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 & Spencer, through its M&S Money Direct 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.

Marks & Spencer may not necessarily be the first name that springs to mind when you're thinking about renewing your Buildings 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 Money Direct website. With a simple, no-hassle service, you can compare features between a number of M&S Financial Services products and competitor's products, and sign up in just a few minutes.

Whether you're looking for savings products or M&S Money Direct loans, credit cards or Buildings Insurance - besides a number of other insurance products, M&S Money Direct 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 Money Direct insurance products (Buildings 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.

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

Perfect Rose Net Tights, at Marks and Spenser
For an instant fashion update, just pull on a pair of these rose print net tights. They'll see you all the way through winter...

Pure Cotton Corsage Duvet Cover, at Marks & Spenser
Corsage feature Comes in single (3ft), double (4ft 6in), kingsize (5ft) and super-kingsize (6ft), Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Sony Ericsson W350i - Orange Pay as you talk Mobile Phone, at Marks & Spencer
A maximum of 2 phones per customer may be purchased Talk time: Up to 8 hours Stand-by time: Up to 360 hours Dimensions: 10.3 x 4.2 x 1.1cm Weight: 80g Bandwidth: 900/1800/1900 Orange Pay as you Go: Your mobile service provider will be Orange. An Orange SIM card is included with this handset. Standard features: Memory slot, memory card, Bluetooth, hands free, voice activated dialling, Triband, GPRS, organiser and alarm Special features: Active flip, downloadable realtones, data modem, voice memo recorder and webmail Fun features: 1.3MP camera, games, polyphonic ringtones and mp3 player

XBOX 360® Transformers: The Game™, at M&S
For head-to-head battles, fans engage in melee combat that reflects each Transformer robot's character, scale, weight and power Not available for online play Parental guidance rating 2007 Hasbro 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: Kids to Adults

Autograph Bootleg Trousers, at Marks and Spencer
Part of Autograph's Luxe Tradition trend. Luxurious and contemporary with a sense of British heritage, this trend features a soft colour palette, modern prints and beautiful fabrics. A sophisticated look for the new season

Girls' Limited Plain Leggings, at Marks and Spenser
Part of Girls' Limited, a contemporary casual collection in trend-conscious styles and soft comfortable fabrics, designed for easy layering. Perfect for stylish girls who love looking fashionable

Dogtooth Check Jacket, at Marks and Spencers
Smart and stylish, this dogtooth jacket is tailored to fit and flatter. A great choice for work

Venetian Floral Mirror, at Marks and Spencers
Venetian design Rectangular shape Frosted floral detail H85 x W51cm This product is not available for international delivery. Find out more , Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Collezione Pure Wool Single Breasted 2 Button Eveningwear Jacket, at Marks & Spensers
Italian tailoring is renowned for its sophisticated style. Each collezione suit is designed with that same passion, using the finest fabrics and best tailoring techniques. Inspired by Italian flair, we've lavished time and care on this garment to give you a feeling of luxury like no other

Cotton Rich Check Dress & Leggings Outfit, at Marks & Spenser
Cute and casual, these frill check dress and knit leggings look fabulously fashionable worn together or separately

Autograph Skinny Plain Tie, at Marks&Spencer
Cut narrower for a contemporary look, this skinny tie adds a smart finishing touch. Ideal for sixth form wear

100 Denier Footless Opaque Tights, at Marks & Spensers
These comfortable 100 denier footless opaque tights are made with added stretch

Rustic Flowers Multipack of Mini Cards, at Mark & Spencers
Cover text: 2 x blank and 2 x thank you Inside message: blank for your own message 8 cards, 4 designs Approx size: 95 x 80mm

Gold Plated Large Hoop Earrings, at M+S
Hoop style Clasp fastening This product is not available for international delivery. Find out more For hygiene reasons, refunds will only be given in accordance with your legal rights

