SEPARATE ACCOUNT VL OF FIRST VARIABLE LIFE INSURANCE CO
S-6, 1999-01-19
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<PAGE>
 
                                                      Registration No. 333-
================================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                                        
                         -----------------------------
                                    FORM S-6

                             Registration Statement
                                     Under
                             SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                                        
                         -----------------------------
                              SEPARATE ACCOUNT VL
                             (Exact Name of Trust)

                     FIRST VARIABLE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
                              (Name of Depositor)

                           2122 York Road, Suite 300
                            Oak Brook, IL 60523-1930
         (Complete Address of Depositor's Principal Executive Offices)
                                        
                         -----------------------------

ARNOLD R. BERGMAN                                Copy To:
Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary      THOMAS C. LAUERMAN, Esq.
First Variable Life Insurance Company            Freedman, Levy, Kroll & Simonds
2122 York Road, Suite 300                        1050 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.
Oak Brook, IL 60523-1930                         Washington, D.C. 20036
 
(630) 684-9270                                   (202) 457-5106
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)


Title and Amount of Securities being Registered:
     An indefinite amount of interests under flexible premium variable life
     insurance policies.

Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering:
     As soon as practicable after the effective date of this Registration
     Statement.

The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates
as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file
a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement
shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the
Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become
effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting
pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
<PAGE>
 
                             CROSS REFERENCE SHEET

                                        
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Item No. in
Form N-8 B-2                                        Location
- ------------                                        --------
<S>                               <C>
1, 2                              Caption in Prospectus Cover, First Variable
                                  Life Insurance Company, The Separate Account
 
3                                 Inapplicable
 
4                                 Distribution and Other Agreements
 
5, 6                              The Separate Account
 
7                                 Inapplicable
 
8                                 Financial Statements
 
9                                 Legal Proceedings
 
10 (a), (b), (c), (d), (e)        Highlights, Surrender and Withdrawals,
                                  Withdrawals, Transfers Among Investment
                                  Options, Lapse and Reinstatement,
                                  Determination of Account Value, Other
                                  Provisions of the Policy, The Policies, Your
                                  Investment Options
 
10 (f)                            Voting Rights, Other Provisions of the Policy
 
10 (g), (h)                       Transfers Among Investment Options
 
10 (i)                            Mixed and Shared Funding, Policy Benefits and
                                  Values, Other Provisions of the Policy
 
11, 12                            Separate Account Investment Options: Variable
                                  Investors Series Trust, Federated Insurance
                                  Series
 
13                                Highlights, Other Charges and Deductions (not
                                  currently charged), Elimination, Reduction, or
                                  Refund of Charges and Deductions, Increases in
                                  Bonuses
 
14, 15                            Application and Issuance of a Policy, Free
                                  Look Right, Delayed Investment Allocation Date
 
16                                Premiums, Allocation of Premiums,
                                  Determination of Account Value
 
17                                Surrenders and Partial Withdrawals, Payment of
                                  Proceeds
 
18                                Our Taxation, Determination of Account Value,
                                  The Separate Account, The Available Options,
                                  The Policies, More About Charges and
                                  Deductions
 
19                                Reports and Records, Advertising Practices,
                                  Other Provisions of the Policy
 
20                                See 10 (g) & 10 (h)
 
21                                Regular Loans and Preferred Loans, The
                                  Policies
 
22, 23, 24                        Inapplicable
 
25                                First Variable Life Insurance Company
 
26                                Inapplicable
</TABLE> 
<PAGE>
 
<TABLE> 
<S>                               <C>
27                                First Variable Life Insurance Company
 
28                                Our Management
 
29                                First Variable Life Insurance Company
 
30, 31, 32, 33, 34                Inapplicable
 
35                                State Regulation
 
36                                Inapplicable
 
37                                Inapplicable
 
38, 39, 40, 41 (a)                Distribution and Other Agreements, First
                                  Variable Life Insurance Company
 
41 (b), 41 (c), 42, 43            Inapplicable
 
44                                Determination of Account Value
 
45                                Inapplicable
 
46                                Surrender and Withdrawals
 
47, 48, 49, 50                    Inapplicable
 
51                                Policy Benefits and Values
 
52                                Changes in Death Benefit Options and Face
                                  Amount
 
53 (a)                            Federal Tax Matters
 
53 (b), 54, 55                    Inapplicable
 
56, 57, 58                        Inapplicable
 
59                                Financial Statements
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
 
Prospectus                                                             [Date]
                               CAPITAL LEGACY VUL
                      JOINT SURVIVORSHIP FLEXIBLE PREMIUM
                        VARIABLE LIFE INSURANCE POLICIES
                                   Issued by
                     FIRST VARIABLE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Our Marketing and Executive Office:    Our Variable Service Center:    Or, for express deliveries;
<S>                                    <C>                             <C>
2122 York Road                         P.O. Box 1317                   1206 Mulberry Street
Oak Brook, IL  60523                   Des Moines, IA  50305-1317      Des Moines, IA 50309
Automated Information Line:            (800) 845-0689
(800)-59-FUNDS
</TABLE>

The Policy described in this prospectus provides life insurance coverage that is
payable upon the death of a Surviving Insured. The Policy also permits you to
accumulate Account Value based on the premiums you pay, the charges and expenses
of the Policy, and the investment results of the underlying investment options.
You have the flexibility to adjust the amount and frequency of premium payments
and the level of life insurance provided under the Policy.

You choose the form of death benefit from one of two options. Generally, the
death benefit amount is either equal to the Face Amount shown in the Policy
(Death Benefit Option A), or an amount equal to the Face Amount plus the Account
Value (Death Benefit Option B).

You may allocate your premiums and your Policy's Account Value among nine
different investment options, or to our Fixed Account. The investment options
are available through our segregated asset account called Separate Account VL
(the "Separate Account"). The Separate Account invests in selected portfolios of
two mutual funds. The portfolios currently available under the Policy are:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
               -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                    SEPARATE ACCOUNT INVESTMENT OPTIONS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                            Federated 
Mutual                  Variable Investors Series Trust ("VIST")         Insurance Series
Fund                                                                          ("FIS")
============================================================================================
<S>            <C>           <C>        <C>          <C>                 <C> 
               Small Cap     Growth     Growth &        Multiple           Prime Money 
                Growth                   Income        Strategies            Fund II
  Portfolios   -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                Matrix        World       High       U.S. Government 
                Equity       Equity      Income           Bond
                                          Bond
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


We guarantee to keep your Policy in force for a minimum period as long as you
pay certain Minimum Monthly Premium amounts. The minimum period depends on the
Joint Age of the insured persons when we issue the Policy, and will usually be
10 years. We will reduce the minimum period, however, if the Joint Age is higher
than ___[to be filed by pre-effective amendment] when we issue the Policy.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities
commission approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the accuracy
or adequacy of the prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal
offense. This prospectus is accompanied by the current prospectuses of the
Variable Investors Series Trust and Federated Insurance Series. All prospectuses
should be read and retained for future reference.

We have not authorized any person to give any information not contained in this
prospectus (or in any sales literature we have approved.) We do not offer the
policies everywhere, and this prospectus does not constitute an offer anywhere
that it would be unlawful. In certain jurisdictions, various time periods and
other terms and conditions may vary from what is described in this prospectus.
Any such variations that apply to your policy will be included in the policy or
a related rider or endorsement.

<PAGE>
 
                               TABLE OF CONTENTS
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                           Page
                                                                           ----
<S>                                                                        <C> 
DEFINITIONS
HIGHLIGHTS
FIRST VARIABLE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
THE SEPARATE ACCOUNT
YOUR INVESTMENT  OPTIONS
The Available Options
Transfers Among Investment Options
       General Requirements
       Automatic Transfer Programs
     Restrictions on Transfers
       Automatic Transfers of Small Accounts
   Mixed and Shared Funding
MORE ABOUT CHARGES AND DEDUCTIONS
   Monthly Deductions
   Daily Deductions
   Surrender Charge
 Fund Expenses
 Other Charges and Deductions (Not Currently Charged)
 Elimination, Reduction, or Refund of Charges and Deductions; 
  Increases in Bonuses
 Purposes of Policy Charges
THE POLICIES
   Application and Issuance of a Policy
       "Free Look" Right
   Premiums
       Planned Premiums
       Monthly Minimum Premium; Death Benefit Guarantee
       Additional Premiums
     Grace Period
   Allocation of Premiums
 Telephone Transactions
POLICY BENEFITS AND VALUES
 Death Benefit
       Death Benefit Options A and B
     Table of Minimum Death Benefit Factors
     Change in Death Benefit Options and Face Amount
 Premium Value Bonuses and Cash Value Bonuses
 Optional Additional Benefit Riders
     Estate Protection Rider
     Joint Accidental Death Benefit Rider
     Additional Term Insurance on the Insured(s)
     Other Insured Persons Rider
 Determination of Account Value
 Policy Loans
       Regular Loans
     Preferred Loans
     Immediate Loan Repayment
 Surrender and Withdrawals
     Surrender
     Withdrawals
 Maturity Proceeds
 Lapse and Reinstatement
 Payment of  Proceeds
 Tax Withholding
 Payout Options
     Tax Impact
 Right to Exchange for a Fixed Benefit Policy
 Right to Exchange for Two Insurance Policies
OTHER PROVISIONS OF THE POLICY
 Suicide Exclusion
 Representations and Contestability
 Option to Extend Maturity Date
 Misstatement of Age or Sex
 Owner and Beneficiary
 Assignments
 Reports and Records
 Voting Rights
 Suspension of Payments and Transfers
 Nonparticipation in Our Dividends
DISTRIBUTION AND OTHER AGREEMENTS
OUR MANAGEMENT
FEDERAL TAX MATTERS
 General
 Our Taxation
 Income Tax Treatment of Policy Benefits
       Life Insurance
       Acceleration of Death Benefits
       Modified Endowment Contracts
     Exchange for Two Policies
     Other Tax Effects of Policy Changes
     Taxation of Pre-Death Distributions from a Policy that is not a 
      Modified Endowment Contract
     Taxation of Pre-Death Distributions from a Policy that is a 
      Modified Endowment Contract
 Diversification Requirements
ADVERTISING PRACTICES
LEGAL MATTERS
 State Regulation
 Legal Proceedings
 Counsel
EXPERTS
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
YEAR 2000 ISSUES
APPENDICES
 
APPENDIX A:  ANNUAL RATES OF RETURN FOR THE SEPARATE ACCOUNT 
APPENDIX B:  ILLUSTRATIONS OF DEATH BENEFITS, ACCOUNT VALUES,
             CASH SURRENDER VALUES AND ACCUMULATED VALUE OF
             PREMIUMS
APPENDIX C:  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
 
                                  DEFINITIONS
                                        
Business Day - Each day the New York Stock Exchange is open for regular trading,
The New York Stock Exchange is currently closed on weekends and on the following
holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day, President's Day, Good Friday,
Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day.
Each Business Day ends at the close of regular trading for the day on the
exchange, which usually is 4:00 p.m. Eastern time.

Insureds - The two people whose lives are insured under the Policies.  Death
benefits are payable upon the death of the second of the Insureds to die.  We
call this person the "Surviving Insured."

Joint Age - The joint equivalent age of the Insureds that is used to calculate
the costs and benefits under the Policies.  We determine the Joint Age on the
Policy Date and it increases by 1 on each Policy Anniversary.

Policy Anniversary - An anniversary of the Policy Date.

Policy Date - The date the Policy takes effect, as shown on the Owner's Policy
data page.  Policy Months and Policy Years are measured from this date.

Policy Month - Each one-month period beginning on the Policy Date and generally
on the same day of each month after that.

Policy Quarter - One quarter of a Policy Year.  The first Policy Quarter begins
on the Policy Date and ends on the last Business Day of the third Policy Month.

Policy Year - Each 12-month period beginning on the Policy Date.

Premium Rate Class - An insurance underwriting risk category that is used to
determine certain benefits and charges under a Policy.  For example, Monthly
Minimum Premiums, cost of insurance charges, and Premium Value Bonuses will vary
by the premium rate class assigned the Insureds.  On the date of this
prospectus, we use Preferred, Smoker and Non-Smoker premium rate classes that
will differ based on the sex of the Insureds.  These classes are further sub-
divided into "standard" and "substandard" insurance classes.  Charges are
generally higher for substandard insurance classes.

                                   HIGHLIGHTS

These highlights discuss certain important aspects of the Policy. The rest of
this prospectus explains these and other aspects in greater detail.  You should
be sure to read the prospectus and the prospectuses of the Funds for more
complete information.


How do investment results affect a Policy?

You invest the Account Value under your Policy in one or more of the investment
options we offer.  Your Account Value increases or decreases by the amount of
any positive or negative return it earns in those options.  Your Account Value
also will decrease by the amount of all charges and deductions we make under
your Policy.  The Death Benefit we pay under your Policy when the Surviving
Insured dies can also vary as a result of the investment results achieved for
your Account Value.

Account Value invested in our Separate Account investment options is not
guaranteed, and you bear the entire investment risk under those options.
Account Value allocated to our Fixed Account, however, is provided with our
guarantees of principal and a minimum 4% rate of interest on an annual basis.
(Similar guarantees apply to an amount of your Account Value that equals any
Policy loans that you take out.)

How much can I (or must I) invest in a Policy?

Payment of the Monthly Minimum Premium amounts specified in the Policy
guarantees that the Policy will remain in force for a guarantee period ranging
specified in your Policy.  The period will usually be 10 years; but will be
reduced if the joint age is higher than when the Policy is issued.

Planned and unplanned additional premiums may be paid, subject to certain
limitations. For example, we will not permit you to pay so much premiums that
your Policy would fail to meet the definitions of a life insurance contract
under the Internal Revenue Code ("Code").

Payment of large amounts of premium (relative to the amount of insurance
coverage) during certain periods of time may cause a Policy to be classified as
a "modified endowment contract" under section 7702A of the Code.  Under current
federal income tax law, any pre-death distributions from a modified endowment
contract, or "MEC,"  including loans, assignments, partial withdrawals and
surrenders, will be included in your taxable income on an income first basis,
and a 10% penalty tax will be imposed on any such income distributed before you
attain age 59-1/2.

Will I have access to my Account Value?

You may borrow up to 90% of your Policy's Cash Surrender Value, subject to
certain limitations.  (Cash Surrender Value is your Account Value less any loan,
less any accrued loan interest, and less any applicable Surrender Charges.)  You
may surrender (i.e., cancel) your Policy at any time and we will pay you the
Cash Surrender Value.  Subject to certain limits, you also may make a partial
withdrawal of your Cash Surrender Value after the first Policy Year.

Do I receive special advantages for holding a Policy over a long term?

Your Policy will be eligible for Premium Value Bonuses and Cash Value bonuses
after 8 Policy Years.

We have developed a Premium Value Bonus to provide special value to Policy
owners who have paid, and continue to pay, Monthly Minimum Premium amounts.  We
will pay the Premium Value Bonuses starting in the 9th Policy Year, based on the
amount of premiums you paid that you are not deemed to have withdrawn or
borrowed. The amount of a Premium Value Bonus credited each month is based on
the premium rate class of the insured persons, the total Monthly Minimum Premium
you have paid at that time and the Premium Value Bonus percentages then in
effect. The Premium Value Bonus percentage currently is calculated at an annual
rate of 5% of the Policy's Monthly Minimum Premium for Preferred, Non-Smoker and
Smoker premium rate classes. We may change the Premium Value Bonus percentage
rates at any time, but the annual rate will not be less than 3% for Preferred,
Non-Smoker and Smoker standard premium rate classes.

In addition to the Premium Value Bonus, a Cash Value Bonus is also scheduled to
be paid monthly starting in the 9th Policy Year, based on your then current
Account Value (net of Policy loans and interest thereon) and the Cash Value
Bonus percentage then in effect.  The Cash Value Bonus annual percentage
currently ranges from .30% for a Policy with Account Value (net of Policy loans
and interest thereon) of more than $200,000 at the start of the applicable
Policy Year, to 0.20 % if such value is $100,000 up to $200,000, to 0.10% if
such value is $25,000 or more (but less than  $100,000), to 0% if such value is
less than $25,000.
<PAGE>
 
The Cash Value bonus is currently scheduled to increase after the 20th Policy
Year to .50% for Policy's with an Account Value (net of Policy loans and
interest thereon) at the start of the applicable year of more than $200,000, to
 .40% if such value is more than $100,000 (up to $200,000), and to .20% if such
value is at least $25,000 (but less than $100,000).

Because we do not guarantee any minimum Cash Value percentage, we could
terminate or reduce Cash Value Bonuses at any time.

The Premium Value and Cash Value Bonuses will not be paid if your state does not
permit them.  You should check with your sales representative or call our
Variable Service Center to confirm the availability of the bonuses.

What general income tax consequences will I have from owning a Policy?

Under current federal tax law, you generally do not pay income tax on increases
in your Account Value unless and until there is a total surrender or partial
withdrawal.  A complete surrender of the Policy will, and a partial withdrawal
may, be included in your gross income to the extent that the distribution
exceeds your investment in the Policy. Additional amounts may be taxable if a
partial surrender during the first 15 Policy Years results in or is necessitated
by a reduction in benefits.

Under current federal tax, you will generally not pay current income tax on the
proceeds from any Policy loan. Interest you pay on the loan generally will not
be tax deductible, however.

Special rules are applicable to a surrender, withdrawal, loan or transfer of
ownership from a Policy classified as a "modified endowment contract" or "MEC".

Death Benefit Proceeds paid to the Beneficiary under the Policy are generally
not subject to federal income tax.

Please review the FEDERAL TAX MATTERS section of this prospectus for additional
information. We may make any change in a Policy or take any other action in
order to comply with applicable state and federal law, including all tax law
requirements for treatment as life insurance.

How much do we pay the Policy's Beneficiary when the Surviving Insured person
dies?

Upon the death of the Surviving Insured, we will pay the Death Benefit Proceeds
to the Beneficiary.  The Death Benefit Proceeds are (1) the amount payable under
Death Benefit Option A or B (whichever is in effect), (2) minus any outstanding
Policy loans and interest thereon, (3) minus any due and unpaid monthly
deductions and charges under your Policy, and (4) plus any amounts we owe under
the terms of any optional additional benefit riders to your Policy. The
Beneficiary may receive the proceeds in a lump sum or in the form of one of our
annuity payout options.

What charges and deductions do you make?

The Policy is subject to the following charges and deductions:

Monthly Deductions - composed of the following:
 .  administrative charge - currently $10 each Policy Month (which we may
   increase to not more than $16 per month);
 .  policy benefit charge - at an annualized rate of 0.30% of your Policy's
   Account Value;
 .  policy fee - based on the Face Amount of the policy, the sex and premium rate
   class of the Insureds and the Joint Age on the Policy Date;
 .  a cost of insurance charge - based on the sex and premium rate class of the
   Insureds, the Joint Age, Policy Year and amount of coverage; and
 .  any charges for optional additional benefit riders.

Daily Deductions - the charge currently equals an annual rate of 0.90% (which we
may increase to not more than 1.20%) of the daily net assets in each Separate
Account Investment Option.

Surrender Charge - will be assessed upon termination of your Policy during the
first 10 Policy Years.  The Surrender Charge varies for each Policy Year during
this period.  The maximum Surrender Charge is 125% of 12 Monthly Minimum
Premiums up to a limit, for standard premium rate classes, of $60 per $1,000 of
Face Amount. A new set of Surrender Charges is established for the 10-year
period following an increase in Face Amount.

Fund Expenses - we purchase shares of the Portfolios of Variable Investors
Series Trust ("VIST") and Federated Insurance Series ("FIS") at net asset value,
which reflects investment management fees, other operating expenses and any
expense reimbursement paid by an investment adviser to the applicable Portfolio.
Accordingly, these expenses reduce the return you earn in our related variable
investment options. The total annual expenses of the Portfolios as a percentage
of average net assets for the year ended December 31, 1998 were:

[To be filed by Pre-Effective Amendment]

First Variable Advisory Services Corp., the investment adviser to VIST, has
agreed through April 1, ____ to reimburse VIST for operating expenses (exclusive
of management fees) in excess of .50% of a VIST Portfolio's average daily net
assets (.25% in the case of the VIST U.S. Government Bond Portfolio).  Had this
investment adviser not reimbursed expenses of the VIST Portfolios, for the year
ended December 31, 1998, the VIST annual expenses, as a percentage of the
Portfolio's average assets, would have been ___ for the VIST Small Cap Growth
Portfolio; ___% for the VIST World Equity Portfolio; ____% for the VIST Matrix
Equity Portfolio; ___% for the VIST Growth & Income Portfolio; ___% for the VIST
Multiple Strategies Portfolio; ___% for the VIST High Income Bond Portfolio; and
___% for the VIST U.S. Government Bond Portfolio.  Federated Advisors, the
investment adviser for FIS has voluntarily agreed to waive any portion of its
fee and/or reimburse certain operating expenses of FIS in excess of ___% of the
FIS Prime Money Fund II Portfolio's average net assets, but can modify or
terminate this voluntary agreement at any time at its sole discretion. Had this
investment adviser not waived expenses and/or reimbursed expenses of the
Federated Prime Money Fund II Portfolio for the year ended December 31, 1998,
the annual expenses, as a percentage of the Portfolio's average assets, would
have been ____%.

Other Expenses - we also have the right to begin making the following additional
charges under the Policies (which we have decided not to impose for now):

Premium Charge and Premium Tax Charge - currently none, guaranteed not to exceed
9.25% of each Premium Payment you make.

Transaction Fees - currently none, guaranteed not to exceed $10 guaranteed for
each transfer among Investment Options that you make in excess of twelve
transfers per Policy Year; and guaranteed not to exceed $10 for any Policy loan.

Additional Transaction Charge - currently none, may be imposed for surrenders
you make for the benefit of a third party assignee of the Policy pursuant to
section 1035 of the Internal Revenue Code. (See "Surrender Charge.")

Tax Charge - currently none, but we reserve the right to impose charges for
other taxes that may be payable and are attributable to the Policies in the
future.
<PAGE>
 
                     FIRST VARIABLE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
                                        
We are a stock life insurance company that was organized under Arkansas law in
1968.  We engage principally in the business of variable life insurance,
variable annuities, and fixed annuities.  We hold licenses to sell insurance in
49 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  Irish Life of
North America, Inc. ("ILoNA") owns all of our outstanding stock, and Irish Life
plc ("Irish Life") in turn, owns all of ILoNA.  Irish Life commenced operations
in 1939 through a consolidation of a number of Irish and British life offices
transacting business in Ireland.  In terms of assets, Irish Life controls over
50% of the Irish domestic life insurance market.  As Ireland's leading
institutional investor, it owns in excess of 10% of the leading Irish publicly
traded stocks.  Irish Life, through its international subsidiaries, conducts
business in Ireland, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Europe.  As of
the end of 19__, the Irish Life consolidated group had in excess of $__ billion
in assets.  ILoNA is a Delaware corporation, incorporated as Carrig
International, Inc. in 1986.

We have an A (Excellent) rating from A.M. Best, an independent firm that
analyzes insurance carriers.  Best assigns that rating to companies that have a
strong ability to meet obligations to policyholders over a long period of time.
We also have an AA- rating from Standard and Poor's and an AA- rating from Duff
& Phelps Credit Rating Co. on claims paying ability.  Our financial strength
enhances our ability to satisfy our obligations under the Policies.

                              THE SEPARATE ACCOUNT
                                        
We authorized the establishment of Separate Account VL (the "Separate Account)
under Arkansas law on March 6, 1987; and we have registered the Separate Account
with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") as a unit investment trust-
type investment company.

The Separate Account's assets belong to us.  However, our other creditors could
reach only the amount (if any) in the Separate Account that exceeds the current
value of our obligations to policyholders who have chosen a Separate Account
investment option.

