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MONEY COMMENT
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This weekend, I was queuing up in my local Tesco (LSE: TSCO) to pay for my groceries, as you do. While I was waiting, my gaze fell upon rack after rack of leaflets advertising financial products. As a financial nerd, I took some brochures home with me and, after doing some research, I was very impressed with Tesco's financial product range. Here's a guide to the financial stuff on sale next to the beans and bananas - many of which beat the high-street banks' products hands down. Tesco Tesco Personal Finance is a joint venture with the Royal Bank of Scotland (LSE: RBS)(NYSE:RBSPRK), but it also has links with other companies, including Norwich Union. It offers a wide range of financial products, including: Many of these products thrash their rivals from the high-street banks, (0% offer and Clubcard points on the credit card, loans from 6.7% APR, cheaper insurance premiums, discounts for buying online and so on). Few high-street banks offer such competitive products, so Tesco is awarded 9/10 (one point deducted for not having a cash mini-ISA) - joint first place. Marks & Spencer (LSE: MKS) M&S Financial Services was the pioneer of supermarket financial services. Many of its products are in-house, although it has links to other financial services providers. It offers: M&S loses one point for not offering mortgages, giving it 9/10 - joint first place. J Sainsbury (LSE: SBRY) Just as Tesco has Tesco Personal Finance, Sainsbury's has Sainsbury's Bank, a joint venture with Bank of Scotland that offers products from various HBOS (LSE: HBOS) companies, including: Sainsbury's scores 6/10, because it only offers Halifax mortgages, doesn't offer a cash mini-ISA or life insurance, and its payment protection insurance policies are very expensive. ASDA Wal-Mart ASDA Financial Services offers home, motor and travel insurance (with pet insurance to follow) from Norwich Union but, as part of the world's largest retailer, I expect its financial product range to expand. At the moment, it scores 3/10. Boots Boots (LSE: BOOT) used to market a credit card in partnership with Egg (LSE: EGG), but ceased to do so last year. This is a shame, because its Advantage reward points scheme is one of the best on the high street. However, Boots does offer health and travel insurance products from Royal & SunAlliance (LSE: RSA), and therefore scores 2/10. Safeway Safeway (LSE: SFW) has teamed up with Abbey National (LSE: ANL) to offer two savings accounts and a Best Buy cash mini-ISA. 2/10. Waitrose and John Lewis Only offers an account card at present, although it is a Best Buy store card. 1/10. William Morrison Morrison (LSE: MRW) only offers a credit card, via HSBC (LSE: HSBA)(NYSE: HBC). 1/10. Somerfield Although it offers a stamps-based savings scheme, I was unable to find any financial products listed on the Somerfield (LSE: SOF) website. 0/10. The author owns shares in HBOS. More: Find better Mortgages | Personal Loans | Credit Cards | Insurance | Savings Accounts | ISAs| Index Trackers.