AMERUS LIFE HOLDINGS INC
POS EX, 1998-07-24
LIFE INSURANCE
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<PAGE>   1
 
     AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON JULY 24, 1998.
 
                                                      REGISTRATION NO. 333-50249
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
                            ------------------------
                         POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 2
                                       TO
 
                                    FORM S-3
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                        UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                            ------------------------
 
<TABLE>
<S>                              <C>                              <C>
 AMERUS LIFE HOLDINGS, INC.                  IOWA                          42-1459712
      AMERUS CAPITAL II                    DELAWARE                        42-6571888
     AMERUS CAPITAL III                    DELAWARE                        42-6571890
     (Exact name of the          (State or other jurisdiction           (I.R.S. Employer
         Registrants                  of incorporation or              Identification No.)
    as specified in their                organization)
    respective charters)
</TABLE>
 
                               699 WALNUT STREET
                          DES MOINES, IOWA 50309-3948
                                 (515) 362-3600
         (Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including
          area code, of each Registrant's principal executive offices)
                            ------------------------
 
                             JAMES A. SMALLENBERGER
                      SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND SECRETARY
                               699 WALNUT STREET
                          DES MOINES, IOWA 50309-3948
                                 (515) 362-3600
               (Name, address, including zip code, and telephone
     number, including area code, of agent for service for each Registrant)
                            ------------------------
 
                                    COPY TO:
 
                            RICHARD G. CLEMENS, ESQ.
                                SIDLEY & AUSTIN
                            ONE FIRST NATIONAL PLAZA
                            CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60603
                                 (312) 853-7000
                            ------------------------
 
     APPROXIMATE DATE OF COMMENCEMENT OF PROPOSED SALE TO THE PUBLIC: From time
to time after this Registration Statement becomes effective, as determined by
market conditions.
 
     If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered
pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following
box.  [ ]
 
     If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on
a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of
1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest
reinvestment plans, check the following box.  [X]
 
     If this form is filed to register additional securities for an offering
pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box
and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier
effective registration statement for the same offering.  [ ]
                                                             ------
 
     If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c)
under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act
registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement
for the same offering.  [ ]
                            ------
 
     If delivery of the prospectus is expected to be made pursuant to Rule 434,
please check the following box.  [ ]
<PAGE>   2
 
     THIS POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 2 (THE "AMENDMENT") TO THE REGISTRANT'S
REGISTRATION STATEMENT NO. 333-50249 IS BEING FILED PURSUANT TO RULE 462(D)
UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF FILING
EXHIBITS AND, ACCORDINGLY, SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY UPON FILING WITH
THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION.
 
                                    PART II
 
                     INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
 
ITEM 16. EXHIBITS
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
EXHIBIT
 NUMBER                       DESCRIPTION OF EXHIBIT
- -------                       ----------------------
<C>        <S>
  1.1*     Form of Underwriting Agreement -- Debt Securities.
  1.2**    Form of Underwriting Agreement -- Equity Securities.
  1.3***   Form of Concurrent Offering Purchase Agreement between the
           Company and AmerUs Group Co.
  3.1      Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of the
           Company are incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.5
           to the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1 (No.
           333-12239).
  3.2      By-laws of the Company are incorporated herein by reference
           to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company's Registration Statement on
           Form S-1 (No. 333-12239).
  4.1      Form of Certificate for shares of Class A Common Stock of
           the Company is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
           4.1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 of the Company
           (No. 333-12239).
  4.2*     Form of Senior Indenture by and between the Company and
           First Union National Bank, as Indenture Trustee, pursuant to
           which the Senior Debt Securities are to be issued.
  4.3*     Form of Subordinated Indenture by and between the Company
           and First Union National Bank, as Indenture Trustee,
           pursuant to which the Junior Subordinated Debt is to be
           issued.
  4.4*     Certificate of Trust of AmerUs Capital II.
  4.5*     Trust Agreement of AmerUs Capital II.
  4.6*     Form of Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of AmerUs
           Capital II.
  4.7*     Certificate of Trust of AmerUs Capital III.
  4.8*     Trust Agreement of AmerUs Capital III.
  4.9*     Form of Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of AmerUs
           Capital III.
  4.10*    Form of Common Trust Securities Guarantee Agreement by the
           Company.
  4.11*    Form of QUIPS Guarantee Agreement by the Company.
  4.12*    Form of Master Unit Agreement between the Company and First
           Union National Bank.
  4.13*    Form of Call Option Agreement between Goldman, Sachs & Co.
           and First Union National Bank.
  4.14*    Form of Pledge Agreement among the Company, Goldman, Sachs &
           Co. and First Union National Bank.
 4.15***   Form of Debt Security. The form or forms of such Debt
           Securities with respect to each particular offering will be
           filed as an exhibit subsequently included or incorporated by
           reference herein.
 4.16***   Form of Preferred Stock. Any amendment to the Company's
           Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation authorizing
           the creation of any series of Preferred Stock or Depositary
           Shares representing such shares of Preferred Stock and
           setting forth the rights, preferences and designations
           thereof will be filed as an exhibit subsequently included or
           incorporated by reference herein.
 4.17***   Form of Warrant Agreement.
 4.18***   Form of Preferred Security.
</TABLE>
 
                                      II-1
<PAGE>   3
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
EXHIBIT
 NUMBER                       DESCRIPTION OF EXHIBIT
- -------                       ----------------------
<C>        <S>
  4.19     Amended and Restated Intercompany Agreement dated as of
           December 1, 1996 among American Mutual Holding Company,
           AmerUs Group Co. and the Company is incorporated herein by
           reference to Exhibit 10.81 to the Company's Registration
           Statement on Form S-1 (No. 333-12239).
  5.1*     Opinion of Joseph K. Haggerty, Esq.
  5.2*     Opinion of Morris, James, Hitchens & Williams regarding
           AmerUs Capital II.
  5.3*     Opinion of Morris, James, Hitchens & Williams regarding
           AmerUs Capital III.
 12.1      Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Combined Fixed Charges
           and Preferred Stock Dividends is incorporated herein by
           reference to Exhibit 12.1 to the Company's Annual Report on
           Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1997.
 23.1*     Consent of Joseph K. Haggerty, Esq. (included in Exhibit 5.1
           hereto).
 23.2*     Consent of Morris, James, Hitchens & Williams (included in
           Exhibit 5.2 and 5.3 hereto).
 23.3*     Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP with respect to the
           financial statements of AmerUs Life Holdings, Inc.
 23.4*     Consent of Coopers & Lybrand, L.L.P. with respect of the
           financial statements of Delta Life Corporation.
 23.5*     Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP with respect of the
           financial statements of AmVestors Financial Corporation.
 24.1**    Powers of Attorney (included in the signature page hereto).
 25.1*     Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 under the Trust
           Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, of First Union National
           Bank, as Indenture Trustee under the Senior Indenture.
 25.2*     Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 under the Trust
           Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, of First Union National
           Bank, as Indenture Trustee under the Subordinated Indenture.
 25.3**    Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 under the Trust
           Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, of First Union National
           Bank, as Trustee of the Guarantees for the benefit of the
           holders of Capital Securities of AmerUs Capital II and
           AmerUs Capital III.
 25.4*     Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 under the Trust
           Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, of First Union National
           Bank, as Trustee under the Amended and Restated Trust
           Agreement.
 25.5*     Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 under the Trust
           Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, of First Union National
           Bank, as Trustee under the Amended and Restated Trust
           Agreement.
</TABLE>
 
- -------------------------
  * Previously filed.
 
 ** Filed herewith.
 
*** To be filed either by amendment or as an exhibit to an Exchange Act Report
    and incorporated herein by reference.
 
                                      II-2
<PAGE>   4
 
                                   SIGNATURES
 
     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, AmerUs Life
Holdings, Inc. certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets
all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this
Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registration Statement to be signed on its
behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Des Moines,
State of Iowa, on July 24, 1998.
 
                                          AMERUS LIFE HOLDINGS, INC.
 
                                          BY:      /s/ ROGER K. BROOKS
                                             -----------------------------------
                                             Roger K. Brooks,
                                             Chairman of the Board, President
                                             and Chief Executive Officer
 
     We, the undersigned officers and directors of AmerUs Life Holdings, Inc.,
hereby severally and individually constitute and appoint Michael E. Sproule,
Michael G. Fraizer and James A. Smallenberger, and each of them, the true and
lawful attorneys and agents of each of us to execute in the name, place and
stead of each of us (individually and in any capacity stated below) any and all
amendments to this Form S-3 and all instruments necessary or advisable in
connection therewith including, without limitation, a registration statement
under Rule 462, and to file the same with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, each of said attorneys and agents to have the power to act with or
without the others and to have full power and authority to do and perform in the
name and on behalf of each of the undersigned every act whatsoever necessary or
advisable to be done on the premises as fully and to all intents and purposes as
any of the undersigned might or could do in person, and we hereby ratify and
confirm our signatures as they may be signed by or said attorneys and agents or
each of them to any and all such amendments and instruments.
 
     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registration Statement has been signed by
the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                   SIGNATURE                                      TITLE                       DATE
                   ---------                                      -----                       ----
<C>                                               <S>                                    <C>
 
                       *                          Director, Chairman of the Board,        July 24, 1998
- ------------------------------------------------    President and Chief Executive
                 Roger K. Brooks                    Officer
                                                    (Principal Executive Officer of
                                                    AmerUs Life Holdings, Inc.)
 
                       *                          Executive Vice President and Chief      July 24, 1998
- ------------------------------------------------    Financial Officer
               Michael E. Sproule                   (Principal Financial Officer of
                                                    AmerUs Life Holdings, Inc.)
 
                       *                          Senior Vice President Accounting        July 24, 1998
- ------------------------------------------------    Officer and Controller/Treasurer
               Michael G. Fraizer                   (Principal Accounting Officer of
                                                    AmerUs Life Holdings, Inc.)
 
                       *                          Director                                July 24, 1998
- ------------------------------------------------
               John R. Albers
 
                       *                          Director                                July 24, 1998
- ------------------------------------------------
              Malcolm Candlish
</TABLE>
 
                                      II-3
<PAGE>   5
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                   SIGNATURE                                      TITLE                       DATE
                   ---------                                      -----                       ----
<C>                                               <S>                                    <C>
                    *                            Director                                July 24, 1998
- ----------------------------------------------
Maureen M. Culhane
 
                    *                            Director                                July 24, 1998
- ----------------------------------------------
Thomas F. Gaffney
 
                    *                             Director                                July 24, 1998
- ----------------------------------------------
Ilene B. Jacobs
 
                    *                             Director                                July 24, 1998
- ----------------------------------------------
Sam C. Kalainov
 
                    *                             Director                                July 24, 1998
- ----------------------------------------------
Ralph W. Laster, Jr.
 
                    *                             Director                                July 24, 1998
- ----------------------------------------------
John W. Norris, Jr.
 
                    *                             Director                                July 24, 1998
- ----------------------------------------------
Jack C. Pester
 
                    *                             Director                                July 24, 1998
- ----------------------------------------------
John A. Wing
</TABLE>
 
- -------------------------
* James A. Smallenberger, attorney-in-fact
 
                                      II-4
<PAGE>   6
 
                                   SIGNATURES
 
     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, AmerUs Capital
II certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Post-Effective
Amendment No. 2 to the Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Des Moines, State of
Iowa, on July 24, 1998.
 
                                          AMERUS CAPITAL II
 
                                          By: AMERUS LIFE HOLDINGS, INC.,
                                            as Depositor
 
                                          By:  /s/ JAMES A. SMALLENBERGER
 
                                            ------------------------------------
                                            James A. Smallenberger
                                            Senior Vice President and
                                            Secretary
 
                                      II-5
<PAGE>   7
 
                                   SIGNATURES
 
     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, AmerUs Capital
III certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Post-Effective
Amendment No. 2 to the Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Des Moines, State of
Iowa, on July 24, 1998.
 
                                          AMERUS CAPITAL III
 
                                          By: AMERUS LIFE HOLDINGS, INC.,
                                            as Depositor
 
                                          By:  /s/ JAMES A. SMALLENBERGER
 
                                            ------------------------------------
                                            James A. Smallenberger
                                            Senior Vice President and
                                            Secretary
 
                                      II-6
<PAGE>   8
 
                                 EXHIBIT INDEX
                           TO REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                  ON FORM S-3
 
                           AMERUS LIFE HOLDINGS, INC.
 
ITEM 16. EXHIBITS
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
 EXHIBIT
 NUMBER                        DESCRIPTION OF EXHIBIT
 -------                       ----------------------
<C>         <S>
   1.1*     Form of Underwriting Agreement -- Debt Securities.
   1.2**    Form of Underwriting Agreement -- Equity Securities.
   1.3***   Form of Concurrent Offering Purchase Agreement between the
            Company and AmerUs Group Co.
   3.1      Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of the
            Company are incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.5
            to the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1 (No.
            333-12239).
   3.2      By-laws of the Company are incorporated herein by reference
            to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company's Registration Statement on
            Form S-1 (No. 333-12239).
   4.1      Form of Certificate for shares of Class A Common Stock of
            the Company is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
            4.1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 of the Company
            (No. 333-12239).
   4.2*     Form of Senior Indenture by and between the Company and
            First Union National Bank, as Indenture Trustee, pursuant to
            which the Senior Debt Securities are to be issued.
   4.3*     Form of Subordinated Indenture by and between the Company
            and First Union National Bank, as Indenture Trustee,
            pursuant to which the Junior Subordinated Debt is to be
            issued.
   4.4*     Certificate of Trust of AmerUs Capital II.
   4.5*     Trust Agreement of AmerUs Capital II.
   4.6*     Form of Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of AmerUs
            Capital II.
   4.7*     Certificate of Trust of AmerUs Capital III.
   4.8*     Trust Agreement of AmerUs Capital III.
   4.9*     Form of Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of AmerUs
            Capital III.
   4.10*    Form of Common Trust Securities Guarantee Agreement by the
            Company.
   4.11*    Form of QUIPS Guarantee Agreement by the Company.
   4.12*    Form of Master Unit Agreement between the Company and First
            Union National Bank.
   4.13*    Form of Call Option Agreement between Goldman, Sachs & Co.
            and First Union National Bank.
   4.14*    Form of Pledge Agreement among the Company, Goldman, Sachs &
            Co. and First Union National Bank.
  4.15***   Form of Debt Security. The form or forms of such Debt
            Securities with respect to each particular offering will be
            filed as an exhibit subsequently included or incorporated by
            reference herein.
  4.16***   Form of Preferred Stock. Any amendment to the Company's
            Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation authorizing
            the creation of any series of Preferred Stock or Depositary
            Shares representing such shares of Preferred Stock and
            setting forth the rights, preferences and designations
            thereof will be filed as an exhibit subsequently included or
            incorporated by reference herein.
  4.17***   Form of Warrant Agreement.
</TABLE>
<PAGE>   9
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
 EXHIBIT
 NUMBER                        DESCRIPTION OF EXHIBIT
 -------                       ----------------------
<C>         <S>
  4.18***   Form of Preferred Security.
   4.19     Amended and Restated Intercompany Agreement dated as of
            December 1, 1996 among American Mutual Holding Company,
            AmerUs Group Co. and the Company is incorporated herein by
            reference to Exhibit 10.81 to the Company's Registration
            Statement on Form S-1 (No. 333-12239).
   5.1*     Opinion of Joseph K. Haggerty, Esq.
   5.2*     Opinion of Morris, James, Hitchens & Williams regarding
            AmerUs Capital II.
   5.3*     Opinion of Morris, James, Hitchens & Williams regarding
            AmerUs Capital III.
  12.1      Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Combined Fixed Charges
            and Preferred Stock Dividends is incorporated herein by
            reference to Exhibit 12.1 to the Company's Annual Report on
            Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1997.
  23.1*     Consent of Joseph K. Haggerty, Esq. (included in Exhibit 5.1
            hereto).
  23.2*     Consent of Morris, James, Hitchens & Williams (included in
            Exhibit 5.2 and 5.3 hereto).
  23.3*     Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP with respect to the
            financial statements of AmerUs Life Holdings, Inc.
  23.4*     Consent of Coopers & Lybrand, L.L.P. with respect of the
            financial statements of Delta Life Corporation.
  23.5*     Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP with respect of the
            financial statements of AmVestors Financial Corporation.
  24.1**    Powers of Attorney (included in the signature page hereto).
  25.1*     Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 under the Trust
            Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, of First Union National
            Bank, as Indenture Trustee under the Senior Indenture.
  25.2*     Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 under the Trust
            Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, of First Union National
            Bank, as Indenture Trustee under the Subordinated Indenture.
  25.3**    Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 under the Trust
            Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, of First Union National
            Bank, as Trustee of the Guarantees for the benefit of the
            holders of Capital Securities of AmerUs Capital II and
            AmerUs Capital III.
  25.4*     Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 under the Trust
            Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, of First Union National
            Bank, as Trustee under the Amended and Restated Trust
            Agreement.
  25.5*     Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 under the Trust
            Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, of First Union National
            Bank, as Trustee under the Amended and Restated Trust
            Agreement.
</TABLE>
 
- -------------------------
  * Previously filed.
 