The Separate Account has several different investment options within it.  We
invest the assets allocated to each investment option in one Portfolio of VIST
or Federated mutual funds.

We may add other investment options to the Policies that, in turn, may be
invested in other Portfolios of VIST or FIS in portfolios of other mutual funds.
We may restrict these other investment options to customers of specified
distributors.

Performance Information

Appendix A to this prospectus sets out the performance record of each portfolio
that you can select as an investment option.


                            YOUR INVESTMENT OPTIONS
                                        
The Available Options

You may allocate your premium payments and existing Account Value to one or more
of our Separate Account investment options and/or to our Fixed Account.  The
currently available Portfolios for our Separate Account Investment Options are
listed on the cover page of this prospectus.  More information, including a
discussion of potential risks, appears in the current prospectuses for the VIST
and FIS mutual funds, which accompany this prospectus. (The prospectuses for the
funds may also describe other portfolios that are not available under a Policy.)
You should read this prospectus and the prospectuses for the funds carefully
before investing in any Separate Account investment option.

We do not guarantee that continued purchase of Portfolio shares will remain
appropriate in view of the purposes of the Separate Account.  If shares of a
Portfolio are no longer available for investment by the Separate Account or if,
in our judgment, further investment in the shares should become inappropriate or
inadvisable in view of the purpose of the Policies, we may substitute shares of
another portfolio or investment vehicle for shares already purchased or to be
purchased in the future.  We also may, in our discretion, remove Portfolios for
transfers or new investments.  No substitution of securities may take place
without prior approval of the SEC, to the extent required, and in compliance
with requirements the SEC may impose.

We may also combine separate account investment options or operate them in any
form permitted by law, including a form that allows them to make direct
investments.

This prospectus generally describes only the Policy and Separate Account
investment options.  Because of certain exemptions, interests in our Fixed
Account are not registered under the securities laws, nor have we registered the
Fixed Account as an investment company.  Accordingly, the protections of the
federal securities laws do not apply to our Fixed Account.  We will credit your
Account Values in the Fixed Account with at least a minimum effective rate of
interest per year.  We may credit additional amounts of "current" interest in
our sole discretion.  New premium payments and transfers from the Separate
Account or Loan Account to the Fixed Account may each receive different current
interest rate(s) than the current interest rate(s) credited to Account Value
that has been previously invested in the Fixed Account.  We determine current
interest rates in advance, and credit interest daily to your Account Value in
the Fixed Account.

Transfers Among Investment Options

General Requirements.  You may transfer Account Value among investment options
by written request or telephone. The minimum amount you may transfer is the
lesser of (a) $100 or (b) your entire interest in the applicable investment
option.  You should mail, fax or express written transfer requests to our
Variable Service Center shown on the front cover of this prospectus.  You can
also request a transfer by phoning 1-800-228-1035.

Transfer requests must clearly specify the amount to be transferred and the
investment options affected.   All transfer requests made at the same time for
Separate Account investment options will be treated as a single request.  The
transfer will be effective at the prices we next compute after we receive the
transfer request at our Variable Service Center.

Unless we consent, transfers from the Fixed Account to other investment options
during the first Policy Year cannot total more than 50% of the Fixed Account
Value on the Policy Date.

After the first Policy Year, your transfers from the Fixed Account during a
Policy Year may not exceed the greater of:

 .  50% of your Fixed Account Value on the immediately preceding Policy
   Anniversary; or
 .  100% of your Fixed Account Value transferred to other investment options
   during the immediately preceding Policy Year.

We can impose a transaction fee if you make more than 12  "free" transfers in a
Policy Year.

Automatic Transfer Programs - You can participate in automatic transfer
arrangements, including dollar cost averaging and asset rebalancing programs.
You initiate these programs by making a written or telephone request to our
Variable Service Center shown on the front cover of this prospectus.  We make
the automatic transfers on the last business day of 
<PAGE>
 
whichever of the following intervals you request: quarterly, semi-annually,
annually, monthly (for dollar cost averaging only), or at any other interval
that we approve. You may request us to cease automatic transfers at any time.

Automatic transfers from the Fixed Account are subject to the restrictions
described above in General Requirements (except that, for dollar cost averaging
only, you can transfer up to 100% of your Fixed Account Value within one Policy
Year if you have selected the monthly interval.)  Automatic transfers are not
subject to any transaction fee and do not count toward the number of "free"
transfers.  We currently do not charge you for an automatic transaction program,
although we reserve the right to do so in the future.

The dollar cost averaging program permits transfers from the Prime Money Fund II
investment option or the Fixed Account to other Separate Account investment
options on a regularly scheduled basis.  Such systematic transfers may prevent
investing too much when the price of securities is high or too little when the
price is low.  There is no guarantee of this, however.  Also, since systematic
transfers, such as dollar cost averaging, involve continuous investment
regardless of fluctuating price levels, you should consider your ability to
continue purchases through periods of low price levels.

The minimum amount, for each dollar cost averaging transfer, is $100. You must
have  $1,200 of Account Value in the Prime Money Fund II investment option or
the Fixed Account, as applicable, before a "dollar cost averaging" program may
begin.

The asset rebalancing program enables you to select the percentage levels of
Account Value you wish to maintain in particular investment options.  At the
intervals you select, we will automatically rebalance your Account Value to
maintain the indicated percentages by transfers among the investment options.
You must include all of your Account Value allocated to the Separate Account
investment options in any asset rebalancing program.

Other investment programs, such as systematic transfers and systematic
withdrawals, or other transfers or withdrawals may not work well in concert with
the asset rebalancing program.  Therefore, you should monitor your use of these
programs while the asset rebalancing program is being used.

Restrictions on Transfers.  Generally, you may make an unlimited number of
transfers in any Policy Year.  Frequent requests to transfer, however, may have
a detrimental effect on the value of Portfolio shares values held in the
Separate Account.  We may therefore limit the number of permitted transfers in
any Policy Year, or refuse to honor any transfer request for an owner or a group
of owners, if:

 .  the purchase or redemption of shares of one or more of the Portfolios is to
   be restricted because of excessive trading; or
 .  a specific transfer or group of transfers is deemed to have a detrimental
   effect on Policy Account Value or Portfolio share prices.

We may also at any time suspend or cancel acceptance of third party transfer
requests on behalf of a Policyowner; or restrict the Investment Options that
will be available for such transfers.  Notice will be provided to the third
party in advance of the restrictions.  We will not impose any restrictions,
however, if we have received satisfactory evidence that:

 .  you have appointed the third party to act on your behalf for all financial
   affairs; or
 .  a court of competent jurisdiction has appointed the third party to act on 
   your behalf.

We also reserve the right at any time and without prior notice to otherwise
modify, suspend or terminate the transfer privileges.

Automatic Transfers of Small Accounts.  We reserve the right, subject to any
applicable law, to transfer Account Value from any investment option if less
than $100, to the investment option with the greatest Account Value.

Mixed and Shared Funding

We buy shares of VIST and FIS for the Separate Account in connection with the
Policies, and for allocation to separate accounts funding variable annuity
policies and other variable life insurance Policies issued by us. VIST and FIS
         offer shares to other insurance companies and to other separate
accounts, either affiliated or unaffiliated with us, for the same purpose. In
the future, it may conceivably become disadvantageous for variable life
insurance separate accounts and variable annuity separate accounts to invest in
one or more of the VIST or FIS Portfolios simultaneously, if the interests of
variable life insurance and variable annuity policy owners differ. The boards of
trustees of VIST and FIS investing in those Portfolios intend to monitor events
to identify any material irreconcilable conflicts which may arise and to
determine what action, if any, they or the insurance companies should take in
response.

                       MORE ABOUT CHARGES AND DEDUCTIONS
                                        
Monthly Deductions

On the first day of each Policy Month we make a Monthly Deduction from each
Policy's Account Value.  We make the deduction from your Investment Options in
proportion to the amount of your Account Value in each (i.e., on a "pro-rata
basis") or by any other method you select and we approve.

For example, we will permit you to have deductions first taken from one or more
preselected investment options.  You may also request deductions to first be
taken from the investment option that has the best investment performance over
the prior Policy Month.

The Monthly Deductions include the following charges:

Administrative Charge. This charge is currently $10.00 per Policy Month, we
guarantee this charge not to exceed $16 per Policy Month.

Policy Fee and Policy Benefit Charge.  The monthly deduction includes a policy
fee and an additional monthly charge for the benefits we provide under the
Policies.  The policy fee is based on the Face Amount of the Policy, the sex and
premium rate class of the Insureds and the Joint Age on the Policy Date.  We
compute the policy benefit charge as a percentage of the Policy's Account Value
on each monthly deduction day.  We make this charge at an effective annual rate
of 0.30%.

Cost of Insurance.  This is a charge for the cost of providing life insurance
coverage for the insured person.  First we subtract your then current Account
Value from your then current Death Benefit; under your Policy.  This tells us
how many dollars we stand to lose if you were to die at that time.  We determine
our cost of insurance charge by (a) dividing that dollar amount of risk by
1.003273739 and (b) multiplying the result by the applicable current cost of
insurance rate.  The cost of insurance rate varies based on the length of time a
Policy has been in force and the sex and premium rate class of the Insureds and
the Joint Age.  We guarantee this charge will not exceed the charge for the same
amount of risk based on the mortality table guaranteed in the Policy. For
standard risk Insureds, we guarantee the 1980 Commissioner's Standard Ordinary
Mortality Tables, Age Last Birthday ("1980 CSO").  These mortality tables differ
for male and female insured persons and separate mortality tables may be used
for different premium rate classes. The maximum cost of insurance charge for
substandard risk Insureds is based on multiples of or additions to the
guaranteed standard rates established by the 1980 CSO.
<PAGE>
 
We currently charge lower cost of insurance rates for most Joint Ages, although
we can at any time raise them to not more than the above-described guaranteed
maximums.

In general, the guaranteed cost of insurance rates increase with the Joint Age.
Therefore, the longer you own a Policy, the higher your cost of insurance rate
will be.  Similarly, non-smokers generally have lower current cost of insurance
rates than smokers do, and persons that have other highly favorable health
characteristics have lower rates than those that do not.  On the other hand, if
one or both of the Insureds present particular health, occupational or
avocational risks you may pay higher cost of insurance rates and other
additional charges for the insurance coverage.

The monthly cost of insurance rates for an increase in Face Amount under your
Policy will be based on the set amount of insurance and premium rate class of
the Insureds and the Joint Age at the time of the increase.

Optional Additional Benefit Rider Charges:  We intend to offer optional
additional benefit riders that you may add to the Policy. Your Policy will
specify any additional monthly charge for the riders you elect.

Daily Deductions

Each Business Day, we deduct a mortality and expense risk charge that we
calculate as a percentage of your Policy's net assets in each Separate Account
investment options.  The charge is currently 0.90% (which we guarantee will not
be increased to more than 1.20 %, on an annual basis.)

Surrender Charge

We may assess a surrender charge if you surrender your Policy during the first
10 Policy Years.

Surrender Charge Percentage.  For each Policy Year, we multiply one year's
Monthly Minimum Premium applicable to the initial Face Amount by the surrender
charge percentage shown below.  We then deduct that amount if you make a full
surrender at any time during that Policy Year:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        Surrender                        Surrender Charge %
    Policy Year         Charge %       Policy 
                                        Year       
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                     <C>            <C>               <C>
         1                62.5%           7                      80%
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         2                125%            8                      60%
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         3                125%            9                      42%
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         4                125%           10                      20%
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         5                125%           11+                      0%
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         6                100%
- ------------------------------------
</TABLE>

Maximum Surrender Charge.  The surrender charge will not exceed 125% of one
year's Monthly Minimum Premium.  Nor will it exceed $60 per $1,000 of Face
Amount for standard premium rate classes. This per $1,000 limit will not apply
if either of the Insureds is in a substandard premium rate class. The Policy
states the dollar amount of the maximum surrender charge on the Policy Date.  We
impose no surrender charge upon a partial decrease in Face Amount, but the full
surrender charge will remain in effect for a subsequent surrender.

Surrender Charge for Face Amount Increases: We will establish an additional
surrender charge for the 10 year period following any increase in Face Amount
that you request. The additional surrender charge will be computed as if the
Face Amount increase were being issued in the form of a new Policy, based on the
Joint Age and other risk characteristics of the Insureds at the time of the
increase.

Upon surrender within the 10-year period, the remaining amount of surrender
charges for the Face Amount increase will be deducted, together with any amount
of surrender charge that still remains from the initial policy or from any prior
Face Amount increases.

Fund Expenses

Our Separate Account purchases shares of the Portfolios of VIST and FIS at net
asset value, which reflects investment management fees, other operating expenses
and any expense reimbursement paid by an investment adviser to the applicable
Portfolio.  (See "Highlights -- Fund Expenses.")

Other Charges and Deductions (Not Currently Charged)

We do not currently make the charges referred to after the captions "Premium
Charge and Premium Tax Charges"  "Transaction Fees", "Additional Transaction
Charges" and "Tax Charge" in the "Highlights" segment of this prospectus.  We
reserve the right to do so, however.

Special Service Fees.  We do not charge you for special services, such as
additional reports, dollar cost averaging, and asset rebalancing.   Although we
do not currently intend to do so, we reserve the right to charge you for these
special services.

Elimination, Reduction or Refund of Charges and Deductions; Increases in Bonuses

We may eliminate, reduce, or refund any charges and deductions on a Policy when
sales of Policies are made to certain individuals or to group and sponsored
arrangements. We will do this when we expect savings of sales, administration or
other expenses, or in a reduction in the level of risks we expect to assume
under the Policies.  (This prospectus describes such groups under "Group and
Sponsored Arrangements" below.)  We determine any such adjustment to charges and
deductions after examination of relevant factors such as:

 .  the size and type of group, because large numbers of Policies tend to lower
   our per-Policy expenses;
 .  the total amount of premium payments to be received, because certain expenses
   tend to be a smaller percentage of larger premium payments;
 .  any prior or existing relationship we have with the purchaser, because of the
   likelihood of reduced marketing and implementation expenses;
 .  other circumstances, of which we are not presently aware, which could result
   in reduced expenses; and
 .  after a Policy is issued, if we anticipate expenses for later Policy Years
   that are lower than initially projected.

We also may eliminate, reduce or refund charges and deductions when we issue a
Policy to an officer, director, employee or agent of ours or any of our
affiliates. We do not, however, guarantee any adjustment in charges and
deductions, and any adjustment may vary by group.  Based on the same
considerations as discussed above, we may also credit higher Policy bonuses than
would be otherwise be payable or accelerate the payment of Policy bonuses to
members of selected groups. 

All adjustments will be made under our uniform administrative rules then in
effect.  In no event will adjustments to charges, deductions or Policy bonuses
be permitted if the adjustment would be unfairly discriminatory to any person.

Group and Sponsored Arrangements.  Group arrangements include those in which a
trustee, employer, association or similar entity purchases individual Policies
covering a group of individuals on a group basis.  An example of such an
arrangement is a non-tax qualified deferred compensation plan.  Sponsored
arrangements include those in which an employer, an association or similar
entity permits the Company to offer Policies to its employees or members on an
individual basis.

Gender-Neutral Policies.  In 1983, the United States Supreme Court decided in
Arizona Governing Committee v. Norris that certain insurance contracts may not
be used to fund certain employee benefit programs where the contracts provided
values and benefits that varied with the 
<PAGE>
 
gender of the insured person. We may therefor offer Policies that do not vary by
gender for use in connection with certain employee benefit programs. We
recommend that any employer proposing to offer the Policies to employees under a
group or sponsored arrangement consult its attorney before doing so.

We may also offer the Policy with provisions and charges that are gender neutral
in states where required, and where the "unisex" version of the Policy has been
approved.  Currently, the State of Montana prohibits the use of actuarial tables
that distinguish between men and women in determining premiums and policy
benefits.

Purposes of Policy Charges

We have designed the charges under the Policies to cover, on the whole, our
direct and indirect costs of selling, administering and providing benefits under
the Policies.  These charges are also designed, on a whole to compensate us for
the risks we assume under the Policies.  These include mortality risks (such as
the risk that insured persons will, on average, die before we expect, thereby
increasing the amount of claims we must pay); investment risks (such as the risk
that adverse investment performance will make it more costly for us to provide
the Guaranteed Death Benefit under the Policies or reduce the amount of our
asset-based fee revenues below what we anticipate); sales risks (such as the
risk that we sell fewer Policies and receive lower net revenue than we expect,
thereby depriving us of expected economies of scale); regulatory risks (such as
the risk that tax or other regulations may be changed in ways adverse to issuers
of variable life insurance policies); and expense risks (such as the risk that
the costs of administrative services that we must provide will exceed what we
currently project).

If, as expected, the charges that we collect from the Policies exceed our total
costs in connection with the Policies, we will earn a profit.  Otherwise we will
incur a loss.  We have set the current and maximum rates of certain of our
charges with reference to estimates of the amount of specific types of expenses
or risks that the Company will incur.  In some cases, this prospectus identifies
such expenses or risks in the name of the charge: e.g., the administrative
charge, cost of insurance charge, and mortality and expense risk charge.
However, the fact that any charge bears the name of a particular expense or
risk does not mean that the amount we collect from that charge will never be
more than the amount of such expense or risk, or that we may not also be
compensated for such expense or risk out of any other charges we may deduct
under the terms of the Policies.

                                  THE POLICIES
                                        
Application and Issuance of a Policy

If you wish to purchase a Policy, you must submit an application to our Variable
Service Center. You select:

 .  A Face Amount (minimum of $50,000 on proposed Insureds up to Age 85, and
   Death Benefit Option A or B; (see "Death Benefit");
 .  The amount of planned premium that you intend to pay; and
 .  The investment options to which we will allocate your premium.

We will review an application under our underwriting rules, and we may request
additional information or reject the application. We generally will not issue
Policies to insure persons older than age 85; nor will we generally issue
Policies to employee benefit plans qualified under Section 401 of the Internal
Revenue Code. If we decline an application, we will refund any premium payment
made.

If we issue the Policy, Monthly Deductions will begin as of the Policy Date. If
you make a premium payment with the application, the Policy Date generally will
be the date we approve the application.  If you instead pay the first premium
upon delivery of the Policy, the Policy Date generally will be five days after
we issue the Policy.

Under limited circumstances, we may backdate a Policy, upon request, by
assigning a Policy Date earlier than the date the application is signed.  In
that case, even though Monthly Deductions begin earlier, backdating may be
advantageous, for example, to obtain a lower cost of insurance rate, based on a
lower Joint Age of the insured persons.

"Free Look Right."  You have the right to review your Policy during an initial
inspection period specified in the Policy and, if dissatisfied, to return it to
us or to the agent through whom you purchased it. We will refund the Account
Value, any Premium Load, and any Monthly Deductions on a Policy returned during
the permitted period, unless a different amount is required by state law.  The
"free look" period is typically 10 days, but may be greater depending on state
requirements.

Premiums

Planned Premiums.  You may chose, within limits, to pay premiums on a pre-
determined schedule.   We will provide periodic reminder notices.  Failure to
make such a payment will not result in termination of your Policy, so long as
your Policy has enough Cash Surrender Value to cover the Monthly Deductions as
they fall due.  Although making planned premium payments will not necessarily
assure that your Policy will remain in force, the amounts paid will generally
result in greater benefits than if you pay a lower amount of premium.

You may arrange to pay planned premiums by pre-authorized automatic deductions
from accounts you maintain at other financial institutions.  You may also
request to change the amount of your planned premiums by submitting a written
request to our Variable Service Center.

Monthly Minimum Premium; Death Benefit Guarantee. Your Policy shows the Monthly
Minimum Premium, which varies by Joint Age on the Policy Date, Death Benefit
amount (including optional additional benefit riders), and the sex and premium
rate classes of the insured persons.  The Monthly Minimum Premium increases if
the Face Amount increases, or if you add other benefits, during the Death
Benefit Guarantee Period.

Your Policy will stay in force during the Death Benefit Guarantee period if, as
of the first Business Day of each Policy Month, the cumulative amount of
premiums paid over the life of your Policy at least equals your Policy's Monthly
Minimum Premium times the number of elapsed Policy Months.  For this purpose,
the amount of premium paid is reduced by the sum of any outstanding Policy loans
(including accrued interest) and cumulative withdrawals.

The length of the Death Benefit guarantee period currently ranges 10 years to
_________  years [to be filed by pre-effective amendment], depending on the
Joint Age and premium rate class on the Policy Date (the "issue age"):

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
         Issue Age                 Guaranteed Death Benefit Period
         ---------                 -------------------------------
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                <C>
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

We will accrue for later deduction any charges that were due but not taken
during the Guaranteed Death Benefit Period because of insufficient Account
Value. Any due and unpaid Monthly Deductions will be deducted from any Death
Benefit proceeds or from any Account Value that becomes available to pay the
deduction.

Additional Premiums.  You may pay additional premiums at any time during the
lifetime of either of the insured persons, subject to three exceptions.  First,
we will refuse any premium payment that may cause your Policy no longer to be
treated as life insurance for tax purposes.  Second, we 
<PAGE>
 
reserve the right to require satisfactory evidence that both of the insured
persons are still insurable before we accept any premium payment that would
increase the then current Death Benefit under your Policy. Third, we may require
that you pay off any Policy loans you have taken (and unpaid interest) prior to
accepting any premium payments from you.

If you pay premiums in excess of certain amounts your Policy may be classified
as a "modified endowment contract," or "MEC," for federal income tax purposes
and this could have adverse tax consequences for you.  (See "Federal Tax Matters
Income Tax Treatment at Policy Benefits.")

Grace Period.  After the end of your Policy's Death Benefit Guarantee Period,
your Policy will enter a grace period on the first Business Day of any Policy
Month on which your Policy Cash Surrender Value will not cover the current
Monthly Deduction and accrued interest on any Policy loans you have taken.  This
also will happen during the Death Benefit Guarantee Period, if you have not paid
enough premiums to keep the guarantee in force.

The grace period runs for 61 days from the applicable Business Day.  We will
send you a notice at your last known address which will show the amount
necessary to cover the Monthly Deduction(s) due plus an amount equal to three
times the current Monthly Deduction.  If you do not pay at least this amount by
the end of the grace period, your Policy will end without value.

Allocation of Premiums

General.  We allocate the premium payments you make (after any deductions) to
the investment options you select.  We use "Accumulation Units" to keep track of
your interest in any Separate Account investment option you select.  We
determine the number of Accumulation Units credited to a Policy by dividing the
amount allocated a Separate Account investment option by the value of the
applicable Accumulation Unit next determined after receipt of your premium
payment.  We calculate Accumulation Unit Values as of the end of each Business
Day.  Premium payments allocated to the Fixed Account are credited in dollars.
Premium payments are generally allocated to the Separate Accounts or the Fixed
Account as of the later of the Policy Date or the date we receive your premium.

Delayed Investment Allocation Date.  We reserve the right to allocate premium
payments to the Prime Money Fund II investment option for an investment delay
period before they will be invested (together with any investment gain) in any
other investment option(s) you designate.  In that case, we would reallocate
your Account Value to the investment options you have selected at the end of
your Policy's "free look" period.  We would measure the investment delay period
from the date your Policy is issued from our Variable Service Center and would
include up to 5 extra days in addition to the applicable "free look" inspection
period to provide time for mail or other delivery of the Policy to you.

If we elect to delay your investment allocation date, your Policy will contain a
provision to that effect.

Telephone Transactions

You may initiate various transactions by calling 1-800-845-0689. These are:
transfers of Account Value, notification of a change in your address, change of
premium allocations among Investment Options, partial withdrawal requests,
Policy loans and systematic withdrawals. You may authorize your representative
to make these calls on your behalf.

You may also call 1-800-59-FUNDS for current Accumulation Unit values, current
Account Value, and for telephone transfers of Account Value.

If you own a Policy jointly with another owner, unless both owners have advised
us to the contrary, we will accept instructions from either one of the joint
owners.

