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 M+S, through its M&S Finance 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 Insurance, M&S Travel Insurance, M&S Pet Insurance, savings products, M&S Credit Cards, M&S Loans, and much more besides.

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 Finance. Offering everything from savings accounts and credit cards, to Buildings Insurance and Motor Insurance, there's a lot more going on at Marks & Spensers than you might imagine.

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

There are lots of ways to save money using M&S Finance. Not least of these is Marks & Spensers Standard Motor Insurance. With M&S Finance you can keep the cost of your Motor 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 Motor Insurance cover from M&S Finance, which also has other features.

Nonetheless, many features are standard to both the Premier and the Standard Motor Insurance policies on offer from M&S, 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 Motor Insurance from M&S Finance, you get more, and you pay less.

Fabric Dress Birthday Card, at Marks & Spenser
Cover text: Have a Wonderful Birthday Inside message: With lots of love Approx. size: 150 x 150mm

Adored Leaf Embroidered Non Padded Bra, at Marks & Spenser
Elegant and stylish, this non-padded bra is made from the softest fabric, embroidery and lace, so it's blissfully comfortable to wear.

Square Print Pleated Shirt, at MarksandSpencer
This fab long sleeve shirt features a stunning pleated design. A sophisticated new look, perfect for this season

3 Piece Embroidered Eskimo Pinafore Outfit, at M+S
Fashionable and practical, this cute top, pinafore and tights 3-piece outfit features an embroidered eskimo design. It's made from soft fabric to keep her comfortable and happy

Leather Stitch Workbag, at Marks and Spencer
Fashionable and practical, this work bag is a useful accessory with bags of style!

Baby Song & Sound Old Macdonald Book, at Marks and Spencer
A true classic song for children. Come and join the fun on the farm by reading this story. Press the picture buttons to hear the tune and sing along

Bear Hat & Mittens Set, at Marks and Spencer
Keep little heads and hands warm with this bear design hat and mittens set in soft comfy fabric.

Autograph Illusions Dark Circle Concealer, at Marks and Spencers
Formulated with Haloxyl™ to help reduce the appearance of dark circles and puffiness This concealer also helps reduce the appearance of fine lines Hypo-allergenic Available in 3 shades

Pure Cotton Funnel Neck Jacket, at Marks and Spencer
Smart and stylish, this funnel neck jacket makes a comfortable and practical choice

Flat Front Wool Blend Pinstripe Trousers, at M&S
Smart and contemporary, these trousers are made from a special wool blend fabric for extra strength, comfort and durability

Chrome Collection Toilet Brush Holder, at Marks&Spencer
Chrome finish Cylindrical holder, Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Long Sleeve Waterfall Cardigan, at Marks and Spencer
Elegant and feminine, this casual long sleeve cardigan makes the perfect light extra layer. It features a waterfall design for an extra stylish touch

Plain Moulded Underwired Bra, at Marks and Spenser
Smooth and versatile, this moulded bra is ideal for everyday wear. It's underwired and shaped for an uplifted natural look

Floral Pegs Birthday Card, at Marks and Spencer
Cover text: Happy birthday Inside message: Blank for your own message This card is made with material from FSC certified sustainable forests. Protecting the world's forests for the future Approx size: 150 x 150mm

Blue Ribbon and Dove Confirmation Card, at Marks and Spenser
Cover Text: A wish for your confirmation Inside Message: Blank for your own message Approx Size: 174 mm x 126 mm

Per Una Modal Rich Spot Print Bra, at Marks & Spencers
Modern and colourful, this spot print bra is embellished with a stylish contrast lace trim. It's underwired for extra support and the plunge style gives an enhanced shape. Pretty everyday fashion

Classic Collection Floral Print Dressing Gown, at Marks and Spencers
Wrap up and relax in this soft dressing gown featuring floral print for a pretty look

2 Button Curve Seam Jacket, at MarksandSpencer
Fashionable and modern, this tailored style jacket features a curve seam design and contrast stitch detail. A smart and stylish choice

Autograph High Heel Stud Gladiator Sandals, at Marks and Spencers
Made with Insolia technology, an exclusive innovation that makes high heels more comfortable to wear and better for your body's alignment and balance. They work by taking the weight off your toes, so there's less pressure and more stability. Your legs, back and feet stay more comfy all day Open toe Stud strap detail Buckle fastening High heel Heel height: 9cm Comes in sizes 3-8, including half sizes

Rasteau 2007 - Case of 6, at M & S
Style: Full bodied Grape variety: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre Country of origin: France Closure: Natural cork Suitable for vegetarians Bottle: 6 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