 ** Filed herewith.
 
*** To be filed either by amendment or as an exhibit to an Exchange Act Report
    and incorporated herein by reference.

<PAGE>   1
                                                                  Exhibit 1.2

                           AMERUS LIFE HOLDINGS, INC.
                                AMERUS CAPITAL II
              7.00% ADJUSTABLE CONVERSION-RATE EQUITY SECURITY UNITS
                      (STATED AMOUNT $31.5625 PER UNIT)

                             UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

                                                                   July 21, 1998

Goldman, Sachs & Co., 
Salomon Brothers Inc 
c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co., 
85 Broad Street, 
New York, New York 10004.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         AmerUs Life Holdings, Inc., an Iowa corporation (the "Company"), and
the several Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the "Underwriters")
propose, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to enter into the
Purchase Contracts (the "Purchase Contracts") referred to in the Master Unit
Agreement to be dated as of July 27, 1998 (the "Master Unit Agreement"), between
the Company and First Union National Bank, as Master Unit Agent (the "Unit
Agent"), underlying an aggregate of 4,150,000 7.00% Adjustable
Conversion-rate Equity Security Units (the "Firm Securities"). In connection
therewith, AmerUs Capital II (the "Trust"), a statutory business trust created
under the Business Trust Act of the State of Delaware (the "Delaware Business
Trust Act"), and the Company propose, subject to the terms and conditions stated
herein, that the Trust issue and sell to the Underwriters 4,150,000 6.86% 
Quarterly Income Preferred Securities (liquidation amount $31.5625 per QUIPS) 
(the "QUIP(SM)") representing undivided preferred beneficial interests in
the assets of the Trust, which will be guaranteed by the Company (the
"Guarantee") as to the payment of distributions, and as to payments on
liquidation or redemption, to the extent that the Trust has funds on hand
legally available therefor, as set forth in a guarantee agreement (the
"Guarantee Agreement") between the Company and First Union National Bank, as
trustee (the "Guarantee Trustee"). Further, in connection therewith, the
Underwriters will, on behalf of the initial holders of the Units (as defined
herein), sell Call Options (the "Call Options") to Goldman, Sachs & Co. (in its
capacity as the holder of the Call Options, the "Call Option Holder") which will
entitle the Call Option Holder to acquire such QUIPS (or Junior Subordinated
Debentures substituted therefor), on or before the Call Option Expiration Date
(as defined in the Call Option Agreement, dated as of July 27, 1998, between the
Call Option Holder and the Unit Agent (the "Call Option Agreement")), in
exchange for the Aggregate Call Option Exercise Consideration (as defined in the
Call Option Agreement). In connection with the Master Unit Agreement and the
Call Options, pursuant to the Pledge Agreement, to be dated as of July 27, 1998
(the "Pledge Agreement"), among the Company, the Unit Agent, the Call Option
Holder and The Chase Manhattan Bank, as collateral agent (the "Collateral
Agent"), the QUIPS underlying the Units will be pledged by the Unit Agent on
behalf of the holders of the Units to secure the holders' obligations to the
Company and the Call Option Holder under the Purchase Contract and Call Option,
respectively, underlying such Unit. The rights to purchase newly issued Class A
common stock,

<PAGE>   2

no par value per share, of the Company (the "Common Stock") under a Purchase
Contract, together with the QUIPS or other Pledged Securities securing such
Purchase Contract, subject to (a) the obligations owed to the Company under such
Purchase Contract, (b) the obligations owed to the Call Option Holder under the
Call Option relating to such QUIPS or other Pledged Securities and (c) the
pledge arrangements under the Pledge Agreement securing the foregoing
obligations, collectively constitute an Adjustable Conversion-rate Equity
Security Unit (a "Unit"). In addition, subject to the terms and conditions
herein, the Company proposes to grant the Underwriters an option to enter into
Purchase Contracts underlying up to 585,400 additional Units and the Trust
and the Company propose to grant the Underwriters an option to purchase up to
585,400 additional QUIPS, and, in the event the Underwriters enter into any 
such additional Purchase Contracts, the Underwriters propose to purchase a 
number of additional QUIPS equal to such number of additional Purchase 
Contracts, pledge such QUIPS to the Collateral Agent and sell Call Options 
relating to such QUIPS to the Call Option Holder (the Units resulting therefrom
being the "Optional Securities"). The Firm Securities and any Optional 
Securities purchased by the Underwriters are herein called the "Securities".

         The proceeds of the sale of the QUIPS and of the common securities of
the Trust (the "Common Trust Securities" and, together with the QUIPS, the
"Trust Securities") to be sold by the Trust to the Company are to be invested in
6.86% Junior Subordinated Deferrable Interest Debentures (the "Junior 
Subordinated Debentures") of the Company to be issued pursuant to an Indenture 
(the "Indenture") between the Company and First Union National Bank, as trustee 
(the "Debenture Trustee"). The Trust Securities will be issued pursuant to, and 
be governed by the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust, dated as of July 
27, 1998 (the "Declaration") among the Company, First Union National Bank, as
property trustee (the "Property Trustee"), First Union Trust Company National
Association, as the Delaware Trustee (the "Delaware Trustee"), the
Administrators named therein and the holders from time to time of the beneficial
interests in the assets of the Trust. The Declaration, the Indenture and the
Guarantee Agreement will be qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as
amended (the "Trust Indenture Act").

         The Company was formed in connection with a Plan of Reorganization (the
"Plan"), pursuant to which American Mutual Life Insurance Company, an Iowa
mutual life insurance company ("American Mutual") was reorganized into a mutual
insurance holding company structure on June 30, 1996. The Company is the sole
shareholder of AmerUs Life Insurance Company, an Iowa stock life insurance
company ("AmerUs Life"), which is the successor company of American Mutual. When
the context requires, references herein to AmerUs Life shall be deemed to be
references to American Mutual prior to the date AmerUs Life was formed. On
October 23, 1997, the Company acquired Delta Life Corporation ("Delta"), and on
December 19, 1997, the Company acquired AmVestors Financial Corporation
("AmVestors"). The acquisition of Delta and the acquisition of AmVestors are
hereinafter referred to as the "Acquisition".

         Capitalized terms used herein without definition shall be used as
defined in the Prospectus (as defined herein).

              1.   The Company and the Trust, jointly and severally represent 
and warrant to, and agree with, each of the Underwriters that:

                   a)   A registration statement on Form S-3 (File No.
              333-50249) (the "Initial Registration Statement") in respect of
              the Securities, including the Purchase Contracts underlying the
              Securities, the shares of Common Stock (the "Shares") to be issued
              upon settlement of the Purchase Contracts underlying such
              Securities, the QUIPS, the Junior 


                                       2

<PAGE>   3

              Subordinated Debentures, the Guarantee and the Call Options, has
              been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
              "Commission"); the Initial Registration Statement and any
              post-effective amendment thereto, each in the form heretofore
              delivered to you, and, excluding exhibits to the Initial
              Registration Statement, but including all documents incorporated
              by reference in the prospectus contained therein, delivered to you
              for each of the other Underwriters, have been declared effective
              by the Commission in such form; other than a registration
              statement, if any, increasing the size of the offering (a "Rule
              462(b) Registration Statement"), filed pursuant to Rule 462(b)
              under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), which
              became or hereafter becomes effective upon filing, no other
              document with respect to the Initial Registration Statement or
              document incorporated by reference therein has heretofore been
              filed or transmitted for filing with the Commission (other than
              prospectuses filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the rules and
              regulations of the Commission under the Act, each in the form
              heretofore delivered to you); and no stop order suspending the
              effectiveness of the Initial Registration Statement, any
              post-effective amendment thereto or the Rule 462(b) Registration
              Statement, if any, has been issued and no proceeding for that
              purpose has been initiated or threatened by the Commission (any
              preliminary prospectus included in the Initial Registration
              Statement, or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a)
              under the Act, is hereinafter called a "Preliminary Prospectus";
              the various parts of the Initial Registration Statement, any
              post-effective amendment thereto and the Rule 462(b) Registration
              Statement, if any, including all exhibits thereto and the
              documents incorporated by reference in the prospectus contained in
              the Initial Registration Statement at the time such part of the
              Initial Registration Statement became effective but excluding any
              Form T-1, each as amended at the time such part of the Initial
              Registration Statement became effective or such part of the Rule
              462(b) Registration Statement, if any, became or hereafter becomes
              effective, are hereinafter collectively called the "Registration
              Statement"; the prospectus relating to the Securities, in the form
              in which it has most recently been filed or transmitted for
              filing, with the Commission on or prior to the date of this
              Agreement, being hereinafter called the "Prospectus"; any
              reference herein to any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus
              shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated
              by reference therein pursuant to the applicable form under the
              Act, as of the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus,
              as the case may be; any reference to any amendment or supplement
              to any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to
              refer to and include any documents filed after the date of such
              Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as the case may be, under
              the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange
              Act"), and incorporated by reference in such Preliminary
              Prospectus or Prospectus, as the case may be; any reference to any
              amendment to the Initial Registration Statement shall be deemed to
              refer to and include any annual report of the Company filed
              pursuant to Sections 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the
              effective date of the Initial Registration Statement that is
              incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement; and any
              reference to the Prospectus as amended or supplemented shall be
              deemed to refer to the Prospectus as amended or supplemented in
              relation to the Securities in the form in which it is filed with
              the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act in accordance
              with Section 5(a) hereof, including any documents incorporated by
              reference therein as of the date of such filing);

                   b)   The documents incorporated by reference in the
              Prospectus, when they became effective or were filed with the
              Commission, as the case may be, conformed in all 


                                       3

<PAGE>   4

              material respects to the requirements of the Act or the Exchange
              Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the
              Commission thereunder, and none of such documents contained an
              untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material
              fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
              statements therein not misleading; and any further documents so
              filed and incorporated by reference in the Prospectus or any
              further amendment or supplement thereto, when such documents
              become effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may
              be, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of
              the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and
              regulations of the Commission thereunder and will not contain an
              untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material
              fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
              statements therein not misleading, excluding any statements in
              such documents which do not constitute part of the Registration
              Statement or Prospectus pursuant to Rule 412 under the Act;
              provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not
              apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in
              conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by
              an Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use in
              the Prospectus as amended or supplemented relating to the
              Securities;

                   (c)  The Registration Statement and the Prospectus conform,
              and any further amendments or supplements to the Registration
              Statement or the Prospectus will conform, in all material respects
              to the requirements of the Act and the Trust Indenture Act, and
              the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and do not
              and will not, as of the applicable effective date as to the
              Registration Statement and any amendment thereto and as of the
              applicable filing date as to the Prospectus and any amendment or
              supplement thereto, contain an untrue statement of a material fact
              or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or
              necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided,
              however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to
              any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in
              conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by
              an Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use in
              the Prospectus as amended or supplemented relating to the
              Securities;

                   d)   Neither the Trust, the Company nor any of its
              subsidiaries has sustained since the date of the latest audited
              financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the
              Prospectus any material loss or interference with its business
              from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not
              covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or
              governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth
              or contemplated in the Prospectus; and, since the respective dates
              as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and
              the Prospectus, there has not been any change in the capital stock
              or long-term debt of the Trust, the Company or any of its
              subsidiaries or any material adverse change, or any development
              involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting
              the general affairs, management, financial position, shareholders'
              equity or results of operations of the Trust, the Company or any
              of its subsidiaries, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated
              in the Prospectus;

                   (e)  The Company and its subsidiaries have good and
              marketable title in fee simple to all real property and good and
              marketable title to all personal property owned by them, in each
              case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects except
              such as are described in the Prospectus or such as do not
              materially affect the value of the Company and its subsidiaries,
              taken as a whole, and do not interfere with the use made and
              proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its
              subsidiaries; and any 


                                       4

<PAGE>   5


              real property and buildings held under lease by the Company and
              its subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and
              enforceable leases with such exceptions as are not material and do
              not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such
              property and buildings by the Company and its subsidiaries;

                   (f)  The Trust has been duly formed and is validly existing
              as a statutory business trust in good standing under the Delaware
              Business Trust Act with the power and authority (trust and other)
              to enter into this Agreement, to own property and to conduct its
              business as described in the Prospectus, and has conducted and
              will conduct no business other than the transactions contemplated
              by this Agreement and the Declaration and as described in the
              Prospectus, as amended or supplemented; the Trust is not a party
              to or bound by any agreement or instrument other than this
              Agreement, the Declaration, and the agreements and instruments
              contemplated by the Declaration and described in the Prospectus as
              amended or supplemented; the Trust has no liabilities or
              obligations other than those arising out of the transactions
              contemplated by this Agreement and the Declaration and described
              in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented; based on expected
              operations and current law, the Trust is not and will not be
              classified as an association taxable as a corporation for United
              States federal income tax purposes; the Trust is not a party to or
              subject to any action, suit or proceeding of any nature;

                   (g)  The Company, has been duly incorporated and is validly
              existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the
              State of Iowa; each subsidiary of the Company has been duly
              incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good
              standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation; and
              each of the Company and its subsidiaries has the power and
              authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and conduct
              its business as described in the Prospectus, and has been duly
              qualified as a foreign corporation for the transaction of business
              and is in good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction
              in which it owns or leases properties or conducts any business so
              as to require such qualification, or is subject to no material
              liability or disability by reason of the failure to be so
              qualified in any such jurisdiction;

                   (h)  Each of the Company and the Company's subsidiaries that
              are required to be organized and licensed as insurance companies
              or insurance holding companies (the "Insurance Companies") is duly
              organized and, if required, licensed as an insurance or insurance
              holding company in its respective jurisdiction of organization or
              incorporation, as the case may be, and is duly licensed or
              authorized in each other jurisdiction where it is required to be
              so licensed or authorized to conduct its business as described in
              the Prospectus, in each case with such exceptions, individually or
              in the aggregate, as would not have a material adverse effect on
              the general affairs, management, financial position, shareholders'
              equity or results of operations of the Company (such individual or
              aggregate effect being herein referred to as a "Material Adverse
              Effect"); each of the Insurance Companies is in compliance with
              the requirements of the insurance laws and regulations of its
              respective jurisdiction of organization or incorporation, as the
              case may be, and the insurance laws and regulations of other
              jurisdictions which are applicable to it, and has filed all
              notices, reports, documents or other information ("Notices")
              required to be filed thereunder, in each case, with such
              exceptions, individually or in the aggregate, as would not have a
              Material Adverse Effect; and, except as otherwise specifically
              described in the Prospectus, no Insurance Company has received any
              notification from any insurance regulatory authority to the effect
              that any additional authorization, approval, order, consent,