We will use reasonable procedures (such as requiring identifying information
from the caller, tape recording the telephone instructions, and providing
written confirmation of the transaction) in order to authenticate instructions
communicated by telephone.  You will be responsible for any telephone
instructions we reasonably believe to be genuine.  Therefore, you will bear any
losses arising from any errors in the communication of instructions.  If we do
not employ reasonable procedures to confirm that instructions communicated by
telephone are genuine, we may be liable to you for any losses due to dishonored
or fraudulent instructions.  We may modify or terminate our procedures for
telephone transactions at any time.

                           POLICY BENEFITS AND VALUES
                                        
Death Benefit

If we receive proof that both of the Insureds have died while the Policy was in
force, we would pay the Death Benefit Proceeds to the Beneficiary.  You may
elect for the Death Benefit Proceeds to be paid in a single sum or under one of
our other Payout Options before the death of the Surviving Insured. If no such
election is in effect at the death of the Surviving Insured, the Beneficiary may
make the election during a 60-day period following the Company's receipt of
proof of death.  We will hold up payment of the Death Benefit Proceeds in the
meantime.

Death Benefit Options A and B

The amount of the Death Benefit depends on whether you have chosen Death Benefit
Option A or Death Benefit Option B.

Option A.  Under this option, the Death Benefit is the greater of:
- --------                                                           
 .  the Face Amount or
 .  the Account Value times the applicable percentage shown in the Table of
   Minimum Death Benefit Percentages.

Option B.  Under this option, the Death Benefit is the greater of:
- --------                                                          
 .  the Face Amount plus the Account Value or
 .  the Account Value times the applicable percentage shown in the Table of
   Minimum Death Benefit Percentages.
<PAGE>
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                        Table of  Minimum Death Benefit Percentages

                      Percentage of               Percentage of               Percentage of               Percentage of
          Joint       Account Value     Joint     Account Value     Joint     Account Value     Joint     Account Value
           Age                           Age                         Age                         Age
        <S>           <C>               <C>       <C>               <C>       <C>               <C>       <C>
        35 or less         250
 
            36             250            51            178           66            119           81            105
            37             250            52            171           67            118           82            105
            38             250            53            164           68            117           83            105
            39             250            54            157           69            116           84            105
            40             250            55            150           70            115           85            105
 
            41             243            56            146           71            113           86            105
            42             236            57            142           72            111           87            105
            43             229            58            138           73            109           88            105
            44             222            59            134           74            107           89            105
            45             215            60            130           75            105           90            105
 
            46             209            61            128           76            105           91            104
            47             203            62            126           77            105           92            103
            48             197            63            124           78            105           93            102
            49             191            64            122           79            105           94            101
            50             185            65            120           80            105          95+            100
</TABLE>
 
In computing the Death Benefit, we use the Joint Age as of the date of death of
the Surviving Insured and the Face Amount, the Account Value, and the death
benefit option that are in effect under the Policy as of that same date.

Change in Death Benefit Options and Face Amount.  Beginning in the second Policy
Year, you may make a written request to our Variable Service Center not more
than once each Policy Year to change your Death Benefit option.  If we approve
a change from Death Benefit Option B to Death Benefit Option A, we will
automatically increase the Face Amount of your Policy by an amount equal to the
Policy's Account Value.  Upon a change from Death Benefit Option A to Death
Benefit Option B, we will automatically decrease the Face Amount of your Policy
by an amount equal to the Policy's Account Value.

After the first Policy Year, you may also make a written request to our Variable
Service Center to increase or decrease your Policy's Face Amount.

We may require evidence of the and the continued insurability of either or both
of the Insureds for a change from Death Benefit Option B to Death Benefit Option
A, or for any other change that would increase the Face Amount. We also may
restrict any requested increases in the Face Amount to minimums and maximums
that vary with the Joint Age and the premium rate class of the Insureds, and may
adjust the Joint Age for any increases in Face Amount. If the Face Amount
increases during any Death Benefit Guarantee period, the Monthly  Minimum
Premium also will usually increase for the remainder of the applicable Death
Benefit Guarantee Period.  The increase in Monthly Minimum Premium would be
based on the Joint Age, sex, additional Face Amount, and premium rate class of
the Insureds.  The surrender charge and applicable surrender charge period will
also increase as a result of an increase in Face Amount, other than an increase
due solely to a change in Death Benefit Option. (See "Surrender Charge.")

Any reduction in Face Amount will take effect in the following order:

 .  against the most recent increase in Face Amount; then
 .  against the next most recent increases; then
 .  against the initial Face Amount.

We may deny any request to reduce the Face Amount (including reductions
resulting from a change of Death Benefit Option A to Death Benefit Option B):

 .  if the Death Benefit would be reduced below that required to qualify the
   Policy as life insurance; or
 .  if the Death Benefit would be reduced below the minimum Face Amount shown in
   the Policy.

A change in Death Benefit Option or Face Amount will take effect on the first
Business Day of the Policy Month coinciding with or next following the date we
approve the request.  For a discussion of possible tax consequences of changing
insurance coverage under a Policy, see "Federal Tax Status."

Premium Value Bonuses and Cash Value Bonuses

Subject to approval by your local insurance regulatory authority, a Policy
continuously in force for 8 Policy Years will be eligible for monthly Premium
Value and Cash Value Bonuses.  The bonuses will be allocated monthly to the same
investment options as then in effect for your premium payments.

The amounts of these bonuses are discussed above under "Highlights.

Our life insurance policies funded through the Separate Account have only been
available since January 1998, and we have not yet credited any  bonuses.

Optional Additional Benefit Riders

We intend to offer optional additional benefit riders subject to regulatory
approval in your local area and to our underwriting and issuance standards.  The
following descriptions are not complete.  For more complete information about
the riders and their availability, you should consult your sales representative
or request a copy of the form of the rider in which you 
<PAGE>
 
are interested. Coverage under these riders may increase the Monthly Deduction
under the Policy.

Acceleration of Death Benefit Rider - permits you to receive an advance of the
Death Benefit when the Surviving Insured person has a terminal illness with a
life expectancy of less than 12 months (all as defined in the rider).

We compute the maximum amount of advance under a formula set forth in the rider.
In no event will we advance more that $500,000, however.  Amounts advanced under
the rider generally will be considered Death Benefits for federal income tax
purposes. (See "Federal Tax Matters - Income Tax Treatment of Policy Benefits.")
We do not charge for this rider.

Estate Protection Rider - provides additional fixed benefit term life insurance
during the first four policy years to protect against automatic inclusion of
Policy value in taxable gross estates where the Policy is owned by a trust.

Additional Term Insurance on a Single Insured - provides additional term life
insurance coverage on the life of the insured person, and for a designated
period, that you select.  The term coverage cannot continue after that insured
person reaches his or her age 95.  You may convert this term insurance to a
permanent plan of life insurance, subject to the conditions listed in the rider,
if the insured person has not yet reached his or her age 70.  The charges
applicable to a single insured person rider will vary, depending on the amount
of coverage, age, sex and premium risk class of the insured person.

Additional Joint Term Insurance on the Insureds - provides additional term life
insurance for a preselected period, based on the Joint Age of the Insureds.  One
form is payable upon the death of the second of the Insureds to die.  The other
form is payable upon the death of the first of the Insureds to die.

Coverage under the second to die term rider may lower the Monthly Minimum
Premium requirement from what we would require if you purchased the same amount
of coverage under the base Policy.  Coverage under the rider, as compared to
coverage under the base Policy, may also result in a lower Surrender Charge, a
smaller amount of premiums required initially to maintain your Policy's
Guaranteed Death Benefit, and lower amounts of those Policy charges that are
based on Minimum Premiums and Account Value.  However, the amount of any Premium
Value Bonus also will be reduced if coverage on the insured persons is taken
under the rider instead of the base Policy, and the potential for Cash Value
Bonuses may also be reduced unless you pay more than the Monthly Minimum
Premiums.

Other Insured Persons Rider - provides fixed benefit term life insurance
coverage on the lives of other individuals that you select.  The term insurance
maybe converted to a permanent plan of life insurance, subject to the conditions
listed in the rider.  If the insured person under this rider is not a member of
your family, certain special tax rules will apply, which this prospectus briefly
describes in "Federal Tax Matters - Income Tax Treatment of Policy Benefits.

Disability Waiver Benefit Riders.  You may elect to purchase either or both of
our disability benefit riders. The riders provide benefits if the insured person
you select becomes totally disabled, as defined under the terms of the
applicable rider, before reaching his or her age 60. Our "Waiver of Monthly
Deduction" rider waives the Monthly Deductions incurred in connection with the
Policy.  (The waiver does not, however, include daily deductions against
Separate Account assets for the mortality and expense risk charge, which will
continue to apply.)  Our  "Cash Deposit Benefit" rider provides that we will pay
a pre-selected monthly benefit amount into your Policy's Account Value.  We
also will credit these payments toward the Monthly Minimum Premium requirements
for the Guaranteed Death Benefit.  These riders are only available for a single
insured person, and will not provide coverage for both of the Insureds under a
Policy.

You may request that we cancel any rider benefits at any time. The cancelled
rider, and any charges therefor, will terminate at the end of the Policy Month
during which we receive your written request at our Variable Service Center.

Determination of Account Value

Your Account Value under a Policy includes its value in the Separate Account, in
the Fixed Account and, in the Loan Account. Your Account Value in a Separate
Account investment option at any time equals the number of Accumulation Units
you hold in that option multiplied the then-current value of one such
Accumulation Unit.  We compute this value in such a way that the investment
return on your Account Value in any Separate Account investment option will
differ from the total return achieved by the underlying Fund Portfolio only by
the amount of the charges and deductions we make under your Policy from that
investment option.

Your Account Value in the Fixed Account investment option or in the Loan Account
earns fixed rates of interest as described elsewhere in this prospectus.  Your
Account Value in the Fixed Account will increase by the amount of such interest,
but will decrease by the amount of any charges or deductions that we take from
that account for your Policy.

Your Account Value in any investment option, or in the Loan Account will also
vary by the amount of transfers we make among those components of Account Value
in response to requests that you make, or that we make automatically in
connection with any Policy loans that you take and the payment of principal and
interest due thereon.  Your Account Value in each investment option also will
increase by the amount that you direct to that option from your premium payments
and will decrease by the amount of any withdrawals that you take from that
option.

Policy Loans

We will lend you up to 90% of your Policy's Cash Surrender Value at any time
after the initial free-look period. You may request a Policy loan by submitting
a request in writing or by telephone to our Variable Service Center shown on the
front cover of this prospectus.  (See "Telephone Transactions.")

Each loan must be at least $100.  We will automatically transfer Account Value
equal to the amounts you borrow to your Policy's Loan Account from the other
investment options you are then using.  We credit amounts in your Loan Account 
with interest at a minimum annual rate of 4%.

The interest you must pay us on a Policy loan accrues daily and is payable in
arrears at the end of each Policy Month.  If not paid when due, we will add it
as an additional Policy loan on the first Business Day of the next Policy Month.
A loan repayment increases your Account Value in your Policy's other investment
options on a dollar-for-dollar basis.

Unless you request otherwise, loans and loan repayments are attributed to the
Separate Account Investment Options and the Fixed Account in proportion to the
Account Value in each.  We may disapprove any such request, however.

Regular Loan Interest.  For a Regular Loan, we charge interest at a 6% effective
annual rate.

Preferred Loan Interest. We charge interest on a Preferred Loan at a 4%
effective annual rate.  You may qualify for Preferred Loans if your Account
<PAGE>
 
Value, less any then outstanding loans and related interest, on any Policy
Anniversary is at least $25,000. If so, the maximum you can take as Preferred
Loan that year is 15% of your Account Value, less any then outstanding Policy
loans and related interest.  If your Policy qualifies for a Preferred Loan on
any Policy Anniversary, we will automatically convert at least part of any
Regular Loan outstanding to a Preferred Loan.  This automatic conversion,
however, will be subject to the above-mentioned 15% limit for that Policy year
and, therefore, will also reduce the amount of Preferred Loans that otherwise
would be available to you for that year.  A Preferred Loan will also reduce the
amount available as a Regular Loan.

Immediate Loan Repayment.  If, the loans and related interest under your Policy
on the first Business Day of a Policy Month exceed the Account Value less the
Surrender Charge, you must make a loan repayment within 61 days after such
Business Day. We will send a notice to you or your assignee, if any.  The Policy
will terminate without value after 61 days, unless you make a sufficient
repayment to reduce the Policy loans and interest accrued thereon to not more
than the Policy's Account Value less (a) the Surrender Charge and (b) an amount
sufficient to continue the Policy in force for 3 months.

You must designate any loan repayment as such.  Otherwise, we will treat the
payment as a premium payment.

Surrender and Withdrawals

Surrender.  You may surrender your Policy for its Cash Surrender Value at any
time while either of the Insureds is living, by a signed written request
conforming to our administrative procedures. We calculate the Cash Surrender
Value as of the close of the Business Day when your surrender request is
received at our Variable Service Center.  The Cash Surrender Value equals your
Account Value reduced by any unpaid Policy loans and accrued interest and by any
applicable Surrender Charges.  You may elect to have all or part of the Cash
Surrender Value applied to a payout option.  (See "Payout Options.")  The
election must be in writing, except that we will accept telephone requests that
apply to only part of the Cash Surrender Value.  Our liability to pay the Death
Benefit proceeds ends when you surrender your Policy.

Withdrawals.  After the first Policy Year, you may withdraw a portion of the
Policy's Cash Surrender Value (minimum $100).  This will reduce the Account
Value and Death Benefit, generally by the amount withdrawn.  If Death Benefit
Option A is in effect, a withdrawal also may reduce your Policy's Face Amount by
the amount of the withdrawal. A requested withdrawal requires our consent,
however:

 .  if the Death Benefit would be reduced below that required to qualify the
   Policy as life insurance or below the minimum Face Amount specified in the
   Policy; or
 .  if the remaining Cash Surrender Value would not be at least (a) $1,000 or (b)
   3 times the most recent Monthly Deduction, whichever is greater.

We will take any withdrawals from your Policy's investment options on a pro-rata
basis, unless you make a request in writing in advance for a different method.
We reserve the right to approve or disapprove any such request.

Maturity Proceeds

If either of the Insureds is living on the Policy's "Maturity Date" (the Policy
anniversary of the Policy Date on which the Joint Age is 100), we will pay the
Cash Surrender Value. In such case, the Policy will terminate and we will have
no further obligations under it. We will calculate the Cash Surrender Value for
this purpose as of the Maturity Date, although we may defer paying such amount
to you until you return your Policy to us.

Lapse and Reinstatement

If your Policy lapses following a 61-day grace period, you may still, within 3
years thereafter, request that we reinstate the Policy.  You would need to
provide us with satisfactory evidence, however, that both of the Insureds are
still insurable and pay certain amounts specified in the Policy.

Any reinstatement will be effective on the first Business Day of the first
Policy Month that begins on or after we approve reinstatement.  The values and
terms and conditions of the reinstated Policy will be in accordance with our
administrative procedures.

Payment of Proceeds

We ordinarily will pay any Cash Surrender Value, Death Benefit Proceeds, or loan
proceeds from the Separate Account Investment Options within seven days after
receipt by our Variable Service Center of a request, or proof of death of the
insured persons, and all other required elections and documentation in a form
satisfactory to us. However, we may delay payment or transfers from a Separate
Account investment option in certain circumstances.  (See "Suspension of
Payments and Transfers.")  The Company may also delay payment if we contest the
Policy.  We will pay interest on Death Benefit Proceeds from the date they
become payable to the date they are paid in one sum or, if an optional payment
option is selected, to the effective date of the option.

Tax Withholding

All distributions from your Policy, or portions thereof, which are included in
your gross income are subject to federal income tax withholding.  We will
withhold federal taxes at the rate of 10% from each distribution.  However, you
may elect not to have taxes withheld or to have taxes withheld at a different
rate.

Payout Options

While either of the Insureds is living, you may elect a single sum payment or a
Payout Option for all or part of the Cash Surrender Value or the Death Benefit
Proceeds. You may elect to change a previously elected Payout Option for Death
Benefit Proceeds.  Any such election or change relating to Death Benefit
Proceeds must be by written request to our Variable Service Center.
 
You may select the following Payout Options or any other Payout Option
acceptable to us:

Option A - Life Annuity.  Equal monthly payments during the life of the payee.

Option B - Life Annuity with Period Certain Of 120 Months.  Equal monthly
payments during the lifetime of the payee, but for no less than 120 months.

Option C - Fixed Payments for A Period Certain.  Equal monthly payments for any
specified period (at least five years but not exceeding thirty years), as
selected by you.

Option D - Death Benefit Proceeds Remaining With Us. The Death Benefit Proceeds
will remain in our Fixed Account and be credited with interest at an effective
annual rate of not less than 4%.  The Payee may make full and partial
withdrawals at any time with no Surrender Charge.

Each payment under Payment Options A, B, or C will be at least equal the amounts
calculated based on the annuity tables contained in your Policy.  If the payee
dies during a period certain (Payout Options B or C), any remaining payments
will be made to the estate of the Payee.  The estate may elect to have the
commuted value of the remaining payments 
<PAGE>
 
paid in a single sum instead.  We will determine the commuted value by
discounting the remaining payments at its then current interest rate used for
commutation.

Tax Impact.  Whether a Payout Option is chosen may have tax consequences for you
or your Beneficiary.  Therefore, you should consult a qualified tax adviser
before deciding whether to elect one or more Payout Options.

Right to Exchange for a Fixed Benefit Policy

During the first 24 Policy Months, if your Policy has not lapsed, you have an
unconditional right to transfer all of your Account Value in the Separate
Account investment option to the Fixed Account without any transaction charge.

Right to Exchange for Two Insurance Policies

If your Policy is issued as a standard or preferred premium rate class, you will
be allowed to split your Policy and exchange it for two policies of individual
life insurance.  The Policy's benefits and values will generally be split
between the two new policies, except that additional optional benefit riders
(other than certain extended death benefit guarantee riders) will be deleted.

You may elect to split your Policy only within 180 days after any of the
following events:

 .  Divorce - starting at the end of a sixty-day waiting period after a divorce
   between the Insureds is effective.

 .  Tax Law Change - the effective date of an amendment to the Code that
   eliminates a marital deduction used for purposes of computing federal estate
   and gift taxes.

 .  Dissolution or Bankruptcy of Partnership - a partnership in which the 
   Insureds are general partners is dissolved or ordered and adjudged to be 
   bankrupt.

 .  Dissolution or Bankruptcy of Closely Held Corporation - a closely held
   corporation in which the Insureds are officers, directors or shareholders, is
   dissolved or ordered and adjudged to be bankrupt. (A Corporation is not
   considered "closely held" if it is publicly traded or listed on a regional or
   national exchange.

Your right to exchange is not available, however, if:

 .  Either of the Insureds is not alive on the date of the exchange, however, no
   other evidence of insurability is required, or

 .  Either of the Insureds is older than the maximum issue age permitted by the
   Company (or its affiliate) for the new policies; or

 .  The Policy is in a Grace Period or receiving benefits from any disability
   rider on the date of the exchange; or

 .  You fail to make the election in writing to our Variable Service Center
   within the required 180-day period.

Each of the new policies to be issued will be on the life of one of the
Insureds. Unless otherwise permitted by us, the new policies will:

 .  Be for an initial death benefit amount that does not exceed 50% of the Death
   Benefit of your Policy on the date of exchange, reduced by 50% of any
   Indebtedness and by any optional rider benefits then in effect under this
   Policy;

 .  Be a variable life insurance policy form then available for such exchange,
   and have an account value that does not exceed 50% of the Cash Surrender
   Value under your Policy on the date of the exchange, less any amounts used to
   repay any Indebtedness under your Policy on the date of exchange;

 .  Have provisions for suicide exclusion and incontestability that reflect the
   Policy Date of your Policy;

 .  Have provisions for withdrawal and surrender charges that do not reflect the
   Policy Date of your Policy; and

 .  Be without any transaction charges being imposed under this Policy for the
   exchange.

Unfavorable tax consequences, including recognition of taxable income, may
result from exchanging your Policy for two life insurance policies on individual
insureds. Therefore, you should consult with a qualified tax adviser before
doing so

                         OTHER PROVISIONS OF THE POLICY
                                        
Suicide Exclusion

If suicide of both the Insureds, or of the Surviving Insured, occurs within two
years from the Policy Date (or less if required by state law), we will limit the
Death Benefit to your Policy's Cash Surrender Value.

Representations and Contestability

Generally, we can challenge the validity of your Policy (or any rider that was
in force on the Policy Date) for two years from the Policy Date, based on any
misrepresentations made in your application to us.  We can challenge an increase
in benefits requiring evidence of insurability for two years from the date of
the increase.  We can challenge a reinstatement of the Policy until
reinstatement has been in force for two years from its effective date.  However,
the two-year time limits on our right to challenge all or part of the Policy do
not apply if either of the insureds dies within the two-year period.

Misstatement of Age or Sex

If any application for benefits under your Policy misstates the age or sex of
either of the Insureds, the Death Benefit will be the amount provided by the
correct age and sex.

Owner and Beneficiary

The Policy application names the Policyowner, who in turn may name a new owner.
At the death of the owner, his or her estate will become the owner, unless he or
she has named a successor owner.  Because the owner has the authority to
exercise most rights under a Policy, this prospectus generally refers to the
owner when it refers to "you" or "your".  The owner's rights as such terminate
when the Surviving Insured dies.  If two or more people are named as owners, we
will generally assume that one owner has the authority to act for all owners.
However, we may require the consent of all owners for certain transactions under
the Policy, such as an election to exchange the Policy for two policies.

Beneficiary.  The Policy application also names the Beneficiary under the Policy
and any contingent Beneficiary.  You may change the Beneficiary of the Policy
(other than an irrevocably named Beneficiary) at any time before the death of
the Surviving Insured.  The Beneficiary has no rights under the Policy until the
death of the Surviving Insured and must survive that insured person in order to
receive the Death Benefit Proceeds.  If no named Beneficiary is alive when the
Surviving Insured dies, we will pay the proceeds to the owner.
<PAGE>
 
Changes and Assignments.  A change of owner or Beneficiary requires a written
request satisfactory to us that is dated and signed by all of the owners.  The
change will take effect on the date it is signed, but is subject to all payments
made and actions taken by us under the Policy before we receive the request at
our Variable Service Center.

Assignments

The owner may assign (transfer) the owner's rights in a Policy to someone else.
An absolute assignment of the Policy designates the assignee as owner and
Beneficiary.  A collateral assignment of the Policy does not change the owner or
Beneficiary, but their rights will be subject to the terms of the assignment.
All collateral assignees of record must consent to any full surrender or partial
withdrawals.  An assignment requires a written request signed by all of the
Policy's owners.  An assignment will take effect only when we record it at our
Variable Service Center.  We have no responsibility for any assignment not
submitted for recording; nor for the sufficiency or validity of any assignment.

Unfavorable tax consequences, including recognition of taxable income and the
loss of income tax-free treatment for any death benefit payable to the
Beneficiary may result from transferring ownership or making an assignment.
Therefore, you should consult with a qualified tax adviser before doing so.

Reports and Records

We will mail to your last known address of record an annual statement showing
your Policy's current Account Values, transactions since the last statement,
Policy loan information, and any other information required by federal or state
laws or regulations.

We will also send you annual and semi-annual reports containing the financial
statements of the Portfolios you are using.

In addition, you will receive statements of significant transactions, such as
changes in the Death Benefit, transfers among investment options, premium
payments, Policy loans, Policy loan principal, Policy loan repayments, and
Policy reinstatement or termination.