Total Support Floral Non-Wired Bra, at Mark's & Spencer
Soft and comfortable, this non-wired bra gives all-round support and uplift with good coverage, extra wide straps and 3 hook-and-eye fasteners. It's secure but gentle and lightweight, an ideal choice for everyday wear

Per Una Pure Cotton Tropic Leaf Print Dress, at Marks & Spenser
A colourful tropic leaf print dress in pure soft cotton featuring a pleated neck detail

2 Bamboo Placemats, at Mark's & Spencer
2 pack Rectangular placemats, Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Supima® Pure Cotton Non-Iron Pillowcase, at Marks & Spencers
Internationally recognised as the world's finest cotton High performance non iron finish offering the ultimate in easy care Supima is renowned for its superior strength, enhanced durability and sumptuous feel 180 thread count, Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Mirror Squares Photo Frame 20 x 25cm (8 x 10"), at Marks and Spencers
Rectangular frame Mirror square design Aperture: 20 x 25cm (8 x 10"), Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Autograph Pure Cotton Long Sleeve Shirt, at Marks&Spencer
Stylish and contemporary, this pure cotton long sleeve shirt is part of our luxurious Autograph collection. The fabric has been created exclusively for us to tie in with this season's key looks, so you won't find it anywhere else

Nail Polish Remover Pads, at Marks and Spencers
Gentle non-acetone formula to remove nail polish Contains 30 pads This product is not available for international delivery. Find out more

Sketchy Farm Animals Multipack of Mini Cards, at Marks and Spencers
Cover text: Design 1: Thank you, Design 2: Thanks! Thanks! Thanks!, Design 3: Thank you very much!, Design 4: Thank you Inside Message: Blank for your own message This card is made with material from FSC certified sustainable forests. Protecting the world's forests for the future Pack Contains 8 cards, 4 designs Approx size: 95 x 80mm

Olympus µ-9000 Digital Camera, at Marks and Spencer
Extra slim 10x wide optical zoom (28-280mm*) in a compact metal body to capture great scenes through to exciting close-ups Avoids blur thanks to Dual Image Stabilisation (combines mechanical and digital image stabilisation) The easy way to perfect images - Intelligent Auto Mode detects the five most commonly used scenes and adjusts settings, focus and exposure automatically 12 Megapixels to make poster-size prints if you want to 6.9cm/2.7" HyperCrystal III LCD for best ever preview even in brilliant sunlight and at extreme angles (230,000 dots) Face Detection for perfectly focused and exposed faces. In combination with Shadow Adjustment Technology other main parts of the picture are also correctly exposed TruePic III image processor for faster image handling and higher image quality xD-Picture Card and microSD Card compatible Lens: optical zoom: 10 x (WIDE); Aspherical glass elements: 5; Focal length: 5.0 - 50.0 mm; Focal length (equiv. 35mm): 28 - 280 mm; Structure: 9 lenses / 6 groups; Maximum aperture: 3.2 - 5.9; Digital Zoom: 5 x / 50 x combined with optical zoom LCD: Resolution: 230000 dots; Monitor size: 6.9 cm / 2.7 ''; LCD type: HyperCrystal III LCD; Frame assistance: Yes; Brightness adjustment: +/- 2 levels; LCD backlight boost: Yes Focusing System: Method: TTL iESP auto focus with contrast detection; Spot focusing: Yes; Face Detection AF: Yes; Standard mode: 0.5m - (wide) / 1.0m - (tele); Makro mode: 0.1m - (wide) / 0.9m - (tele); Super Macro mode: Closest focusing distance: 1 cm Light Metering: ESP light metering, Spot metering, Histogram in shooting mode enabled Number of scene modes: 14 Sensitivity: Auto and manual Internal Flash Modes: AUTO, Red-eye reduction, Fill-in, Off Image Editing: Black & White, Sepia, Resize, Trimming, Attach a calendar, Correction of saturation, Beauty Fix, Red-eye reduction, Shadow Adjustment Memory: 45 MB Dimensions: W96 x H60 x D31mm Weight: 185 g (without battery and card)

Kitchen Butchers Block, at MarksandSpencer
H90 x W55 x D60cm Some self-assembly required. Delivered boxed to your door. You will need to unpack, assemble and position the item yourself This product is not available for international delivery. Find out more , Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer

Besides Marks and Spencers Motor Insurance, M&S Finance Credit Cards and other financial products, M&S Finance Buildings 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 Finance 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 & Spencer purchases are also protected while you take them home.

Also, on both M&S Finance Premier Buildings Insurance and Standard Buildings 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.