                                       5

<PAGE>   6


              license, certificate, permit, registration or qualification
              ("Approvals") from such insurance regulatory authority is needed
              to be obtained by any of the Insurance Companies in any case where
              it could be reasonably expected that obtaining such Approvals or
              the failure to obtain such Approvals would have a Material Adverse
              Effect;

                   (i)  Without limiting the foregoing, each of the Insurance
              Companies has filed all Notices pursuant to, and has obtained all
              Approvals required to be obtained under, and has otherwise
              complied with all requirements of, all applicable insurance laws
              and regulations (excluding insurance securities laws other than
              those of the State of Iowa), in connection with the issuance and
              sale of the Securities, the QUIPS underlying the Securities, the
              Junior Subordinated Debentures, the Shares to be issued pursuant
              to the Purchase Contracts, and the Common Trust Securities, in
              each case (other than the insurance laws and regulations of the
              State of Iowa, as to which no exception is taken) with such
              exceptions, individually or in the aggregate, as would not affect
              the validity of the Securities, the QUIPS underlying the Firm
              Securities and the Optional Securities, the Junior Subordinated
              Debentures, the Shares to be issued pursuant to the Purchase
              Contracts, and the Common Trust Securities, their issuance or the
              transactions contemplated hereby or have a Material Adverse
              Effect; and no such Notices or Approvals are required to be filed
              or obtained by any of the Insurance Companies in connection with
              the issuance and sale of the Securities, the QUIPS underlying the
              Firm Securities and the Optional Securities, the Junior
              Subordinated Debentures, the Shares to be issued pursuant to the
              Purchase Contracts, and the Common Trust Securities, in each case
              (other than the insurance laws of the State of Iowa, as to which
              no exception is taken) with such exceptions, individually or in
              the aggregate, as would not affect the validity of the Securities,
              the QUIPS underlying the Securities, the Junior Subordinated
              Debentures, the Shares to be issued pursuant to the Purchase
              Contracts or the Common Trust Securities, their issuance or the
              transactions contemplated hereby or have a Material Adverse
              Effect;

                   (j)  The Company and its subsidiaries previously filed all
              Notices required to be filed pursuant to, and previously obtained
              all Approvals required to be obtained under, and have otherwise
              complied with all requirements of, all applicable insurance laws
              and regulations in connection with the Acquisition, in each case
              (other than the insurance laws and regulations of the State of
              Tennessee, in the case of the acquisition of Delta, and other than
              the laws and regulations of the State of Kansas and the State of
              Iowa, in the case of the acquisition of AmVestors, as to which no
              exception is taken in either case) with such exceptions as (i)
              would not have a Material Adverse Effect and (ii) would not affect
              the validity, performance or consummation of the Acquisition;

                   (k)  The Company has an authorized capitalization as set
              forth in the Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of capital
              stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and
              issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and conform to the
              description of the Common Stock in the Prospectus; all of the
              outstanding beneficial interests in the assets of the Trust have
              been duly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable
              and conform to the description thereof contained in the
              Prospectus; and all of the issued shares of capital stock of each
              subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized
              and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and except as
              disclosed in the Prospectus are owned directly or indirectly by
              the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities
              or claims;


                                       6

<PAGE>   7

                   (l)  The QUIPS underlying the Securities have been duly and
              validly authorized by the Company and the Trust, as applicable,
              and, when issued and delivered against payment therefor as
              provided herein, will be duly and validly issued and fully paid
              and non-assessable undivided beneficial interests in the assets of
              the Trust and will conform to the description thereof contained in
              the Prospectus; the issuance of the QUIPS is not subject to
              preemptive or other similar rights; the QUIPS will have the rights
              set forth in the Declaration; the holders of the QUIPS will be
              entitled to the same limitation of personal liability extended to
              stockholders of private corporations for profit organized under
              the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware;

                   (m)  The Common Trust Securities have been duly and validly
              authorized by the Company and the Trust, as applicable and upon
              delivery at each Time of Delivery (as defined herein) by the Trust
              to the Company against payment therefor as described in the
              Prospectus as amended or supplemented, will be duly and validly
              issued and fully paid and non-assessable undivided beneficial
              interests in the assets of the Trust and will conform to the
              description thereof contained in the Prospectus; the issuance of
              the Common Trust Securities is not subject to preemptive or other
              similar rights; at each Time of Delivery, all of the issued and
              outstanding Common Trust Securities of the Trust will be directly
              owned by the Company free and clear of all liens, encumbrances,
              security interests, equities or claims; the Common Trust
              Securities will have the rights set forth in the Declaration; and
              the Common Trust Securities and the QUIPS are the only interests
              authorized to be issued by the Trust;

                   (n)  The unissued Shares to be issued and sold by the Company
              pursuant to the Purchase Contracts and the Master Unit Agreement
              have been duly authorized and reserved for issuance and, when
              issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided in the
              Purchase Contracts and the Master Unit Agreement, will be validly
              issued and fully paid and non-assessable and currently conform to
              the description of the Common Stock incorporated by reference in
              the Prospectus;

                   (o)  The statements set forth in the Prospectus under the
              caption "Description of Units", insofar as they purport to
              constitute a summary of the terms of the Securities, and under the
              caption "Risk Factors -- Regulatory and Related Risks"; "-- Risks
              Relating to the Closed Block"; "Reorganization and Recent
              Acquisitions"; "Certain Federal Income Tax Consequences"; "Plan of
              Distribution" and "Underwriting", insofar as they purport to
              describe the provisions of the laws and documents referred to
              therein, are accurate, complete and fair;

                   (p)  The entry into the Purchase Contracts underlying the
              Securities by the Company, the issue and sale of the QUIPS
              underlying the Securities and the Common Securities by the Trust,
              the issue and sale of the Junior Subordinated Debentures
              underlying such Trust Securities by the Company, the issue and
              sale of the Shares by the Company pursuant to the Purchase
              Contracts, the compliance by the Company and the Trust, as
              applicable, with the provisions of this Agreement, such Purchase
              Contracts, the Master Unit Agreement, the Pledge Agreement, the
              Guarantee Agreement, the Declaration and the Indenture and the
              consummation of the transactions herein and therein contemplated
              (i) will not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of
              any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under,
              any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other
              agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its

                                       7

<PAGE>   8

              subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its
              subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of
              the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, (ii) will not
              result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or other
              organizational documents, by-laws of the Company or any of its
              subsidiaries and (iii) will not result in any violation of the
              provisions of any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any
              court, insurance regulatory authority or other governmental agency
              or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its
              subsidiaries or any of their properties; and no consent, approval,
              authorization, order, registration or qualification (each, a
              "Consent") of or with any such court, insurance regulatory
              authority or other governmental agency or body is required for the
              entry into the Purchase Contracts underlying the Securities by the
              Company, the issue and sale of the QUIPS underlying the Securities
              and the Common Securities by the Trust, the issue and sale of the
              Junior Subordinated Debentures underlying such Trust Securities by
              the Company, the issue and sale of the Shares by the Company
              pursuant to the Purchase Contracts, the compliance by the Company
              and the Trust, as applicable, with all of the provisions of this
              Agreement, such Purchase Contracts, the Master Unit Agreement, the
              Pledge Agreement, the Guarantee Agreement, the Declaration or the
              Indenture or the consummation of the transactions herein or
              therein contemplated, except (i) the registration under the Act of
              the Securities, the QUIPS, the Junior Subordinated Debentures and
              the Shares to be issued upon settlement of the Purchase Contracts,
              (ii) the approval and registration of the Securities with the New
              York Stock Exchange; (iii) such Consents required under the Iowa
              insurance laws and regulations, all of which have been obtained;
              (iv) such Consents as have been obtained under the Trust Indenture
              Act; and (v) such Consents as may be required under state or
              foreign securities or Blue Sky laws (including insurance
              securities laws other than the insurance securities laws of the
              State of Iowa) in connection with the purchase and distribution of
              the Securities by the Underwriters;

                   (q)  The issue and sale of the QUIPS underlying the
              Securities and the Common Trust Securities by the Trust, the
              purchase of the Junior Subordinated Debentures underlying such
              Trust Securities by the Trust, and the compliance by the Trust
              with all of the provisions of the Declaration and this Agreement,
              and the consummation of the transactions herein and therein
              contemplated will not conflict with or result in a breach or
              violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a
              default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan
              agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Trust is a
              party or by which the Trust is bound or to which any of the
              property or assets of the Trust is subject, nor will such action
              result in any violation of the provisions of the Declaration or
              any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court,
              insurance regulatory authority, if applicable, or other
              governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Trust or
              any of its properties; and no Consent of or with any such court,
              insurance regulatory authority or other governmental agency or
              body is required for the issue and sale of the QUIPS underlying
              the Firm Securities and the Optional Securities and the Common
              Securities by the Trust, the purchase of the Junior Subordinated
              Debentures underlying such Trust Securities by the Trust or the
              consummation by the Trust of the transactions contemplated by this
              Agreement or the Declaration, except (i) the registration under
              the Act of the QUIPS and the Junior Subordinated Debentures; (ii)
              such Consents required under the Iowa insurance laws and
              regulations, all of which have been obtained; (iii) such Consents
              as have been obtained under the Trust Indenture Act; and (iv) such
              Consents as may be required under state or foreign securities or
              Blue Sky laws (including insurance 
 

                                        8

<PAGE>   9


              securities laws other than the insurance securities laws of the
              State of Iowa) in connection with the purchase and distribution of
              the Securities by the Underwriters;

                   (r)  The Purchase Contracts underlying the Firm Securities
              and the Optional Securities have been duly and validly authorized
              and, when issued and delivered pursuant to this Agreement and the
              Master Unit Agreement, will have been duly executed,
              authenticated, issued and delivered and will constitute valid and
              legally binding instruments, enforceable in accordance with their
              terms, subject, as the enforcement, to bankruptcy, insolvency,
              reorganization and other laws of general applicability relating to
              or affecting creditors' rights and to general equity principles;
              and the Purchase Contracts will conform to the descriptions
              thereof in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented;

                   (s)  The Master Unit Agreement and the Pledge Agreement, have
              been duly and validly authorized by the Company and, when executed
              and delivered by the other parties thereto, will constitute valid
              and binding instruments, enforceable in accordance with their
              terms, subject, as to enforcement, to bankruptcy, insolvency,
              reorganization and other laws of general applicability relating to
              or affecting creditors' rights and to general equity principles;
              the Master Unit Agreement and the Pledge Agreement conform or will
              conform to the descriptions thereof in the Prospectus as amended
              or supplemented; and the Pledge Agreement creates, as collateral
              security for the performance when due by the holders from time to
              time of the Securities of their respective obligations under the
              Purchase Contracts and Call Options constituting part of such
              Securities, a legal, valid and perfected security interest (as
              that term is defined in the Uniform Commercial Code, as adopted
              and in effect in the State of New York), in favor of the
              Collateral Agent, in the right, title and interest of such holders
              in the Pledged Securities (as defined in the Pledge Agreement)
              constituting a part of such Securities;

                   (t)  The Guarantee Agreement, the Declaration, the Indenture
              and the Junior Subordinated Debentures, have each been duly
              authorized and, when validly executed and delivered by the Company
              and, (i) in the case of the Guarantee Agreement, by the Guarantee
              Trustee, (ii) in the case of the Declaration, by the Property
              Trustee and the Delaware Trustee, (iii) in the case of the
              Indenture, by the Debenture Trustee, and (iv) in the case of the
              Junior Subordinated Debentures, when validly authenticated and
              delivered by the Debenture Trustee, at each Time of Delivery, will
              constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company,
              enforceable in accordance with their respective terms, subject, as
              to enforcement, to bankruptcy, insolvency, moratorium
              reorganization and similar laws of general applicability relating
              to or affecting creditors' rights and to general equity principles
              (whether considered at a proceeding in equity or at law); the
              Declaration, the Indenture and the Guarantee Agreement have been
              duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act; the Junior
              Subordinated Debentures are entitled to the benefits of the
              Indenture; and the Guarantee Agreement, the Declaration, the
              Indenture and the Junior Subordinated Debentures will conform to
              the descriptions thereof in the Prospectus;

                   (u)  The Trust is not in violation of its Declaration, and as
              of each Time of Delivery, will not be in violation of its
              Declaration; neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in
              violation of its charter or other organizational documents or
              bylaws; and neither the Trust nor the Company or any of its
              subsidiaries is in default in the performance or observance of any
              obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any
              indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other
              agreement or instrument 


                                       9

<PAGE>   10

              to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties may
              be bound which default would have a Material Adverse Effect;

                   (v)  Other than as set forth in the Prospectus, there are no
              legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Trust, the
              Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any
              property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is the subject
              which, if determined adversely to the Trust, the Company or any of
              its subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a
              Material Adverse Effect on the Trust or the Company and its
              subsidiaries taken as a whole; and to the best of the Trust's and
              the Company's knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or
              contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by others;

                   (w)  None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or the
              Trust is and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the
              Securities, will be, an "investment company" or an entity
              "controlled" by an "investment company", as such terms are defined
              in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Investment
              Company Act");

                   (x)  None of the Company , any of its affiliates or the Trust
              does business with the government of Cuba or with any person or
              affiliate located in Cuba within the meaning of Section 517.075,
              Florida Statutes;

                   (y)  KPMG Peat Marwick L.L.P., who have certified certain
              financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, Coopers
              & Lybrand, L.L.P., who have certified certain financial statements
              of Delta and its subsidiaries, and Deloitte & Touche, L.L.P., who
              have certified certain financial statements of AmVestors and its
              subsidiaries, are each independent public accountants as required
              by the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission
              thereunder; and

                   (z)  This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
              delivered by each of the Company and the Trust.

              2.   Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, (a) the
Company and each of the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, agree to enter
into the Purchase Contracts underlying the number of Firm Securities set forth
opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto, (b) the Company and
the Trust agree that the Trust will sell to each of the Underwriters, and each
of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the
Trust, at a purchase price of $30.7261 per QUIPS, the number of QUIPS underlying
the number of Firm Securities set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in
Schedule 1 hereto, and (c) in the event and to the extent that the Underwriters
shall exercise the election to enter into additional Purchase Contracts
underlying Optional Securities as provided below, (i) the Company and each of
the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, agree to enter into that number of
additional Purchase Contracts as to which such election shall have been
exercised (to be adjusted by you so as to eliminate fractional Purchase
Contracts) determined by multiplying such number of additional Purchase
Contracts by a fraction, the numerator of which is the maximum number of
Optional Securities set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule
I hereto and the denominator of which is the maximum number of Optional
Securities set forth in total opposite the names of all such Underwriters in
Schedule I hereto and (ii) the Company and the Trust agree that the Trust will
sell to each of the Underwriters and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally
and not jointly, to purchase from the Trust at the purchase price set forth in
clause (a) of this Section 2, a number of QUIPS equal to such number of
additional Purchase Contracts.


                                       10

<PAGE>   11

         The Company hereby grants to the Underwriters the right to enter into
at their election up to 585,400 Purchase Contracts underlying Optional 
Securities and the Company and the Trust hereby grant the Underwriters the 
right to purchase from the Trust at their election up to 585,400 QUIPS,
for the sole purpose of covering overallotments in the sale of the Firm 
Securities. Any such election to enter into such additional Purchase Contracts
and purchase such QUIPS may be exercised only by written notice from you to the
Company and the Trust, given within a period of 30 calendar days after the date
of this Agreement and setting forth the aggregate number of such additional 
Purchase Contracts to be entered into and QUIPS to be purchased (which shall be
an identical number) and the date on which the related Optional Securities are
to be delivered, as determined by you but in no event earlier than the First 
Time of Delivery (as defined in Section 4 hereof) or, unless you and the Company
otherwise agree in writing, earlier than two or later than ten business days 
after the date of such notice.