Voting Rights

We will vote the shares of the Portfolios held by the Separate Account at
regular or special meetings of the Portfolio's shareholders in accordance with
instructions received from you and other owners having the voting interest in
the affected Portfolio(s).  We compute the number of votes that an owner has
the right to instruct for a particular Portfolio by dividing the owner's Account
Value in that Portfolio by that Portfolio's net asset value per share.  We will
vote a Portfolio's shares held in our Separate Account for which we do not
receive instructions, as well as shares held in our Separate Account that are
not attributable to owners in the same proportion as we vote that Portfolio's
shares held in the Separate Account for which we have received instructions.

We may disregard voting instructions under limited circumstances prescribed by
SEC rule.  We will include a summary of any such action and the reasons for it
in the next semiannual report to owners.

Suspension of Payments and Transfers

Under certain circumstances, we may suspend or postpone transactions that
pertain to a Separate Account investment option under your Policy.  These
include payment of Death Benefit Proceeds or Maturity Value, payment for
surrenders, withdrawals and Policy loans, or transfers for any period when:

 .  the New York Stock Exchange is closed for regular trading;
 .  regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange is restricted by the SEC;
 .  an emergency exists as a result of which disposition of securities held in
   the applicable Separate Account investment options is not reasonably
   practicable or it is not reasonably practicable to determine the value of
   such option's net assets; or
 .  the SEC, by order, permits such suspension during any other period.

We also may defer payment for a surrender, withdrawal or Policy loan, or
transfer from the Fixed Account, for the period permitted by law but not for
more than six months after we receive your written request. We will pay interest
to the extent provided under state insurance law on payments that are delayed.

Also, we may defer payment of any amount attributable to a check you have given
us in order to allow a reasonable time (not to exceed 15 days) for the check to
clear the banking system.

Nonparticipation in Our Dividends

The Policies are "nonparticipating".  This means that they do not participate in
(or receive) any dividend we pay or distribution of our surplus.

                       DISTRIBUTION AND OTHER AGREEMENTS
                                        
First Variable Capital Services, Inc. ("FVCS"), 2122 York Road, Oak Brook,
Illinois 60523, acts as distributor of the Policies.  FVCS, our wholly owned
subsidiary, is registered with the SEC as a broker/dealer under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 and is a member of the National Association of Securities
Dealers, Inc.  FVCS offers the Policies on a continuous basis.

FVCS and we have agreements with various broker/dealers under which their
registered representatives, who are also licensed insurance agents, will sell
the Policies. The commissions payable to a broker/dealer for sales of a Policy
may vary with the sales agreement.  However, we do not expect that, on an
aggregate basis they will exceed 100% of the amount of paid in the first Policy
Year up to 12 Monthly Minimum Premiums, plus ___% of additional first year
premium payments, plus _____% of all premiums received in Policy Years 2 through
6.  Broker/Dealers may receive annual "trail commission" equivalent to 0.30% of
a Policy's Account Value beginning in Policy Year 7, as well as expense
allowances, wholesaler fees, bonuses and training fees.

FVCS and we may permit specific broker/dealers to sell versions of the Policies
which contain specific investment options that are not available through other
broker/dealers.  FVCS and we may pay a different level of compensation for sales
of different versions of the Policies.

Under a Services Agreement with  FVCS, we perform insurance underwriting,
issuance and other administrative services for our variable life insurance
policies, including the Policies.

The Company serves as the custodian of the assets of the Separate Account.

                                OUR MANAGEMENT

Here is a list of our directors and executive officers and their principal
business experience during the past five years.  Unless otherwise noted, our
directors are located at 2211 York Road, Suite 202, Oak Brook, Illinois 60523
and all our executive officers are located at 2122 York Road, Suite 300, Oak
Brook, Illinois 60523.
<PAGE>
 
Directors

Ronald M. Butkiewicz, Chairman.  He is also the President and Chief Executive
Officer, Irish Life of North America, Inc., and Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer, Interstate Assurance Company.

Michael J. Corey - 401 East Host Drive. Lake Geneva, WI 53147.  He is a
Managing Director, Insurance/Professional Services Practice Group and President,
CSG International Inc.

Norman A. Fair - He is also Vice President, Treasurer, & Asst. Sec., Irish Life
of North America, Inc. and prior to 1994, he was the Senior Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer of Interstate Assurance Company.

Michael R. Ferrari, 25th & University Ave., Des Moines, IA  50311 - Chancellor,
Texas Christian University; and prior to July 1998. He was the President of
Drake University.

Shane W. Gleeson - He is the Executive Vice President,  Irish Life of North
America, Inc.; and prior to December 1997, he was the President, Interstate
Assurance Company. Prior to November 1994, he was the Senior Vice President and
Chief Operating Officer of Interstate Assurance Company.

Jeff S. Liebmann, Esq., 1301 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10019 - He is 
a partner of Dewey, Ballantine.

Kenneth R. Meyer, 200 South Wacker Dr., Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60606 - He is a 
Managing Director, Lincoln Capital Management Co.

Philip R. O'Connor, 111 West Washington, Suite 1247 Chicago, IL 60602  He is the
President of NEV Midwest, LLC and prior to April 1998, he was a Principal of 
Coopers & Lybrand LLP/Palmer Bellevue Corp.

Clark Ramsey - He is also Vice President and Corporate Actuary, Irish Life of
North America, Inc. Prior to March, 1998, he was the Vice President and
Actuarial Director, Allstate International, Inc.

Executive Officer & Director

John M. Soukup, President - Prior to July, 1997, he was the Market Development
Officer, Fortis Financial Group.

Other Executive Officers

Steve Horn, Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer - Prior to
January 1999, he was the Assistant Vice President of Irish Life of North
America, and prior to July 1998, he was the Sr. Vice President and General
Manager of United Casualty Insurance Company of America.

Arnold R. Bergman, Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary - Prior to 
February 1995, he served as Counsel, Aetna Life Insurance and Annuity Company.

Thomas Gualdoni, Vice President, Sales - Prior to December 1997, he was the Vice
President, Sales, Fortis Benefits Insurance Company.

Christopher S. Harden, Vice President & Treasurer - Prior to April, 1998 he was
the First Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer, COVA Financial Services
Life Insurance Company.

Martin Sheerin, Vice President & Chief Actuary - Prior to October, 1994, he was
a Vice President, Irish Life of North America, Inc.


                              FEDERAL TAX MATTERS
                                        
General

BECAUSE OF THE COMPLEXITY OF THE LAW AND BECAUSE TAX RESULTS WILL VARY ACCORDING
TO YOUR IDENTITY AND STATUS, YOU SHOULD SEEK INDIVIDUALIZED LEGAL AND TAX ADVICE
BEFORE PURCHASING OR TAKING ANY ACTION UNDER A POLICY.

We cannot provide a comprehensive description of the federal income tax
consequences regarding the Policies in this prospectus, and special tax rules
may apply that we have not discussed herein.  Nor does this discussion address
any applicable state, local, gift, inheritance, estate, and foreign or other tax
laws.  This discussion assumes that you, the Policy's owner, are a natural
person and a U.S. citizen and resident.  Finally, we would caution that the law
and the related regulations and interpretations on which we base our tax
analysis can change, and such changes can be retroactive.

Our Taxation

Under current federal income tax law, the operations of the Separate Account and
the Fixed Account do not require us to pay any tax.  Thus, we currently impose
no charge for our federal income taxes.  However, we may decide to charge the
Separate Account or Fixed Account for our federal income taxes, if there are
changes in federal tax law.

We may incur state and local taxes (in addition to premium taxes) in several
states.  At present, these taxes are not significant and, accordingly, we do not
currently impose a charge for them.  If they increase, however, we may impose a
charge for such taxes attributable to the Separate Account and/or Fixed Account.

Income Tax Treatment of Policy Benefits

Life Insurance.  Section 7702 of the Internal Revenue Code provides that if
certain tests are met, your Policy will qualify as a life insurance contract for
federal tax purposes. The death benefit under a life insurance contract is
generally excluded from the gross income of the Beneficiary.  Also, the owner of
a life insurance contract is generally not taxed on increases in the account
value until withdrawn or surrendered.

Section 7702 limits the amount of premiums that may be invested in a life
insurance contract and requires certain minimum amounts of life insurance
coverage, relative to the account value.  We will monitor compliance with these
tests. Although we believe that the Policies are in compliance with the tests,
the manner in which the tests should be applied to certain features of a joint
survivorship life insurance contract is not directly addressed by section 7702.
In the absence of final regulations or other guidance issued under section 7702,
there is necessarily some uncertainty whether the Policies will meet the Code's
definition of a life insurance contract.

Acceleration of Death Benefits Rider.  Similarly, we believe that accelerated
death benefit payments, if permitted under your Policies because of the terminal
illness of either of the Insureds, in most cases will not constitute taxable
income for you.  Such payments may be taxable income to you, however, if:

 .  you are not an insured person; or
 .  you have an insurable interest in either of the insured persons' lives
   because that insured person is a director, officer or employee of yours or is
   otherwise financially interested in any trade or business carried on by you.
<PAGE>
 
Modified Endowment Contracts.  The Code contains provisions affecting certain
life insurance policies that the Code refers to as "modified endowment
contracts."

Modified endowment contracts result when cumulative premiums paid under a Policy
at any time during the first seven Policy Years exceed the sum of the premiums
that would have been paid by then if the Policy provided for paid up future
benefits after the payment of seven level annual premiums ("seven-pay test").
The amount of premiums payable under the seven-pay test is calculated based upon
certain assumptions regarding the policy's earnings and the use of a reasonable
mortality charge.  Riders to a Policy are considered part of the Policy for
purposes of applying the seven-pay test.

Whenever there is a "material change" under a Policy, the Policy generally will
be:

 .  treated as a new Policy for purposes of determining whether it is a modified
   endowment; and
 .  subjected to a new seven-pay test.

The Policy would become a modified endowment contract if, at time of the
material change or at any time during the next seven years, it failed to satisfy
such new seven-pay test.  A material change for these purposes could result from
a change in death benefit option, election of additional rider benefits, an
increase in a Policy's Face Amount, and certain other changes.

If a Policy's benefits are reduced during the first seven Policy years (or
within seven years after a material change), the seven-pay premium limit will be
redetermined based on the reduced level of benefits and applied retroactively
for purposes of the seven-pay test.  (Such a reduction in benefits could
include, for example, any decrease in Face Amount that you request or, in some
cases, a partial withdrawal or termination or reduction of benefits under a
rider.)  If you have already paid (or subsequently pay) more premiums than
permitted by the recalculated seven-pay limit, your Policy will become a
modified endowment contract.

Any Policy that you acquire in exchange for another life insurance policy that
is a modified endowment contract will also be a modified endowment contract.
However, an exchange under Section 1035 of the Code of a life insurance policy
entered into before June 21, 1988 will not make the new policy a modified
endowment contract if you pay no additional premiums and there is no benefit
increase as a result of the exchange.

Exchanges for Two Policies.  An exchange of a Policy for two new policies
("Policy split") may have adverse tax consequences.  It is not clear whether a
Policy split will be treated as a nontaxable exchange or transfer under the
Code.  Unless a Policy split is so treated, among other things, the split or
transfer will result in the recognition of taxable income on the gain in the
Policy.  In addition, it is not clear whether, in all circumstances, the
individual policies that result from a Policy split would be treated as life
insurance policies under section 7702 of the Code or would be classified as
modified endowment contracts.  The Policy Owner should consult a qualified tax
adviser regarding the possible adverse tax consequences of a Policy split.

Other Tax Effects of Policy Changes.  Changes made to your Policy (for example,
a decrease in benefits under or a lapse or reinstatement of a Policy) may have
other tax effects.  These include impacting the maximum amount of premiums you
can pay under the Policy, as well as the maximum amount of Account Value you can
maintain under the Policy.

Taxation of Pre-Death Distributions from a Policy that is not a Modified
Endowment Contract ("MEC").  As long as a Policy remains in force as a non-
modified endowment, you will not pay current income tax on the proceeds from any
Policy loan. Interest you pay on the loan generally will not be tax deductible,
however.

After the first 15 Policy Years, you will not pay current federal income tax on
any partial withdrawals you make, except to the extent such withdrawals exceed
your "investment" in the Policy.  (The "investment" generally will equal the
premiums you have paid, less the amount of any previous distributions from your
Policy that were not taxable.)  During the first 15 Policy Years, you could have
to pay federal income tax on certain withdrawals that reduce the Death Benefit,
to the extent that your Policy's Account Value exceeds your investment in the
Policy.

On the Maturity Date or upon full surrender, any excess of proceeds (including
amounts we use to discharge any Policy loan and accrued loan interest) over your
investment in the Policy, will constitute taxable income to you for federal
income tax purposes.  In addition, if your Policy terminates after a grace
period while you have a Policy loan outstanding, the cancellation of such loan
and accrued loan interest will be treated as a distribution and could be subject
to tax under the above rules.  Finally, if you assign or transfer rights or
benefits under your Policy, you may be deemed to have received a distribution
from the Policy, all or part of which may be taxable.

Taxation of Pre-Death Distributions from a Policy that is a Modified Endowment
Contract.  If your Policy falls within the definition of a modified endowment
contract, the following rules will apply to pre-death distributions:

 .  You must include distributions, such as withdrawals, in your gross income
   subject to federal tax, to the extent the Account Value of the Policy exceeds
   your investment in the Policy. Any additional amounts you receive, other than
   Policy loans, will not constitute currently taxable income, but will reduce
   your investment in the Policy.

 .  Policy Loans, including any increase in the amount of the loan to pay
   interest, also constitute distributions to you for these purposes.  Your
   investment in the Policy, however, will increase by the amount of any loan
   included in your gross income.

 .  If your Policy terminates after a grace period while there is a Policy loan,
   the cancellation of such loan and accrued loan interest will also constitute
   a distribution to you for these purposes to the extent not previously treated
   as such.

 .  On the Maturity Date or upon a full surrender, any excess of the proceeds
   (including any amounts we use to discharge any loan and accrued loan
   interest) over your investment in the Policy, will also constitute a
   distribution to you for these purposes.

 .  A change of ownership or Policy assignment also can constitute a distribution
   for these purposes. For example, a collateral assignment will subject any
   gain in the Policy to taxation.

For purposes of determining the amount of any distribution that is included in
gross income, you must treat all modified endowment contracts that we or our
affiliates issue to you during any calendar as a single modified endowment
contract.

The taxable amount of any distribution from a Policy that is a modified
endowment also will incur an additional penalty tax equal to 10% of such taxable
amount unless the distribution:

 .  is made on or after you attain age 59 1/2;
 .  results from your becoming disabled (as defined in the Code); or
 .  forms part of a series of substantially equal periodic payments made no less
   frequently than annually for your life (or life expectancy) or for the joint
   lives (or life expectancies) of the owner or the Beneficiary.

The Monthly Deductions under a modified endowment contract attributable to any
Other Insured Person Rider for a person who is not a member of your family may
constitute distributions from your policy for tax purposes. 
<PAGE>
 
However, the Beneficiary of this rider should not have to pay federal income tax
on any benefit received.

Distributions that occur during a Policy Year in which a Policy becomes a
modified endowment contract and during any subsequent Policy Years, will be
taxed as described in the preceding paragraphs.  In addition, any distributions
from a Policy within two years before it becomes a modified endowment contract
also will be subject to tax in this manner.  This means that a distribution made
from a Policy that is not a modified endowment contract could later become
taxable as a distribution from a modified endowment.

Diversification Requirements

The Internal Revenue Code provides that a variable life insurance policy will
not be treated as a life insurance contract under the Code for any period (and
any subsequent period) for which the related investments are not adequately
diversified.  We intend that all Portfolios of the Funds in which your Policy
may invest will comply with the diversification requirements.  If your Policy
did not qualify as life insurance, you would be subject to immediate taxation on
the increases in your Policy's Account Value, plus the cost of insurance
protection under your Policy.  This treatment would apply for the period of non-
compliance and subsequently, unless and until we are able to settle the matter
with the Internal Revenue Service.  We have no legal obligation to seek or
agree to any such settlement, however.

The amount of investment control which you may exercise under a Policy differs
in some respects from the situation addressed in published rulings issued by the
Internal Revenue Service in which it held that variable life insurance policy
owners were not deemed, for federal income tax purposes, to own the related
assets held in a separate account by the issuing insurance company.  It is
possible that these differences, such as your ability to transfer among
investment choices or the number and type of investment choices available, would
cause you to be taxed as if you were the owner of the Portfolio shares that are
attributable to your Policy.  In that case, you would be liable for income tax
on an allocable portion of any current income and gains realized by the Separate
Account, even though you have received no distribution of those amounts.

In the event any forthcoming guidance or ruling by federal income tax
authorities sets forth a new position, such guidance or ruling will generally be
applied only prospectively.  However, if such ruling or guidance was not
considered to set forth a new position, it may, result in your being
retroactively determined to be the owner of the assets of the Separate Account.

Due to the uncertainty in this area, we reserve the right to modify your Policy
in an attempt to maintain its intended tax treatment.

                             ADVERTISING PRACTICES
                                        
We may from time to time receive endorsements of the Policies from professional
organizations. We may use these in advertisements or sales material for the
Policies.  We may also pay the professional organization for the use of its
customer or mailing lists in order to distribute promotional materials regarding
the Policies.  An endorsement does not necessarily indicate the performance or
results that you may obtain.

From time to time, articles discussing the Separate Account's investment
experience, performance rankings and other characteristics may appear in
national publications.  Some or all of these publishers or ranking services
(including, but not limited to, Lipper Analytical Services Inc. and Morningstar,
Inc.) may publish their own rankings or performance reviews of variable contract
separate accounts, including the Separate Account. We may use references to,
reprints, or portions of reprints of such articles or rankings as sales
literature or advertising material.  We may also use rankings that indicate the
names of other variable policy separate accounts and their investment
experience.

We, the Funds, or other parties may develop articles and releases about the
following matters in relation to the Separate Account, the Funds or individual
Portfolios: asset levels, and sales volumes, statistics and analyses of industry
sales volume and asset levels, or other characteristics. Our promotional
material for the Policies and Separate Accounts can refer to, or be a reprint
of, such articles and releases.  Such literature may refer to personnel of an
adviser or sub-advisers who have investment management responsibility, and their
investment style.  The reference may allude to or include excerpts from articles
appearing in the media.

The advertising and sales literature for the Policies and the Separate Account
may refer to historical, current and prospective economic trends.  In addition,
we may publish advertising and sales literature concerning topics of general
investor interest for the benefit of registered representatives and prospective
purchasers of Policies.  These materials may include, but are not limited to,
discussions of college planning, retirement planning, and reasons for investing
and historical examples of the investment performance of various classes of
securities, securities markets and indices.

                                 LEGAL MATTERS
                                        
State Regulation

We are subject to the insurance laws of Arkansas and to regulation by the
Arkansas Insurance Department.  The National Association of Insurance
Commissioners periodically examines our operations.  Such regulation does not,
however, involve any supervision of management or investment practices or
policies.  In addition, we are subject to regulation under the insurance laws of
other jurisdictions in which we may operate.  As a result, various time periods
and other terms and conditions described in this prospectus may vary depending
on where you reside.  We will reflect any applicable variations in your Policy
and riders, or related endorsements.

Legal Proceedings

There are no material pending legal proceedings to which the Separate Account,
FVCS or we are a party.

Counsel

Our Legal Department has reviewed legal matters in connection with the Policies.
Freedman, Levy, Kroll & Simonds, of Washington, DC, has advised us on certain
matters relating to the federal securities and tax laws.

                                    EXPERTS
                                        
The consolidated financial statements of First Variable Life Insurance Company
at _________________and _________ and for each of the three years in the period
ended ____________________ and the financial statements of First Variable Life
Insurance Company--Separate Account VL at ________________________________and
for the period then ended appearing in this prospectus and Registration
Statement have been audited by ________________________independent auditors, as
set forth in their report appearing elsewhere herein, and are included in
reliance upon such reports given upon the authority of such firm as experts in
accounting and auditing.
<PAGE>
 
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                        
We have filed a registration statement with the SEC under the Securities Act of
1933.  This prospectus omits certain information contained in the Registration
Statement.  You can obtain copies of such additional information from the SEC
upon payment of the prescribed fee.


                                YEAR 2000 ISSUES

Like other financial and business organizations around the world, we could be
adversely affected if our computer systems and those of our service providers do
not properly process and calculate date-related information and data from and
after January 1, 2000.  We have completed an assessment of the Year 2000 impact
on our systems, procedures, customers and business processes.  At December 31,
1997, our management is satisfied that our main operating systems are Year 2000
compliant.  We are currently reviewing our general office systems and contacting
our service providers.

We believe that we will complete our Year 2000 project prior to any anticipated
impact on our operating systems.  The date on which we believe we will complete
the Year 2000 project is based on our management's best estimates.  Although
there can be no guarantee that these estimates will be achieved, our management
does not at this time believe that actual results will differ materially from
those anticipated.  Specific factors that might cause such material differences
would most likely result from our service providers.
<PAGE>
 
APPENDIX: A

       ANNUAL RATES OF RETURN FOR THE SEPARATE ACCOUNT INVESTMENT OPTIONS

The following tables show performance information for the Separate Account
investment options for periods ending _________________________.  Table A-1
assumes that each option had been in operation for the same period as its
corresponding Portfolio. Table A-2 is derived from historic performance results
of the Separate Account investment options from the date they actually commenced
operations (March 31, 1997) to fund variable life insurance policies. Both
tables reflect the total of the income generated by the Portfolio shown, less
total Portfolio operating expenses, plus or minus realized or unrealized capital
gains and losses, and less the deductions for the Policies' current mortality
and expense risk charge (.90% per annum) and the policy benefit charge (0.30%
per annum).

The tables do not reflect three significant charges that will apply to your
Policy: cost of insurance charges, an administrative charge (currently $10  per
month), and the surrender charge.  If these charges were reflected,  the total
return figures shown would be lower.  For an example of the effect of the
deduction of the surrender charge, compare the "Cash Surrender Value" to the
corresponding "Account Value" in the hypothetical illustrations on pages ___ to 
___.

Table A-1 Average Annual Total Return from Portfolio Inception Date

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                               From Portfolio 
  Portfolio and Portfolio                                                      Inception Date
        Inception Date            1 Yr.      3 Yr.      5 Yr.     10 Yr.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                               <C>        <C>        <C>       <C>          <C>
VIST Small Cap Growth - 5/95
(1)(4)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIST World Equity - 6/88 (2)(4)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIST Growth - 6/88 (1)(2)(4)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIST Matrix Equity - 6/88
(2)(3)(4)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIST Growth & Income  5/95 (4)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIST Multiple Strategies -                 [To be filed by Pre-Effective amendment.]
5/87 (2)(4)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIST High Income Bond - 6/87
(2)(4)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIST US Gov. Bond - 5/87 (2)(4)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Federated Prime Money Fund II - 
11/94 (4)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

Table A-2 Annualized Total Return from the Separate Account Investment Options'
Inception Date (March 31, 1997)

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
               Separate Account                     From                      Separate Account               From
              Investment Options                 Inception                   Investment Options            Inception
                                                    Date                                                     Date
     ------------------------------------------------------------       ---------------------------------------------------
     <S>                                         <C>                    <C>                                <C>
     Small Cap Growth - (1)(4)                                            Multiple Strategies - (4)
     ------------------------------------------------------------       ---------------------------------------------------
     World Equity -  (4)                                                  High Income Bond - (4)
     ------------------------------------------------------------       ---------------------------------------------------
     Growth -  (1)(4)                                                     US Gov. Bond - (4)
     ------------------------------------------------------------       ---------------------------------------------------
     Matrix Equity -  (3)(4)                                              Prime Money Fund II - (4)
     ------------------------------------------------------------       ---------------------------------------------------
     Growth & Income - (4)
     ------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

(1)  Prior to May 1, 1997, the VIST Small Cap Growth Portfolio was named the
     VIST "Small Cap Portfolio," and the VIST Growth Portfolio was named the
     VIST "Common Stock Portfolio." The names of the corresponding Separate
     Account investment options were, respectively, "Small Cap Sub-Account" and
     "Common Stock Sub-Account".
(2)  On April 1, 1994, First Variable Advisory Services Corp., an affiliate of
     the Company, became the investment advisor.  Prior to that date, results
     were achieved by former investment advisers.
(3)  Prior to May 1, 1997, the VIST Matrix Equity Portfolio was named the VIST
     "Tilt Utility Portfolio" and had different investment policies. The name
     and objective of the corresponding Separate Account investment option also
     differed.
(4)  Performance information reflects any fee waivers and expense reimbursements
     with respect to the Portfolios.  Absent such waivers or reimbursements, the
     performance shown would have been lower.
<PAGE>
 
Performance information shown above for any Separate Account investment option
reflects only the performance of an assumed investment in the Separate Account
Investment Option for the Policies during the particular time period shown.  You
should consider this performance information in light of the investment
objectives and policies, characteristics and quality of the Portfolio in which
the Separate Account investment option invests and the market conditions during
the given time period.  You should not consider it representative of what the
Separate Account investment option will achieve in the future.  Actual returns
will differ from those shown and will depend on a number of factors, including
the investment allocations you make and the different investment rates of return
for the Portfolios.

