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 Direct 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, House Insurance policies. Usually, UK House 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 Direct House 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 Direct House 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 & Spenser 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 and Spenser, 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 House Insurance, M&S Travel Insurance, M&S Pet Insurance, savings products, M&S Credit Cards, M&S Loans, and much more besides.

Besides Marks & Spencer Car Insurance, M&S Money Direct Credit Cards and other financial products, M&S Money Direct House Insurance deserves particular mention, with it being particularly good value for money, and providing extra insurance cover that many UK insurance companies either don't provide at all, or would charge extra for.

With M&S Money Direct Premier Contents policy, for example, student's belongings are not only covered at home, but also at college or university. Additionally, dependent relatives are also covered if their belongings happen to be in a nursing home. Even better still, your Marks & Spensers purchases are also protected while you take them home.

Also, on both M&S Money Direct Premier House Insurance and Standard House Insurance policies, you can choose to include Contents Away From Home. This option would then provide valuable cover all of your personal belongings on a worldwide basis.

Isis Moisturising Aftershave Balm, at Marks & Spenser
Alcohol free 100ml This product is not available for international delivery. Find out more

Leather Trifold Wallet, at M&S
Smart, stylish and practical, this leather wallet makes it easy to organise cards and notes

Thermal Performance Active Long Sleeve Top, at Marks and Spenser
Innovative and high-performance, this top is 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

Blue Harbour Leather Bomber Jacket, at Marks & Spencer
A stylish and luxurious choice, this fashionable jacket is made from soft leather

Medium Wine Glass, at Mark & Spensers
32cl H21.5cm, Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Anthony Bear Niece Birthday Card, at Marks & Spencer
Cover text: Happy Birthday! To my lovely Niece with love xx Inside message: Enjoy your special day Approx size: 150 x 150 mm

PlayStation®3 Tomb Raider: Underworld, at Marks & Spenser
Master your surroundings: Reach new heights with the broadest range of acrobatic abilities and utilize objects within the environment to uncover new paths to explore Explore epic and unknown worlds: Discover ancient mysteries of the underworld hidden within the coast of Thailand, frozen islands of the Arctic Sea, the jungles of Mexico, and more What Can Lara Do?: Lara's skill-set has been drastically expanded to incorporate actions you would expect of a fearless, athletic adventurer. Lara now performs 1700 moves and is a far more intuitive character to controlWhat Can Lara Do?: Lara's skill-set has been drastically expanded to incorporate actions you would expect of a fearless, athletic adventurer. Lara now performs 1700 moves and is a far more intuitive character to control Treacherous and unpredictable challenges: Each level is an elaborate multi-stage puzzle masked within an interactive environmental playground offering more flexibility over how the area is solved New range of combat options: Choose to pacify or kill, target multiple enemies at once with the new dual-target system, and shoot with one hand while suspended with the other New state-of-the-art gear: Utilize the latest technology in Lara's upgraded inventory to navigate the world including: Sonar map: A revolutionary new tool that emits an active sonar ping to create a 3D image of Lara's surroundings, perfect for uncovering hidden items and locations Multi-purpose grapple: A claw-like device with a high-tension cable designed for climbing, rappelling, performing wall runs and manipulating objects within the environment All-terrain motorbike: Built to handle everything from the jungles of Mexico to the icy glaciers of the Arctic 2007 Sony Computer Entertainment Europe 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 You must be 16 years of age or over to purchase this product This product is not available for international delivery. Find out more *Must be returned with the tamper seal intact for full refund, ESRB Rating: Mature

Panasonic Blu-ray Home Cinema System, at M&S
Output Power: 1000W (RMS) Audio: Dolby Digital Decoder, DTS Decoder, Audio D/A Converter, Dynamic Range Compression Blue-Ray Video features: PHL Reference Chorma Processor Plus, Picture Adjustment, 1080/24p Playback, High Precision 4:4:4 Multi-Format Playback: DVD-Video, DVD-RAM, DVD-RW/ -R (DL), +RW,+R (DL), CD, CD-DA, CD-R/RW, MP3, JPEG, MPEG4, DivX USB Terminal Connectivity: MP3, JPEG, MPEG4 and DivX Input: Analogue audio, Digital audio, Ethernet terminal, Wireless terminal, USB terminal Output: HDMI, Video, Component video out (Y, PB, PR), Phone out SD memory card [SDHC/SD]: AVCHD/ JPEG/ MPEG2 Television signal system: PAL625/50, PAL525/60, NTSC VIERA link:HDAVI Control 4 Dimensions: Set W440 X H63 X D327mm, subwoofer W181 x H361 x D315, speaker (front) W92 x H1280 x D81mm, speaker (center) W250 x H94 x D81, speaker (surround) W92 x H128 x D81 Weight: 4kg Universal dock for Ipod Whisper-mode surround Digital amplifier Digital synthesizer tuner 4 EQ presets Viera cast Smart Setup Bamboo cone speakers Ecology and economy circuit

Cashmilon™ Leopard Print Scarf, at M&S
Keep warm, cosy and stylish in this fashionable leopard print scarf made from supersoft cashmilon™

Per Una 3/4 Sleeve Frill Neck Jersey Top, at Marks and Spencer
A stylish 3/4 sleeve jersey top in textured fabric featuring frill neck detail

Straight Leg Crease Resistant Trousers, at Marks & Spencers
Stay smarter for longer with these innovative crease resistant trousers

Autograph Blusher Brush, at Marks & Spencers
Handmade Enables you to achieve a controlled light and even coverage

Per Una Square Button Jacket, at Marks and Spencer
A fashionable notch lapel jacket featuring a single breasted design and square button fastening

Classic Collection Pure Cotton Long Sleeve Nightdress, at Marks & Spencer
Fresh and feminine, this nightdress is made from soft breathable cotton so it feels comfortable to sleep in. The lace trim adds a pretty touch

Grosgrain Holiday Trim Hat, at Marks & Spencer
Keep ahead of the trends with this contemporary sunhat, an essential look for style in the sun

Perfect Boyfriend Style Cardigan, at Marks & Spencers
Everyone's favourite style is back. We've updated our boyfriend cardi for this season, in a couple of different lengths. Enjoy!