         The Underwriters agree to pledge to the Collateral Agent, on behalf of
the initial purchasers of the Units, the QUIPS underlying the Firm Securities
and the Optional Securities with respect to which the Company and the
Underwriters have entered into Purchase Contracts. Such pledge shall be effected
by the delivery to the Collateral Agent in New York by the Underwriters of the
QUIPS to be pledged at the appropriate Time of Delivery (as defined below) in
accordance with the Pledge Agreement.

         The Underwriters further agree to sell, on behalf of the initial
purchasers of the Units, to the Call Option Holder a Call Option with respect to
each QUIPS purchased at a purchase price of $0.1136 per Call Option at the
appropriate Time of Delivery.

         Unless the context otherwise requires, for purposes of this Agreement,
the act of entering into a Purchase Contract underlying a Security, purchasing a
QUIPS underlying a Security and selling a Call Option with respect to such QUIPS
shall be referred to as a "purchase" of such Security.

         3.   Upon the authorization by you of the release of the Firm
Securities, the several Underwriters propose to offer the Firm Securities for
sale upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Prospectus.

         4.   (a)  The  Securities to be purchased by each  Underwriter  
         hereunder will be represented by one or more definitive global Units in
         book-entry form which will be deposited by or on behalf of the Company
         with The Depository Trust Company ("DTC") or its designated custodian
         and delivered to Goldman, Sachs & Co., for the account of each
         Underwriter, against payment by or on behalf of such Underwriter of the
         purchase price therefor by certified or official bank check or checks,
         payable to the order of, or by wire transfer to the account designated
         by, the Trust, in immediately available (same day) funds and delivery
         to the Collateral Agent of the QUIPS relating to such Securities. The
         Company will cause the certificates representing the Securities to be
         made available to Goldman, Sachs & Co. for checking at least
         twenty-four hours prior to the Time of Delivery (as defined below) with
         respect thereto at the office of DTC or its designated custodian (the
         "Designated Office"). The time and date of such delivery and payment
         shall be, with respect to the Firm Securities, 9:30 a.m., New York City
         time, on July 27, 1998 or such other time and date as Goldman, Sachs &
         Co. and the Company may agree upon in writing, and, with respect to the
         Optional Securities, 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on the date 
         specified by Goldman, Sachs & Co. in the written notice given by 
         Goldman, Sachs & Co. of the Underwriters' election to purchase such 
         Optional Securities, or such other time 


                                       11

<PAGE>   12

         and date as Goldman, Sachs & Co. and the Company may agree upon in
         writing. Such time and date for delivery of the Firm Securities is
         herein called the "First Time of Delivery", such time and date for
         delivery of the Optional Securities, if not the First Time of Delivery,
         is herein called the "Second Time of Delivery", and each such time and
         date for delivery is herein called a "Time of Delivery".

              (b)  The documents to be delivered at each Time of Delivery
         by or on behalf of the parties hereto pursuant to Section 7 hereof,
         including the cross-receipt for the Securities and any additional
         documents requested by the Underwriters pursuant to Section 7(l)
         hereof, will be delivered at the offices of Sullivan & Cromwell, 125
         Broad Street, New York, New York 10004 (the "Closing Location"), and
         the Securities will be delivered at the Designated Office, all at each
         Time of Delivery. A meeting will be held at the Closing Location at
         2:30 p.m., New York City time, on the New York Business Day next
         preceding each Time of Delivery, at which meeting the final drafts of
         the documents to be delivered pursuant to the preceding sentence will
         be available for review by the parties hereto. For the purposes of this
         Section 4, "New York Business Day" shall mean each Monday, Tuesday,
         Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which banking
         institutions in New York are generally authorized or obligated by law
         or executive order to close.

         5.   The Company and the Trust jointly and severally agree with each of
the Underwriters:

              (a)  To prepare the Prospectus as amended or supplemented in
         relation to the Securities in a form approved by you and to file such
         Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act not later than the
         Commission's close of business on the second business day following the
         execution and delivery of this Agreement, or, if applicable, such
         earlier time as may be required by Rule 424(b) under the Act; to make
         no further amendment or any supplement to the Registration Statement or
         Prospectus as amended or supplemented after the date of this Agreement
         and prior to the last Time of Delivery which shall be disapproved by
         you promptly after reasonable notice thereof; to advise you, promptly
         of any such amendment or supplement after such Time of Delivery and
         furnish you with copies thereof; to file promptly all reports and any
         definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the
         Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or
         15(d) of the Exchange Act for so long as the delivery of a prospectus
         is required in connection with the offering or sale of the Securities
         and during such same period to advise you, promptly after it receives
         notice thereof of the time when any amendment to the Registration
         Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any supplement to the
         Prospectus or any amended Prospectus has been filed with the
         Commission, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of
         any order preventing or suspending the use of any prospectus relating
         to the Securities, of the suspension of the qualification of the
         Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation
         or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any
         request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the
         Registration Statement or Prospectus or for additional information;
         and, in the event of the issuance of any such stop order or of any such
         order preventing or suspending the use of any prospectus relating to
         the Securities or suspending any such qualification, to promptly use
         its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order;

              (b)  Promptly from time to time to take such action as you
         may reasonably request to qualify the Securities for offering and sale
         under the securities laws of such 


                                       12

<PAGE>   13

         jurisdictions as you may request and to comply with such laws so as to
         permit the continuance of sales and dealings therein in such
         jurisdictions for as long as may be necessary to complete the
         distribution of the Securities, provided that in connection therewith
         the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation
         or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction;

              (c)  Prior to 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the New York
         Business Day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and from time
         to time, to furnish the Underwriters with copies of the Prospectus, as
         amended or supplemented, in New York City in such quantities as you may
         reasonably request, and, if the delivery of a prospectus is required at
         any time in connection with the offering or sale of the Securities and
         if at such time any event shall have occurred as a result of which the
         Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue
         statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact
         necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
         circumstances under which they were made when such Prospectus is
         delivered, not misleading, or, if for any other reason it shall be
         necessary during such same period to amend or supplement the Prospectus
         or to file under the Exchange Act any document incorporated by
         reference in the Prospectus in order to comply with the Act, the
         Exchange Act or the Trust Indenture Act, to notify you and upon your
         request to file such document and to prepare and furnish without charge
         to each Underwriter and to any dealer in securities as many copies as
         you may from time to time reasonably request of an amended Prospectus
         or a supplement to the Prospectus which will correct such statement or
         omission or effect such compliance;

              (d)  To make generally available to its securityholders as
         soon as practicable, but in any event not later than eighteen months
         after the effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in
         Rule 158(c) under the Act), an earnings statement of the Company and
         its subsidiaries (which need not be audited) complying with Section
         11(a) of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission
         thereunder (including, at the option of the Company, Rule 158);

              (e)  If the Company and the Trust elect to rely upon Rule
         462(b), the Company and the Trust shall file a Rule 462(b) Registration
         Statement with the Commission in compliance with Rule 462(b) by 10:00
         P.M., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this Agreement, and the
         Company shall at the time of filing either pay to the Commission the
         filing fee for the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or give
         irrevocable instructions for the payment of such fee pursuant to Rule
         111(b) under the Act;

              (f)  During the period beginning from the date of this
         Agreement and continuing to and including the date six months after the
         date of the Prospectus, not to offer, sell, contract to sell or
         otherwise dispose of, except as provided hereunder, any Units, QUIPS or
         Common Stock or securities of the Company that are substantially
         similar to the Units, QUIPS or Common Stock, including but not limited
         to any securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for, or
         that represent the right to receive, Common Stock or any such
         substantially similar securities (other than pursuant to employee stock
         option plans existing on, or upon the conversion or exchange of
         convertible or exchangeable securities outstanding as of, the date of
         this Agreement) without your prior written consent;

              (g)  During a period of five years from the date of this
         Agreement, to furnish to you copies of all reports or other
         communications (financial or other) furnished to 


                                       13

<PAGE>   14

         shareholders, and to deliver to you (i) as soon as they are available,
         copies of any reports and financial statements furnished to or filed
         with the Commission or any national securities exchange on which any
         class of securities of the Company is listed; and (ii) such additional
         information concerning the business and financial condition of the
         Company as you may from time to time reasonably request (such financial
         statements to be on a consolidated basis to the extent the accounts of
         the Company and its subsidiaries are consolidated in reports furnished
         to its shareholders generally or to the Commission);

              (h)  To use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of
         the Securities pursuant to this Agreement in the manner specified in
         the Prospectus under the caption "Use of Proceeds";

              (i)  To use their best efforts to list, subject to notice of
         issuance, the Securities on the New York Stock Exchange (the
         "Exchange"); and

              (j)  Not to invest, reinvest or otherwise use the proceeds
         received by the Company in such a manner, or take any action, or omit
         to take any action, that would cause the Company to become an
         "investment company" as that term is defined in the Investment Company
         Act.

         6.   The Company and the Trust, jointly and severally, covenant and
agree with the several Underwriters that the Company or the Trust will pay or
cause to be paid the following: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the
Company's counsel and accountants in connection with the registration of the
Securities under the Act and all other expenses in connection with the
preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary
Prospectus and the Prospectus and amendments and supplements thereto and the
mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers; (ii)
the cost of printing or producing any Agreement among Underwriters, this
Agreement, the Indenture, the Master Unit Agreement, the Blue Sky and Legal
Investment Memoranda, closing documents (including any compilations thereof) and
any other documents in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery
of the Securities; (iii) all expenses in connection with the qualification of
the Securities for offering and sale under state securities laws as provided in
Section 5(b) hereof, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the
Underwriters in connection with such qualification; (iv) all fees and expenses
in connection with listing the Securities on the Exchange; (v) any fees charged
by securities rating services for rating the Securities, the QUIPS and the
Junior Subordinated Debentures; (vi) the filing fees incident to, and the fees
and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with, any
required review by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. of the
terms of the sale of the Securities; (vii) the cost of preparing the Securities,
the QUIPS, the Junior Subordinated Debentures, the Common Trust Securities and
any Shares; (viii) the fees and expenses of the Trust and the trustees
thereunder incident to the performance by the Trust of its obligations
hereunder; (ix) the fees and expenses of the Unit Agent, Collateral Agent and
Debenture Trustee and any agent of the Unit Agent, Collateral Agent and
Debenture Trustee and the fees and disbursements of any counsel for the Unit
Agent, Collateral Agent or Trustee in connection with the Master Unit Agreement,
the Pledge Agreement, the Call Option Agreement, the Indenture and the Junior
Subordinated Debentures, as the case may be; and (ix) all other costs and
expenses incident to the performance of the Company's or the Trust's obligations
hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for in this Section. It
is understood, however, that, except as provided in this Section, and Sections 8
and 11 hereof, the Underwriters will pay all of their own 

                                       14

<PAGE>   15


costs and expenses, including the fees of their counsel, transfer taxes on
resale of any of the Securities by them, and any advertising expenses connected
with any offers they may make.

         7.   The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder, as to the
Securities to be delivered at each Time of Delivery, shall be subject, in their
discretion, to the condition that all representations and warranties and other
statements of the Company and the Trust herein are, at and as of such Time of
Delivery, true and correct, the condition that the Company and the Trust shall
have performed all of its and their obligations hereunder theretofore to be
performed, and the following additional conditions:

              (a)  The Prospectus as amended or supplemented in relation to
         the Securities shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to
         Rule 424(b) within the applicable time period prescribed for such
         filing by the rules and regulations under the Act and in accordance
         with Section 5 (a) hereof; if the Company has elected to rely upon Rule
         462(b), the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement shall have become
         effective by 10:00 P.M., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this
         Agreement; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the
         Registration Statement or any part thereof shall have been issued and
         no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened
         by the Commission; and all requests for additional information on the
         part of the Commission shall have been complied with to your reasonable
         satisfaction;

              (b)  Sullivan & Cromwell, counsel for the Underwriters, shall
         have furnished to you such written opinion or opinions, dated as of
         such Time of Delivery, with respect to the incorporation of the
         Company, this Agreement, the validity of the Securities being delivered
         at such Time of Delivery, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus
         and such other related matters as you may reasonably request, and such
         counsel shall have received such papers and information as they may
         reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters;

              (c)  Sidley & Austin, counsel for the Trust and the Company,
         shall have furnished to you their written opinion, dated as of such
         Time of Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to you, to the
         effect that:

                   (i)       The Company has been duly incorporated and is 
              validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws
              of the State of Iowa, with corporate power and authority to own 
              its properties and conduct its business as described in the 
              Prospectus as amended or supplemented;

                   (ii)      The Company has an authorized capitalization as set
              forth in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented and all of the
              issued shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and
              validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and
              non-assessable;

                   (iii)     The unissued Shares to be issued and sold by the
              Company pursuant to the Purchase Contracts and the Master Unit
              Agreement have been duly authorized and reserved for issuance and,
              when issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided in
              the Purchase Contracts and the Master Unit Agreement, will be duly
              and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and currently
              conform to the description of the Common Stock in the Prospectus;

                   (iv)      The statements set forth in the Prospectus as 
              amended or supplemented under the captions "Description of Units" 
              insofar as they purport to 

                                       15

<PAGE>   16

              constitute a summary of the terms of the Securities, and under the
              captions "Risk Factors -- Regulatory and Related Risks"; "-- Risks
              Relating to the Closed Block"; "Reorganization and Recent
              Acquisitions"; "Plan of Distribution" and "Underwriting", insofar
              as they purport to describe the provisions of the laws and
              documents referred to therein, are accurate, complete and fair in
              all material respects;

                   (v)       To such counsel's knowledge and other than as set 
              forth in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented, there are no 
              legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Trust, the
              Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any
              property of the Trust, the Company or any of its subsidiaries is
              the subject which, if determined adversely to the Trust, the
              Company or any of its subsidiaries, would individually or in the
              aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect; and, to the best of such
              counsel's knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or
              contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by others;

                   (vi)     This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed 
              and delivered by the Company and the Trust;

                   (vii)     Each of the Master Unit Agreement, the Purchase
              Contracts underlying the Securities being delivered at such Time
              of Delivery and the Pledge Agreement each have been duly
              authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming
              due authorization, execution and delivery by the other parties
              thereto, constitutes a valid and legally binding agreement of the
              Company (and together they create, to the extent provided therein,
              a valid interest of the holders of the Securities in the QUIPS)
              enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject, as to
              enforcement, to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, fraudulent
              transfer, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium and similar laws of
              general applicability relating to or affecting creditors' rights
              and to general principles (whether such principles are considered
              in a proceeding in equity or in law), provided, however, that the
              rights and remedies of the Unit Agent and the Collateral Agent
              provided in Sections 402 and 510 of the Master Unit Agreement and
              Section 5(a) of the Pledge Agreement upon the occurrence of a
              Termination Event will not be limited under the Bankruptcy Code
              (11 U.S.C. 101 et seq.) because Section 365(e)(2) thereof should
              permit such termination provisions to be enforced; the Pledge
              Agreement creates, as collateral security for the performance when
              due by the holders from time to time of the Securities of their
              respective obligations under the Purchase Contracts and Call
              Options constituting part of such Securities, a valid security
              interest (as that term is defined in the Uniform Commercial Code,
              as adopted and in effect in the State of New York (the "New York
              UCC")), in favor of the Collateral Agent, in the right, title and
              interest of such holders in the Pledged Securities (as defined in
              the Pledge Agreement) constituting a part of such Securities; and,
              in the case of Pledged Securities that are certificated or in the
              form of instruments (as defined in the New York UCC), such
              security interest shall be perfected upon the delivery of such
              certificates or instruments to the Collateral Agent, with
              accompanying stock or note powers duly executed in blank or in
              favor of the Collateral Agent, and, in the case of Pledged
              Securities that are credited by a securities intermediary (as
              defined in the New York UCC) to a securities account (as defined
              in the New York UCC) in the name of the Collateral Agent, the
              Collateral Agent shall have a perfected security interest in all
              securities entitlements (as defined in the New York UCC) 


