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

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 & Contents 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 & Contents 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.

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 Spenser, 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 Money, you get more, and you pay less.

Chrome Collection Towel Rail, at Mark & Spencers
Polished finish Wall mounted H1.5 x W62 x D6.6cm, Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Catseye Goblet Necklace, at Marks and Spencers
Catseye pendant Adjustable length Lobster clasp fastening Necklace length: 53cm

Autograph Pure Silk Paisley Print Dress, at Marks & Spensers
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

Organic Pinot Grigio 2008 - Case of 12, at M&S
Style: Dry Grape variety: Pinot Grigio (Pinot Gris) Country of origin: Italy Closure: Natural cork Suitable for vegetarians Bottle: 12 x 75cl. Alcohol by volume: 12% vol. Alcohol units per bottle: 9 Alcohol units per 125ml: 1.5 Contains sulphites You must be 18 or over to purchase this product This product is not available for international delivery. Find out more

Blue Harbour Short Sleeve Multi Grid Check Shirt, at Marks & Spencer
A fashionable look without the fuss. This multi grid check shirt is quick and easy to iron

2 Piece Pure Cotton Embroidered Dress & Top, at Marks and Spencer
A cute look in pure soft cotton, this coordinated outfit combines a stripe top with pinafore dress. The embroidered detail adds a pretty finishing touch

Autograph Pure New Wool Flat Front Trousers, at Marks & Spencer
Fashionable and contemporary, these flat front trousers are part of our exclusive Autograph collection. A great design, superior fabric and careful attention to detail make them exceptionally stylish and comfortable

Autograph Luxury Leather Accent Laptop Bag, at Marks & Spenser
This padded laptop bag in luxurious leather makes a stylish and practical way to carry and protect your laptop and cables

Per Una Palm Leaf Skirt, at Marks and Spencer
A beautiful knee length skirt featuring a palm leaf print and flared hem

Autograph Weekend Cotton Rich Crop Denim Jacket, at Marks and Spenser
Part of Autograph Weekend's Sloane trend. Casual yet sophisticated, this is weekend dressing at its most stylish. Featuring a cool colour palette of crisp navy, neutrals and red, this is an effortlessly chic look for the new season

Pure Cotton Basic Dark Denim Jeans, at Marks and Spencer
Jeans are a wardrobe essential and this dark denim pair make a fashionable and practical choice

North Coast Check Print Floral Swim Shorts, at Marks and Spencer
Practical and fashionable, these swimming shorts give a comfortable, flattering and secure fit

Older Girls' Pure Cotton Embroidered Canvas Trainers, at Marks and Spencer
Round toe Embroidered floral design Lace up fastening Stitch detail Flat sole

Older Girls' Holiday Toe Post Sandals, at Marks & Spensers
Round toe Toe post design Flat sole Slip-on style Plain

Portfolio Cotton Rich Straight Leg Jeans, at Marks and Spencer
Part of Portfolio's Parisienne trend. Feel bold and chic in this feminine look inspired by Parisian style. With a striking colour palette of cream, ruby, black and dove grey, this is a style-conscious trend for the new season

Angel Cotton Rich Stripe First Bra & Shorts Set, at MarksandSpencer
This simply styled great value bra set is ideal for everyday wear. It's made with stretchy cotton for a supportive and comfortable fit and the non-wired design is the best choice for first bras

Little Red Riding Hood, at Marks & Spensers
Little Red Riding Hood is the classic fairytale, re-written especially for first readers. A charming storybook that will be a big hit with your little first time readers

3 Pairs of Collezione Diamond Socks, at Marks & Spensers
Exclusively designed for M&S, these smart socks are inspired by Italy and feature a luxury cotton weave for the ultimate in style and sophistication

Nature Beaded Napkin Ring, at Mark's & Spencer
Mixed bead design Diam 5.5cm x W4cm, Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Tortoise Shawl, at M+S
Perfect for snuggling up to at bedtime or wrapping up in during the day, this soft shawl will give your baby a little extra warmth

Pure Cotton Morocco Print Mock Layer Vest Top, at M&S
A mock layer design makes this soft cotton vest top fabulously fashionable

Bordeaux 2006 - Case of 6, at Marks & Spencers
Grape variety: Merlot 75%, Cabernet Franc 15%, Cabernet Sauvignon 10% Country of origin: France Closure: Natural Cork Suitable for vegetarians Bottle: 6 x 75cl Alcohol by volume: 12.5% vol Alcohol units per 125ml: 1.6 Alcohol units per bottle: 9.4 Contains sulphites You must be 18 or over to purchase this product This product is not available for international delivery. Find out more

Flat Screen Wipes, at Marks n Spencer
50 moist cleaning tissues Alcohol free Ideal for TFT, LCD, laptop, PDA and all glass surfaces 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

Meadow Print Shade, at M & S
Meadow print D30 x H22cm, Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

GG-J Half Lace Underwired Bra, at M+S
Soft and comfortable, this bra is specially designed for fuller busts. It's underwired and structured to give great support and a flattering enhanced shape

Autograph Sport Eau de Toilette, at Marks and Spenser
Sporty fragrance 30ml This product is not available for international delivery. Find out more

Pure Cotton 3/4 Sleeve Floral Print Top, at Marks and Spencer
Smart and stylish, this boat neck top is made from cool comfortable cotton and features a floral print

Autograph Wing Collar Shirt & Bow Tie, at Marks & Spencer
Stylish and sophisticated, this wing collar shirt looks elegant worn with a bow tie. Ideal for proms, balls and special occasions

Classic Bed Stool, at Marks and Spencer
H47 x W74 x D99cm (extends to L215cm) Top of stool is removeable and bed folds out from within. Click here to view bed Top cushion of stool made from polyester fibre Foam mattress for occasional use Mattress dimensions: L178 x W61 x D5cm Both stool and bed rest on glides Free swatch samples: Order up to 6 free swatch samples of any fabric to help you choose your upholstery by calling 0845 603 1 603 Seams and pattern match on fabrics - Please note that the images of fabrics displayed here are overlaid onto models. These images act as a guide and may not be representative of the finished product. Seams and pattern match may differ from what is shown This product is not available for international delivery. Find out more , Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Sensuale 100ml Eau De Toilette, at MarksandSpencer
100ml Eau de toilette

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

Thinking that most Car 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 Car Insurance policy doesn't actually cover you for what you thought it did, or it takes your Car Insurance company months and months to argue over whether to pay you or not. Fortunately M&S Money Direct Car Insurance is not like that at all, and when you compare M&S Car Insurance to the competition then it stacks up quite nicely.

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

• 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 Car 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 Money Direct UK and European Breakdown Cover, since it covers you as a passenger too.