Autograph Full Volume Mascara, at Marks & Spencer
Smooth, glossy mascara for full volume lashes Revolutionary brush shape gives up to 300% volume Non flaking Smudge proof Hypoallergenic Available in 5 shades

Non-Wired Padded T-Shirt Bra, at Marks & Spencers
Non-wired to provide you with a more natural silhouette. This great bra offers superior support thanks to adjustable straps and added stretch, while the easycare design guarantees convenient comfort

Spa List, at Marks and Spencer
There are some wonderful places for spa out there, if you know where to find them. It's fine to have high expectations - so long as the experience lives up to them. Spa list guides you around the UK's most stylish spa hotels with the best pampering facilities

M&S High Gloss Black Flat Panel TV Mounting System up to 52'', at Marks & Spencer
Supports flat panel LCD and plasma TVs up to 52" Clear tempered safety glass shelves Fits up to 4 audio video components and a center channel speaker Includes a cable management system to hide wires and interconnect cables Metallic black finish Scratch resistant, powder-coated steel framing Lower shelves weight capacity: 22.7kg Overall dimensions: H132.1 x W121.9 x D48.3cm Top shelf dimensions: H25.4 x W121.9 x D36.8cm Lower shelf dimensions: W121.9 x D36.8cm Boxed delivery - self-assembly required This product is not available for international delivery. Find out more , Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

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

Stripe Trim Hipster Bikini Bottoms, at Marks and Spencers
Fashionable and flattering, these bikini bottoms feature a stripe trim design

Single Breasted Long Sleeve Mid Length Belted Mac, at Marks & Spencer
A smart, fitted mac is a versatile piece every woman should own. This modern belted style is a flattering update of a fashion classic

Autograph 12-Piece Bone China Dinner Set, at Marks and Spencer
12-piece set Includes 4 dinner plates, 4 side plates and 4 cereal bowls Plain Dishwasher and microwave safe Dinner plate: Diam 27cm Side plate: Diam 22cm Cereal bowl: Diam 18 x H7cm, Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Classic Collection Palm Print Top, at Marks and Spencers
Feminine and pretty, this floral print top will give your look an instant lift. It looks lovely worn with plain skirts or trousers in coordinating colours from the Classic collection

Disney Winnie the Pooh Wrap Pack, at M & S
2 sheets, 2 tags Each sheet: 495 x 695mm Tags: 80 x 55mm (folded) Disney

Jayne Sunglasses, at Marks and Spenser
These elegantly understated sunglasses will never go out of style. A fabulously versatile summer essential

Per Una Scoop Neck Ruffle Front Top, at Marks & Spencers
An elegant fine stripe top featuring cap sleeve and rear keyhole detail. The tiered ruffle design gives it the Per Una touch

Funnel Neck Padded Water Repellent Jacket, at Marks & Spensers
Wrap up warm in this contemporary, padded jacket. Featuring a stylish detachable hood and handy side pockets, this practical jacket is perfect for everyday wear

Classic Underwired Built-Up Shoulder Bra, at Mark's & Spencer
A lovely addition to your day to day underwear drawer. This versatile bra combines the shaping and support of underwiring and adjustable straps with the convenient comfort of an easy to care for design

Two Dozen Metre-Long Premium Freedom® Roses, at Marks and Spencers
The ultimate in romantic luxury, make an impression they'll never forget this Valentine's with two-dozen long-stem premium roses. In deep shades of vibrant red, these stunning Freedom roses are cut to approximately a metre in length to create a deluxe bouquet that's simply unforgettable

Mini Travel Alarm Clock, at Marks & Spencers
Dimensions: H6 x W6 x D3cm Analogue display Glow in the dark hands Light/snooze button

There are lots of ways to save money using M&S Money Direct. Not least of these is Marks & Spencer Standard Car Insurance. With M&S Money Direct 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 M&S Money Direct, 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 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 Car Insurance from M&S Financial Services, you get more, and you pay less.