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 & Spencer are so useful. M&S Money financial products are, of course, designed to make M&S 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, Home Insurance policies. Usually, UK Home 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 Money Home 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 Money Home Insurance than you will anywhere else, and you may even pay less with M&S.

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

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

Big & Tall Twin Pleat Luxury Wool Trousers, at Marks & Spencers
Smart and stylish, these twin pleat trousers are made from fine quality wool with cashmere for exceptional softness. A practical, hardwearing and fashionable choice

3 Pure Cotton Short Sleeve Shirts, at Marks and Spencer
This 3-pack of smart shirts is great value. They're made from pure breathable cotton, a natural choice for everyday wear

Footglove™ Suede Leather Water Repellent Ankle Boots, at Marks & Spencer
Square toe Stitch detail Side zip fastening Ankle high Block mid heel Heel height: 46mm Water repellent Footglove™ soles are comfortable, highly flexible and lightweight Comes in sizes 3-8, including half sizes

Cotton Rich Drawstring Velour Joggers, at M&S
Relaxed and comfy, these casual joggers are made from soft cotton and feature a drawstring fastening. A practical easycare choice.

Hand Crafted Stitched Guitar Son Birthday Card, at Marks & Spencers
Cover Text: Happy birthday son Inside Message: Blank for your own message Approx size: 178 x 126mm

Pure Silk Applique Cushion, at Marks & Spensers
Square shape Applique design L50 x W50cm, Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Coupe Cereal Bowl, at Mark & Spencers
Suitable for everyday use Versatile fine dining range Makes an ideal gift Pure white porcelain Diam 18cm, Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Per Una Cotton Rich Hooded Dressing Gown, at Mark & Spensers
Modern and feminine, this pretty hooded dressing gown is made from soft cotton rich fabric so you can relax in comfort and style. Part of Per Una's sleepwear collection

Pure Cotton Monster Hooded Top, at Marks & Spenser
Fun and fashionable, this pure cotton hooded top is outstanding value!

Photographic Roses Wife Anniversary Card, at Marks and Spencers
Cover text: To my gorgeous Wife Inside message: All I'll ever want is just to be with you, Happy anniversary Approx size: Unfolded: 176 x 126mm

Pure Silk Diagonal Stripe Tie, at Mark & Spensers
Add a luxurious finishing touch with this contemporary multi stripe tie in pure silk

2 Pure Cotton Assorted Design Pyjamas, at Marks&Spencer
Cute and comfy, this 4 part set of pure cotton pyjamas featuring 2 tops, full length bottoms and a pair of shorts is an outstanding value

Classic Collection Floral Print Skirt, at Marks & Spensers
Elegant, stylish and comfortable, this maxi length pull-on skirt is finished with floral print design. The ideal match for blouses and fine knits in coordinating colours

Clever Baby Touch & Learn Sounds Book, at Mark & Spencers
Touch and Learn Sounds encourages 1 to 2 year olds to build on their learning skills. Its lot of fun too with chunky tabs to choose from and different textures to touch and explore

3 Pure Cotton Short Sleeve Tops, at Marks & Spencer
Cute and practical, this pack of 3 tops is great value. The soft cotton fabric will keep her happy and comfy

Coloured Numbers Square Face Watch, at Marks and Spenser
Square face Coloured numerals Analogue Plain strap

Siemens Fridge Freezer KG34NA90GB, at Marks & Spencer
H1850 x W600 x D650mm 186L fridge capacity and 109L freezer capacity Safety-glass shelves with metal trim A+ energy rating. CFC & HFC free Stainless steel Frost Free system with full air circulation in fridge Ice dispenser and full width bottle rack Removable magnetic door seals bacteriaKontrol;&trade - Internal walls contain antibacterial system Electronic temperature control with high-temperature freezer alarm, Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Fairtrade Cotton Buds, at Mark & Spensers
Contains approx 200 cotton buds By buying this item you are ensuring that cotton farmers in the developing world can improve their livelihoods Click here to view a video about Fairtrade Cotton

Single Sprung-Edge Divan with 1 Small + 1 Large Drawer & Autograph M500 Mattress - Firm, at Marks and Spencer
Single (3ft): W90 x L190cm Mattress: spring count 1225, depth 27.5cm Divan height: 41.5cm Divan drawer sizes: 1 x small H15 x W40.5 x D53cm, 1 x large H15 x W78.4 x D53cm Mattress and divan are anti-allergy No turn mattress This product is not available for international delivery. Find out more , Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Younger Girls' Pure Cotton Hello Kitty Pyjamas with Shorts, at Marks & Spencers
Fans of Hello Kitty will love this must-have Pyjamas and shorts featuring the popular character.

Animal Print Trim Bodyshaper Swimsuit, at Marks & Spenser
Modern and stylish, this stylish swimsuit shapes and smoothes your figure, giving you a flattering fit. Designed to fit and flatter

Autograph Floral & Feather Occasion Hat, at M+S
Sophisticated and elegant, this occasion hat features a glamorous flower and feather trim. Sure to turn heads at stylish summer events!

New Active Thermal Leggings, at Marks and Spencer
Innovative and high-performance, these leggings are made with moisture control and anti-odour technology. They're designed to keep you at a comfortable temperature so you feel warm, fresh and dry

Dolly Mix Bedset, at Marks & Spencer
Co-ordinate with 50/50 pink plain dye sheets and pillowcases strokes T352101F,T352101S,T352101P,T352101V Doll print, Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Philips SE6 Cordless Phone with Answering Machine, at M+S
GAP compatible (Up to 5 handsets) Enhanced speakerphone for real-life hands-free conversations Digital answering machine Upto 30-minute recording time for the answering machine Bright colour display Icon-driven colour menu Message counter 200-name phonebook Alarm clock Call waiting, caller ID, microphone mute Backlit keypad Caller ID on call waiting Base dimensions: 13 x 12 x 8cm Handset dimensions: 16 x 5 x 3cm Rechargeable battery: AAA NiMH, 750 mAh Number of batteries: 2 per handset Mains power: AC 220-240 V - 50 Hz Talk time: Up to 12 hours Standby time: Up to 150 hours

Gaston de Veau Chardonnay 2008 - Case of 12, at MarksandSpencer
Style: Dry Grape variety: Chardonnay Country of origin: France Closure: Synthetic closure Suitable for vegetarians Bottle: 12 x 75cl. Alcohol by volume: 12.5% vol. Alcohol units per bottle: 9.4 Alcohol units per 125ml:1.6 Contains sulphites You must be 18 or over to purchase this product This product is not available for international delivery. Find out more

Halterneck Centre Ring Bikini Top, at Marks & Spencer
Modern and stylish, this flattering bikini is designed in the latest shape. Make a splash!

Magicwear™ 15 Denier Tights, at Marks & Spencer
Look slimmer in seconds with these opaque Magic tights. Special support zones shape hips, thighs and bums, and they feature a special tummy shaping panel and factor 6 leg support. 70% of our testers saw an instant reduction in their measurements

Per Una Pure Cotton Zesty Floral Skirt, at Marks n Spencer
A casual knee length skirt in pure soft cotton. Embroidered floral details give it the Per Una touch

M&S Wi-Fi Radio MX-200, at Marks and Spencer
Uses your wireless broadband connection to connect to the web Stream audio from the web Listen to more than 6000 stations from around the world Stream audio from your computer Dimensions: H17.5 x W21 x D11cm 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 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

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 n Spencer, through its M&S Money 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.