<PAGE>
 
APPENDIX: B

                ILLUSTRATIONS OF DEATH BENEFITS, ACCOUNT VALUES,
            CASH SURRENDER VALUES AND ACCUMULATED VALUE OF PREMIUMS
                                        
The tables in this Appendix B show how a Policy's Death Benefit, Cash Surrender
Value and Account Value could change over an extended period of time, assuming
constant gross annual rates of return  for the Separate Account of 0%, 6% and
12%. ("Gross return" for this purpose means the assumed rate of return the
underlying Portfolio has earned before deducting any of its expenses or any
Policy Charges and deductions).  The payment of an annual premium of $______ for
a male insured person and a female insured person, who are both age 45 on the
Policy Date and $______ for a male insured person and a female insured person
who are both age 55 on the Policy Date; and a Face Amount of $100,000.  The
insured persons are assumed to be in the Preferred - standard premium rate
class.  The first version of each of the tables assumes our current (i.e., non-
guaranteed) rates for the premium charge, premium tax charge, administrative
expense charge, cost of insurance charge, mortality and expense risk charge,
Policy benefit charge, and expected Premium Value Bonuses and Cash Value Bonuses
beginning in the 9th Policy Year.  The next table is based on our contractually
guaranteed rates for those items.

The Death Benefits, Cash Surrender Values and Account Values shown in the tables
also reflect an unweighted average of the investment advisory fees and other
operating expenses incurred by the Portfolios, at an annual rate of _____% of
the average daily net assets of the Portfolios.  This average reflects a
voluntary "caps" on the investment advisory fees.  If the investment adviser
discontinued these caps, the values illustrated on the following pages could be
less.  (See "Highlights")

Taking account of any daily charges for mortality and expense risks in the
Separate Account and the average investment advisory fee and operating expenses
of the Portfolios, the gross current annual rates of return of 0%, 6% and 12%
correspond to net investment experience at constant annual rates of ___%, ____%
and _____%, respectively, for the "current" tables, and ___%, ____% and ____%
respectively, for the "guaranteed" tables.  The tables do not reflect any tax
charges attributable to the Separate Account since we currently make no such
charges.  If we impose any such charges in the future, the gross annual rate of
return would have to exceed the rates shown by an amount sufficient to cover the
tax charges, in order to produce the Death Benefits, Cash Surrender Values and
Account Values illustrated.

The second column of each table shows the amount that would accumulate if you
instead invested your assumed premiums to earn interest, after taxes of 5% per
year, compounded annually.
<PAGE>
 
JOINT AGE 45:                       $100,000 INITIAL FACE AMOUNT - DEATH BENEFIT
                                    OPTION A
MALE, AGE 45 PREFERRED STANDARD PREMIUM RATE CLASS        $______ ANNUAL PREMIUM
FEMALE, AGE 45 PREFERRED STANDARD PREMIUM RATE CLASS

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                         CURRENT POLICY CHARGE AND BONUS RATES
                           Values Based on Assumed Hypothetical Gross Investment Returns of:
          Premiums               0% (1)(2)(3)                         6% (1)(2)(3)                          12% (1)(2)(3)
End of      at 5%                   Cash                                 Cash                                   Cash
Policy    Interest    Account     Surrender       Death     Account    Surrender       Death     Account      Surrender       Death
 Year       (1)        Value        Value        Benefit     Value       Value        Benefit     Value         Value        Benefit
 ----       ---        -----        -----        -------     -----       -----        -------     -----         -----        -------
<S>       <C>         <C>        <C>             <C>        <C>       <C>             <C>        <C>        <C>              <C> 
   1                           
   2                           
   3                           
   4                           
   5                           
   6                                                      [TO BE FILED BY Pre-Effective Amendment]
   7                           
   8                           
   9                           
  10                           
  15                           
  20                           
  25                           
  30                           
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
(1)  Assumes annual premium payments are paid in full at the beginning of each
     Policy Year.  Values would differ if the amount or frequency of payment
     varied.
(2)  Zero values in the Death Benefit column indicate Policy lapse in the
     absence of sufficient additional premium payments.
(3)  Reflects Premium Value Bonuses and Cash Value Bonuses credited at the
     following rates  for Policy Years 9 and after:

<TABLE>
<S>                               <C>      <C>                                         <C>
Premium Value Bonus Percentage:   11%      Cash Value Bonus Percentage: (% of Account Value less loans and interest:
                                           Cash Surrender Value less than $25,000:     0%
                                           Cash Surrender Value $25,000 to $99,999:    .10% (.20% after Policy Year 20)
                                           Cash Surrender Value $100,000 to $200,000:  .20% (.40% after Policy Year 20)
                                           Cash Surrender Value more than $200,000:    .30% (.50% after Policy Year 20)
</TABLE>

YOU SHOULD CONSIDER THE ASSUMED INVESTMENT RATES OF RETURN SHOWN ABOVE AS
ILLUSTRATIVE ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A REPRESENTATIVE OF PAST OR FUTURE
INVESTMENT RATES OF RETURN.  ACTUAL RATES OF RETURN WILL DIFFER FROM THOSE SHOWN
AND WILL DEPEND ON A NUMBER OF FACTORS, INCLUDING YOUR INVESTMENT ALLOCATIONS,
PREVAILING ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, PREVAILING RATES AND RATES OF INFLATION.  THE
DEATH BENEFIT AND ACCOUNT VALUE WOULD DIFFER FROM THOSE SHOWN IF THE ACTUAL
RATES AVERAGED 0%, 6% AND 12% OVER A PERIOD OF YEARS BUT ALSO FLUCTUATED ABOVE
AND BELOW THOSE AVERAGES FOR INDIVIDUAL POLICY YEARS WE MAKE.  NO REPRESENTATION
THAT THESE ASSUMED RATES OF RETURN CAN BE ACHIEVED FOR ANY ONE YEAR OR SUSTAINED
OVER ANY PERIOD OF TIME.
<PAGE>


JOINT AGE 45:              
MALE, AGE 45 PREFERRED STANDARD PREMIUM RATE CLASS        
FEMALE, AGE 45 PREFERRED STANDARD PREMIUM RATE CLASS

$100,000 INITIAL FACE AMOUNT - DEATH BENEFIT OPTION A
$______ ANNUAL PREMIUM

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                          GUARANTEED POLICY CHARGE AND BONUS RATES
                                               Values Based on Assumed Hypothetical Gross Investment Returns of:
            Premiums                0%(1)(2)(3)                       6%(1)(2)(3)                      12%(1)(2)(3)
End of     Accumulated                 Cash                              Cash                              Cash
Policy        at 5%        Account   Surrender    Death     Account    Surrender    Death     Account    Surrender    Death
 Year      Interest(1)      Value      Value     Benefit     Value       Value     Benefit     Value       Value     Benefit
 ----      -----------      -----      -----     -------     -----       -----     -------     -----       -----     -------
<S>        <C>             <C>       <C>         <C>        <C>        <C>         <C>        <C>        <C>         <C>
   1
   2
   3
   4
   5
   6                                           [TO BE FILED BY Pre-Effective Amendment]
   7
   8
   9
  10
  15
  20
  25
  30
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
(1)  Assumes annual premium payments are paid in full at the beginning of each
     Policy Year.  Values would differ if the amount or frequency of payment
     varies.
(2)  Zero values in the Death Benefit column indicate Policy lapse in the
     absence of sufficient additional premium payments.
(3)  Reflects Premium Value Bonuses and Cash Value Bonuses credited under the
     following guaranteed factors for Policy Years 9 and after:

       Premium Value Bonus Percentage: 6%      Cash Value Bonus Percentage: .00%

YOU SHOULD CONSIDER THE ASSUMED INVESTMENT RATES OF RETURN SHOWN ABOVE AS
ILLUSTRATIVE ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A REPRESENTATIVE OF PAST OR FUTURE
INVESTMENT RATES OF RETURN. ACTUAL RATES OF RETURN WILL DIFFER FROM THOSE SHOWN
AND WILL DEPEND ON A NUMBER OF FACTORS, INCLUDING YOUR INVESTMENT ALLOCATIONS,
PREVAILING ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, PREVAILING RATES AND RATES OF INFLATION. THE
DEATH BENEFIT AND ACCOUNT VALUE WOULD DIFFER FROM THOSE SHOWN IF THE ACTUAL
RATES AVERAGED 0%, 6% AND 12% OVER A PERIOD OF YEARS BUT ALSO FLUCTUATED ABOVE
AND BELOW THOSE AVERAGES FOR INDIVIDUAL POLICY YEARS WE MAKE. NO REPRESENTATION
THAT THESE ASSUMED RATES OF RETURN CAN BE ACHIEVED FOR ANY ONE YEAR OR SUSTAINED
OVER ANY PERIOD OF TIME.
<PAGE>


JOINT AGE 55:              
MALE, AGE 55 PREFERRED STANDARD PREMIUM RATE CLASS        
FEMALE, AGE 55 PREFERRED STANDARD PREMIUM RATE CLASS

$100,000 INITIAL FACE AMOUNT - DEATH BENEFIT OPTION A
$______ ANNUAL PREMIUM

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                      CURRENT POLICY CHARGE AND BONUS RATES
                                               Values Based on Assumed Hypothetical Gross Investment Returns of:
            Premiums                0%(1)(2)(3)                       6%(1)(2)(3)                      12%(1)(2)(3)
End of     Accumulated                 Cash                              Cash                              Cash
Policy        at 5%        Account   Surrender    Death     Account    Surrender    Death     Account    Surrender    Death
 Year      Interest(1)      Value      Value     Benefit     Value       Value     Benefit     Value       Value     Benefit
 ----      -----------      -----      -----     -------     -----       -----     -------     -----       -----     -------
<S>        <C>             <C>       <C>         <C>        <C>        <C>         <C>        <C>        <C>         <C> 
   1
   2
   3
   4
   5
   6                                           [TO BE FILED BY Pre-Effective Amendment]
   7
   8
   9
  10
  15
  20
  25
  30
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
(1)  Assumes annual premium payments are paid in full at the beginning of each
     Policy Year.  Values would differ if the amount or frequency of payment
     varies.
(2)  Zero values in the Death Benefit column indicate Policy lapse in the
     absence of sufficient additional premium payments.
(3)  Reflects Premium Value Bonuses and Cash Value Bonuses credited under the
     following guaranteed factors for Policy Years 9 and after:

Premium Value Bonus Percentage: 11%
Cash Value Bonus Percentage: (% of Account Value less loans and interest):
 Cash Surrender Value less than $25,000:          0%
 Cash Surrender Value $25,000 to $99,999:       .10% (.20% after Policy Year 20)
 Cash Surrender Value $100,000 to $200,000:     .20% (.40% after Policy Year 20)
 Cash Surrender Value more than $200,000:       .30% (.50% after Policy Year 20)

YOU SHOULD CONSIDER THE ASSUMED INVESTMENT RATES OF RETURN SHOWN ABOVE AS
ILLUSTRATIVE ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A REPRESENTATIVE OF PAST OR FUTURE
INVESTMENT RATES OF RETURN. ACTUAL RATES OF RETURN WILL DIFFER FROM THOSE SHOWN
AND WILL DEPEND ON A NUMBER OF FACTORS, INCLUDING YOUR INVESTMENT ALLOCATIONS,
PREVAILING ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, PREVAILING RATES AND RATES OF INFLATION. THE
DEATH BENEFIT AND ACCOUNT VALUE WOULD DIFFER FROM THOSE SHOWN IF THE ACTUAL
RATES AVERAGED 0%, 6% AND 12% OVER A PERIOD OF YEARS BUT ALSO FLUCTUATED ABOVE
AND BELOW THOSE AVERAGES FOR INDIVIDUAL POLICY YEARS WE MAKE. NO REPRESENTATION
THAT THESE ASSUMED RATES OF RETURN CAN BE ACHIEVED FOR ANY ONE YEAR OR SUSTAINED
OVER ANY PERIOD OF TIME.
<PAGE>
 
JOINT AGE 55:              
MALE, AGE 55 PREFERRED STANDARD PREMIUM RATE CLASS        
FEMALE, AGE 55 PREFERRED STANDARD PREMIUM RATE CLASS

$100,000 INITIAL FACE AMOUNT - DEATH BENEFIT OPTION A
$______ ANNUAL PREMIUM

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                      CURRENT POLICY CHARGE AND BONUS RATES
                                               Values Based on Assumed Hypothetical Gross Investment Returns of:
            Premiums                0%(1)(2)(3)                       6%(1)(2)(3)                      12%(1)(2)(3)
End of     Accumulated                 Cash                              Cash                              Cash
Policy        at 5%        Account   Surrender    Death     Account    Surrender    Death     Account    Surrender    Death
 Year      Interest(1)      Value      Value     Benefit     Value       Value     Benefit     Value       Value     Benefit
 ----      -----------      -----      -----     -------     -----       -----     -------     -----       -----     -------
<S>        <C>             <C>       <C>         <C>        <C>        <C>         <C>        <C>        <C>         <C> 
   1
   2
   3
   4
   5
   6                                           [TO BE FILED BY Pre-Effective Amendment]
   7
   8
   9
  10
  15
  20
  25
  30
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
(1)  Assumes annual premium payments are paid in full at the beginning of each
     Policy Year.  Values would differ if the amount or frequency of payment
     varies.
(2)  Zero values in the Death Benefit column indicate Policy lapse in the
     absence of sufficient additional premium payments.
(3)  Reflects Premium Value Bonuses and Cash Value Bonuses credited under the
     following guaranteed factors for Policy Years 9 and after:

 Premium Value Bonus Percentage: 6%        Cash Value Bonus Percentage: .00%

YOU SHOULD CONSIDER THE ASSUMED INVESTMENT RATES OF RETURN SHOWN ABOVE AS
ILLUSTRATIVE ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A REPRESENTATIVE OF PAST OR FUTURE
INVESTMENT RATES OF RETURN.  ACTUAL RATES OF RETURN WILL DIFFER FROM THOSE SHOWN
AND WILL DEPEND ON A NUMBER OF FACTORS, INCLUDING YOUR INVESTMENT ALLOCATIONS,
PREVAILING ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, PREVAILING RATES AND RATES OF INFLATION.  THE
DEATH BENEFIT AND ACCOUNT VALUE WOULD DIFFER FROM THOSE SHOWN IF THE ACTUAL
RATES AVERAGED 0%, 6% AND 12% OVER A PERIOD OF YEARS BUT ALSO FLUCTUATED ABOVE
AND BELOW THOSE AVERAGES FOR INDIVIDUAL POLICY YEARS WE MAKE.  NO REPRESENTATION
THAT THESE ASSUMED RATES OF RETURN CAN BE ACHIEVED FOR ANY ONE YEAR OR SUSTAINED
OVER ANY PERIOD OF TIME.
<PAGE>
 
                        APPENDIX C: FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
                                        
The financial statements of First Variable Life Insurance Company contained in
this prospectus should be considered to bear only upon our ability to meet our
obligations under the Policies.  They should not be considered as bearing upon
the investment experience of the Separate Account.

The following financial statements are included in this Appendix:

           First Variable Life Insurance Company  Separate Account VL

                     First Variable Life Insurance Company


                    [To be filed by Pre-Effective Amendment]

<PAGE>
 
                                    PART II

                          UNDERTAKING TO FILE REPORTS

Subject to the terms and conditions of Section 15 (d) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, the undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes to file with the
Securities and Exchange Commission such supplementary and periodic information,
documents and reports as may be prescribed by any rule or regulation of the
Commission heretofore or hereafter duly adopted pursuant to authority conferred
in that section.

                     UNDERTAKING REGARDING INDEMNIFICATION

Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of
1933 ("Act") may be permitted to directors and officers and controlling persons
of the Registrant and the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the
Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy
as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a
claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by
the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or
controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action,
suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person
in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless
in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling
precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question of whether
such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and
will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 REPRESENTATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 26(e) OF THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940

In accordance with section 26(e) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, First
Variable Life Insurance Company represents that the fees and charges deducted
under the Policies described in this Registration Statement on Form S-6, in the
aggregate, are reasonable in relation to the services rendered, the expenses
expected to be incurred, and the risks assumed by First Variable Life Insurance
Company.  First Variable Life Insurance Company bases its representation on its
assessment of all the facts and circumstances, including such relevant factors
as:  the nature and extent of such services, expenses and risks, the need for
First Variable Life Insurance Company to earn a profit, the degree to which the
Policies include innovative features, and regulatory standards for the grant of
exemptive relief under the Investment Company Act of 1940 used prior to October
1996, including the range of industry practice.  This representation applies to
all Policies sold pursuant to this Registration Statement, including those sold
on the terms specifically described in the prospectus contained herein, or in
any variations thereof based on supplements, endorsements, or riders to any
Policies or prospectus, or otherwise.
<PAGE>
 

                      CONTENTS OF REGISTRATION STATEMENT

This Registration Statement comprises the following papers and documents:

The facing sheet.
 
Cross-Reference Sheet.
 
The prospectus consisting of _________________ pages.
 
The undertaking to file reports.
 
The undertaking regarding indemnification.

The representation pursuant to section 26(e) under the Investment Company Act of
1940.

The signatures.
 
Written consents of the following persons:

     Arnold R. Bergman (See Exhibit 2)

     Martin Sheerin (See Exhibit 6 (a))
 
The following exhibits:

1.A  (1)  Resolution of the Board of Directors of the Company authorizing the
          establishment of the Separate Account.*
 
     (2)  Not Applicable.
 
     (3)  (a)  Underwriting Agreement.**
 
          (b)  Form of Sales Agreement.**
 
          (c)  Commission Schedule for the Policies ###
 
     (4)  Not Applicable.
 
     (5)  Specimen Variable Life Insurance Policy.****
 
     (6)  (a)  Articles of Incorporation of First Variable Life Insurance
               Company.##

          (b)  By-Laws of First Variable Life Insurance Company.**
 
     (7)  Not Applicable.
 
     (8)  Form of Participation Agreement.***
 
     (9)  Not Applicable.
 
     (10) Specimen Flexible Premium Variable Life Insurance Application.###
 
2.        Opinion and consent of Arnold R. Bergman, Vice President, General
          Counsel & Secretary, as to securities being registered.###

3.        Not Applicable.
<PAGE>

 
4.        Not Applicable

5.        Not Applicable
 
6.        Opinion and consent of Actuary.###
 
7.        Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, Independent Auditors.###
 
8.        Powers of Attorney. #### - of the following individuals appointing
          John M. Soukup or Arnold R. Bergman their attorney-in-fact to act for
          them in their capacities as Directors of the Company or otherwise, to
          do all things necessary to comply with the provisions and intent of
          the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940 with
          respect to variable life insurance policies and variable annuity
          contracts:
 
               Ronald M. Butkiewicz    Shane W. Gleeson      Kenneth R. Meyer
               Michael J. Corey        Jeff S. Liebmann      Philip R. O'Connor
               Michael R. Ferrari      

- -------------
   *      Incorporated herein by reference to the Form S-6 Registration
          Statement of First Variable Life Insurance Company and Separate
          Account VL, filed electronically with the Securities and Exchange
          Commission on June 3, 1996 (File No. 333-05053).

  **      Incorporated herein by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to
          the Form S-6 Registration Statement of First Variable Life Insurance
          Company and Separate Account VL, filed electronically with the
          Securities and Exchange Commission on November 15, 1996 (File 
          No. 333-05053).
 
 ***      Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 to
          the Form N-4 Registration Statement of First Variable Life Insurance
          Company and First Variable Annuity Fund E, filed electronically with
          the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 18, 1996 (File
          Nos. 333-12197, 811-04092).

****      Filed herewith.  

   #      Incorporated herein by reference to the Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1
          to the Form S-6 Registration Statement of First Variable Life
          Insurance Company and Separate Account VL, filed electronically with
          the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 3, 1997 (File No.
          333-19193).

  ##      Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 21 to
          the Form N-4 Registration Statement of First Variable Life Insurance
          Company and First Variable Annuity Fund E, filed electronically with
          the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 29, 1996 (File 
          Nos. 33-86738, 811-04092).

 ###      To be filed by amendment.

####      Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the
          Form S-6 Registration Statement of First Variable Life Insurance
          Company Separate Account VL, filed electronically with the Securities
          and Exchange Commission on or about April 27, 1998 (File 
          No. 333-19193).
<PAGE>
 
                                 EXHIBIT INDEX

Filed herewith, as indicated on the Exhibit list.


                                   SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the First Variable
Life Insurance Company has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed
on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized, on the __  day of
________________________.


                                       First Variable Life Insurance Company

                                       By:  /s/John M. Soukup
                                            -----------------
                                            John M. Soukup 
                                            President



ATTEST:


/s/Arnold R. Bergman
- --------------------
Arnold R. Bergman
Secretary


Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant,
Separate Account VL of First Variable Life Insurance Company, has duly caused
this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,
thereto duly authorized, on the ____ day of __________.


                                       Separate Account VL of
                                       First Variable Life Insurance Company
                                                 (Registrant)

                                       By: First Variable Life Insurance Company
                                                 (Depositor)

                                       By: /s/ John M. Soukup
                                           ------------------
                                           John M. Soukup
                                           President



ATTEST:

/s/ Arnold R. Bergman
- ---------------------
Arnold R. Bergman
Secretary
<PAGE>
 
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration
Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities
indicated with First Variable Life Insurance Company, on the ____ day of
_________________.


PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER:


/s/ John M. Soukup
- ------------------
John M. Soukup
President


PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL AND ACCOUNTING OFFICER:


/s/ Christopher S. Harden
- -------------------------
Christopher S. Harden
Vice President & Treasurer


DIRECTORS:
 
                                            
/s/Ronald M. Butkiewicz*                    /s/Jeff S. Liebmann*  
- ------------------------                    --------------------  
Ronald M. Butkiewicz                        Jeff S. Liebmann      
                                                                  
                                                                  
/s/ John M. Soukup                          /s/Kenneth R. Meyer*  
- ------------------                          --------------------  
John M. Soukup                              Kenneth R. Meyer      
                                                                  
                                                                  
/s/Michael J. Corey*                        /s/Philip R. O'Connor*
- --------------------                        ----------------------
Michael J. Corey                            Philip R. O'Connor    
                                                                  
                                                                  
/s/Michael R. Ferrari*                      /s/Norman A. Fair*    
- ----------------------                      ------------------    
Michael R. Ferrari                          Norman A. Fair         
                                            
                                            
/s/Shane W. Gleeson*                        
- --------------------                        
Shane W. Gleeson                            

 
/s/Clark Ramsey
- ---------------
Clark Ramsey

                  * By: /s/Arnold R. Bergman
                        --------------------
                        Arnold R. Bergman
                        Attorney-in-Fact

<PAGE>
 
      [LETTERHEAD OF FIRST VARIABLE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY APPEARS HERE]

                        A STOCK LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY


FIRST VARIABLE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY (the "Company") will pay the Death Benefit
Proceeds to the Beneficiary upon receipt at our Variable Service Center of due
proof of the death of the Surviving Insured while this Policy was in force.  On
the Maturity Date, the Company will pay the Owner the Cash Surrender Value if
either of the Insureds is living and the Policy is in force.

