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 & Spencers are so useful. M&S Finance 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 Finance 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 Finance Household Insurance than you will anywhere else, and you may even pay less with M&S.

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 and Spenser, through its M&S Finance website, offer a range of financial products which would not look out of place in many banks, including M&S Motor 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.

Shopping for financial products at M&S Finance UK website is just as simple as shopping for fashion or furniture at the M&S online store. Here are just some of the financial products which can be purchased via the M&S Finance website:

• M&S Insurance: M&S Motor Insurance, M&S Household Insurance, M&S Life Insurance, M&S Wedding Insurance, M&S Pet Insurance, M&S Travel Insurance
• M&S Credit Cards: M&S Credit Card, M&S Premium Club Card
• M&S Loans: M&S Car Buying Plan, M&S Personal Loans
• M&S Money: M&S Travel Money for your trips abroad
• M&S Savings: M&S Everyday Savings Account, M&S Fixed Rate Savings, M&S Stocks & Shares ISA, M&S Cash ISA, M&S Unit Trust

Of course, many of these types of product can be purchased elsewhere too; however, once you begin to take a closer look at the products from Marks and Spencer, it's easy to see that these are good financial products, at value-for-money prices.

And, just as importantly, contacting M&S Finance in the event of a query, or an insurance claim, is as easy as picking up the phone, or visiting the M&S Finance website.

The Floral Collection Rose Hand & Nail Cream, at Marks & Spencer
Rose fragrance Moisturising 100ml

Soft Vanilla Room Spray, at Marks & Spensers
Vanilla fragrance 15ml This product is not available for international delivery. Find out more , Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Dogtooth Print Flexilite Umbrella, at Mark & Spensers
Brighten up rainy days with this stylish flexilite umbrella

Recycled Hollowfibre Outstanding Value 10.5 Tog Duvet, at Marks and Spencer
10.5 tog Ideal for Spring and Autumn use, or all round use in homes with central heating Non-allergenic Highest quality hollowfibre filling Pocket construction for even warmth 100% cotton cover and 230 thread count Soft & comfortable Comes in single, double and king sizes Which tog? Tog measures the warmth of a duvet based on its ability to trap warm air. The higher the tog rating, the warmer the duvet. The perfect tog is a personal choice which can depend upon you and your home, Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Per Una Bronzing Powder Brush, at Mark & Spencers
Hypo-allergenic Natural shade

Jacquard Bonded DD-G Bra, at Marks and Spencer
Smooth and versatile, this jacquard bra is ideal for everyday wear. It's underwired and shaped for an uplifted natural look

Handcrafted Edwardian Lady Mother's Day Card, at Marks and Spencer
Cover text: To my lovely Mum on Mother's Day Inside message: Hope you have a lovely day Approx size: 178 x 126mm The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady Rowena Stott (Designs) Ltd and RW.UK. Ltd 2008 Licensed by opyrights Group

Lightweight Crinkle Scarf with Wool, at Marks and Spencer
This sophisticated crinkle scarf is the perfect accessory to this season's fashions. The tassel detail adds a stylish finishing touch

Per Una Long Sleeve Dip Dye Cardigan, at Marks & Spencer
A stylish long sleeve cardigan featuring a dip dyed design and twin front pockets

Autograph Pure Cotton Long Sleeve Large Check Shirt, at Marks & Spencer
Part of Kids' Autograph, a luxurious collection of beautifully designed clothing in high quality fabrics with superior finishing details. Kids' Autograph gives a stylish well-dressed look

Yellow Flower Seed Birthday Card, at Marks n Spencer
Cover Text: If friends were flowers... then I'd pick you Inside message: Blank for your own message Approx size: 174 x 126mm

Panasonic DMR-EZ28 DVD Recorder with Digital Tuner, at Marks and Spenser
High Quality Picture with 1080p Up-Conversion, DVB-T Adaptive Noise Reduction and Deep Colour Easy Recording and Playback with VIERA Link (Direct TV Rec.) Easy operation with VIERA Link Intelligent i/p Conversion 384 Kbps Audio Recording with SP mode Super Multi-Format Recording & Playback (DVD-RAM, DVD-R, DVD-R DL, DVD-RW, +R, +R DL, +RW discs) Power Consumption(W approx.): Normal Use: 25.0, Power Save Mode: 2.0 Power Supply: AC 220-240V, 50Hz Dimensions: W43 x H6 x D33cm USB terminal SD card slot 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

Collezione Leather Hip Wallet, at Marks & Spenser
Smart, stylish and practical, this leather wallet makes it easy to organise cards, notes and coins

M&S Scart Switcher, at Marks & Spencer
Plug 2 scart cables into TVs that have only 1 scart socket Button to switch between devices 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

Pure Cotton Tiered Hem Dress, at Marks & Spencers
Fashionable and practical, this cute dress features a tiered hem. It's made from soft cotton to keep her comfortable and happy

