AMERICAN FINANCIAL HOLDINGS INC
S-8, 1999-12-30
SAVINGS INSTITUTIONS, NOT FEDERALLY CHARTERED
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<PAGE> 1

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 30, 1999
                                                     Registration No. 333-______
================================================================================
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                        UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                        AMERICAN FINANCIAL HOLDINGS, INC.
   (exact name of registrant as specified in its certificate of incorporation)

        DELAWARE                           6035                APPLIED FOR
(state or other jurisdiction of     (Primary Standard         (IRS Employer
incorporation or organization)  Classification Code Number)  Identification No.)

                              102 WEST MAIN STREET
                         NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT 06051
                                 (860) 832-4000
               (Address, including zip code, and telephone number,
        including area code, of registrant's principal executive offices)

                    AMERICAN SAVINGS BANK EMPLOYEES' SAVINGS
                             AND PROFIT SHARING PLAN
                            (Full Title of the Plan)
                      ------------------------------------

ROBERT T. KENNEY                          COPIES TO:
PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER     DOUGLAS P. FAUCETTE, ESQUIRE
AMERICAN FINANCIAL HOLDINGS, INC.         ERIC S. KRACOV, ESQUIRE
102 WEST MAIN STREET                      MULDOON, MURPHY & FAUCETTE LLP
NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT 06051            5101 WISCONSIN AVENUE, N.W.
(860) 832-4000                            WASHINGTON, D.C.  20016
                                          (202) 362-0840
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone
number, including area code, of agent for service)

        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, check the following box. / X /
                                                              ----
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
=====================================================================================================
  Title of each Class of       Amount to be   Proposed Purchase   Estimated Aggregate  Registration
Securities to be Registered   Registered (1)  Price Per Share      Offering Price(2)       Fee
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   <S>                         <C>                <C>                  <C>                <C>
    Common Stock
   $.01 par Value              700,000 Shares     $12.75(3)            $8,925,000         $2,357
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Participation
      Interests                    (4)                                                      (5)
=====================================================================================================
</TABLE>
(1) Together with an  indeterminate  number of  additional  shares  which may be
    necessary to adjust the number of shares reserved for issuance pursuant to
    the American Savings Bank Employees' Savings and Profit Sharing Plan (the
    "Plan") as the result of a stock split, stock dividend or similar adjustment
    of the outstanding Common Stock of American Financial Holdings, Inc.
    pursuant to 17 C.F.R. Section 230.416(a).
(2) Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee.
(3) The last sale price of the common stock of American Financial Holdings, Inc.
    (the "Common Stock") as reported on the Nasdaq National Market ("Nasdaq") on
    December 27, 1999 in accordance with 17 C.F.R. Section 230.457(c).
(4) In addition,  pursuant to  17 C.F.R.  Section 230.416(c), this  registration
    statement also covers an indeterminate amount of interests to be offered or
    sold pursuant to the employee benefit plan described herein based upon the
    maximum amount that could be issued under the plan pursuant to 17 C.F.R.
    Section 230.457(h).
(5) In accordance with 17 C.F.R. Section 230.457(h),  the  registration  fee has
    been calculated on the basis of the number of shares of Common Stock that
    may be purchased with the current assets of such Plan. Accordingly, no
    separate fee is required for the participation interests.

THIS  REGISTRATION  STATEMENT SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE  IMMEDIATELY UPON FILING IN
ACCORDANCE  WITH SECTION 8(A) OF THE  SECURITIES  ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED,  (THE
"SECURITIES ACT") AND 17 C.F.R. Section 230.462.
Number of Pages 13
Exhibit Index begins on Page 10

<PAGE> 2


AMERICAN FINANCIAL HOLDINGS, INC.

PART I     INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(A) PROSPECTUS

ITEMS 1 & 2. The documents  containing the information for American Savings Bank
Employees' Savings and Profit Sharing Plan (the "Savings Plan") required by Part
I of the Registration Statement will be sent or given to the participants in the
Savings Plan as specified by Rule  428(b)(1).  Such documents are not filed with
the  Securities  and Exchange  Commission  (the "SEC")  either as a part of this
Registration  Statement or as a prospectus or prospectus  supplement pursuant to
Rule 424 in reliance on Rule 428.