                                       16

<PAGE>   17

              relating to such Pledged Securities; the Master Unit Agreement, 
              the Pledge Agreement and the Purchase Contracts conform in all 
              material respects to the descriptions thereof in the Prospectus as
              amended or supplemented;

                   (viii)    To such counsel's knowledge, the Trust is not a
              party to or bound by any agreement or instrument other than this
              Agreement, the Declaration, and the agreements and instruments
              contemplated by the Declaration and described in the Prospectus as
              amended or supplemented; to such counsel's knowledge, the Trust
              has no liabilities or obligations other than those arising out of
              the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the
              Declaration and described in the Prospectus as amended or
              supplemented; to the best of such counsel's knowledge, there are
              no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Trust is
              a party or of which any property of the Trust is the subject and
              no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental
              authorities or threatened by others; based on expected operations
              and current law, the Trust is not and will not be classified as an
              association taxable as a corporation for United States federal
              income tax purposes;

                   (ix)      The QUIPS underlying the Securities conform in all
              material respects to the description thereof contained in the
              Prospectus as amended or supplemented;

                   (x)       The Common Trust Securities conform to the 
              description thereof contained in the Prospectus as amended or 
              supplemented; and to such counsel's knowledge, all of the issued 
              and outstanding Common Trust Securities of the Trust are directly 
              owned by the Company free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, 
              security interests, equities or claims;

                   (xi)      Each of the Guarantee Agreement, the Indenture and 
              the Junior Subordinated Debentures has been duly authorized and
              constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of the Company,
              enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject, as to
              enforcement, to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, fraudulent
              transfer, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium and similar laws of
              general applicability relating to or affecting creditors' rights
              and to general equity principles (whether such principles are
              considered in a proceeding in equity or in law); the Declaration,
              the Indenture and the Guarantee Agreement have been duly qualified
              under the Trust Indenture Act; the Junior Subordinated Debentures
              are entitled to the benefits of the Indenture; and the Guarantee
              Agreement, the Declaration, the Indenture and the Junior
              Subordinated Debentures conform to the descriptions thereof in the
              Prospectus, as amended or supplemented;

                   (xii)     The entry into the Purchase Contracts underlying
              Securities by the Company, the issue and sale of the QUIPS
              underlying the Securities and the Common Securities by the Trust,
              the issue and sale of the Junior Subordinated Debentures
              underlying such Trust Securities by the Company, the issue and
              sale of the Shares by the Company pursuant to the Purchase
              Contracts, the compliance by the Company and the Trust, as
              applicable, with the provisions of this Agreement, such Purchase
              Contracts, the Master Unit Agreement, the Pledge Agreement, the
              Guarantee Agreement, the Declaration and the Indenture and the
              consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and therein
              will not result in a breach or 


                                       17

<PAGE>   18




              violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute
              a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan
              agreement or other agreement or instrument known to such counsel
              to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by
              which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which
              any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its
              subsidiaries is subject, nor will such actions result in any
              violation of the provisions of the charter or other organizational
              documents or by-laws of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or
              any statute or any order, rule or regulation known to such counsel
              of any court, insurance regulatory authority or other governmental
              agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its
              subsidiaries or any of their properties; no Consent of or with any
              such court, insurance regulatory authority or other governmental
              agency or body is required for the entry into the Purchase
              Contracts underlying the Securities by the Company, the issue and
              sale of the QUIPS underlying the Securities and the Common
              Securities by the Trust, the issue and sale of the Junior
              Subordinated Debentures underlying such Trust Securities by the
              Company, the issue and sale of the Shares by the Company pursuant
              to the Purchase Contracts, the compliance by the Company and the
              Trust, as applicable, with all of the provisions of this
              Agreement, such Purchase Contracts, the Master Unit Agreement, the
              Pledge Agreement, the Guarantee Agreement, the Declaration or the
              Indenture or the consummation of the transactions herein or
              therein contemplated, except for (A) the registration under the
              Act of the Securities, the QUIPS, the Junior Subordinated
              Debentures and the Shares to be issued upon settlement of the
              Purchase Contracts, (B) the approval and registration of the
              Securities with the Exchange, which has been obtained, (C) such as
              have been obtained under the Trust Indenture Act, (D) such
              Consents as may be required under state securities, insurance
              securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase and
              distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters, and (E)
              Consents required under the Iowa insurance laws and regulations,
              all of which Consents have been obtained;

                   (xiii)    The issue and sale of the QUIPS underlying the
              Securities and the Common Trust Securities by the Trust, the
              purchase of the Junior Subordinated Debentures underlying such
              Trust Securities by the Trust, the compliance by the Trust with
              all of the provisions of the Declaration and this Agreement, and
              the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and
              therein will not result in a breach or violation of any of the
              terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any
              indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other
              agreement or instrument known to such counsel to which the Trust
              is a party or by which the Trust is bound or to which any property
              or assets of the Trust is subject, nor will such action violate
              the provisions of the Declaration of the Trust or any statute or
              any order, rule or regulation known to such counsel of any court,
              insurance regulatory authority, if applicable, or other
              governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Trust or
              any of its properties; and no Consent of or with any such court,
              insurance regulatory authority or other governmental agency or
              body is required for the issue and sale of the QUIPS underlying
              the Securities and the Common Securities by the Trust, the
              purchase of the Junior Subordinated Debentures underlying such
              Trust Securities by the Trust or the consummation by the Trust of
              the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the
              Declaration, 



                                       18

<PAGE>   19

              except (A) the registration under the Act of the QUIPS and
              the Junior Subordinated Debentures, (B) the approval and
              registration of the Securities with the Exchange, which has been
              obtained, (C) such as have been obtained under the Trust Indenture
              Act, (D) such Consents as may be required under state securities,
              insurance securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the
              purchase and distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters,
              and (E) such Consents required under the Iowa insurance laws and
              regulations, all of which Consents have been obtained;

                   (xiv)     None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or the
              Trust is an "investment company" or an entity "controlled" by an
              "investment company", as such terms are defined in the Investment
              Company Act;

                   (xv)      The documents incorporated by reference in the
              Prospectus as amended or supplemented (other than the financial
              statements and related schedules therein, as to which such counsel
              need express no opinion), when they became effective or were filed
              with the Commission, as the case may be, complied as to form in
              all material respects with the requirements of the Act or the
              Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the
              Commission thereunder; and they have no reason to believe that any
              of such documents, when they became effective or were so filed, as
              the case may be, contained, in the case of a registration
              statement which became effective under the Act, an untrue
              statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact
              required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
              therein not misleading; or, in the case of other documents which
              were filed under the Act or the Exchange Act with the Commission,
              an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a
              material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein,
              in the light of the circumstances under which they were made when
              such documents were so filed, not misleading, excluding any
              statements in such documents which do not constitute part of the
              Registration Statement or Prospectus pursuant to Rule 412 under
              the Act; and

                   (xvi)     The Registration Statement, the Prospectus as 
              amended or supplemented and any further amendments and
              supplements thereto made by the Company and the Trust prior to
              such Time of Delivery (other than the financial statements,
              financial data and related schedules therein and Form T-1, as to
              which such counsel need express no opinion) comply as to form in
              all material respects with the requirements of the Act and the
              Trust Indenture Act and the rules and regulations thereunder;
              although they do not assume any responsibility for the accuracy,
              completeness or fairness of the statements contained in the
              Registration Statement or the Prospectus, except for those
              referred to in the opinion in subsection (iv) of this Section
              7(c), nothing has come to their attention which would cause them
              to believe that, as of its effective date, the Registration
              Statement or any further amendment thereto made by the Company and
              the Trust prior to such Time of Delivery (other than the financial
              statements, financial data and related schedules therein and Form
              T-1, as to which such counsel need express no opinion) contained
              an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a
              material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make
              the statements therein not misleading or that, as of its date, the
              Prospectus as amended or 


                                     19

<PAGE>   20

              supplemented or any further amendment or supplement thereto
              made by the Company prior to the Time of Delivery (other than the
              financial statements, financial data and related schedules therein
              and Form T-1, as to which such counsel need express no opinion)
              contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to
              state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in
              the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
              misleading or that, as of such Time of Delivery, any of the
              Registration Statement, the Prospectus as amended or supplemented
              or any further amendment or supplement thereto made by the Company
              prior to the Time of Delivery (other than the financial
              statements, financial data and related schedules therein and Form
              T-1, as to which such counsel need express no opinion) contains an
              untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material
              fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the
              circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and they
              do not know of any amendment to the Registration Statement
              required to be filed or any contracts or other documents of a
              character required to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration
              Statement or required to be incorporated by reference into the
              Prospectus as amended or supplemented or required to be described
              in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus as amended or
              supplemented which are not filed or incorporated by reference or
              described as required.

In rendering such opinion, such counsel may state that insofar as their opinion
under clause (xvi) above relates to the accuracy and completeness of the
Prospectus and Registration Statement and amendments or supplements thereto, it
is based upon a general review with representatives of the Company, AmerUs Life,
Delta, and AmVestors, and their independent accountants, of the information
contained therein, without independent verification by such counsel of the
accuracy or completeness of such information. Such counsel may also rely upon
the opinions of other competent counsel and, as to factual matters, on
certificates of officers of the Company, AmerUs Life, Delta or AmVestors and of
state officials, in which case their opinion is to state that they are so doing
and copies of such opinions or certificates are to be attached to the opinion
unless such opinions or certificates (or, in the case of certificates, the
information therein) have been furnished to you otherwise.

         With respect to the opinion in paragraph (vii) in regard to the
applicability of Section 365(e)(2) of the Bankruptcy Code, such counsel may note
that there is little case law interpreting the applicability of Section
365(e)(2)(B) of the Bankruptcy Code with respect to contracts to issue a
security of the debtor and there is no court decision which directly addresses
the issue. Such counsel may note that legal opinions on bankruptcy law matters
have inherent limitations that generally do not apply in respect of other legal
opinions. Such limitations exist primarily because of the pervasive equity
powers of a bankruptcy court, the nature of the bankruptcy process, the
overriding goal of bankruptcy reorganizations to which other legal rights and
policies may be subordinated and the potential relevance to the exercise of
judicial discretion of facts and circumstances arising in the future.

         In rendering such opinion, such counsel may also state that they have
relied as to facts necessary to the determination of materiality, to a certain
extent, upon the judgment of officers and representatives of the Company, Delta,
AmVestors or AmerUs Life.



                                       20


<PAGE>   21

         Any opinion or statement expressed or made pursuant to this Section
7(c) which is expressed or made to be "to our knowledge" or is otherwise
qualified by words of like import means that the lawyers in the firm of such
counsel who have served as counsel to the Company, AmerUs Group, AMHC, AmerUs
Life (or, at any time prior to the date AmerUs Life was formed, American Mutual)
or any other subsidiary of the Company have no current conscious awareness of
any facts or information contrary to such opinion or statement.

              (d)  Joseph K. Haggerty, Esq., Senior Vice President and General
         Counsel of the Company, shall have furnished to you his written
         opinion, dated such Time of Delivery, in form and substance
         satisfactory to you, to the effect that:

                   (i)       Each of the Company, Delta and AmVestors has been 
              duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in
              good standing under the laws of the States of Iowa, Delaware and
              Kansas respectively; each of AmerUs Life and Delta Life and
              Annuity Company ("Delta Life") has been duly incorporated and is
              validly existing as a stock life insurance company in good
              standing under the laws of the State of Iowa; each of American
              Investors Life Insurance Company ("American") and Financial
              Benefit Life Insurance Company ("FBL") has been duly incorporated
              and is validly existing as a stock life insurance company in good
              standing under the laws of the State of Kansas; each of the
              Company, Delta, AmVestors; AmerUs Life, Delta Life, American and
              FBL has the power and authority (corporate and other) to own its
              properties and conduct its business as described in the Prospectus
              as amended or supplemented;

                   (ii)      The Company has an authorized capitalization as set
              forth in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented, and all of the
              issued shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and
              validly authorized, are issued and are fully paid and
              non-assessable and conform in all material respects to the
              description of the capital stock in the Prospectus; all of the
              outstanding beneficial interests in the assets of the Trust have
              been duly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable
              and conform to the description thereof contained in the
              Prospectus;

                   (iii)     Each of the Company and its subsidiaries not listed
              in paragraph 7(d)(i) has been duly qualified as a foreign
              corporation for the transaction of business and is in good
              standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it
              owns or leases properties or conducts any business so as to
              require such qualification, except in the case of the subsidiaries
              not listed in paragraph 7(d)(1), to the extent that the failure to
              be so qualified in any such jurisdiction does not subject the
              Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole to any material
              liability or disability (such counsel being entitled to rely in
              respect of the opinion in this clause upon opinions of local
              counsel and in respect of matters of fact upon certificates of
              officers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, provided that
              such counsel shall state that he believes that both you and he are
              justified in relying upon such opinions and certificates);

                   (iv)      Each of the Company's subsidiaries not listed in
              paragraph 7(d)(i) has been duly incorporated and is validly
              existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of its
              jurisdiction of incorporation; and all of the issued shares of
              capital stock of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly and
              validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable,
              and, except as disclosed 

                                       21


<PAGE>   22

              in the Prospectus, are owned directly or indirectly by the
              Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or
              claims, except, in the case of the subsidiaries not listed in
              paragraph 7(d)(i), such liens, encumbrances, equities or claims as
              would not have a material adverse effect on the Company and its
              subsidiaries taken as a whole (such counsel being entitled to rely
              in respect of the opinion in this clause upon opinions of local
              counsel and in respect to matters of fact upon certificates of
              officers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, provided that
              such counsel shall state that he believes that both you and he are
              justified in relying upon such opinions and certificates);

                   (v)       The Company and its subsidiaries have good and
              marketable title in fee simple to all real property owned by them,
              in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects
              except such as are described in the Prospectus as amended or
              supplemented or such as do not materially affect the value of the
              Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, and do not
              interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such
              property by the Company and its subsidiaries; and any real
              property and buildings held under lease by the Company and its
              subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and
              enforceable leases with such exceptions as are not material and do
              not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such
              property and buildings by the Company and its subsidiaries (in
              giving the opinion in this clause, such counsel may state that no
              examination of record titles for the purpose of such opinion has
              been made, and that he is relying upon a general review of the
              titles of the Company and its subsidiaries, upon opinions of local
              counsel and abstracts, reports and policies of title companies
              rendered or issued at or subsequent to the time of acquisition of
              such property by the Company or its subsidiaries, upon opinions of
              counsel to the lessors of such property and, in respect to matters
              of fact, upon certificates of officers of the Company or its
              subsidiaries, provided that such counsel shall state that he
              believes that both you and he are justified in relying upon such
              opinions, abstracts, reports, policies and certificates);

                   (vi)      To the best of such counsel's knowledge and other 
              than as set forth in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented, 
              there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which 
              the Trust, the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party
              or of which any property of the Trust, the Company or any of its
              subsidiaries is the subject which, if determined adversely to the
              Trust, the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would individually
              or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect; and, to the
              best of such counsel's knowledge, no such proceedings are
              threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or
              threatened by others;

                   (vii)     The Company and its subsidiaries previously filed 
              all Notices required to be filed pursuant to, and previously
              obtained all Approvals required to be obtained under, and have
              otherwise complied with all requirements of, all applicable
              insurance laws and regulations in connection with the Acquisition,
              in each case (other than the insurance laws and regulations of the
              State of Tennessee, in the case of the acquisition of Delta, and
              other than the laws and regulations of the State of Kansas, in the
              case of the acquisition of AmVestors, as to which no exception is
              taken in either case) with such exceptions as (i) would not have a

                                       22

<PAGE>   23

              Material Adverse Effect and (ii) would not affect the validity,
              performance or consummation of the Acquisition;