Rosé Wine, Chocolate & Rose Basket, at MarksandSpencer
Internet Exclusive The perfect basket of treats for a loved one! Includes a gift wrapped pink rose plant, a bottle of ros wine and a box of tempting chocolates

Plain Lightweight Umbrella, at Mark & Spensers
Lightweight and easy to carry, this slimline umbrella provides you with effective protection from those sudden downpours

Pink & White Sponge Three-Present Stack Cake, at Marks & Spencers
64 portions Sponge cake: All-butter sponge filled with buttercream and raspberry jam. Sponge cakes can be eaten up to 5 days after collection 19.5cm square/15cm square/11cm square 3.4kg As featured on page 67 of the Food to Order brochure Not suitable for nut allergy sufferers Suitable for vegetarians Order by 5pm to collect in 7 days Available for collection in the majority of our UK mainland stores

5 Luxury Multi Stripe Handkerchiefs, at M & S
Luxuriously soft handkerchiefs in pure cotton

Pure Cotton Single Breasted Mac with Belt, at Marks and Spencer
Don't let rainy days spoil the fun! This fashionable mac will keep her dry. It features a waist tie belt

125 Years Recipe Journal, at Marks and Spencer
1 binder 6 section dividers 5 plastic wallets Sheets plain and lined paper Approx size: 186m x 228mm

Autograph Stormwear™ Raincoat, at Marks and Spencer
Stylish and contemporary, this raincoat is treated with Stormwear™ technology, a breathable finish that repels water and stains

Plastic Wrap Sunglasses, at M & S
With full UV protection and a flattering modern design, these smart sunglasses will see you through the summer in style

Younger Boys' Cotton Rich Football Shorties, at Marks & Spencer
Made from comfortable, breathable cotton, these football shorties are outstanding value

Cotton Rich Chunky Knit Stripe Hooded Cardigan, at Marks&Spencer
Casual and modern, this stripe cardigan is made with cool comfortable cotton and features 3/4 sleeves for a fashionable look

Older Boys' Scotland Swimming Shorts, at Mark & Spencers
Sports fans will love these cosy swimming shorts featuring a Scotland motif. A practical, easycare style

Firm Control Sheer High Leg Briefs, at Marks and Spencers
Look slimmer in seconds! These firm control knickers gently flatten tummies for a sleeker, slimmer silhouette

BT Studio 3100 Cordless Phone, at Marks and Spencer
50 name and number phonebook Assign melodies to specific phonebook entries Caller display stores your last 40 numbers and will display their name and number each time they call Call waiting Redial and recall your last ten calls Secrecy facility - allows you to talk to someone else in the room without the caller hearing Earpiece, base station and handset ringer volume control Choice of 5 handset and 5 base ringer melodies Display language options Keypad lock Talktime up to 10 hours, 30 minutes/standby time up to 160 hours Range of up to 300 metres outdoors/50 metres indoors Low battery and out of range warnings Switchboard compatible Tone and pulse dialling and dialling pause GAP compatible (register up to 4 handsets to one base) - internal calls, call transfer, 3-way calling Includes: 2 rechargeable batteries, mains power adaptor, one telephone line cord 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

Glass Art Deco Photo Frame 13 x 18cm (5 x 7''), at Marks and Spencer
This glass art deco inspired photoframe will compliment any prized photograph

Limited Collection Short Sleeve Pleated Belted Dress, at Marks and Spencers
Chic and stylish, this belted dress makes a great choice for work or smart occasions. It's machine washable for added convenience

M&S Finance offers a variety of financial and insurance products, but Motor Insurance is something that almost everyone needs - at least if you own a car. Unfortunately there are so many companies offering Motor Insurance today that, after a while, one policy may begin to look much like the next.

Thinking that most Motor Insurance policies are much the same is usually a bad idea. At worst it can be a very expensive mistake - this is when you find out that your Motor Insurance policy doesn't actually cover you for what you thought it did, or it takes your Motor Insurance company months and months to argue over whether to pay you or not. Fortunately M&S Finance Motor Insurance is not like that at all, and when you compare M&S Motor Insurance to the competition then it stacks up quite nicely.

For example, here are just some of the options which come as standard with Mark & Spencers 5 Star Premier cover Motor Insurance (correct at May 2009), which are quite often not included with comparable Motor Insurance plans from companies such as Direct Line, Sainsburys, or Tesco Direct:

• Personal UK and European Breakdown Cover automatically included
• Comprehensive cover for trips abroad in the European Union - up to 90 days per trip
• Courtesy car during approved repairs automatically included
• Cover for Motor Legal Protection automatically included

So, it is clear that, besides being good value, M&S Motor Insurance also provides much more extensive cover than some of the top competitors. Additionally, you don't even need to be behind the wheel to benefit from M&S Finance UK and European Breakdown Cover, since it covers you as a passenger too.