This Policy is issued in return for the Application and payment of the initial
Premium Payment.  A copy of the Application is attached and made a part of the
Policy.

TEN DAY FREE LOOK-- Within ten (10) days of the date of receipt of this Policy,
it may be returned by delivering or mailing it to the Company at its Variable
Service Center or to the agent through whom it was purchased.  When the Company
receives this Policy, it will be voided as if it had never been in force.  The
Company will refund the Account Value, and any deductions for Monthly Charges
and Premium Load, computed at the end of the Valuation Period during which this
Policy is received by the Company at its Variable Service Center.


          /s/ Arnold R. Bergman              /s/ John M. Soukup
                 Secretary                          President

THIS IS A LEGAL CONTRACT -- READ IT CAREFULLY.

THE ACCOUNT VALUE, CASH SURRENDER VALUE, AND DEATH BENEFIT PROVIDED BY THIS
POLICY, WHEN BASED ON THE INVESTMENT EXPERIENCE OF THE SEPARATE ACCOUNT, ARE
VARIABLE AND NOT GUARANTEED AS TO DOLLAR AMOUNT.

            THE VARIABLE PROVISIONS OF THIS POLICY BEGIN ON PAGE __

                     INDIVIDUAL FLEXIBLE PREMIUM VARIABLE
                      JOINT LEGACY LIFE INSURANCE POLICY
                               NON-PARTICIPATING
<PAGE>
 
                               TABLE OF CONTENTS
                                        
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                   Begins on
                                                                                      Page
POLICY DATA PAGES                                                                    PD - 1
<S>                                                                                <C> 
SECTION  1.           DEFINITIONS                                                      1
SECTION  2.           PREMIUM PAYMENTS
SECTION  3.           DEATH BENEFITS
SECTION  4.           POLICY OPTIONS
SECTION  5.           TRANSFERS
SECTION  6.           ACCOUNT VALUE
SECTION  7.           CHARGES AND DEDUCTIONS
SECTION  8.           SURRENDER AND WITHDRAWALS
SECTION  9.           LOANS
SECTION 10.           OWNERSHIP, ASSIGNMENT AND BENEFICIARY PROVISIONS
SECTION 11.           GENERAL PROVISIONS
SECTION 12.           PAYOUT OPTIONS
PAYOUT OPTION TABLES
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
 
                             [CAPITAL LEGACY VUL]
                               POLICY DATA PAGES

<TABLE>
<S>                           <C>                     <C>                            <C>
POLICY NUMBER:                [VUL12345]              POLICY DATE:                   [May 15, 1998]
                                                      
OWNER:                        [JOHN DOE]              MATURITY DATE:                 [May 15, 2048]
                                                      
INSURED LIFE:                 [JOHN DOE]              SECOND INSURED LIFE:           [JANE DOE]
AGE AND SEX:                  [45 Male]               AGE AND SEX:                   [45 Female]
RATE CLASS:                   [Non-Smoker]            RATE CLASS:                    [Non-Smoker]
INSURANCE CLASS:              [Standard]              INSURANCE CLASS:               [Standard]

JOINT AGE:                    45

FACE AMOUNT:                  [$100,000]
DEATH BENEFIT OPTION          [Option A, unless changed as the Policy provides.]
MINIMUM FACE AMOUNT:          [$ 25,000]

BENEFICIARY:                  [MARY DOE]

PREMIUM:
MINIMUM INITIAL PREMIUM:                              [2 Monthly Minimum Premiums]
MONTHLY MINIMUM PREMIUM:                              [$______]
DEATH BENEFIT GUARANTEE PERIOD:                       [First 10 Policy Years; reduce for over Joint Age 70]
INITIAL GUIDELINE LEVEL PREMIUM:                      [$ __________]
PLANNED PREMIUM/FREQUENCY:                            [$_______/annually]

POLICY OPTIONS:                                       
SEPARATE ACCOUNT:                                     SEPARATE ACCOUNT VL
 [VIST Small Cap Growth Portfolio]                    [VIST Multiple Strategies Portfolio]
 [VIST World Equity Portfolio]                        [VIST High Income Bond Portfolio]
 [VIST Growth Portfolio]                              [VIST Government Bond Portfolio]
 [VIST Growth and Income Portfolio]                   [Federated Prime Money Fund II Portfolio]
 [VIST Matrix Equity]                                 

FIXED ACCOUNT:                                        [Guaranteed Interest Rate: 4.0%]
                                                      
DELAYED INVESTMENT START DATE:                        [Not Applicable]
DELAYED INVESTMENT START POLICY OPTION:               [Not Applicable]

CHARGES AND DEDUCTIONS:                               
PREMIUM CHARGE:                                       [Guaranteed not to exceed 6.75% of each Premium
                                                      Payment.  On the Policy Date, the Premium Charge is 0%
                                                      of each Premium Payment.  N.B. This combines a 5%
                                                      premium load with a 1.75% DAC tax charge.]

PREMIUM TAX CHARGE:                                   [Guaranteed not to exceed 2.5% of each Premium
                                                      Payment.  On the Policy Date, the Premium Tax Charge
                                                      is 0% of each Premium Payment.]
</TABLE>

                                     PD-1
<PAGE>
 
                             [CAPITAL LEGACY VUL]
                               POLICY DATA PAGES

<TABLE>
<S>                                               <C>
CHARGES AND DEDUCTIONS (CONTINUED):
DAILY ASSET CHARGE:                               [The daily asset charge on net assets in each Sub-Account
                                                  is guaranteed not to exceed an annualized rate of 1.20%.
                                                  On the Policy Date, the daily asset charge is equal to an
                                                  annualized rate of 0.90% on the net assets in each
                                                  Sub-Account.]
MONTHLY ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGE:                    [Guaranteed not to exceed $16.00 each Policy Month.  On
                                                  the Policy Date, the charge is $10.00 each Policy Month.]
MONTHLY POLICY BENEFIT CHARGE:                    [Guaranteed not to exceed an annualized rate of 0.30% of
                                                  the Policy's Account Value. ]
MONTHLY POLICY FEE:                               [On the Policy Date, the monthly fee is $_____.  The fee
                                                  will increase if the Face Amount is increased.]
MONTHLY COST OF INSURANCE CHARGE:                 [The maximum rate is based on TABLE OF GUARANTEED RATES
                                                  for the Joint Age and Net Amount at Risk.]
ADDITIONAL BENEFIT RIDERS:
[Estate Protection Rider:]                        An additional amount is added to the monthly cost of
                                                  insurance charge for the first 4 Policy Years, as shown
                                                  in the Table of Estate Protection Rider charges.
[Joint Term Life Insurance Rider:]                An additional amount is added to the monthly cost of
                                                  insurance charge for the amount and period shown in the
                                                  Table of Joint Term Life Insurance Rider charges.
[First-to-Die Term Life Insurance Rider:]         An additional amount is added to the monthly cost of
                                                  insurance charge for the amount and period shown in the
                                                  Table of First-to-Die Term Life Insurance Rider charges.
[Other Insured Term Life Insurance Rider:]        An additional amount is added to the monthly cost of
                                                  insurance charge for the amount and period shown in the
                                                  Table of Other Insured Term Life Insurance Rider charges.
[Joint Accidental Death Benefit Rider:]           An additional amount is added to the monthly cost of
                                                  insurance charge for the amount and period shown in the
                                                  Table of Joint Accidental Death Benefit Rider charges.
[Cash Deposit Benefit Rider:]                     An additional amount is added to the monthly cost of
                                                  insurance charge for the amount and period shown in the
                                                  Table of Cash Deposit Benefit Rider charges.
[Waiver of Monthly Deductions Rider:]             An additional amount is added to the monthly cost of
                                                  insurance charge for the amount and period shown in the
                                                  Table of Waiver of Monthly Deductions Rider charges.
</TABLE>

                                     PD-2
<PAGE>
 
                             [CAPITAL LEGACY VUL]
                               POLICY DATA PAGES

CHARGES AND DEDUCTIONS (CONTINUED):

<TABLE>
<S>                                               <C>
TRANSACTION CHARGES:
Withdrawals:                                      [Guaranteed not to exceed the lesser of 2% of the
                                                  amount withdrawn or $25 per transaction.  On the
                                                  Policy Date, the charge is $0 per transaction.]
Transfers:                                        [Guaranteed not to exceed $10 per transaction for
                                                  each transfer in excess of 12 in any Policy Year.
                                                  On the Policy Date, there is no charge for
                                                  transfers, regardless of the number effected in
                                                  any Policy Year.]
Surrender:                                        [The surrender charge applicable to the initial
                                                  Face Amount is the Surrender Charge Amount
                                                  multiplied by the applicable Surrender Charge
                                                  Percentage shown.]
Surrender Charge Amount:                          [$_____, equal to 100% of 12 Monthly Minimum
                                                  Premiums up to a maximum of $60 per $1,000 of Face
                                                  Amount for standard rated policies.]
</TABLE> 
 
<TABLE> 
Surrender Charge Percentages:
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Policy Year          1        2        3        4        5        6        7        8        9       10     11+
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>               <C>       <C>      <C>      <C>      <C>      <C>       <C>      <C>      <C>      <C>    <C>   
Percentage        62.5      125      125      125      125      100       80       60       42       20       0
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE> 
 
[An increase in Face Amount will result in a new Surrender Charge Amount and set
of surrender charges for 10 years after the effective date of the increase. No
surrender charge is imposed upon a partial decrease in Face Amount, but the full
surrender charge will remain in effect for a subsequent surrender. Additional
transaction charges, guaranteed not to exceed $250, may be imposed for
surrenders made for the benefit of a third party assignee of the Policy pursuant
to section 1035 of the Internal Revenue Code.]
 
TRANSFERS:

FREE TRANSFERS: [Guaranteed minimum of 12 per Policy Year. On the Policy Date,
an unlimited number of transfers are permitted.]

MINIMUM ACCOUNT VALUE TO BE TRANSFERRED: [$100 or the Account Value in the
selected Policy Option, if less]

RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFERS FROM THE FIXED ACCOUNT: [Unless otherwise permitted by
the Company, Account Value to be transferred from the Fixed Account in any
Policy Year may not exceed the greater of: (1) 50% of Fixed Account Value on the
Policy Date for transfers during the first Policy Year, or, (2) for transfers
after the first Policy Year, the greater of (a) 50% of Fixed Account Value on
the immediately preceding Policy Anniversary; or (b) 100% of the Fixed Account
Value transferred to other Policy Options during the immediately preceding
Policy Year. No transfers of Account Value are permitted from the Fixed Account
to other Policy Options after payments begin under a Payout Option.]
 
VARIABLE SERVICE CENTER: [The Variable Service Center on the Policy Date is
located at P.O. Box 1317, Des Moines, IA 50305-1317]

                                     PD-3
<PAGE>
 
                             [CAPITAL LEGACY VUL]
                               POLICY DATA PAGES

LIMITATIONS ON WITHDRAWALS OF CASH SURRENDER VALUE:

<TABLE>
<S>                                    <C>            
MINIMUM WITHDRAWAL:                    [$100.00]

FREQUENCY:                             [No withdrawals are permitted in the first Policy
                                       Year.]

IMPACT ON DEATH BENEFIT:               [No withdrawal may be made if the Death Benefit
                                       would be reduced below the Minimum Face Amount or
                                       below the amount required to qualify the Policy
                                       as a life insurance contract.

IMPACT ON REMAINING CASH SURRENDER     [No withdrawal may be made if the remaining Cash
 VALUE:                                Surrender Value would be less than the greater
                                       of:  (a) $1,000 or (b) 3 times the most recent
                                       Monthly Deduction.
</TABLE> 

LIMITATIONS ON REDUCTIONS IN FACE AMOUNT OR CHANGES IN DEATH BENEFIT OPTIONS:

<TABLE> 
<S>                                    <C>  
FREQUENCY:                             [No reductions in Face Amount or change in Death
                                       Benefit Options may be requested in the first
                                       Policy Year. After the first Policy Year, the
                                       Death Benefit Option may be changed no more
                                       frequently than once per Policy Year.]

IMPACT ON DEATH BENEFIT:               [No reductions in Face Amount or change in Death
                                       Benefit Options may be made if the Death Benefit
                                       would be reduced below the Minimum Face Amount,
                                       or below the amount required to qualify the
                                       Policy as a life insurance contract.]
</TABLE> 

LOANS:
MINIMUM LOAN:                                  [$100]
LOAN INTEREST RATE:                              
Preferred Loan Interest Rate:                  [Equal to an annual rate of 4.0%]
Maximum Loan Interest Rate:                    [Equal to an annual rate of 6.0%]
LOAN ACCOUNT CREDITED INTEREST RATE:           [4% per annum]

BONUSES:
PREMIUM VALUE BONUS:
Premium Value Bonus Factors:
Rate/Insurance Class:                  [Joint Non-Smoker/Joint
                                        Smoker, Preferred, or        Standard
 
Eligible Policy Years:                    [Year 9 and after]
Non - Guaranteed Premium Value
 Percentage:                                    [5%]
                                              
Guaranteed Premium Value Percentage:          
                                                [3%]


CASH VALUE BONUS:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION> 
                                   -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Non -Guaranteed Cash Value Bonus       [Cash Accumulation        [Cash Value Bonus Percentage        Years
 Factors:                                   Value]                 Policy Years 9 and after]         21+
                                   -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                    <C>                      <C>                                  <C> 
                                       [Less than $25,000]               [.00%]                          0
                                   -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                       [$25,000 to $100,000]             [.10%]                        .20
                                   -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                       [$100,001 to 200,000]             [.20]                         .40
                                   -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                       $200,000 and more                  .30                          .50
                                     ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

                                     PD-4
<PAGE>
 
                             [CAPITAL LEGACY VUL]
                               POLICY DATA PAGES

<TABLE>
<S>                                    <C>
POLICY EXCHANGES:
Alternative 1                          Alternative 1A:
[RIGHT TO EXCHANGE FOR TWO POLICIES:   [The Company will split the Death Benefit and Cash Accumulation Value
                                       of this Policy on the basis stated in the Policy Exchange Endorsement.]
                                       Alternative 1B:
                                       [The Company will split the Death Benefit and Cash Accumulation Value
                                       of this Policy on the basis stated in the attached application. The
                                       Owner must make a request in the manner and during the period
                                       described in the Policy Exchange Endorsement.]

Alternative 2                          Alternative 2
[NO RIGHT TO EXCHANGE FOR TWO          [The Owner may not elect to split either the Death Benefit or the Cash
POLICIES:]                             Accumulation Value of this Policy.]
</TABLE>

                                     PD-5
<PAGE>
 
                             [CAPITAL LEGACY VUL]
                               POLICY DATA PAGES


                  TABLE OF MINIMUM DEATH BENEFIT PERCENTAGES:
                        (As a percent of Account Value)

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                      MINIMUM                        MINIMUM                   MINIMUM       
                       DEATH                          DEATH                     DEATH           
    JOINT             BENEFIT        JOINT           BENEFIT        JOINT      BENEFIT  
     AGE             PERCENTAGE       AGE           PERCENTAGE        AGE     PERCENTAGE
    <S>              <C>             <C>            <C>             <C>       <C>
      35 or less        250            57              142             79         105
      36                250            58              138             80         105
      37                250            59              134             81         105
      38                250            60              130             82         105
      39                250            61              128             83         105
      40                250            62              126             84         105
      41                243            63              124             85         105
      42                236            64              122             86         105
      43                229            65              120             87         105
      44                222            66              119             88         105
      45                215            67              118             89         105
      46                209            68              117             90         105
      47                203            69              116             91         104
      48                197            70              115             92         103
      49                191            71              113             93         102
      50                185            72              111             94         101
      51                178            73              109             95         100
      52                171            74              107
      53                164            75              105
      54                157            76              105
      55                150            77              105
      56                146            78              105
</TABLE>

The Joint Age is determined by the Company based on the age, sex, Insurance
Class and Rate Class for both the First Insured Life and the Second Insured
Life. The Joint Age is not adjusted upon the first death.
THE MINIMUM BENEFIT PERCENTAGES ARE DETERMINED TO COMPLY WITH SECTION 7702 OF
THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE BUT ARE NOT GUARANTEED.

                                     PD-6
<PAGE>
 
                             [CAPITAL LEGACY VUL]
                               POLICY DATA PAGES

             TABLE OF GUARANTEED MONTHLY COST OF INSURANCE RATES*

Joint Insured Lives
Rate/Insurance Classes:    Male, Non-Smoker, Preferred
                           Female, Non-Smoker, Preferred



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
             Joint                   Joint                    Joint
 Policy     Insured      Policy     Insured      Policy      Insured
  Year       Lives        Year       Lives        Year        Lives
- --------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 <S>        <C>          <C>        <C>          <C>         <C>
 
    0                      19                      38
- --------------------------------------------------------------------    
    1                      20                      39
- --------------------------------------------------------------------    
    2                      21                      40
- --------------------------------------------------------------------    
    3                      22                      41
- --------------------------------------------------------------------    
    4                      23                      42
- --------------------------------------------------------------------    
    5                      24                      43
- --------------------------------------------------------------------    
    6                      25                      44
- --------------------------------------------------------------------    
    7                      26                      45
- --------------------------------------------------------------------    
    8                      27                      46
- --------------------------------------------------------------------    
    9                      28                      47
- --------------------------------------------------------------------    
   10                      29                      48
- --------------------------------------------------------------------    
   11                      30                      49
- --------------------------------------------------------------------    
   12                      31                      50
- ---------------------------------------------------                     
   13                      32
- ---------------------------------------------------                     
   14                      33                                         
- ---------------------------------------------------                     
   15                      34                                         
- ---------------------------------------------------                     
   16                      35                                         
- ---------------------------------------------------                     
   17                      36                                         
- ---------------------------------------------------                   
   18                      37                                         
- ---------------------------------------------------                   
</TABLE>

*  Per $1,000 of Net Amount at Risk.  For cost of insurance rates which are not
a standard rate class, the Table will be increased by rating factors and/or
additional monthly charges.

                                     PD-7
<PAGE>
 
SECTION 1                               DEFINITIONS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ACCOUNT                   The Fixed Account and/or one or more of the Sub-
                          Accounts of the Separate Account.

ACCOUNT VALUE             The sum of the Owner's interest (i) in the Sub-Account
                          of the Separate Account; (ii) in the Fixed Account;
                          and, if there is an outstanding Policy loan, (iii) in
                          the Loan Account.

ACCUMULATION UNIT         A unit of measurement used to calculate the Account
                          Value of a Sub-Account of the Separate Account.
                          
ACCUMULATION UNIT VALUE   The value of an Accumulation Unit on a Business Day.

BENEFICIARY               The person, persons or entity who will receive the
                          Death Benefit upon the death of the Surviving Insured.
                          The Beneficiary is stated in the application for this
                          Policy, unless changed in accordance with the Policy
                          provisions.

BUSINESS DAY              Each day the New York Stock Exchange is open for
                          trading, which is Monday through Friday, except for
                          normal business holidays.

COMPANY                   First Variable Life Insurance Company.   

CASH ACCUMULATION VALUE   Account Value minus any existing Indebtedness.

CASH SURRENDER VALUE      The amount available upon surrender of the Policy
                          which is equal to the Account Value less all
                          Indebtedness; and reduced by any applicable Surrender
                          Charges due upon surrender.
                          
DEATH BENEFIT             The amount of insurance provided under a Policy on the
                          life of the second to die of the Insureds.

DEATH BENEFIT PROCEEDS    The amount payable on the death of the second to die
                          of the Insureds. This amount is the Death Benefit less
                          Indebtedness and less any due and unpaid Monthly
                          Deduction(s).

FACE AMOUNT               A dollar amount used to determine the Death Benefit
                          under a Policy. It is shown on the Policy Data Pages.

FIXED ACCOUNT             The Fixed Account is the non-loaned portion of the
                          Account Value that is part of the Company's general
                          account. The Fixed Account provides guarantees of
                          principal and interest.

INDEBTEDNESS              All amounts owed to the Company by the Owner. This
                          includes all outstanding loans on this Policy,
                          including any interest due or accrued.

                                       1
<PAGE>
 
INSUREDS                  The Insured Person and Second Insured Person as shown
                          on the Policy Data Pages.

JOINT AGE                 The joint equivalent age of the Insureds that is used
                          to calculate the costs and benefits of this Policy.
                          The Joint Age is determined by the Company on the
                          Policy Date and increases by 1 on each Policy
                          Anniversary.

LOAN ACCOUNT              An account established in the Company's general
                          account for any amounts requested for loans.

MATURITY DATE             The Policy Anniversary on or following the 95th
                          birthday of the younger of the Insureds. The date on
                          which the Policy will mature is shown on the Policy
                          Data Pages.

MONTHLY DEDUCTION         The amount deducted from Account Value on the first
                          Business Day of each Policy Month to cover charges and
                          expenses incurred in connection with the Policy and
                          any additional benefit riders.

NET AMOUNT AT RISK        The amount of insurance coverage determined under this
                          Policy for each Policy Month.

NET PREMIUM               The amounts paid for a Policy, less the applicable
                          Premium Load, if any, shown on the Policy Data Pages.

OWNER                     The person, persons or entity entitled to all
                          ownership rights under the Policy. The Owner is stated
                          on the application for this Policy, unless changed in
                          accordance with Policy provisions.

POLICY ANNIVERSARY        An anniversary of the Policy Date. 

POLICY DATE               The date on which the Policy became effective. The
                          Policy Date is shown on the Policy Data Pages. Policy
                          Months and Policy Years are measured from this date.

POLICY OPTION             The Fixed Account or any of the Sub-Accounts of the
                          Separate Account which can be selected under the
                          Policy.

POLICY YEAR               A one year period starting from the Policy Date and
                          from each Policy Anniversary.

PORTFOLIO                 The separate and distinct class of shares that is
                          available as an underlying investment of a Sub-
                          Account. On the Policy Date, each Sub-Account invests
                          exclusively in a Portfolio stated on the Policy Data
                          Pages.

PREMIUM PAYMENT           An amount paid to the Company to provide benefits
                          under this Policy.

SEPARATE                  A separate investment account of the Company,
ACCOUNT                   designated on the Policy Data Pages.

                                       2
<PAGE>
 
SUB-ACCOUNT               A segment of the Separate Account.

SURVIVING INSURED         The insured person who remains alive after the first
                          death of the Insureds that occurs while the Policy is
                          in force.

VALUATION PERIOD          The period of time between the close of one Business
                          Day and the close of business for the next succeeding
                          Business Day.

VARIABLE SERVICE CENTER   The Company's administrative service center for this
                          Policy. The mailing address for the Variable Service
                          Center on the Policy Date is shown on the Policy Data
                          Pages, or such other location as we may designate.

                              Other terms are defined in the Policy.

SECTION 2                     PREMIUM PAYMENTS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GENERAL                   The Minimum Initial Premium Payment shown on the
                          Policy Data Pages is due on or before the Policy Date.
                          The Owner may make additional Premium Payments at any
                          time during the lifetime of either of the Insureds,
                          subject to the Premium Limitations.

PLANNED PREMIUMS          The Owner may elect, within limits specified by the
                          Company, to pay premium on a pre-determined schedule.
                          The Planned Premiums on the Policy Date, if any, are
                          shown on the Policy Data Pages.

