at Marks&Spencer
Wooden handle Rounded pins Square brush FSC is an independent, non-governmental, not for profit organization established to promote the responsible management of the world's forests FSC Trademark FSC Forest Stewardship Council, A.C. All rights reserved

Autograph Rose and Freesia Gift Bag, at MarksandSpencer
This fabulous array of lavendercoloured Coolwater roses and scented freesias is wrapped in frosted Autograph™ cellophane and presented in a chic gift bag Available for delivery from 1st April to 30th September 2009

Silver Plated Abalone Pendant Necklace, at Marks n Spencer
Lobster clasp fastening Adjustable length Abalone pendant Necklace length 40cm, extendable by 7.5cm

Autograph Pure Linen Suit Trousers, at M&S
Made from pure linen, these smart suit trousers are part of Kids' Autograph, a luxurious collection of beautifully designed clothing in high quality fabrics with superior finishing details

Pure Cotton Sweat Top, at Marks & Spencers
Relaxed and cosy, this pure cotton sweat top is extremely comfortable and can be worn layered for a contemporary look

Per Una Roma Self Stripe Bootleg Trousers, at Marks and Spencers
A smart pair of bootleg trousers featuring self stripe design

Plain Black Flexilite Umbrella, at MarksandSpencer
Lightweight and easy to carry, this slimline umbrella provides you with effective protection from those sudden downpours

2 Pure Cotton Plain Long Sleeve Vests, at Marks and Spencer
Comfortable, practical and fashionable, this 2 pack of vests is made from soft breathable cotton

Mantle Clocks - TIN MANTLE CLOCK, at Mark's & Spencer
Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Autograph Blush Body Spray, at Marks & Spenser
To use: Shake well. Spray 15cm from your body 100ml This product is not available for international delivery. Find out more

Graphic 30th Birthday Card, at Marks and Spencer
Approx. size: 150 x 150 mm Cover text: 30 happy birthday Inside message: Wishing you a great day

Autograph Long Sleeve Satin Stripe Shirt, at Marks and Spencer
Feminine and elegant, this sophisticated shirt is beautifully designed and cut for a flattering shape and features a contemporary satin stripe design

Flexilite Compact Umbrella, at MarksandSpencer
Lightweight and easy to carry, this slimline umbrella provides you with effective protection from those sudden downpours

60th Birthday Beads Card, at Marks & Spencers
Cover text: 60 Inside message: congratulations Approx size: 126 x 174mm

Pure Cotton Pleated Floral Skirt, at Marks & Spencers
Casual and contemporary, this pure cotton skirt features a pleated front detail Stylish, practical and fashionable

Roberts RD-21 FM RDS/DAB Portable Digital Radio in Silver, at Mark's & Spencer
FM/DAB wavebands FM RDS station name display and easy read 16 x 2 character LCD display Menu display/selection of all major functions Search/manual tuning Rotary tuning, volume, bass and treble controls Line output, headphones and AC mains socket Uses 6 x LR20 (D size) batteries (Not included) with up to 150 hours battery life W300 x H180 x D95mm Weight 2kg 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

Sprung Edge Divan with 4 Large Drawers, at Mark & Spencers
Layer of springs to provide comfort and support while prolonging the life of your mattress Solid pine frame Sprung edge 4 x large drawers All our mattresses and divans are anti-allergy, which means the provide effective protection against dust mite allergies, so you'll have a trouble free sleep H41cm This product is not available for international delivery. Find out more , Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Marks & Spencers may not necessarily be the first name that springs to mind when you're thinking about renewing your Home Insurance or Car Insurance, but Marks and Spencer do indeed offer a comprehensive selection of financial products, all of which are competitively priced, and all of which you can purchase directly from the M&S Financial Services website. With a simple, no-hassle service, you can compare features between a number of Marks & Spencer Money products and competitor's products, and sign up in just a few minutes.

Whether you're looking for savings products or M&S Financial Services loans, credit cards or Home Insurance - besides a number of other insurance products, M&S Financial Services can save you both time and money, with comprehensive information available at a click.

Free insurance quotes are available online for all of M&S Financial Services insurance products (Home Insurance, Car Insurance, Travel Insurance, Wedding Insurance and Pet Insurance), or you may call if you wish to on the telephone number provided. Suffice to say that there is also plenty of information which you can download for each of the Marks and Spencer insurance products in document format too.