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

When you're shopping at Marks and Spenser 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 M&S Financial Services. Offering everything from savings accounts and credit cards, to Buildings & Contents Insurance and Motor Insurance, there's a lot more going on at Marks and Spenser than you might imagine.

In particular, if you're thinking of travelling soon, then consider Travel Insurance from M&S Financial Services. 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 M&S Financial Services, you would have been in good hands; within just a short time of the volcanic ash disruptions, visitors to the M&S Financial Services 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."

There are lots of ways to save money using M&S Financial Services. Not least of these is Marks and Spencers Standard Motor Insurance. With M&S Financial Services you can keep the cost of your Motor 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 Motor Insurance cover from M&S Financial Services, which also has other features.

Nonetheless, many features are standard to both the Premier and the Standard Motor Insurance policies on offer from Marks & Spencer, 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 Motor Insurance from M&S Money, you get more, and you pay less.

Satin Trim Camisole, at M & S
A simple design provides the perfect finish to the snug, easy to care for fabric of this wardrobe staple. Ideal for sleeping, layering under your favourite tops or simply wearing on its own

Gold Plated Simple Twist Pendant Necklace, at MarksandSpencer
Fine chain Clasp fastening Simple twist pendant Length: 40cm Extender: 7.5cm

Per Una Stripe Knitted Cardigan, at Marks and Spencer
A fashionable short sleeve cardigan featuring stripe design and front pockets with knitted bows

Heirloom Heart Necklace, at Marks and Spenser
Heart pendant Clasp fastening Adjustable length Necklace length 38cm

Collections - N/O LANTERN, at Marks and Spencers
Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Autograph Occasions Pleat Clutch Bag, at Marks & Spencer
Fashionable and practical, this clutch bag is a useful accessory with bags of style!

Limited Collection Cotton Rich Spot Vest & Shorts Set, at Marks & Spencers
Fabulous and modern, this vest and shorts set is part of our Limited Collection lingerie. Theyre made from soft stretch cotton and designed to fit and flatter. Casual, contemporary fashion

Linen Blend Sleeveless Oblong Cardigan, at M & S
Contemporary and casual, this waterfall cardigan is made with cool comfortable linen and features open front for a fashionable look

Flitter Text Wedding Card, at Marks and Spencer
Cover text: Wedding Inside message: Blank for your own message Approx size: 178 x 126mm

Pure Cotton Embroidered Lace Detail Top, at Marks & Spencers
This 3/4 sleeve top will make a useful addition to your wardrobe. It features pretty embroidered lace detail for a stylish casual look

Block Floral Long Length Skirt, at Mark's & Spencer
Long and lovely, this A-line skirt is designed to fit and flatter. Stylish, practical and fashionable

Autograph Pure Cotton Parisian Damask Duvet Cover, at Mark's & Spencer
Floral design Comes in single (3ft), double (4ft 6in), kingsize (5ft) and super-kingsize (6ft), Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Limited Collection Stud Ankle High Buckle Boots, at Marks and Spencer
Heel height: 51mm Round toe Stud detail 3 buckle fastening feature Ankle high Mid heel Comes in sizes 3-8, including half sizes

The World of Brass CD, at Marks & Spencers
Audio CD, Marks & Spencer

Long Sleeve Multiple Stripe Jumper Dress with Hat, at Mark's & Spencer
Fashionable and contemporary, this jumper features a multiple stripe design and comes with a matching hat. A pretty, practical and easycare style

Curve Collection Floor Lamp, at M&S
Bubble design shade Long curved arm Round Base, Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

The Incredibles Collector's Edition DVD, at Marks & Spenser
Rating Universal, suitable for all,

Silver Plated Multi Strand Necklace & Earring Set, at Mark & Spencers
2 part set Butterfly stud fastening earrings Clasp fastening multi strand necklace with mixed bead design

2 DD-G Cotton Blend Centre Bow Detail Bras, at Marks and Spencer
Soft and comfortable, these bras are specially designed for fuller busts. They're underwired and structured to give great support and a flattering enhanced shape

Olympus FE-35 Digital Camera, at Marks and Spencer
Pixels: 10 Megapixels Zoom: 3x optical zoom, 4x digital zoom Screen: High-definition 2.5-inch LCD monitor with about 230,000 dots Dimensions: W93.8 x D26.7 x H61.5mm Weight: 110g Face Detection: Intelligent Auto Mode detects the five most commonly used scenes and adjusts settings, focus and exposure automatically, Advanced Face Detection of up to 16 persons for perfectly focused and exposed faces,Digital Image Stabilisation for less blur 16 shooting modes (e.g. Night Scene with Portrait and Candle) ensure the camera has the right settings for different situations "One button, one function" design principle and in-camera help guide and for easy operation Movie recording: Movie AVI Motion JPEG up to 640 x 480 (30 fps/15 fps)

Frill Trim Floral Print Swimsuit, at Marks & Spencer
Fresh and pretty, this fashionable swimsuit is specially designed to give great support and a flattering, comfortable fit. A sleek, shapely look

Autograph Sport Hair & Body Wash 200ml, at Marks & Spencers
For hair and body 200ml

Perfect Double Breasted Mid Length Belted Mac, at MarksandSpencer
Stylish and functional, this water repellent mac with button-out lining will keep you dry and smart this season and beyond

Mother of Pearl Border Photo Frame 20 x 25cm (8 x 10''), at Marks and Spencer
Mother of pearl border Aperture: 20 x 25cm (8 x 10''), Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Floral Laser Cut Dress Birthday Card, at M+S
Cover text: Birthday Wishes Inside message: Blank for your own message Approx. size: 174 x 126mm

Formula Revival Cosmetox Night Cream, at Marks and Spencers
Proven results after four weeks Suitable for all skin types Hypoallergenic 50ml

Collezione Eclectic Leather Strap Watch, at Marks and Spencer
Smart and sophisticated, this watch adds a touch of Italian inspired style. It features an adjustable leather strap

Blue Harbour Stormwear™ 3 in 1 Hooded Fleece Jacket, at Marks and Spencers
Stylish and innovative, this Blue Harbour 3 in 1 fleece jacket is treated with Stormwear™ technology, a breathable finish that repels water and stains

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7 Digital Camera, at Marks and Spencer
Pixels: 10.1 Megapixels Zoom: 12x optical zoom, 4x digital zoom Screen: 3.0" TFT LCD display (460K dots) ISO: Auto / 80 / 100 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600 High Sensitivity (ISO 1600-6400) Dimensions: W10.3 x H5.9 x D3.2cm Weight: Approx. 229g with battery and SD memory card, Approx. 206g (without) Intelligent Scene Recognition Intelligent Scene Recognition simplifies shooting by choosing best settings for difficult conditions such as twilight portraits and backlit scenes Enhanced Face Detection Enhanced Face Detection with selectable adult/child priority high-speed subject tracking for clearer portraits. Includes Face Motion Detection Standard accessories: Battery Charger, Battery Pack, Battery Case / AV Cable, USB Connection Cable, AC Cable / Hand Strap, CD-ROM Recording: HD Movie Recording in AVCHD Lite and iA (Intelligent Auto) Mode

Autograph Best Pure Silk Contrast Stripe Tie, at Marks & Spensers
Fashionable and contemporary, this pure silk tie is part of our exclusive Autograph collection. Designer style and luxury at high street prices

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 Mark's & 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 & 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 Motor Insurance, M&S Buildings & Contents Insurance, M&S Travel Insurance, M&S Pet Insurance, savings products, M&S Credit Cards, M&S Loans, and much more besides.