Pure Cotton Long Sleeve Matinee Cardigan, at Marks and Spencer
Knitted in pure cotton, this cute hooded cardigan will keep her warm and comfy. It looks cuddly too!

Urbino 2-Seater Sofa, at MarksandSpencer
H92 x W185 x D102cm Seat H48cm, arm H69cm, top back rail H77cm (all dimensions are approximate) Seat cushions filled with shape-retaining foam - superior quality foam with a high density for added comfort and support Other cushions filled with polyester fibre. Gives a soft sit with a lived-in look, which will soften and relax even further with use. Fibre is sewn into channels within the interior to prevent settlement in one area of the cushion Fabric options feature reversible cushions Available with fixed cushion covers only Frame made from solid hardwood. All main joints are glued and screwed to give the frame strength Frames are rigorously tested with 95kg weight equivalent and exceed standards set for heavy domestic use Solid birch feet with a dark finish All of our fabrics are treated with Stain-Defence& trade; - a stain resistant finish - at no extra cost. Fabrics are tested for resistance to wear and fading Detailed care instructions are included Free eco-friendly home delivery. Our crews will unpack, assemble and position the item This product is not available for international delivery. Find out more Free swatch service: Order up to 6 free swatch samples of any fabric to help you choose your upholstery by calling 0845 603 1 603 Please note: Images displayed here act as a guide and may not be representative of the finished item. Fabrics are overlayed onto model images, so actual seams and pattern match may differ from what is shown. Leather furniture, in particular, has more seams that fabric upholstery due to the nature of the material, Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Generic Pencil Case, at Marks & Spencer
Circular design Zip fastening Oblong shape Circle tab feature Floral design

Wool Rich Single Breasted 2 Button Puptooth Jacket with Silk, at M+S
Luxurious and stylish, this single breasted jacket is made from superior wool fabric with silk

Suzie Damask Jacquard Cushion, at Mark's & Spencer
L43 x W43m Floral damask design Square shape, Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Silver Plated Assorted Petal Y Design Necklace, at Marks & Spensers
Y design chain necklace Assorted petal design This product is not available for international delivery. Find out more

Lavender Moisturising Hand & Nail Cream, at Marks and Spencer
Moisturising Lavender fragrance 100 ml Ingredients: Aqua, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Petrolatum, Lavandula Angustifolia(Lavender), Polysorbate 60, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Dimethicone, Isopropyl Palmitate, Panthenol, Parfum, Coumarin, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Limonene, Linalool, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Disodium EDTA, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer Triethanolamine, Propylparaben, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Isobutylparaben

Nintendo Wii™ Console with Disney Sing It Game Bundle, at M&S
Includes wireless Wii Remote, Wii Nunchuk and Sing It game with Microphone Sing it Game with Microphone: Disney Sing It is the new karaoke video game that allows fans to perform to 35 songs from Camp Rock, High School Musical, Hannah Montana, Miley Cyrus, Aly & AJ, Jesse McCartney and more Plays two disc formats in a single, self-loading media bay Features a processing chip from IBM and a graphics chip from ATI Completely backward compatible, all the way to the NES of the 1980s Built-in Wi-Fi access for easy connection to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection gaming service Online Wii Channel for news, weather, photo viewing, message boards and more Supports up to 4 GameCube controllers SD card slot Fully compatible with GameCube games Comes with A/V cable and UK power adapter

Pure Silk Floral Stitch Tie, at M & S
Add a luxurious finishing touch with this contemporary floral stitch tie in pure silk

2 Per Una Essentials Clover Embroidered High Leg Knickers, at Marks and Spenser
Fresh and feminine, this pack of 2 stylish kickers feature a delicate front panel in soft stretch lace. The high leg style gives a flattering long-legged look. Pretty everyday fashion

Dry Cured Rack Joint with a Pomegranate Molasses Glaze, at Mark & Spencers
10 rib Serves 10-12 Ready to cook Suitable for freezing 3kg As featured on page 37 in the food to order brochure Order by 5pm to collect in 5 days Available for collection in the majority of our UK mainland stores

Footglove™ Riptape Trainers, at Marks & Spencer
Step out in style in these Footglove™ trainers, made from soft leather. Comfortable, lightweight and flexible

Per Una Pure Cotton Cropped Pyjamas, at Marks & Spencers
Modern and feminine, these pretty cropped pyjamas are made from pure cotton, so you can relax in comfort and style. Part of Per Una's sleepwear collection

Mixed Bead Long Necklace, at Marks&Spencer
Clasp fastening Adjustable length Mixed bead design Long length Necklace length: 92.5cm, extendable by 8cm

When you're shopping at Marks & Spencers 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 Money Direct. Offering everything from savings accounts and credit cards, to House Insurance and Car Insurance, there's a lot more going on at Marks and Spencer than you might imagine.

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