                   (viii)    Each of the Insurance Companies is duly organized
              and, if required, licensed, or qualifies, as an insurance or
              insurance holding company in its respective jurisdiction of
              organization or incorporation, as the case may be, and is duly
              licensed or authorized in each other jurisdiction where it is
              required to be so licensed or authorized to conduct its business
              as described in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented, in each
              case with such exceptions, individually or in the aggregate, as
              would not have a Material Adverse Effect; each of the Insurance
              Companies is in compliance with the requirements of the insurance
              laws and regulations of its respective jurisdiction of
              organization or incorporation, as the case may be, and the
              insurance laws and regulations of other jurisdictions which are
              applicable to it, and has filed all Notices required to be filed
              thereunder, in each case, with such exceptions as would not have a
              Material Adverse Effect; and, except as otherwise specifically
              described in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented, no
              Insurance Company has received any notification from any insurance
              regulatory authority to the effect that any additional Approvals
              from such insurance regulatory authority are needed to be obtained
              by any of the Insurance Companies in any case where it could be
              reasonably expected that obtaining such Approvals or the failure
              to obtain such Approvals would have a Material Adverse Effect;

                   (ix)      Without limiting the foregoing, each of the 
              Insurance Companies has filed all Notices pursuant to, and
              has obtained all Approvals required to be obtained under, and has
              otherwise complied with all requirements of, all applicable
              insurance laws and regulations (excluding insurance securities
              laws other than those of the State of Iowa), in connection with
              the issuance and sale of the Securities, the QUIPS underlying the
              Securities, the Junior Subordinated Debentures, the Shares to be
              issued pursuant to the Purchase Contracts, and the Common Trust
              Securities, in each case (other than the insurance laws of the
              State of Iowa, as to which no exception is taken) with such
              exceptions, individually or in the aggregate, as would not affect
              the validity of the Securities, the QUIPS underlying the
              Securities, the Junior Subordinated Debentures, the Shares to be
              issued pursuant to the Purchase Contracts, and the Common Trust
              Securities, their issuance or the transactions contemplated hereby
              or have a Material Adverse Effect; and no such Notices or
              Approvals are required to be filed or obtained by any of the
              Insurance Companies in connection with the issuance and sale of
              the Securities, the QUIPS underlying the Securities, the Junior
              Subordinated Debentures, the Shares to be issued pursuant to the
              Purchase Contracts, and the Common Trust Securities, in each case
              (other than the insurance laws and regulations of the State of
              Iowa, as to which no exception is taken) with such exceptions,
              individually or in the aggregate, as would not affect the validity
              of the Securities, the QUIPS underlying the Securities, the Junior
              Subordinated Debentures, the Shares to be issued pursuant to the
              Purchase Contracts, and the Common Trust Securities, their
              issuance or the transactions contemplated hereby or have a
              Material Adverse Effect;

                   (x)       No Consent of or with any court or governmental 
              agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company, any of
              its subsidiaries or any of their 


                                       23

<PAGE>   24

              properties is required for the issue and sale of the Securities,
              the QUIPS underlying the Securities, the Junior Subordinated
              Debentures, the Shares to be issued pursuant to the Purchase
              Contracts, and the Common Trust Securities, or the consummation by
              the Company of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or
              the transactions contemplated by the Indenture, except (i) the
              registration under the Act of the Securities, the QUIPS, the
              Junior Subordinated Debentures and the Shares, (ii) such as have
              been obtained under the Trust Indenture Act, (iii) such Consents
              as may be required under state securities, insurance securities or
              Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of
              the Securities, the QUIPS underlying the Firm Securities and the
              Optional Securities, the Junior Subordinated Debentures, the
              Shares issued pursuant to the Purchase Contracts, and the Common
              Trust Securities, by the Underwriters and (iv) approvals required
              under the Iowa insurance laws and regulations, all of which
              approvals have been obtained;

                   (xi)      The Trust is not in violation of its Declaration, 
              and as of each Time of Delivery, will not be in violation of its
              Declaration; neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in
              violation of its charter or other organizational documents or
              bylaws; and neither the Trust, the Company nor any of its
              subsidiaries is in default in the performance or observance of any
              material obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in
              any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or
              other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which
              it or any of its properties may be bound;

                   (xii)     The statements set forth in the Prospectus as 
              amended or supplemented under the captions "Description of the 
              Units"; "Risk Factors -- Regulatory and Related Risks"; "-- Risks 
              Relating to the Closed Block"; "Reorganization and Recent 
              Acquisitions"; "Plan of Distribution" and "Underwriting", insofar
              as they purport to describe the provisions of the laws and 
              documents referred to therein; are in each case accurate, complete
              and fair in all material respects;

                   (xiii)    The entry into the Purchase Contracts underlying 
              the Securities by the Company, the issue and sale of the QUIPS
              underlying the Securities and the Common Securities by the Trust,
              the issue and sale of the Junior Subordinated Debentures
              underlying such Trust Securities by the Company, the issue and
              sale of the Shares by the Company pursuant to the Purchase
              Contracts, the compliance by the Company and the Trust, as
              applicable, with all of the provisions of this Agreement, such
              Purchase Contracts, the Master Unit Agreement, the Pledge
              Agreement, the Guarantee Agreement, the Declaration and the
              Indenture and the consummation of the transactions herein and
              therein contemplated will not conflict with or result in a breach
              or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a
              default under any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan
              agreement or other agreement or instrument known to such counsel
              to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by
              which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound, or to which
              any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its
              subsidiaries is subject, nor will such actions result in any
              violation of the provisions of the charter or other organizational
              documents or by-laws of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or
              any statute or any order, rule or regulation known to such 


                                       24

<PAGE>   25

              counsel of any court, insurance regulatory authority or other
              governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company
              or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties; no Consent
              of or with any such court or governmental agency or body is
              required for the entry into the Purchase Contracts underlying the
              Securities by the Company, the issue and sale of the QUIPS
              underlying the Securities and the Common Securities by the Trust,
              the issue and sale of the Junior Subordinated Debentures
              underlying such Trust Securities by the Company, the issue and
              sale of the Shares by the Company pursuant to the Purchase
              Contracts, the compliance by the Company and the Trust, as
              applicable, with all of the provisions of this Agreement, such
              Purchase Contracts, the Master Unit Agreement, the Pledge
              Agreement, the Guarantee Agreement, the Declaration or the
              Indenture or the consummation of the transactions herein or
              therein contemplated, except for (i) the registration under the
              Act of the Securities, the QUIPS, the Junior Subordinated
              Debentures and the Shares to be issued upon settlement of the
              Purchase Contracts, (ii) the approval and registration of the
              Securities with the Exchange, which has been obtained, (iii) such
              as have been obtained under the Trust Indenture Act, (iv) such
              Consents as may be required under state securities, insurance
              securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase and
              distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters, and (v)
              approvals required under the Iowa insurance laws and regulations,
              all of which approvals have been obtained;

                   (xiv)     The issue and sale of the QUIPS underlying the
              Securities and the Common Trust Securities by the Trust, the
              purchase of the Junior Subordinated Debentures underlying such
              Trust Securities by the Trust, the compliance by the Trust with
              all of the provisions of the Declaration and this Agreement, and
              the consummation of the transactions herein and therein
              contemplated will not conflict with or result in a breach or
              violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a
              default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan
              agreement or other agreement or instrument known to such counsel
              to which the Trust is a party or by which the Trust is bound or to
              which any of the property or assets of the Trust is subject, nor
              will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the
              Declaration of Trust or any statute or any order, rule or
              regulation known to such counsel of any court, insurance
              regulatory authority, if applicable, or other governmental agency
              or body having jurisdiction over the Trust or any of its
              properties; and no Consent of or with any such court, insurance
              regulatory authority or other governmental agency or body is
              required for the issue and sale of the QUIPS underlying the
              Securities and the Common Securities by the Trust, the purchase of
              the Junior Subordinated Debentures underlying such Trust
              Securities by the Trust or the consummation by the Trust of the
              transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the Declaration,
              except the registration under the Act of the QUIPS and the Junior
              Subordinated Debentures, (ii) the approval and registration of the
              Securities with the Exchange, which has been obtained, (iii) such
              as have been obtained under the Trust Indenture Act, (iv) such
              Consents as may be required under state securities, insurance
              securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase and
              distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters, and (v) such
              Consents required under the Iowa insurance laws and regulations,
              all of which approvals have been obtained;

                                       25


<PAGE>   26

                   (xv)      This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed 
              and delivered by the Company and the Trust; and

                   (xvi)     The Registration Statement, the Prospectus as 
              amended or supplemented and any further amendments and supplements
              thereto made by the Company and the Trust prior to such Time of
              Delivery (other than the financial statements, financial data and
              related schedules therein and Form T-1, as to which such counsel
              need express no opinion) comply as to form in all material
              respects with the requirements of the Act and the Trust Indenture
              Act and the rules and regulations thereunder; although he does not
              assume any responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or
              fairness of the statements contained in the Registration Statement
              or the Prospectus as amended or supplemented, except for those
              referred to in the opinion in subsection (xii) of this Section
              7(d), he has no reason to believe that, as of its effective date,
              the Registration Statement or any further amendment thereto made
              by the Company prior to such Time of Delivery (other than the
              financial statements, financial data and related schedules therein
              and Form T-1, as to which such counsel need express no opinion)
              contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to
              state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary
              to make the statements therein not misleading or that, as of its
              date, the Prospectus as amended or supplemented or any further
              amendment or supplement thereto made by the Company prior to such
              Time of Delivery (other than the financial statements, financial
              data and related schedules therein and Form T-1, as to which such
              counsel need express no opinion) contained an untrue statement of
              a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to
              make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances
              under which they were made, not misleading or that, as of such
              Time of Delivery, any of the Registration Statement, the
              Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto made by
              the Company prior to such Time of Delivery (other than the
              financial statements, financial data and related schedules therein
              and Form T-1, as to which such counsel need express no opinion)
              contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state
              a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the
              light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
              misleading; and he does not know of any amendment to the
              Registration Statement required to be filed or of any contracts or
              other documents of a character required to be filed as an exhibit
              to the Registration Statement or required to be described in the
              Registration Statement or the Prospectus as amended or
              supplemented which are not filed or described as required.

              In rendering such opinion, such counsel may state that insofar as
his opinion under clause (xvi) above relates to the accuracy and completeness of
the Prospectus and Registration Statement and amendments or supplements thereto,
it is based upon a general review with representatives of the Company and AmerUs
Life, and their independent accountants, of the information contained therein,
without independent verification by such counsel of the accuracy or completeness
of such information. Such counsel may also rely upon the opinions of other
competent counsel and, as to factual matters, on certificates of officers of the
Company or AmerUs Life and of state officials, in which case his opinion is to
state that he is so doing and copies of such opinions or 

                                     26

<PAGE>   27

certificates are to be  attached to the opinion unless such opinions or
certificates (or, in the case of certificates, the information therein) have
been furnished to you otherwise.

              (e)  Morris, James, Hitchens & Williams, special Delaware counsel
to the Trust, shall have furnished to you their written opinion, dated such Time
of Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to you to the effect that:

                   (i)       The Trust has been duly formed and is validly
              existing in good standing as a business trust under the Act.

                   (ii)      The Declaration constitutes a valid and binding
              obligation of the Company and the Trustees, enforceable against
              the Company and the Trustees in accordance with its terms, and the
              terms of the Capital Securities and the Common Securities, to the
              extent they are obligations of the Trust, are valid and binding
              obligations of the Trust in accordance with the terms of the
              Declaration, subject to the effect of (A) bankruptcy, insolvency,
              moratorium, receivership, reorganization, liquidation, fraudulent
              conveyance or transfer and other similar laws relating to or
              affecting the rights and remedies of creditors generally, (B)
              principles of equity, including applicable law relating to
              fiduciary duties (regardless of whether considered and applied in
              a proceeding in equity or at a law), and (C) applicable public
              policy with respect to provisions relating to indemnification or
              contribution.

                   (iii)     Under the Act and the Declaration, (A) the Trust 
              has the requisite trust power and authority (x) to own its
              properties and conduct its business, all as described under the
              captions "THE AMERUS TRUSTS" in the Prospectus and "THE TRUST" in
              the Prospectus Supplement, (y) to issue and perform its
              obligations under the Securities, and (z) to execute and deliver,
              and perform its obligations under, the Underwriting Agreement, and
              (B) the execution and delivery by the Trust of the Underwriting
              Agreement, and the performance by the Trust of its obligations
              thereunder, have been duly authorized by all requisite trust
              action on the part of the Trust. The Underwriting Agreement has
              been duly executed and delivered by the Trust.

                   (iv)      The Capital Securities have been duly authorized by
              the Declaration and are duly and validly issued and, subject to
              the qualifications set forth in this paragraph (iv), fully paid
              and nonassessable undivided beneficial interests in the assets of
              the Trust. The Capital Security Holders, as beneficial owners of
              the Trust, will be entitled to the same limitation of personal
              liability extended to stockholders of private corporations for
              profit organized under the General Corporation Law of the State of
              Delaware. Such counsel may note that the Capital Security Holders
              may be obligated, pursuant to the Declaration, to make payments
              and provide indemnity and security as set forth in the
              Declaration.

                   (v)       The Common Securities have been duly authorized by
              the Declaration and are validly issued and represent undivided
              beneficial interests in the assets of the Trust.

                   (vi)      Under the Declaration and the Act, (A) the issuance
              of the Securities is not subject to preemptive rights to subscribe
              for additional Securities, and (B) the Securities are the only
              interests in the assets of the Trust authorized to be issued by
              the Trust.

                                       27

<PAGE>   28

                   (vii)     The issuance and sale by the Trust of the 
              Securities in accordance with the Declaration, the execution,
              delivery and performance by the Trust of the Underwriting
              Agreement, the consummation by the Trust of the transactions
              contemplated by the Declaration, the Capital Securities and the
              Underwriting Agreement, and the compliance by the Trust with its
              obligations thereunder are not prohibited by (A) the Certificate
              or the Declaration, or (B) any applicable Delaware statute or
              administrative regulation.

                   (viii)    No authorization, approval, consent or order of any
              Delaware governmental authority or Delaware agency is required to
              be obtained, and no filing or registration with any Delaware
              governmental authority or Delaware agency is required to be made,
              by the Trust solely in connection with the issuance and sale by
              the Trust of the Securities.