PREMIUM LIMITATIONS       The Company will refuse any premium payment that may
                          cause this Policy not to be treated as life insurance
                          for tax purposes. The Company reserves the right to
                          require satisfactory evidence of insurability before
                          accepting any additional Premium Payment that would
                          increase the then current Death Benefit. The Company
                          may require that any Indebtedness be repaid prior to
                          accepting any additional premium.

                                       3
<PAGE>
 
ALLOCATION OF PREMIUM     Each Premium Payment is allocated to the Fixed Account
                          and/or one or more Sub-Accounts of the Separate
                          Account after deduction of the Premium Load, if any,
                          shown on the Policy Data Pages. The portion of a Net
                          Premium allocated to a Sub-Account of the Separate
                          Account is converted into Accumulation Units. The
                          number of Accumulation Units in a Sub-Account credited
                          to this Policy is determined by dividing (a) by (b),
                          where:

                          (a) is the amount of Premium Payment to be allocated
                              to that Sub-Account; and

                          (b) is the dollar value of the Accumulation Unit Value
                              for that Sub-Account.

                          It is generally calculated by the Company as of the
                          end of the Valuation Period during which the Company
                          receives a Premium Payment at its Variable Service
                          Center.

                          Except as described in the Delayed Investment Start
                          Date paragraph, the initial Net Premium is allocated
                          in accordance with the selection made by the Owner in
                          the application. Unless otherwise changed by the
                          Owner, any additional Premium Payment is allocated in
                          the same manner as the initial Premium Payment.
                          Allocation of Premium Payments is subject to the terms
                          and conditions imposed by the Company.

DELAYED INVESTMENT        If a Delayed Investment Start Date is shown on the
START DATE                Policy Data Pages, the Premium Payment for this
                          Policy, less the Premium Load, will be allocated to
                          the Delayed Investment Start Policy Option shown on
                          the Policy Data Pages in lieu of allocation to any
                          other Sub-Account Policy Option. Account Value will be
                          transferred from the Delayed Investment Start Policy
                          Option on the Business Day immediately following the
                          Delayed Investment Start Date to any other Sub-Account
                          Policy Option in accordance with the initial
                          instructions of the Owner.

                          The allocation of a Premium Payment to the Fixed
                          Account is not affected by a Delayed Investment Start
                          Date. Any Premium Payment received after a Delayed
                          Investment Start Date will be allocated to any Policy
                          Option then available under this Policy in accordance
                          with the Owner's direction.

                                       4
<PAGE>
 
MONTHLY MINIMUM PREMIUM   The Monthly Minimum Premium on the Policy Date is
                          shown on the Policy Data Pages. Payment of a
                          sufficient amount of Monthly Minimum Premiums
                          guarantees that the Policy will remain in force during
                          the Death Benefit Guarantee Period shown on the Policy
                          Data Pages, as long as there are no withdrawals or
                          Policy loans taken during that time. Payment of
                          Monthly Minimum Premiums is sufficient if, on the
                          first Business Day of each Policy Month during the
                          Death Benefit Guarantee Period, (a) is equal to or
                          greater than (b) where:

                          (a) is the sum of Premium Payments, minus any
                          Indebtedness, minus any withdrawals and any applicable
                          transaction charges deducted; and

                          (b) is the Monthly Minimum Premium multiplied by the
                          number of elapsed Policy Months, plus the Monthly
                          Minimum Premium for the current Policy Month.

                          The Monthly Minimum Premium amount will be increased
                          if the Face Amount is increased, or other benefits
                          added, during the Death Benefit Guarantee Period.

GRACE PERIOD              If sufficient Monthly Minimum Premiums are not paid
                          during the Death Benefit Guarantee Period, the Policy
                          will enter a grace period on the first Business Day of
                          any Policy Month where the Cash Surrender Value is not
                          sufficient to cover the current Monthly Deduction and
                          accrued interest on any Policy loans. After the Death
                          Benefit Guarantee Period, the Policy will enter a
                          grace period on the first Business Day of any Policy
                          Month where the Cash Surrender Value is not sufficient
                          to cover the current Monthly Deduction and accrued
                          interest on Policy loans.

                          A grace period of 61 days from the applicable Business
                          Day will be allowed for the payment of a minimum
                          required premium. The Company will send a grace period
                          notice to the Owner's last known address that will
                          show the minimum required premium for the grace
                          period. This is the amount necessary to cover the
                          Monthly Deduction(s) due under the Policy plus an
                          amount equal to three times the current Monthly
                          Deduction. If the minimum required premium is not paid
                          by the end of the grace period, the Policy will lapse
                          without value. If the Surviving Insured dies during
                          the grace period, the Company will pay the Death
                          Benefit Proceeds.

                                       5
<PAGE>
 
REINSTATEMENT             If a grace period ends and the Owner has neither paid
                          the minimum required premium nor surrendered the
                          Policy for its Cash Surrender Value, the Owner may
                          reinstate the Policy by:

                          (a) submitting a written request at any time within 3
                              years after the end of the grace period and prior
                              to the Maturity Date;

                          (b) providing evidence of insurability satisfactory to
                              the Company on both Insureds;

                          (c) paying a sufficient Premium to cover all charges
                              that were due and unpaid during the grace period;

                          (d) paying an additional Premium sufficient the keep
                              the Policy in force for 3 Policy Months from the
                              date of reinstatement; and

                          (e) repaying any Indebtedness against the Policy that
                              existed at the end of the grace period.

                          No reinstatement is permitted if only the Surviving
                          Insured is alive at the time of the request.

                          A reinstatement will be effective on the first
                          business Day of the Policy Month beginning on or after
                          the Company's approval. The Account Value of the
                          reinstated Policy will be the Account Value at the
                          time of lapse plus the amount in (d) above. Other
                          terms and conditions of the reinstated policy will be
                          subject to the Company's administrative procedures.
                          The Surrender Charges set forth on the Policy Data
                          pages will be reinstated as of the Policy Year in
                          which the Policy lapsed.

                                       6
<PAGE>
 
SECTION 3                                DEATH BENEFITS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GENERAL                   This Policy is designed to provide a Death Benefit
                          that is payable when the last of the Insureds dies. As
                          long as the Policy remains in force, a Death Benefit
                          is payable upon the death of the Surviving Insured.
                          Upon receipt of proof of death of both Insureds and
                          receipt of any applicable Payout Option election, the
                          Company will pay the Death Benefit Proceeds to the
                          Beneficiary. The Owner may elect for the Death Benefit
                          Proceeds to be paid in a single sum or under a Payout
                          Option by written request to the Company at its
                          Variable Service Center. The Company must receive the
                          election at its Variable Service Center before the
                          death of the Surviving Insured. If no Payout Option is
                          in effect upon the death of the Surviving Insured, the
                          Beneficiary may elect a Payout Option under the Payout
                          Option provisions of this Policy in lieu of a single
                          sum.

                          The Death Benefit is based on the Death Benefit Option
                          in effect on the date of the Surviving Insured's
                          death; and any increases or decreases to the Face
                          Amount.

DEATH BENEFIT OPTIONS     DEATH BENEFIT OPTION A. Under this option, the Death
                          Benefit is the greater of: (a) the Face Amount or (b)
                          the Account Value times the applicable percentage of
                          Death Benefit factors shown on the Policy Data Pages.

                          DEATH BENEFIT OPTION B. Under this option, the Death
                          Benefit is the greater of: (a) the Face Amount plus
                          the Account Value or (b) the Account Value times the
                          applicable percentage of Death Benefit factors shown
                          on the Policy Data Pages.

                          The Death Benefit Option in effect on the Policy Date
                          is shown on the Policy Data pages.

                                       7
<PAGE>
 
CHANGE IN DEATH BENEFIT   DEATH BENEFIT OPTION. The Owner may make a written
OPTIONS AND FACE AMOUNT   request to the Variable Service Center to change the
                          Death Benefit Option, subject to any limitations shown
                          on the Policy Data pages.

                          A change from Death Benefit Option A to Death Benefit
                          Option B will cause the Face Amount to decrease by the
                          amount of the Account Value.

                          The Company reserves the right to require satisfactory
                          evidence of insurability on both Insureds before
                          permitting a change from Death Benefit Option B to
                          Death Benefit Option A. If approved, the change will
                          cause the Face Amount to be increased by the amount of
                          the Account Value.

                          FACE AMOUNT INCREASES. During the lifetime of both
                          Insureds, the Owner may make a written request to the
                          Variable Service Center to increase the Face Amount,
                          subject to any limitations shown on the Policy Data
                          pages.

                          For a change that would increase the Face Amount, the
                          Company may require evidence of insurability on either
                          or both Insureds. The Company may restrict any
                          requested increases in Face Amount to minimums and
                          maximums that vary with the Insureds' ages, Insurance
                          Classes and Rate Classes. If the Face Amount is
                          increased during the Death Benefit Guarantee Period
                          shown on the Policy Data Pages, the Monthly Minimum
                          Premium will be increased. The increase in Monthly
                          Minimum Premium will begin on the first Business Day
                          of the Policy Month on which the increase in Face
                          Amount is effective. An increase in Monthly Minimum
                          Premium will remain in effect for the remainder of the
                          Death Benefit Guarantee Period. The Company will
                          calculate the increase in Monthly Minimum Premium
                          based on the Insureds' ages, sex, additional Face
                          Amount, Insurance Classes and Rate Classes.

                          FACE AMOUNT DECREASES. The Owner may make a written
                          request to the Variable Service Center to decrease the
                          Face Amount, subject to any limitations shown on the
                          Policy Data pages.

                          Any reduction of Face Amount will be in the following
                          order:

                          . against the most recent increase in insurance; then

                          . against the next most recent increases; then

                          . against the initial Face Amount.

                          EFFECTIVE DATE OF CHANGE. A change will take effect on
                          the first Business Day of the Policy Month coinciding
                          with or next following the date the Company approves
                          the request.

                                       8
<PAGE>
 
PAYMENT OF DEATH BENEFIT  The amount of the Death Benefit is determined on the
PROCEEDS                  date the Company receives proof of the death of both
                          Insureds. The Death Benefit Proceeds actually paid to
                          the Beneficiary are equal to the Death Benefit reduced
                          by any Indebtedness and any due and unpaid Monthly
                          Deductions and increased by the amounts, if any,
                          payable under any optional additional benefit riders
                          in effect on the date of the Insured's death. The
                          Death Benefit Proceeds will be determined by the
                          Company as of the date of the Surviving Insured's
                          death. All Death Benefits will be paid in accordance
                          with applicable law or regulations governing death
                          benefit payments.

                          The Company will require due proof of death before
                          payment of a Death Benefit. For these purposes, "due
                          proof of death" means: 

                          (a) a certified death certificate;

                          (b) a certified decree of a court of competent
                              jurisdiction as to the finding of death; or

                          (c) any other proof satisfactory to the Company.


BENEFICIARY OTHER THAN    Unless the Owner provides otherwise, the Death Benefit
A SINGLE PERSON           will be paid in equal shares to the survivor(s) as
                          follows:

                          (a) to the primary Beneficiary(ies) who survive the
                              death of the Insured; or if there are none,

                          (b) to the contingent Beneficiary(ies) who survive the
                              death of the Insured; or if there are none,

                          (c) to the estate of the Owner.


SECTION 4                             POLICY OPTIONS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE SEPARATE ACCOUNT      The Separate Account is a separate investment account
AND THE SUB-ACCOUNTS      of the Company. It is shown on the Policy Data Pages.
                          The Company has allocated a part of its assets for
                          this and certain other policies to the Separate
                          Account. The assets of the Separate Account are the
                          property of the Company. The Company guarantees that
                          the portion of the Separate Account assets equal to
                          the Company's reserves and other policy liabilities
                          with respect to the Separate Account shall not be
                          chargeable with the liabilities arising out of any
                          other business the Company may conduct.

                          Assets of the Separate Account are valued at their
                          fair market value in accordance with procedures of the
                          Company. The Separate Account is segmented into Sub-
                          Accounts. Each Sub-Account available under this Policy
                          on the Policy Date invests its assets exclusively in
                          shares of one of the Portfolios shown on the Policy
                          Data Pages.

                          The investment policy of the Separate Account shall
                          not be changed without approval of the Insurance
                          Commissioner of the Company's state of domicile. On
                          the Policy Date, the Company's state of domicile is
                          Arkansas. A statement of the approval process is on
                          file with that state's Insurance Department.

                                       9
<PAGE>
 
SUB-ACCOUNT     The Owner may allocate Net Premium to one or more of the Sub-
INVESTMENT      Accounts that correspond to the Portfolios shown on the Policy
OPTIONS         Data Pages. The Company may, from time to time, invest Separate
                Account assets in additional mutual funds, portfolios of mutual
                funds, or other investments. The Owner may be permitted to
                transfer Account Value or allocate Net Premium to these
                additional Separate Account investments. However, the right to
                make any transfer will be limited by the terms and conditions
                imposed by the Company.

                If the shares of any Portfolio, or of any other Separate Account
                investment, become unavailable for investment by the Separate
                Account, or if the Company's Board of Directors deems further
                investment in these shares inappropriate or inadvisable, the
                Company may limit further purchase of these shares and may
                substitute shares of another Portfolio or other investment
                vehicle for shares already purchased under this Policy. The
                Company also may, in its discretion, remove Portfolios for
                transfers or new investments. In making these and any other
                changes, the Company will comply with all applicable legal
                requirements and, if required, it will seek Owner approval.

FIXED           The Owner may allocate a Premium Payment to the Fixed Account.
ACCOUNT         Interest will be credited to amounts allocated to the Fixed
OPTION          Account as described in the "Account Value - Fixed Account
                Value" provision of this Policy.

SECTION 5                TRANSFERS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TRANSFERS       In any Policy Year, the Owner may transfer Account Value among
AMONG POLICY    Policy Options without the imposition of any transaction fee if
OPTIONS         there have been no more than the guaranteed minimum number of
                free transfers shown on the Policy Data Pages. The Company may
                from time to time: (a) increase the number of permitted free
                transfers; or (b) decrease the number of permitted free
                transfers, but not below the guaranteed minimum number of free
                transfers. No transfers are permitted, however, until the end of
                a Delayed Investment Start Date, if any, shown on the Policy
                Data Pages. The amount of Account Value which may be transferred
                from the Fixed Account to other Policy Options will be subject,
                without limitation, to the specific restrictions, if any, shown
                on the Policy Data Page.

                All amounts and Accumulation Unit Values will be determined as
                of the end of the Valuation Period in which the Company receives
                the transfer request.

                If more than the permitted number of free transfers have been
                made in the Policy Year, the Company will deduct any applicable
                transaction fee described in Section 7 of this Policy for each
                subsequent transfer.

                                      10
<PAGE>
 
GENERAL         The minimum amount of Account Value that can be transferred is
REQUIREMENTS    shown on the Policy Data Pages. The minimum amount of Account
FOR TRANSFERS   Value, if any, which must remain in a Policy Option after a
                transfer from it is shown on the Policy Data Pages.

                Any transfer instruction must be in a form satisfactory to the
                Company, and received by the Company at its Variable Service
                Center. Without limitation, any such instruction must clearly
                specify the amount to be transferred and the Policy Options to
                be affected. The Company will not be liable for transfers made
                in accordance with instructions by, or on behalf of, the Owner.

                The Company reserves the right, at any time and without prior
                notice to any party, to terminate, suspend or modify the
                transfer privileges described above.

SECTION  6                       ACCOUNT VALUE
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GENERAL         The Account Value on any Business Day is the sum of the Owner's
                interest (a) in the Sub-Accounts of the Separate Account; (b) in
                the Fixed Account; and (c) if there is an outstanding Policy
                loan, in the Loan Account. The value of the Owner's interest in
                a Sub-Account is determined by multiplying the number of
                Accumulation Units attributable to that Sub-Account by the
                Accumulation Unit Value for that Sub-Account.

ACCUMULATION    The number of Accumulation Units in a Sub-Account credited to
UNIT VALUE      this Policy is determined by dividing the amount to be allocated
                to that Sub-Account by the Accumulation Unit Value for that Sub-
                Account as of the end of the Valuation Period when that
                allocation is to be effective. An amount to be allocated may be
                derived from a Premium Payment, loan repayment, Premium Value
                Bonus, or a transfer of Account Value into a Sub-Account. The
                Accumulation Unit Value for each Sub-Account will vary to
                reflect the investment experience of the assets in that Sub-
                Account and will be determined on each Valuation Date by
                multiplying the Accumulation Unit Value of the Sub-account on
                each Valuation preceding Valuation Date by a Net Investment
                Factor for that Sub-Account for the Valuation Period then ended.
                The Net Investment Factor for each Sub-Account is generally
                equal to the net asset value per share of the applicable
                portfolio at the end of the Valuation Period (plus the per share
                amount of any dividend or capital gains distribution paid by
                that Portfolio in the Valuation Period then ended) divided by
                the net asset value per share of the corresponding Portfolio at
                the beginning of the Valuation Period and induced by the daily
                equivalent rate of the mortality and expense Risk charge.

FIXED ACCOUNT   The Company guarantees that it will credit interest to the
VALUE           Account Value in the Fixed Account at a rate not less than the
                minimum guaranteed interest rate shown on the Policy Data Pages.
                The Company may credit additional amounts of interest from time
                to time in its sole discretion. The Company determines interest
                rates in advance, and credits interest daily to Fixed Account
                Value in dollars.

                                      11
<PAGE>
 
MINIMUM         The Company reserves the right to transfer Account Value from
VALUE           any Policy Option if on any Business Day the Account Value in
REQUIRED IN     the Policy Option is less than $100. In such event, the Account
ANY POLICY      Value will be transferred to the Policy Option with the highest
OPTION          Account Value.
                
PREMIUM         This Policy will be eligible for a Premium Value Bonus credit at
VALUE           the start of the first Eligible Policy Year shown on the Policy
BONUS           Data Pages. To be eligible, the cumulative amount of premiums
                paid on the first Business Day of the first Eligible Policy
                Year, less the amount of Indebtedness and withdrawals taken by
                the Owner, must be at least equal to the product of the Monthly
                Minimum Premium times the number of elapsed Policy Months.

                If the eligibility requirement is met, a Premium Value Bonus
                will be credited each Policy Month:

                .   starting on the first Business Day of the first Eligible
                    Policy Year;

                .   based on the guaranteed Premium Value Bonus factors shown on
                    the Policy Data Pages; but only if

                .   the cumulative amount of premiums paid on the last Business
                    Day of the immediately preceding Policy Month, less the
                    amount of Indebtedness and withdrawals taken by the Owner,
                    is at least equal to the product of the current Monthly
                    Minimum Premium times the number of elapsed Policy Months.

                Any Premium Value Bonus credited will be at least equal to the
                product of the current Monthly Minimum Premium times the
                guaranteed annual Premium Value Percentage rate shown on the
                Policy Data Pages.

                Additional Bonuses may be credited from time to time at the
                Company's sole discretion based on "current" Premium Value Bonus
                factors. The current Premium Value Bonus factors (including an
                annual Premium Value Percentage rate) on the Policy Date, which
                may be changed by the Company at any time without notice, are
                shown on the Policy Data Pages.

CASH VALUE      After a Policy has been continuously in force for the first
BONUS           eight Policy Years, Cash Value Bonus amounts may be credited
                monthly to Account Value. Cash Value Bonuses, if any, are based
                on the Cash Accumulation Value at the end of the last Business
                Day of the immediately preceding Policy Month and the applicable
                Cash Value Bonus Percentage rate then in effect. The Cash Value
                Bonus annual percentage rate on the Policy Date is shown on the
                Policy Data Pages. The rate is not guaranteed and may be
                increased, decreased, or eliminated by the Company in its sole
                discretion.

ALLOCATION      Any Premium Value Bonus and Cash Value Bonus will be allocated
OF BONUSES      among the Fixed Account and the Sub-Accounts of the Separate
                Account on a pro rata basis based on the Account Value in each,
                or by any other method approved by the Company in advance. The
                Company will credit amounts by adding values to the Fixed
                Account and/or crediting additional Accumulation Units of the
                applicable Sub-Accounts to the Account Value. Bonuses are not
                allocated to the Loan Account.

                                      12
<PAGE>
 
SECTION 7                   CHARGES AND DEDUCTIONS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Various charges and deductions are made from Premium Payments, Account Value and
the Separate Account.  These are:


PREMIUM         The Premium Charge and Premium Tax Charge, as shown on the
CHARGE AND      Policy Data Pages, is deducted from each Premium Payment. The
PREMIUM TAX     Company may from time to time, reduce the amount of either, or
CHARGE          both, below the applicable guaranteed amount shown on the Policy
                Data Pages.
                           
MONTHLY         On the first Business Day of each Policy Month, the Company will
DEDUCTIONS      take a Monthly Deduction to cover charges and expenses incurred
                in connection with the Policy. This amount will be taken by
                subtracting values from the Fixed Account and/or canceling
                Accumulation Units from each applicable Sub-Account. The
                deductions will be in the ratio that the value of each Policy
                Option bears to the Cash Accumulation Value, or by any other
                method selected by the Owner and acceptable to the Company. The
                amount taken will vary from month to month.
                
                The monthly deductions are comprised of the following charges:

                ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGE: The Company deducts an Administrative
                Charge for the amount shown on the Policy Data Pages.

                MONTHLY POLICY BENEFIT CHARGE: The Company deducts a Monthly
                Policy Benefit Charge for the amount shown on the Policy Data
                Pages.

                MONTHLY POLICY FEE: The Company deducts a Monthly Policy Fee for
                the amount shown on the Policy Data Pages based on the Face
                Amount on the Policy Date. The Company may adjust this amount if
                the Face Amount increases.

                The Company may from time to time reduce the amount of any
                guaranteed charge shown.

                COST OF INSURANCE: The Company deducts a Cost of Insurance
                Charge from the Cash Accumulation Value on the first Business
                Day of each Policy Month.

                The Cost of Insurance Charge for any Policy Month is determined
                by: (a) subtracting the Account Value from the Death Benefit;
                (b) dividing the net amount by 1.003273739; and (c) multiplying
                the results by the current cost of insurance rate divided by
                1,000. The cost of insurance rate is based on Policy Year and
                the Insureds' sex, ages, Insurance Classes and Rate Classes. The
                Company will determine the rates, but they will never be more
                than the guaranteed rates shown on the Policy Data Pages.

                The maximum cost of insurance charges do not exceed the cost of
                insurance rates based on the 1980 Commissioner's Standard
                Ordinary Mortality Table, age, Rate Class and sex.

                ADDITIONAL BENEFIT RIDER CHARGES: The charges for optional
                additional benefit riders attached to the Policy, will be
                deducted monthly as specified in the rider.

                                      13
<PAGE>
 
DAILY           Each Business Day, the Company will deduct an asset charge which
DEDUCTIONS      is equal to a percentage of the net assets in each Sub-Account
                of the Separate Account for this class of Policy. The asset
                charge is guaranteed by the Company not to exceed the guaranteed
                rate shown on the Policy Data Pages.
                                                                               
                The Company may from time to time, assess an asset charge for
                this class of Policy that is less than the guaranteed maximum
                rate. The asset charge on the Policy Date is as shown on the
                Policy Data pages.

INCOME TAXES    The Company reserves the right to reduce the Account Value for
                federal income taxes of the Separate Account if it determines,
                in its sole discretion, that it will incur a tax as a result of
                the operation of the Separate Account. The Company will deduct
                for any income taxes incurred by it as a result of the operation
                of the Separate Account whether or not there was a Company
                reserve for taxes and whether or not it was sufficient.

TRANSACTION     The Company reserves the right to assess transaction charges
CHARGES         shown on the Policy Data Pages for:
 
                .   transfers of Account Value described in Section 5 -
                    TRANSFERS;

                .   surrender or withdrawals of Cash Surrender Value as
                    described in Section 8 -SURRENDER AND WITHDRAWALS; and

                .   loans using the Policy as security as described in Section 
                    9 -LOANS.

