M&S Money 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 Money 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 Marks & 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, Sainsbury's, or Tesco:

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

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 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, 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 Money 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 Money Buildings & Contents 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 Marks and 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 & Spenser, 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 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.

Autograph Hooded Jumper with Cashmere, at Marks & Spensers
Soft and snugly, this practical jumper will keep him feeling warm and comfortable

Xenon Collection Medium Rollercase, at M&S
Free 5 year guarantee Practical and stylish, this rollercase has a built-in protective moulded rear panel and expands to give you extra 20 percent capacity, while comfort grip handles ensure easy transport

Fairtrade Organic Cotton Plain Flat Sheet, at Marks and Spenser
Plain Single: W178 x L260cm Double: W228 x L260cm 5ft (Queen): W275cm x L275cm 6ft (King): W310 x L275cm Threadcount: 180 Available in duvet cover, fitted sheet, flat sheet and pillowcase Click to view a video about Fairtrade Cotton , Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

5 Pairs of Stripe Sole Trainer Liners, at Mark & Spencers
These trainer liners are ideal! Cotton rich for comfort and durability, they feature a reinforced heel and toe for extra durability and stretch fabric to improve fit

Blue Harbour Pure Cotton Stripe Polo Shirt, at Marks and Spencer
Stylishly smart casual, this polo shirt is made from pure cotton so it's soft, breathable and comfortable to wear

125 Years Leather Classic Monk Shoes, at Marks & Spencer
Pointed toe Punch feature Stitch detail Buckle fastening Block heel

Small Square Jewellery Box, at Mark & Spencers
3 drawers Square design

Gladioli Bouquet, at Marks and Spencer
Gladioli traditionally represent infatuation. So, show someone how wonderful you think they are with 30 mixed gladioli Available for delivery from 1st to 30th September 2009

Performance °Climate Control Flat Cap, at Marks & Spencers
A traditional British classic, this is a versatile style that looks great worn smart or casual

Per Una Pure Linen Safari Palm Belted Dress, at Marks & Spencer
A beautiful calf length dress in pure cool linen featuring a safari palm leaf print and comes with a belt

White Burgundy 2008 - Case of 12, at Marks and Spencer
Style: Full bodied Grape variety: Chardonnay Country of origin: France Closure: Synthetic closure Suitable for vegetarians Bottle: 12 x 75cl. Alcohol by volume: 13.5% vol. Alcohol units per bottle: 10.1 Alcohol units per 125ml:1.7 Contains sulphites You must be 18 or over to purchase this product This product is not available for international delivery. Find out more

Open Toe Floral Slippers, at Marks & Spenser
Relax in style in these comfortable, hardwearing open toe slippers featuring a flower design and flat sole. Machine washable for added convenience

Older Boys' Bart Simpson Fluffy Dressing Gown, at Marks&Spencer
A must for fans of The Simpsons, this soft fluffy dressing gown features the popular character

Stormwear™ Quilted Coat, at Marks & Spensers
Fashionable and practical, this quilted coat is warmly padded and partly lined with fleece. It's treated with our unique Stormwear™ technology which repels water and stains. Storm cuffs help keep arms warm and hold on gloves

Traditional Tea Design Wall Clock, at Mark's & Spencer
Traditional design Round face Domed metal case Weight: 0.95kgs Diam: 35cm, Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Flat Front Trousers, at Marks n Spencer
Smart and stylish, these flat front trousers are outstanding value

Gradient Stripe Tie, at Marks & Spencers
No more trips to the drycleaners! This striped tie is machine washable

Girls' Limited Hello Kitty Hat & Scarf Set, at Marks&Spencer
Snug and cosy, this cute hat and scarf set is a fashionable choice for chilly weather.