              (f)  Sidley & Austin, special tax counsel for the Company and the
         Underwriters, shall have furnished to you their written opinion, dated
         the Time of Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to you, to the
         effect that the discussion set forth in the Prospectus under the
         heading "Certain Federal Income Tax Consequences", insofar as it
         relates to matters of United States federal income tax law, is accurate
         in all material respects;

              (g)  On the date of the Prospectus at a time prior to the
         execution of this Agreement, at 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on the
         effective date of any post-effective amendment to the Registration
         Statement filed subsequent to the date of this Agreement and also at
         each Time of Delivery, KPMG Peat Marwick L.L.P. shall have furnished to
         you a letter or letters, dated the respective dates of delivery
         thereof, in form and substance satisfactory to you, to the effect set
         forth in Annex I hereto (the executed copy of the letter delivered
         prior to the execution of this Agreement is attached as Annex I(a)
         hereto and a draft of the form of letter to be delivered on the
         effective date of any post-effective amendment to the Registration
         Statement and as of each Time of Delivery is attached as Annex I(b)
         hereto);

              (h)  (i) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries shall
         have sustained since the date of the latest audited financial
         statements included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus as
         amended prior to the date hereof any loss or interference with its
         business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not
         covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or
         governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or
         contemplated in the Prospectus as amended as of the date hereof, and
         (ii) since the respective dates as of which information is given in the
         Prospectus as amended prior to the date hereof there shall not have
         been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company
         or any of its subsidiaries or any change, or any development involving
         a prospective change, in or affecting the general affairs, management,
         financial position, shareholders' equity or results of operations of
         the Company and its subsidiaries, otherwise than as set forth or
         contemplated in the Prospectus prior to the date hereof, the effect of
         which, in any such case described in Clause (i) or (ii), is in your
         judgment so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or
         inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the
         Securities being delivered at such Time of Delivery on the terms and in
         the manner contemplated in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented
         relating to the Securities;


                                       28

<PAGE>   29

              (i)  On or after the date hereof (i) no downgrading shall have
         occurred in the rating accorded AmerUs Life's, Delta Life's, American's
         or FBL's financial strength or claims paying ability by A.M. Best or by
         any "nationally recognized statistical rating organization", as that
         term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under
         the Act (a "Rating Organization"); and (ii) no such Rating Organization
         shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review,
         with possible negative implications, its rating of AmerUs Life's, Delta
         Life's, American's or FBL's financial strength or claims paying
         ability; and (iii) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating
         accorded the Company's debt securities or preferred stock or the
         Company's financial strength or claims paying ability by any Rating
         Organization; and (iv) no Rating Organization shall have publicly
         announced that it has under surveillance or review, with possible
         negative implications, its rating of any of the Company's debt
         securities or preferred stock or the Company's financial strength or
         claims paying ability;

              (j)  On or after the date hereof there shall not have occurred
         any of the following: (i) a suspension or material limitation in
         trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange or on
         the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations
         National Market ("NASDAQ"); (ii) a suspension or material limitation in
         trading in the Company's securities on the New York Stock Exchange;
         (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities declared by
         either Federal or New York State authorities; or (iv) the outbreak or
         escalation of hostilities involving the United States or the
         declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war, if the
         effect of any such event specified in this Clause (iv) in the judgment
         of the Representatives makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed
         with the public offering or the delivery of the Securities being
         delivered at such Time of Delivery on the terms and in the manner
         contemplated in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented;

              (k)  The Securities shall have been duly listed, subject to
         notice of issuance, on the Exchange;

              (l)  The Company and the Trust shall have complied with the
         provisions of Section 5(c) hereof with respect to the furnishing of
         prospectuses on the New York Business Day next succeeding the date of
         this Agreement; and

              (m)  The Company and the Trust shall have each furnished or
         caused to be furnished to you at such Time of Delivery a certificate or
         certificates of officers of the Company and the Trust, as the case may
         be, satisfactory to you as to the accuracy of the respective
         representations and warranties of the Company and the Trust herein at
         and as of such Time of Delivery, as to the performance by the Company
         and the Trust, as the case may be, of all of its obligations hereunder
         to be performed at or prior to such Time of Delivery, as to the matters
         set forth in subsections (a) and (h) of this Section and as to such
         other matters as you may reasonably request.

         8.   (a)  Each of the Company and the Trust, jointly and severally, 
will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter against any losses, claims,
damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Underwriter may become
subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or
liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an
untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any
Preliminary Prospectus any preliminary prospectus supplement, the Registration
Statement, the Prospectus as amended or supplemented and any other prospectus
relating to the Securities, or any 

                                       29

<PAGE>   30

amendment or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission
or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and will
reimburse each Underwriter for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred
by such Underwriter in connection with investigating or defending any such
action or claim as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that neither
the Company nor the Trust shall be liable in any such case to the extent that
any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an
untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission
made in any Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus supplement, the
Registration Statement, the Prospectus as amended or supplemented and any other
prospectus relating to such Securities or any such amendment or supplement in
reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the
Company by any Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use
therein.

              (b)  Each Underwriter will indemnify and hold harmless the
Company and the Trust against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to
which the Company and the Trust may become subject, under the Act or otherwise,
insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect
thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus as amended
or supplemented and any other prospectus relating to such Securities, the
Registration Statement, the Prospectus as amended or supplemented and any other
prospectus relating to such Securities, or any amendment or supplement thereto,
or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state
therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the
extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or
alleged omission was made in any Preliminary Prospectus as amended or
supplemented and any other prospectus relating to such Securities, the
Registration Statement, the Prospectus as amended or supplemented and any other
prospectus relating to such Securities, or any such amendment or supplement in
reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the
Company by such Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use
therein; and will reimburse the Company for any legal or other expenses
reasonably incurred by the Company in connection with investigating or defending
any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred.

              (c)  Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under
subsection (a) or (b) above of notice of the commencement of any action, such
indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the
indemnifying party under such subsection, notify the indemnifying party in
writing of the commencement thereof; but the omission so to notify the
indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have to
any indemnified party otherwise than under such subsection. In case any such
action shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the
indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be
entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly
with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense
thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not,
except with the consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying
party), and, after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party
of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall
not be liable to such indemnified party under such subsection for any legal
expenses of other counsel or any other expenses, in each case subsequently
incurred by such indemnified party, in connection with the defense thereof other
than reasonable costs of investigation. No indemnifying party shall, without the
written consent of the indemnified party, effect the settlement or compromise
of, or consent to 


                                       30

<PAGE>   31

the entry of any judgment with respect to, any pending or threatened action or
claim in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought
hereunder (whether or not the indemnified party is an actual or potential party
to such action or claim) unless such settlement, compromise or judgment (i)
includes an unconditional release of the indemnified party from all liability
arising out of such action or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to
or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of
any indemnified party.

              (d)  If the indemnification provided for in this Section 8 is
unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under
subsection (a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or
liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each
indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such
indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or
actions in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the
relative benefits received by the Company and the Trust on the one hand and the
Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Securities. If, however, the
allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by
applicable law or if the indemnified party failed to give the notice required
under subsection (c) above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to
such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is
appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative
fault of the Company and the Trust on the one hand and the Underwriters on the
other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such
losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof), as well
as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received
by the Company and the Trust on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other
shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the
purchase of the Securities purchased under this Agreement (before deducting
expenses) received by the Company and the Trust bear to the total underwriting
discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters with respect to the
Securities purchased under this Agreement, in each case as set forth in the
table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault shall be
determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged
untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state
a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the Trust on
the one hand or the Underwriters on the other and the parties' relative intent,
knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such
statement or omission. The Company, the Trust and the Underwriters agree that it
would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this subsection (d)
were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as
one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not
take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this
subsection (d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result
of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof)
referred to above in this subsection (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or
other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with
investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the
provisions of this subsection (d), no Underwriter shall be required to
contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which
the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to
the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has
otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue
statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent
misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be
entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent
misrepresentation. The Underwriters' obligations in this subsection (d) to
contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting
obligations and not joint.

                                       31

<PAGE>   32

              (e)  The obligations of the Company and the Trust under this
Section 8 shall be in addition to any liability which the Company or the Trust
may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each
person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Act; and
the obligations of the Underwriters under this Section 8 shall be in addition to
any liability which the respective Underwriters may otherwise have and shall
extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each officer and director of the
Company and to each person, if any, who controls the Company or the Trust within
the meaning of the Act.

         9.   (a)  If any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to 
purchase the Securities which it has agreed to purchase hereunder at a Time of
Delivery, you may in your discretion arrange for you or another party or other
parties to purchase such Securities on the terms contained herein. If within
thirty-six hours after such default by any Underwriter you do not arrange for
the purchase of such Securities, then the Company shall be entitled to a further
period of thirty-six hours within which to procure another party or other
parties satisfactory to you to purchase such Securities on such terms. In the
event that, within the respective prescribed periods, you notify the Company
that you have so arranged for the purchase of such Securities, or the Company
notifies you that it has so arranged for the purchase of such Securities, you or
the Company shall have the right to postpone such Time of Delivery for a period
of not more than seven days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be
made necessary in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus as amended or
supplemented, or in any other documents or arrangements, and the Company agrees
to file promptly any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or
the Prospectus which in your opinion may thereby be made necessary. The term
"Underwriter" as used in this Agreement shall include any person substituted
under this Section with like effect as if such person had originally been a
party to this Agreement with respect to such Securities.

              (b)  If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase
of the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the
Company as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate number of such
Securities which remains unpurchased does not exceed one-eleventh of the
aggregate number of all of the Securities to be purchased at such Time of
Delivery, then the Company shall have the right to require each non-defaulting
Underwriter to purchase the number of Securities which such Underwriter agreed
to purchase hereunder at such Time of Delivery and, in addition, to require each
non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase its pro rata share (based on the number
of Securities which such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder) of such
defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been
made; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability
for its default.

              (c)  If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase
of the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the
Company as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate number of such
Securities which remains unpurchased exceeds one-eleventh of the aggregate
number of all of the Securities to be purchased at such Time of Delivery, or if
the Company shall not exercise the right described in subsection (b) above to
require non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase Securities of a defaulting
Underwriter or Underwriters, then this Agreement (or, with respect to the Second
Time of Delivery, the obligations of the Underwriters to purchase and of the
Company to sell the Optional Securities) shall thereupon terminate, without
liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company, except
for the expenses to be borne by the Company and the Underwriters as provided in
Section 6 hereof and the indemnity and contribution agreements in Section 8
hereof; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability
for its default.


                                       32

<PAGE>   33

         10.  The respective indemnities, agreements, representations,
warranties and other statements of the Company, the several Underwriters, as set
forth in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them, respectively, pursuant
to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any
investigation (or any statement as to the results thereof) made by or on behalf
of any Underwriter or any controlling person of any Underwriter, or the Company,
the Trust or any officer or director or controlling person of the Company or the
Trust, and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Securities.

         Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the indemnity
agreement of the Company and the Trust in subsection (a) of Section 8 hereof,
the representations and warranties in subsections (b) and (c) of Section 2
hereof and any representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus contained in any certificate furnished by the
Company or the Trust pursuant to Section 7 hereof, insofar as they may
constitute a basis for indemnification for liabilities (other than payment by
the Company or the Trust of expenses incurred or paid in the successful defense
of any action, suit or proceeding) arising under the Act, shall not extend to
the extent of any interest therein of a controlling person or partner of an
Underwriter who is a director, officer or controlling person of the Company or
the Trust when the Registration Statement has become effective, except in each
case to the extent that an interest of such character shall have been determined
by a court of appropriate jurisdiction as not against public policy as expressed
in the Act.

         11.  Unless in the opinion of counsel for the Company the matter has
been settled by controlling precedent, the Company will, if a claim for such
indemnification is asserted, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the
question of whether such interest is against public policy as expressed in the
Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue. If this
Agreement shall be terminated pursuant to Section 9 hereof, the Company and the
Trust shall not then be under any liability to any Underwriter except as
provided in Sections 6 and 8 hereof; but, if for any other reason, the
Securities are not delivered by or on behalf of the Company and the Trust as
provided herein, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters through you for all
out-of-pocket expenses approved in writing by you, including fees and
disbursements of counsel, reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in making
preparations for the purchase, sale and delivery of the Securities (not so
delivered), but the Company and the Trust shall then be under no further
liability to any Underwriter in respect of the Securities not so delivered
except as provided in Sections 6 and 8 hereof.

         12.  In all dealings hereunder, you shall act on behalf of each of the
Underwriters, and the parties hereto shall be entitled to act and rely upon any
statement, request, notice or agreement on behalf of any Underwriter made or
given by you jointly or by Goldman, Sachs & Co. on behalf of you [as the
representatives].

         All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in
writing, and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or
facsimile transmission to you as the representatives in care of Goldman, Sachs &
Co., 85 Broad Street, New York, New York 10004, Attention: Registration
Department; and if to the Company or the Trust shall be delivered or sent by
mail, telex or facsimile transmission to the address of the Company or the Trust
set forth in the Registration Statement, Attention: Secretary; provided,
however, that any notice to an Underwriter pursuant to Section 8(c) hereof shall
be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to such
Underwriter at its address set forth in its Underwriters' questionnaire, or
telex constituting 

                                       33

<PAGE>   34

such questionnaire, which address will be supplied to the Company by you upon
request. Any such statements, requests, notices or agreements shall take effect
upon receipt thereof.

         13.  This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the
benefit of, the Underwriters, the Company and, to the extent provided in
Sections 8 and 10 hereof, the officers and directors of the Company and each
person who controls the Company, the Trust or any Underwriter, and their
respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and no
other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this
Agreement. No purchaser of any of the Securities from any Underwriter shall be
deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such purchase.

         14.  Time shall be of the essence of this Agreement. As used herein,
the term "business day" shall mean any day when the Commission's office in
Washington, D.C. is open for business.

         15.  THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE
WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

         16.  This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties
hereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an
original, but all such respective counterparts shall together constitute one and
the same instrument.


                                       34


<PAGE>   35
         If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign
and return to us six counterparts hereof, and upon the acceptance hereof by you,
on behalf of each of the Underwriters, this letter and such acceptance hereof
shall constitute a binding agreement among each of the Underwriters and the
Company. It is understood that your acceptance of this letter on behalf of each
of the Underwriters is pursuant to the authority set forth in a form of
Agreement among Underwriters, the form of which shall be submitted to the
Company for examination, upon request, but without warranty on your part as to
the authority of the signers thereof.


                                       Very truly yours,

                                       AmerUs Life Holdings, Inc.
    
                                       By:/s/  Roger K. Brooks
                                          ------------------------------------
                                          Name:  Roger K. Brooks   
                                          Title: Chief Executive Officer 
                                    
                                       AmerUs Capital II 
                                                       

                                       By:/s/  Michael S. Fraizer
                                          ------------------------------------
                                          Name:  Michael S. Fraizer     
                                          Title: Administrator     
                                                       

Accepted as of the date hereof:

Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Smith Barney Inc.


By:/s/  Goldman, Sachs & Co.
   --------------------------------------
           (Goldman, Sachs & Co.)