                The Company may from time to time, reduce the amount of any
                guaranteed transaction charge shown on the Policy Data pages.


ALLOCATION OF   Transaction charges will be deducted pro-rata from Account Value
TRANSACTION     in each Policy Option prior to the transaction, or by any other
CHARGES         method approved by the Company in advance of the transaction. If
                the entire interest in a Sub-Account or the Fixed Account is
                being transferred, the pro-rata portion of any applicable
                transaction fee will be deducted from the amount that is
                transferred.
            
            
SECTION 8                  SURRENDER AND WITHDRAWALS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SURRENDER       The Owner may surrender this Policy for its Cash Surrender Value
                at any time while either of the Insureds is living by written
                request to the Company at its Variable Service Center. The Cash
                Surrender Value of the surrendered Policy will be determined as
                of the Business Day when a surrender request is received at the
                Company's Variable Service Center. The Owner may request to have
                all or part of the Cash Surrender Value applied to a Payout
                Option. The Company's liability for the Death Benefit terminates
                upon a surrender of the Policy.

                                      14
<PAGE>
 
WITHDRAWALS     After the first Policy Year, the Owner may request to make a
                withdrawal of a portion of the Cash Surrender Value. The amount
                requested must be not less than the Minimum Withdrawal amount
                shown on the Policy Data Pages. Any request is subject to any
                limitations on withdrawals shown on the Policy Data pages. A
                permitted withdrawal will cause a reduction in the Account Value
                and Death Benefit by the sum of : (a) the amount of the Cash
                Surrender Value withdrawn; and (b) any applicable transaction
                charge shown on the Policy Data pages.

                A permitted withdrawal will result in the cancellation of
                Accumulation Units from each applicable Sub-Account Policy
                Option or a reduction in Fixed Account Value in the ratio that
                the Account Value in the Policy Option bears to the Cash
                Accumulation Value. If Death Benefit Option A is in effect, a
                withdrawal will reduce the Face Amount by the withdrawal plus
                any applicable transaction charges. The Owner may request in
                writing in advance if a different method for canceling
                Accumulation Units or reducing Fixed Account Value is desired.
                The Company reserves the right to disapprove any such request.


SURRENDER       The Surrender Charge is shown on the Policy Data Pages, and is
CHARGE          based on the Face Amount on the Policy Date. The charge may vary
                depending on the elapsed period during which the Surrender
                Charge applies. An additional Surrender Charge may apply if the
                Face Amount is increased.
                
                The Company will apply the Surrender Charge to a surrender by
                subtracting values from the Fixed Account and/or canceling
                Accumulation Units credited to this Policy.


SUSPENSION OR   The Company generally will pay amounts from the Separate Account
DEFERRAL OF     for a surrender, withdrawal, Policy loan or transfer within
PAYMENTS        seven (7) days of receipt of a request in good order. The
                Company reserves the right, however, to suspend or postpone such
                payments for any period when:
                
                (a) the New York Stock Exchange is closed;

                (b) trading on the New York Stock Exchange is restricted;

                (c) an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of
                    securities held in the Separate Account is not reasonably
                    practicable or it is not reasonably practicable to determine
                    the value of the Separate Account's net assets; or

                (d) during any other period when the Securities and Exchange
                    Commission, by order, so permits for the protection of
                    Owner(s).

                The Company reserves the right to defer payment for a surrender,
                withdrawal, Policy loan or transfer from the Fixed Account for
                the period permitted by law, but not for more than six months
                after written election is received by the Company.

                                      15
<PAGE>
 
SECTION 9                            LOANS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GENERAL         The Owner may borrow money and use the Policy as security for
                the Indebtedness at any time after the Free Look period. The
                Company will usually make the loan within seven (7) days of the
                date a loan request is received at the Variable Service Center.
                                                                               
                The maximum amount available as a loan is equal to 90% of the
                Account Value less the sum of Surrender Charges and
                Indebtedness. The minimum Policy loan amount is shown on the
                Policy Data Pages.

                A Policy loan reduces the Account Value in the Sub-Accounts and
                Fixed Account by the amount of the loan. Account Value equal to
                the amounts loaned is transferred from the Fixed Account and the
                Separate Account to the Loan Account when the loans are made.
                The amounts transferred will be taken in proportion to the
                Account Value in each Sub-Account and the Fixed Account, unless
                another method is requested in advance and agreed to by the
                Company. Interest is credited monthly to the Loan Account at the
                equivalent of the minimum guaranteed annual interest rate shown
                on the Policy Data Pages.

                The amount taken from the Policy's Sub-Accounts as a result of a
                loan does not participate in the investment experience of the
                Sub-Accounts. Therefore, the Death Benefit and Account Value of
                the Policy can be permanently affected by a Policy loan, even if
                it is repaid. In addition, any proceeds payable under a Policy
                are reduced by the amount of any Indebtedness.

                Interest accrues daily and will be payable in arrears at the end
                of each Policy Month. Any interest not paid when due will be
                added to the Indebtedness and bear interest in the same manner.
                An amount equal to the unpaid interest will be deducted from the
                Account Value in the Policy Options and transferred to the Loan
                Account on the first Business Day of the next Policy Month.

                A loan repayment increases the Account Value in the Sub-Accounts
                and Fixed Account by the amount of the repayment. Policy loan
                repayments are attributed to the Sub-Accounts and Fixed Account
                from which an amount was taken as a result of the loan, unless
                another method is requested in advance and agreed to by the
                Company.

REGULAR LOANS   Indebtedness as a result of a Regular Loan will be charged
                interest at the maximum loan interest rate(s) shown on the
                Policy Data Pages. Any money borrowed under this Policy is
                treated as a Regular Loan until a Preferred Loan Event occurs.
                When a Preferred Loan Event occurs, Indebtedness that is then
                attributable to a Regular Loan is automatically converted within
                seven (7) Business Days to a Preferred Loan, up to the Preferred
                Loan Limit described below.

                                      16
<PAGE>
 
                After the first Policy Year, the Owner may qualify for a
                Preferred Loan. To qualify, the Policy must have a Cash
                Accumulation Value of at least $25,000 on the most recent Policy
                Anniversary. This is called a "Preferred Loan Event." During the
                Policy Year immediately following a Preferred Loan Event, the
                Owner may request a Preferred Loan at the Preferred Loan Rate
                shown on the Policy Data Pages. If Cash Accumulation Value is
                less than $25,000 on a Policy Anniversary, no new Preferred
                Loans may be taken during the immediately following Policy Year.
                Loans that do not qualify for Preferred Loan status are treated
                as Regular Loans.

                The maximum amount available for a Preferred Loan in any
                qualifying Policy Year is the Preferred Loan Limit less the
                amount of any Indebtedness converted from a Regular Loan to a
                Preferred Loan for that Policy Year. The "Preferred Loan Limit"
                in any Policy Year is 15% of the Cash Accumulation Value on the
                immediately preceding Policy Anniversary. A Preferred Loan will
                reduce the amount available as a Regular Loan.

IMMEDIATE       A loan repayment will be due on the first Business Day of a
LOAN            Policy Month if (a) exceeds (b), where:          
REPAYMENT
                                                                               
                (a) is the amount of Indebtedness; and

                (b) the excess of the Policy's Account Value over any Surrender
                    Charge that would be due if the Policy were surrendered.

                A period of 61 days will be allowed from the first day of such
                Policy Month for a loan repayment. The Company will send a
                notice to the Owner or assignee, if any. The Policy will
                terminate without value 61 days after the mailing of the notice
                unless a sufficient repayment is made during that period. A
                repayment is sufficient if it is large enough to reduce the
                total Indebtedness to an amount equal to:


                (a) the Policy's Account Value less the Surrender Charge; plus

                (b) an amount sufficient to continue the Policy in force for 3
                    months.

                The Company will send such notice to the Owner's last known
                address. If the Insured dies during the loan repayment period,
                the Death Benefit Proceeds will be payable as stated in the
                Death Benefits section.

                A loan repayment must be designated as such. Otherwise, the
                Company may treat the payment as a Premium Payment.

                                      17
<PAGE>
 
SECTION 10     OWNERSHIP, ASSIGNMENT AND BENEFICIARY PROVISIONS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OWNERSHIP       The Owner has all rights under this Policy. The Owner is the
                person designated in the Application, unless changed during the
                lifetime of the Insured. Upon the death of the Owner, his or her
                estate will become the Owner unless a successor Owner has been
                named. The Owner's rights under the Policy terminate when the
                Insured dies.

ASSIGNMENT      The Owner may, at any time during the lifetime of the Insured,
                assign his or her rights under this Policy. The Company will not
                be bound by any assignment until the Company receives written
                notice at its Variable Service Center. The Company is not
                responsible for the validity or tax consequences of any
                assignment. The Company will not be liable as to any payment or
                other settlement made by the Company before receipt of the
                assignment.

BENEFICIARY     The Beneficiary on the Policy Date is as named on the
                Application.

CHANGE OF       A request to change the designated Owner or Beneficiary must be
DESIGNATIONS    made in writing and received by the Company at its Variable
                Service Center. The change will become effective as of the date
                the written request is signed. A new designation will not apply
                to any payment made or action taken by the Company prior to the
                time it records the change, and the Company shall be released
                from any further liability with respect to any such payment made
                or action taken.
                
                OWNER: The Owner may change the Owner at any time while the
                Surviving Insured is alive. A change of Owner will automatically
                revoke any prior designation of Owner.

                BENEFICIARY: Subject to the rights of any irrevocable
                Beneficiary(ies), the Owner may change the primary
                Beneficiary(ies) or contingent Beneficiary(ies). A permitted
                change of Beneficiary will automatically revoke any prior
                designation of Beneficiary.

                                      18
<PAGE>
 
SECTION 11               GENERAL PROVISIONS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE POLICY          The entire contract consists of this Policy; the Application
                    which is attached to this Policy; and any riders or
                    endorsements attached to this Policy.

                    This Policy may be changed or altered only by the President
                    or Vice President and the Secretary of the Company. A change
                    or alteration must be made in writing.


INCONTEST-ABILITY   Generally, the Company can challenge the validity of the
                    Policy or any rider to the Policy during the lifetime of
                    each of the Insureds for two years from the Policy Date,
                    based on misrepresentations made in the application. The
                    Company can challenge an increase in Death Benefit requiring
                    evidence of insurability for two years during the lifetime
                    of each of the Insureds from the date of the increase.
                    However, there is no time limit on the Company's right to
                    challenge all or part of the Policy if either of the
                    Insureds dies within the two-year period.

                    Optional benefit riders to this Policy may have different
                    provisions for incontestability.

                    Any reinstatement will be incontestable after that
                    reinstatement has been in force for two years from its
                    effective date during the lifetime of each of the Insureds.
                    Any contest will then be based only on the information
                    provided on the application for reinstatement.

SUICIDE             Suicide of both the Insureds, or of the Surviving Insured,
                    while sane or insane, within two years from the Policy Date
                    is a risk not assumed under this Policy. The Company's
                    liability for such suicides is limited to the Cash Surrender
                    Value. When the laws of the state in which this Policy is
                    delivered require less than a two-year period, the period
                    will be as stated in such law.

MATURITY PROCEEDS   If either of the Insureds is living on the Maturity Date,
                    the Company will pay the Owner the Cash Surrender Value on
                    the Maturity Date upon surrender of this Policy. In such
                    case, the Policy will terminate and the Company will have no
                    further obligations under the Policy.

RIGHT TO EXCHANGE   During the first 24 months after the Policy Date, if the 
FOR A FIXED BENEFIT Policy has not lapsed, there is an unconditional right to 
POLICY              transfer all of the Account Value in the Sub-Accounts to 
                    the Fixed Account without any transaction charge.
          
MISSTATEMENT OF     If the age or sex of either of the Insureds is misstated 
AGE OR SEX          in any application for benefits under this Policy, the 
                    Death Benefit will be the amount provided by the correct age
                    and sex.

                                      19
<PAGE>
 
MODIFICATION        This Policy may be modified and the Company may take any
                    other action in order to maintain compliance with applicable
                    state and federal law, including tax law requirements for
                    treatment of life insurance. The Company also has the right,
                    at any time, to:

                    .  combine two or more Policy Options, or withdraw assets
                       relating to the Policies from one Policy Option and put
                       them into another;

                    .  operate the Separate Account under the direction of a
                       committee or discharge such a committee at any time;

                    .  operate the Separate Account, or one or more Policy
                       Options, in any other form the law allows, including a
                       form that allows the Company to make direct investments.
                       The Separate Account may be charged advisory fees and
                       other operating expenses if its investments are made
                       directly rather than through another investment company,
                       so long as the overall level of charges and expenses that
                       can be imposed on the Policies, directly or indirectly,
                       is not increased; and

                    .  operate the Separate Account without registration as an
                       investment company.

CONFORMITY WITH     This Policy is subject to the laws of the state where the 
LAWS                Policy was delivered. If any part of it does not follow 
                    that law, it will be treated as if it does.  

NON-PARTICIPATING   This Policy is nonparticipating. It will not participate in
                    any dividend or distribution of the Company's surplus.

PROTECTION OF       To the extent permitted by law, Death Benefits shall be 
PROCEEDS            free from legal process and the claim of any creditor if the
                    person is entitled to them under this Policy. No payment and
                    no amount under this Policy can be taken or assigned in
                    advance of its payment date unless the Company receives the
                    Owner's written consent.

REPORTS             At least once each calendar year, the Company will furnish
                    the Owner with a report showing the Account Value and any
                    other information as may be required by law. Reports will be
                    sent to the last known address of the Owner.

                                      20
<PAGE>
 
SECTION 12                      PAYOUT OPTIONS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GENERAL             The Policy's Death Benefit Proceeds and Cash Surrender Value
                    can be paid in one sum, or all or part of the Proceeds may
                    be paid under a Payout Option. If a Payout Option is
                    selected for the payment of Cash Surrender Value, any
                    Withdrawal Charges and Indebtedness will be deducted from
                    the Account Value before the first payment is made.

                    Prior to the death of the Surviving Insured, the Owner may
                    elect: (a) for Cash Surrender Value to be paid under a
                    Payout Option; (b) for Death Benefit Proceeds to be paid
                    under a Payout Option; and (c) to change a previously
                    elected Payout Option for Death Benefit Proceeds. Any
                    election must be by written request to the Variable Service
                    Center.

                    If no election by the Owner is in effect at the death of the
                    Surviving Insured, the Beneficiary may elect that Death
                    Benefit Proceeds be paid as a single sum or under a Payout
                    Option. A Beneficiary may only elect payment under a Payout
                    Option during the sixty-day period beginning with the date
                    of receipt of proof of death.

PAYOUT OPTIONS      The following Payout Options or any other Payout Option
                    acceptable to the Company may be selected:

                    OPTION A.  LIFE ANNUITY:  Monthly payments during the life
                    of the payee.

                    OPTION B. LIFE ANNUITY WITH PERIODS CERTAIN OF 120 MONTHS:
                    Monthly payments during the lifetime of the payee and in any
                    event for one hundred twenty (120) months.

                    OPTION C. FIXED PAYMENTS FOR A PERIOD CERTAIN: Fixed monthly
                    payments for any specified period (at least five years but
                    not exceeding thirty years), as selected.

                    OPTION D. DEATH BENEFIT PROCEEDS REMAINING WITH THE COMPANY:
                    Proceeds from the Death Benefit left with the Company. The
                    Death Benefit Proceeds will remain in the Fixed Account and
                    be credited with interest by the Company at a rate of not
                    less than 4%. Full and partial withdrawals may be made at
                    any time with no Withdrawal Charge.

                    The minimum amount of each payment under these Payout
                    Options will be based on the applicable Payout Tables shown.
                    The dollar amount of a payment for Ages or combination of
                    Ages not shown in the Tables or for any other form of Payout
                    Option agreed to by the Company will be provided by the
                    Company upon request. If the payee dies during a period
                    certain (Payout Options B or C), the remaining payments
                    attributable to Death Proceeds will be made to the estate of
                    the Beneficiary. The Beneficiary may elect to have the
                    commuted value of the remaining payments paid in a single
                    sum instead. The Company will determine the commuted value
                    by discounting the remaining payments at its then current
                    interest rate used for commutation.

                                      21 
<PAGE>
 
EVIDENCE OF PROOF   The Company may require satisfactory evidence of the age of
OF AGE OR SURVIVAL  any person or his or her continued survival for payments 
                    under a lifetime payment option.


                  OPTIONS A AND  B - LIFETIME PAYMENT OPTIONS
             MINIMUM MONTHLY PAYMENT RATES FOR EACH $1,000 APPLIED


AGE OF PAYEE    LIFE    10 YEAR & LIFE    AGE OF PAYEE    LIFE    10 YEAR & LIFE

     50         4.68         4.64              70         7.27         6.80
     51         4.75         4.70              71         7.51         6.96
     52         4.82         4.77              72         7.77         7.14
     53         4.89         4.84              73         8.06         7.31
     54         4.97         4.92              74         8.36         7.49
     55         5.06         4.99              75         8.69         7.67
     56         5.15         5.08              76         9.04         7.86
     57         5.24         5.16              77         9.42         8.04
     58         5.34         5.25              78         9.84         8.22
     59         5.45         5.35              79        10.28         8.40
     60         5.56         5.45              80        10.76         8.57
     61         5.69         5.56              81        11.28         8.74
     62         5.82         5.67              82        11.83         8.90
     63         5.96         5.79              83        12.43         9.05
     64         6.11         5.92              84        13.07         9.18
     65         6.27         6.05              85        13.76         9.31
     66         6.44         6.19
     67         6.63         6.33
     68         6.83         6.48
     69         7.04         6.63



                OPTION C - FIXED PAYMENTS FOR A PERIOD CERTAIN
             MINIMUM MONTHLY PAYMENT RATES FOR EACH $1,000 APPLIED


 YEARS   MONTHLY PAYMENT   YEARS    MONTHLY PAYMENT    YEARS    MONTHLY PAYMENT

   1     Not available     11           9.31           21           5.81
   2     Not available     12           8.69           22           5.64
   3     Not available     13           8.17           23           5.49
   4     Not available     14           7.72           24           5.35
   5         18.32         15           7.34           25           5.22

   6         15.56         16           7.00           26           5.10
   7         13.59         17           6.71           27           5.00
   8         12.12         18           6.44           28           4.90
   9         10.97         19           6.21           29           4.80
   10        10.06         20           6.00           30           4.72


For quarterly payments, multiply the monthly payment rate by 3.01.  For semi-
annual payments, multiply by 6.05.  For annual payment, multiply by 12.22.

                                      22
                                        
<PAGE>
 
         [LOGO OF FIRST VARIABLE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY APPEARS HERE]

                        A STOCK LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY



THE ACCOUNT VALUE, CASH SURRENDER VALUE, AND DEATH BENEFIT PROVIDED BY THIS
POLICY, WHEN BASED ON THE INVESTMENT EXPERIENCE OF THE SEPARATE ACCOUNT, ARE
VARIABLE AND NOT GUARANTEED AS TO DOLLAR AMOUNT.



                     INDIVIDUAL FLEXIBLE PREMIUM VARIABLE
                      JOINT LEGACY LIFE INSURANCE POLICY
                               NON-PARTICIPATING

                                      23
<PAGE>
 
                     FIRST VARIABLE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
                             LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS

                          EXCHANGE RIGHT ENDORSEMENT

This Endorsement is made part of the Policy to which it is attached, and is
effective upon the Policy Date:

Section 11 GENERAL PROVISIONS of the Policy is amended to include the following:

RIGHT TO EXCHANGE   GENERAl.  Subject to any limitations and requirements shown
FOR TWO POLICIES    below, this Policy may be exchanged for two policies of 
                    individual life insurance. The Owner may elect this exchange
                    only upon the occurrence of an Exchange Event. 

                    EXCHANGE EVENTS. An Exchange Event occurs if this Policy is
                    in force on the date of any of the following events:

                    .    Divorce - The Business Day on or next following the
                         sixtieth day day after a divorce between the Insureds
                         is effective. The Insureds must, however, have been
                         married to each other on the Policy Date.

                    .    Tax Law Change - The Business Day on or next following
                         the effective date of an amendment to the Code that
                         eliminates a marital deduction used for purposes of
                         computing federal estate and gift taxes. The Insureds
                         must, however, have been married to each other on the
                         Policy Date.

                    .    Dissolution or Bankruptcy of Partnership - If the
                         Insureds are general partners in an active partnership
                         on the Policy Date, the Business Day on or next
                         following the date the partnership is dissolved or
                         ordered and adjudged to be bankrupt.

                    .    Dissolution or Bankruptcy of Closely Held Corporation -
                         If the Insureds are officers, directors or shareholders
                         in the same closely held business corporation on the
                         Policy Date, the Business Day on or next following the
                         date the corporation is dissolved or ordered and
                         adjudged to be bankrupt. Shares of a closely held
                         corporation may not be publicly traded or listed on a
                         regional or national exchange.
 
                    ELECTION LIMITATIONS. The right to exchange for two policies
                    is not available if any of the following apply:

                    .    Either of the Insureds is not alive on the date of the
                         exchange;

                    .    Either of the Insureds is older than the maximum issue
                         age permitted by the Company (or its affiliate) for the
                         new policies; or

                    .    The Policy is in a Grace Period or receiving benefits
                         from any disability rider on the date of the exchange.

                                  Page 1 of 2
<PAGE>
 
                    EXCHANGE RIGHT ENDORSEMENT (CONTINUED)

RIGHT TO EXCHANGE   ELECTION REQUIREMENTS.  An exchange for two policies may be
FOR TWO POLICIES    elected by the Owner:
(CONTINUED)         .    For a period not to exceed 180 days following the
                         occurrence of any Exchange Event listed above (the
                         election period for a divorce begins 60 days after the
                         divorce is effective); and

                    .    By submitting a written request that is received by the
                         Company at its Variable Service Center during the 180
                         day election period; and

                    .    By returning this Policy for cancellation with the
                         written request.

                    EXCHANGED POLICIES. Each of the new policies to be issued
                    upon an exchange will be issued by the Company, or an
                    affiliate of the Company:

                    .    On the life of one of the Insureds, and payable upon
                         the death of that insured if the exchanged policy is
                         then in effect;

                    .    As an individual variable life insurance policy in a
                         form then available for such exchanges;

                    .    For an initial death benefit amount that does not
                         exceed 50% of the Death Benefit of this Policy on the
                         date of exchange, reduced by 50% of any Indebtedness
                         and by any optional rider benefits then in effect under
                         this Policy;

                    .    For an account value that does not exceed 50% of the
                         Cash Accumulation Value under this Policy on the date
                         of the exchange; Without the transfer or revival of any
                         Indebtedness under this Policy on the date of exchange;

                    .    Without the transfer of any amount in the Loan Account
                         under this Policy on the date of exchange, and any such
                         amount will be used to repay any Indebtedness under
                         this Policy on the date of exchange;

                    .    With an extended death benefit guarantee rider, if an
                         extended death benefit guarantee rider is in effect for
                         this Policy on the date of exchange;

                    .    Without any other optional additional benefit riders,
                         unless the request for exchange includes evidence of
                         insurability on the applicable insured that is
                         satisfactory to the Company;

                    .    With provisions for suicide exclusion and
                         incontestability that reflect the Policy Date of this
                         Policy;

                    .    With provisions for withdrawal or surrender charges
                         that do not reflect the Policy Date of this Policy; and

                    .    Without any transaction charges being imposed under
                         this Policy for the exchange.

Signed on behalf of the Company on the Policy Date.

/s/ [SIGNATURE ILLEGIBLE]^^                /s/ [SIGNATURE ILLEGIBLE]^^      
- ----------------------------------         -----------------------------------
          Secretary                                    President
                     FIRST VARIABLE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
                             Little Rock, Arkansas

                                  Page 2 of 2


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