Younger Boys' Pirate Slippers, at Mark's & Spencer
Round toe Slip on Pirate motif

Portfolio Wide Leg Tab Detail Trousers, at Marks and Spencers
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

HP TouchSmart tx2-1160ea Notebook, at Marks and Spencer
Processor: AMD Turion™ X2 Dual-Core Mobile Processor RM-75 Processor speed: 2.2 Ghz, Level 3 cache 1 MB Memory: 3072 MB (1 x 1024 MB + 1 x 2048 MB), Supports up to 4 GB DDR2 memory Hard Drive: 320 GB SATA Hard Disk Drive 5400 rpm up to 9 GB partition for system recovery Display: 12.1'' Diagonal WXGA High-Definition HP LED BrightView Widescreen Display with Integrated Multi Touch-screen (finger and digitizer pen optimized) Operating System: Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 Graphics Card: ATI Radeon™ HD 3200 Graphics with 64MB Display Cache Memory Up to 1470 MB Total Available Graphics Memory DVD Drive: Lightscribe Super Multi DVD Writer (+/-R +/-RW) with Double Layer support Memory slot: 5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader for Secure Digital cards MultiMedia cards, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, or xD Picture cards Camera: Webcam with integrated microphone Interfaces: 3 USB 2.0, 1 VGA port, 1 RJ45, 1 RJ-11 ethernet connector Expansion Port 3, 1 Headphone out w/ SPDIF Digital Audio, 1 mic-in, consumer IR Connectivity: Integrated 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN 802.11a/b/g/n WLAN, Bluetooth wireless networking, One ExpressCard/34 slot Media Software: HP MediaSmart Suite, Windows Media Player, Windows Photo Gallery, DVD Play, Windows Movie Maker, Windows DVD Maker, Cyberlink DVD Suite, Windows Media center, HP Games Console with hours of free game play Other Software: Microsoft Works and Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 60-Day Trial Version, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Windows Mail, Adobe Reader, HP MediaSmart Suite, Digital Persona Fingerprint reader software, HP Total Care Advisor Dimensions: L22.40 x W30.60 x H3.73cm Battery: 4-cell and 8-cell Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery Weight: 1.963kg

Mixed Faux Pearl & Bead Tassel Necklace, at Marks and Spencer
Clasp fastening Tassel detail Mixed Faux pearl and bead design Necklace length: 76cm

Kaituna Hills Reserve Cabernet Merlot 2006 - Case of 6, at Marks & Spencer
Style: Full bodied Grape variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot Country of origin: New Zealand Closure: Natural cork Bottle: 6 x 75cl. Alcohol by volume: 13% vol. Alcohol units per bottle: 9.8 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

Pure Cotton Rose Print Bedset, at Marks & Spencer
Rose print Single set includes single duvet cover (3ft) and 1 pillowcase Double set includes double duvet cover (4ft 6in) and 2 pillowcases King size includes king size duvet cover (5ft) and 2 pillowcases Super king size includes super king size duvet cover (6ft) and 2 pillowcases, Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Gold Hearts Table Confetti, at Marks & Spencer
Pack Contains: 20g approx

125 Years Pure Cotton Long Sleeve Check Shirt, at Marks & Spencers
Part of the Commemorative Collection, celebrating 125 years of M&S. Featuring smart styles inspired by our archives

Oudinot Rosé Champagne, at Marks & Spenser
75cl Oudinot Ros Champagne You must be 18 or over to purchase this product This product is not available for international delivery. Find out more

Autograph Pure Cotton Short Sleeve Dash Print Shirt, at M & S
Stylish and contemporary, this pure cotton short sleeve shirt is part of our luxurious Autograph collection. The fabric has been created exclusively for us to tie in with this seasons key looks, so you wont find it anywhere else

Perfect Cotton Rich Long Sleeve Shirt, at Marks & Spencers
A well cut shirt is a wardrobe staple. Ours has a touch of stretch for extra comfort and it's great value, too

Per Una 3/4 Sleeve Denim Floral Appliqué Cardigan, at Marks & Spencer
A modern 3/4 sleeve cardigan in a soft knitted fabric featuring a stripe design and denim floral embroidered appliqu

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

• M&S Insurance: M&S Motor Insurance, M&S Buildings & Contents 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 Spencers, it's easy to see that these are good financial products, at value-for-money prices.

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