   On behalf of each of the Underwriters





                                      35
<PAGE>   36


                                   SCHEDULE I


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                         NUMBER OF OPTIONAL 
                                                                 TOTAL NUMBER OF          SECURITIES TO BE  
                              UNDERWRITER                      FIRM SECURITIES TO       DELIVERED IF MAXIMUM
                              -----------                         BE DELIVERED            OPTION EXERCISED  
                                                               ------------------       ---------------------
<S>                                                            <C>                      <C>
Goldman, Sachs & Co.  ..................................                2,075,000                     292,700

Salomon Brothers Inc. ..................................                2,075,000                     292,700
                                                               ------------------       ---------------------
              Total   ..................................                4,150,000                     585,400
                                                               ==================       =====================                  


</TABLE>

                                       36

<PAGE>   37
                                                                         ANNEX I


     Pursuant to Section 7 (e) of the Underwriting Agreement, the accountants
shall furnish letters to the Underwriters to the effect that:

                   (I)       They are independent certified public accountants 
              with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries within the
              meaning of the Act and the applicable published rules and
              regulations thereunder;

                   (ii)      In their opinion, the financial statements and any
              supplementary financial information and schedules audited (and, if
              applicable, financial forecasts and/or pro forma financial
              information) examined by them and included or incorporated by
              reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus comply
              as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting
              requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and
              the related published rules and regulations thereunder; and, if
              applicable, they have made a review in accordance with standards
              established by the American Institute of Certified Public
              Accountants of the consolidated interim financial statements,
              selected financial data, pro forma financial information,
              financial forecasts and/or condensed financial statements derived
              from audited financial statements of the Company for the periods
              specified in such letter, as indicated in their reports thereon,
              copies of which have been separately furnished to the
              representatives of the Underwriters (the "Representatives") such
              term to include an Underwriter or Underwriters who act without any
              firm being designated as its or their representatives and are
              attached hereto;

                   (iii)     They have made a review in accordance with 
              standards established by the American Institute of Certified
              Public Accountants of the unaudited condensed consolidated
              statements of income, consolidated balance sheets and consolidated
              statements of cash flows included in the Prospectus and/or
              included in the Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q
              incorporated by reference into the Prospectus as indicated in
              their reports thereon copies of which are attached hereto; and on
              the basis of specified procedures including inquiries of officials
              of the Company who have responsibility for financial and
              accounting matters regarding whether the unaudited condensed
              consolidated financial statements referred to in paragraph
              (vi)(A)(I) below comply as to form in the related in all material
              respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act
              and the Exchange Act and the related published rules and
              regulations, nothing came to their attention that caused them to
              believe that the unaudited condensed consolidated financial
              statements do not comply as to form in all material respects with
              the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the Exchange
              Act and the related published rules and regulations;

                   (iv) The unaudited selected financial information with 
              respect to the consolidated results of operations and financial
              position of the Company for the five most recent fiscal years
              included in the Prospectus and included or incorporated by
              reference in Item 6 of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K
              for the most recent fiscal year agrees with the corresponding
              amounts (after restatement where applicable) in the audited
              consolidated financial statements for five such fiscal years which
              were included or incorporated by reference in the Company's Annual
              Reports on Form 10-K for such fiscal years;

                   (v)       They have compared the information in the 
              Prospectus under selected captions with the disclosure
              requirements of Regulation S-K and on the basis of limited
              procedures specified in such letter nothing came to their
              attention as a result of the foregoing procedures that caused them
              to believe that this information does not conform 

<PAGE>   38

              in all material respects with the disclosure requirements of Items
              301, 302, 402 and 503(d), respectively, of Regulation S-K;

                  (vi)       On the basis of limited procedures, not 
              constituting an examination in accordance with generally accepted
              auditing standards, consisting of a reading of the unaudited
              financial statements and other information referred to below, a
              reading of the latest available interim financial statements of
              the Company and its subsidiaries, inspection of the minute books
              of the Company and its subsidiaries since the date of the latest
              audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference
              in the Prospectus, inquiries of officials of the Company and its
              subsidiaries responsible for financial and accounting matters and
              such other inquiries and procedures as may be specified in such
              letter, nothing came to their attention that caused them to
              believe that:

                             (A) (I) the unaudited condensed consolidated
                   statements of income, consolidated balance sheets and
                   consolidated statements of cash flows included in the
                   Prospectus and/or included or incorporated by reference in
                   the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q incorporated by
                   reference in the Prospectus do not comply as to form in all
                   material respects with the applicable accounting requirements
                   of the Exchange Act and the related published rules and
                   regulations, or (ii) any material modifications should be
                   made to the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of
                   income, consolidated balance sheets and consolidated
                   statements of cash flows included in the Prospectus or
                   included in the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q
                   incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, for them to be
                   in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles;

                             (B) any other unaudited income statement data and
                   balance sheet items included in the Prospectus do not agree
                   with the corresponding items in the unaudited consolidated
                   financial statements from which such data and items were
                   derived, and any such unaudited data and items were not
                   determined on a basis substantially consistent with the basis
                   for the corresponding amounts in the audited consolidated
                   financial statements included or incorporated by reference in
                   the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent
                   fiscal year;

                             (C) the unaudited financial statements which were
                   not included in the Prospectus but from which were derived
                   the unaudited condensed financial statements referred to in
                   Clause (A) and any unaudited income statement data and
                   balance sheet items included in the Prospectus and referred
                   to in Clause (B) were not determined on a basis substantially
                   consistent with the basis for the audited financial
                   statements included or incorporated by reference in the
                   Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent
                   fiscal year;

                             (D) any unaudited pro forma consolidated condensed
                   financial statements included or incorporated by reference in
                   the Prospectus do not comply as to form in all material
                   respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the
                   Act and the published rules and regulations thereunder or the
                   pro forma adjustments have not been properly applied to the
                   historical amounts in the compilation of those statements;
                  

                                       2


<PAGE>   1
                                                                    EXHIBIT 25.3



                     SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                           Washington, D.C. 20549



                                  FORM T-1



                 STATEMENT OF ELIGIBILITY AND QUALIFICATION
           UNDER THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT OF 1939, AS AMENDED, OF A
                  CORPORATION DESIGNATED TO ACT AS TRUSTEE
                                 __________

                          FIRST UNION NATIONAL BANK
             (Exact name of trustee as specified in its charter)

United States National Bank                     56-0900030
(State of incorporation if                       (I.R.S. employer
not a national bank)                              identification no.)

First Union National Bank
230 South Tryon Street, 9th Floor
Charlotte, North Carolina                       28288-1179
(Address of principal                            (Zip Code)
executive offices)

                                Same as above

               (Name, address and telephone number, including
                 area code, of trustee's agent for service)

                              AMERUS CAPITAL  II

             (Exact name of obligor as specified in its charter)

                                    IOWA

       (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

                                  42-6571890
                    (I.R.S. employer identification no.)

                           James A. Smallenberger
                     Senior Vice President and Secretary
                              699 Walnut Street
                           Des Moines, Iowa 50309-3948
                               (515) 362-3600

        (Address, including zip code, of principal executive offices)
                            ____________________



                              Capital Securities

                     (Title of the indenture securities)
              ________________________________________________


<PAGE>   2


1.   General information.  Furnish the following information as to the trustee:

     (a) Name and address of each examining or supervising authority to which
         it is subject

- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Name                                          Address

- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, VA             Richmond, VA

Comptroller of the Currency                      Washington, D.C.

Securities and Exchange Commission
Division of Market Regulation                    Washington, D.C.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation            Washington, D.C.

     (b) Whether it is authorized to exercise corporate trust powers.

         The trustee is authorized to exercise corporate trust powers.


2.   Affiliations with obligor and underwriters.  If the obligor or any
     underwriter for the obligor is an affiliate of the trustee, describe each 
     such affiliation.

     None.

     (See Note 1 on Page 4.)


Because the obligor is not in default on any securities issued under indentures
under which the applicant is trustee, Items 3 through 15 are not required
herein.

16.  List of Exhibits.

     All exhibits identified below are filed as a part of this statement of
     eligibility.

     1.  A copy of the Articles of Association of First Union National Bank 
         as now in effect, which contain the authority to commence business
         and a grant of powers to exercise corporate trust powers is filed with
         the T-1 for Financial Security Assurance Holdings LTD, as filed with
         the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 8, 1997 as
         Registration No. 333-34181.



                                      2

<PAGE>   3



     2.  A copy of the certificate of authority of the trustee to commence 
         business, if not contained in the Articles of Association is
         filed with the T-1 for Financial Security Assurance Holdings LTD, as
         filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 8, 1997
         as Registration No. 333-34181.

     3.  A copy of the authorization of the trustee to exercise corporate trust
         powers, if such authorization is not contained in the documents
         specified in exhibits (1) or (2) above is filed with the T-1 for
         Financial Security Assurance Holdings LTD, as filed with the
         Securities and Exchange Commission on September 8, 1997 as
         Registration No. 333-34181.

     4.  A copy of the existing By-laws of the trustee, or instruments 
         corresponding thereto is filed with the T-1 for Financial
         Security Assurance Holdings LTD, as filed the Securities and Exchange
         Commission on September 8, 1997 as Registration No. 333-34181.

     5.  Inapplicable.

     6.  The consent of the trustee required by Section 321(b) of the Trust 
         Indenture Act of 1939 is included at Page 4 of this Form T-1 Statement.

     7.  A copy of the latest report of condition of the trustee published
         pursuant to law or to the requirements of its supervising or examining
         authority is attached hereto.

     8.  Inapplicable.

     9.  Inapplicable.

                                      3

<PAGE>   4

                                    NOTE

Note 1: Inasmuch as this Form T-1 is filed prior to the ascertainment by the
Trustee of all facts on which to base a responsive answer to Item 2, the answer
to said Item is based on incomplete information.  Item 2 may, however, be
considered correct unless amended by an amendment to this Form T-1.


                                  SIGNATURE

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as
amended, the trustee, First Union National Bank, a national association
organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America, has duly
caused this statement of eligibility and qualification to be signed on its
behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, all in the City of
Charlotte, and State of North Carolina, on the 24th day of July, 1998.

                                     FIRST UNION NATIONAL BANK
                                     (trustee)


                                     By: /s/ Shawn K. Bednasek
                                        ---------------------------------
                                        Its: Vice President
                                            -----------------------------


                             CONSENT OF TRUSTEE

     Under section 321(b) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, and
in connection with the proposed issuance by AmerUs Capital III of its Capital
Securities, First Union National Bank as the trustee herein named, hereby
consents that reports of examinations of said Trustee by Federal, State,
Territorial or District authorities may be furnished by such authorities to the
Securities and Exchange Commission upon requests therefor.
        

                                     FIRST UNION NATIONAL BANK


                                     By: /s/ Daniel J. Ober
                                        ---------------------------------
                                        Name: Daniel J. Ober
                                             ----------------------------
                                        Its: Vice President
                                             ----------------------------

Dated: July 24, 1998


                                      4


<PAGE>   5


CONSOLIDATED REPORT OF CONDITION FOR INSURED COMMERCIAL
AND STATE-CHARTERED SAVINGS BANKS FOR DECEMBER 31, 1997

All schedules are to be reported in thousands of dollars.  Unless otherwise
indicated, report the amount outstanding as of the last business day of the 
quarter.

SCHEDULE RC--BALANCE SHEET

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                                                              C400
                                                                        Dollar Amount in Thousands               RCFD Bil Mil Thou
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                                                  <C>            <C>        <C>
ASSETS                                                                                               /////////////////////////
1.  Cash and balances due from depository institutions (from Schedule RC-A):                        /////////////////////////
    a.  Noninterest-bearing balances and currency and coin (1) ..............................       0081            5,350,509  1.a.
    b.  Interest-bearing balances (2) .......................................................       0071              527,082  1.b.
2.  Securities:                                                                                     /////////////////////////
    a.  Held-to-maturity securities (from Schedule RC-B, column A) ..........................       1754            1,679,050  2.a.
    b.  Available-for-sale securities (from Schedule RC-B, column D) ........................       1773           16,948,015  2.b.
3.  Federal funds sold and securities purchased under agreements to resell ..................       1350            2,626,508  3.
4.  Loans and lease financing receivables                                                           /////////////////////////
    a.  Loans and leases, net of unearned income (from Schedule RC-C)...RCFD 2122  83,315,758       /////////////////////////  4.a.
    b.  LESS: Allowance for loan and lease losses ......................RCFD 3123   1,005,217       /////////////////////////  4.b.
    c.  LESS: Allocated transfer risk reserve ..........................RCFD 3128           0       /////////////////////////  4.c.
    d.  Loans and leases, net of unearned income, allowance, 
        and reserve (item 4.a minus 4.b and 4.c) ............................................       2126           82,310,541  4.d.
5.  Trading assets (from Schedule RC-D) .....................................................       3545            3,322,404  5.
6.  Premises and fixed assets (including capitalized leases) ................................       2145            2,167,626  6.
7.  Other real estate owned (from Schedule RC-M) ............................................       2150               70,835  7.
8.  Investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries and associated 
        companies (from Schedule RC-M) ......................................................       2180              181,970  8.
9.  Customers' liability to this bank on acceptances outstanding ............................       2155              761,776  9.
10. Intangible assets (from Schedule RC-M) ..................................................       2143            2,539,719  10.
11. Other assets (from Schedule RC-F) .......................................................       2160            6,508,589  11.
12. Total assets (sum of items 1 through 11) ................................................       2170          124,994,624  12.
</TABLE>
__________
(1) Includes cash items in process of collection and unposted debits.
(2) Includes time certificates of deposit not held for trading.



<PAGE>   6



Schedule RC--Continued

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                Dollar Amount in Thousands                            Bil Mil Thou
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                                        <C>                  <C>         <C>
LIABILITIES                                                                                ////////////////////////////////
13. Deposits:                                                                              ////////////////////////////////
    a. In domestic offices (sum of totals of columns A and C from Schedule RC-E,           ////////////////////////////////
       part I) .........................................................................   RCON 2200            79,161,386  13.a.
       (1)  Noninterest-bearing (1)............................. RCON 6631    15,696,570   ///////////////////////////////  13.a.(1)
       (2)  Interest-bearing ................................... RCON 6636    63,464,816   ///////////////////////////////  13.a.(2)
    b. In foreign offices, Edge and Agreement subsidiaries, and IBFs (from Schedule RC-E,  ///////////////////////////////
       part II) ........................................................................   RCFN 2200           11,656,207   13.b.
       (1)  Noninterest-bearing ................................ RCFN 6631             0   ///////////////////////////////  13.b.(1)
       (2)  Interest-bearing ................................... RCFN 6636    11,656,207   ///////////////////////////////  13.b.(2)
14. Federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreements to repurchase .........   RCFD 2800            13,333,348  14.
15. a. Demand notes issued to the U.S. Treasury ........................................   RCON 2840               258,807  15.a.
    b. Trading liabilities (from Schedule RC-D) ........................................   RCFD 3548             3,030,911  15.b.
16. Other borrowed money (includes mortgage indebtedness and obligations under             ///////////////////////////////
    capitalized leases): ...............................................................   ///////////////////////////////
    a. With a remaining maturity of one year or less ...................................   RCFD 2332             2,092,679  16.a.
    b. With a remaining maturity of more than one year through three years .............   RCFD A547               325,781  16.b.
    c. With a remaining maturity of more than three years ..............................   RCFD A548                58,347  16.c.
17. Not applicable .....................................................................   ///////////////////////////////
18. Bank's liability on acceptances executed and outstanding ...........................   RCFD 2920               761,776  18.
19. Subordinated notes and debentures (2) ..............................................   RCFD 3200             2,347,834  19.
20. Other liabilities (from Schedule RC-G) .............................................   RCFD 2930             2,480,990  20.
21. Total liabilities (sum of items 13 through 20) .....................................   RCFD 2948           115,508,066  21.
22. Not applicable......................................................................   ///////////////////////////////
EQUITY CAPITAL                                                                             ///////////////////////////////
23. Perpetual preferred stock and related surplus ......................................   RCFD 3838                     0  23.
24. Common stock .......................................................................   RCFD 3230                82,795  24.
25. Surplus (exclude all surplus related to preferred stock) ...........................   RCFD 3839             6,695,493  25.
26. a. Undivided profits and capital reserves ..........................................   RCFD 3632             2,498,515  26.a.
    b. Net unrealized holding gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities ..........   RCFD 8434               209,755  26.b.
27. Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustments ................................   RCFD 3284                     0  27.
28. Total equity capital (sum of items 23 through 27) ..................................   RCFD 3210             9,486,558  28.
29. Total liabilities and equity capital (sum of items 21 and 28) ......................   RCFD 3300           124,994,624  29.

</TABLE>


Memorandum
To be reported only with the March Report of Condition.
 1.  Indicate in the box at the right the number of the 
     statement below that best describes the most 
     comprehensive level of auditing work performed for 
     the bank by independent external                                     Number
     auditors as of any date during 1996 ...............  RCFD 6724  N/A   M.1.

1 = Independent audit of the bank conducted in accordance with generally
    accepted auditing standards by a certified public accounting firm which
    submits a report on the bank
2 = Independent audit of the bank's parent holding company conducted in
    accordance with generally accepted auditing standards by a certified
    public accounting firm which submits a report on the consolidated holding
    company (but not on the bank separately)
3 = Directors' examination of the bank conducted in accordance with
    generally accepted auditing standards by a certified public accounting
    firm (may be required by state chartering authority)
4 = Directors' examination of the bank performed by other external auditors
    (may be required by state chartering authority)
5 = Review of the bank's financial statements by external auditors
6 = Compilation of the bank's financial statements by external auditors
7 = Other audit procedures (excluding tax preparation work)
8 = No external audit work
__________
(1)  Includes total demand deposits and noninterest-bearing time and savings
     deposit.
(2)  Includes limited-life preferred stock and related surplus.





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