PART II   INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 3.  INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

The following  documents  filed or to be filed with the SEC are  incorporated by
reference in this Registration Statement:

      (a) The Prospectus filed with the SEC by American Financial Holdings, Inc.
(the  "Registrant")  (File No. 333-84463)  pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) on October
22,  1999,  which  includes:  (1) the  consolidated  balance  sheets of American
Savings Bank and  Subsidiary  (the "Bank") as of December 31, 1997 and 1998, and
the related consolidated  statements of income,  equity, and cash flows for each
of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 1998, together with the
related  notes and the  report of KPMG LLP,  independent  auditors,  and (2) the
unaudited  consolidated  balance  sheet  of the  Bank  as of May 31,  1999,  the
unaudited  consolidated  statements of income and cash flows for the five months
ended May 31, 1999 and 1998, and the unaudited  consolidated statement of equity
for the five months ended May 31, 1999.

      (b) The Form 10-Q report filed by the  Registrant  for the fiscal  quarter
ended  September 30, 1999 (File No.  000-27399),  filed with the SEC on November
26, 1999.

      (c)  The  description  of  the  Registrant's  Common  Stock  contained  in
Registrant's  Form 8-A (File No.  000-27399),  as filed with the SEC pursuant to
Section 12(g) of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange  Act"), and
rule  12b-15  promulgated  thereunder,  on  September  21,  1999,  and  declared
effective  October 12, 1999 as incorporated by reference from the Company's Form
S-1 (File No. 333- 84463) declared effective on October 12, 1999.

      (d) The  Savings  Plan's  annual  report on Form 11-K for the fiscal  year
ended December 31, 1998, filed with the SEC on December 30, 1999.

      (e) All documents  filed by the  Registrant  and the Savings  Plan,  where
applicable,  pursuant to Section  13(a) and (c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act
after the date  hereof  and prior to the  filing of a  post-effective  amendment
which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold.

       ANY STATEMENT CONTAINED IN THIS REGISTRATION  STATEMENT, OR IN A DOCUMENT
INCORPORATED OR DEEMED TO BE INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE  HEREIN,  SHALL BE DEEMED
TO BE MODIFIED OR SUPERSEDED FOR PURPOSES OF THIS REGISTRATION  STATEMENT TO THE
EXTENT THAT A STATEMENT  CONTAINED  HEREIN, OR IN ANY OTHER  SUBSEQUENTLY  FILED
DOCUMENT WHICH ALSO IS  INCORPORATED  OR DEEMED TO BE  INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
HEREIN, MODIFIES OR SUPERSEDES SUCH STATEMENT. ANY SUCH STATEMENT SO MODIFIED OR
SUPERSEDED  SHALL  NOT BE  DEEMED,  EXCEPT  AS SO  MODIFIED  OR  SUPERSEDED,  TO
CONSTITUTE A PART OF THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT.

                                       2

<PAGE> 3



ITEM 4.  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES

The Common Stock to be offered  pursuant to the Savings Plan has been registered
pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act. Accordingly, a description of the
Common Stock is not required herein.

ITEM 5.  INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL

None.

ITEM 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS AND PLAN ADMINISTRATOR.

Article X and XI of the Registrant's  Certificate of  Incorporation  provides as
follows:

TENTH:
- -----

A.    Each person who was or is made a party or is threatened to be made a party
      to or is otherwise  involved in any action,  suit or  proceeding,  whether
      civil,   criminal,   administrative   or   investigative   (hereinafter  a
      "proceeding"),  by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a  Director
      or an Officer of the  Corporation  or is or was  serving at the request of
      the  Corporation  as a  Director,  Officer,  employee  or agent of another
      corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise,
      including service with respect to an employee benefit plan (hereinafter an
      "indemnitee"),  whether the basis of such  proceeding is alleged action in
      an official capacity as a Director,  Officer,  employee or agent or in any
      other  capacity while serving as a Director,  Officer,  employee or agent,
      shall be indemnified  and held harmless by the  Corporation to the fullest
      extent  authorized by the Delaware  General  Corporation  Law, as the same
      exists  or may  hereafter  be  amended  (but,  in  the  case  of any  such
      amendment,  only to the extent that such amendment permits the Corporation
      to provide  broader  indemnification  rights than such law  permitted  the
      Corporation  to provide  prior to such  amendment),  against all  expense,
      liability and loss (including  attorneys' fees,  judgments,  fines,  ERISA
      excise  taxes or  penalties  and amounts  paid in  settlement)  reasonably
      incurred or suffered by such indemnitee in connection therewith; provided,
      however,  that,  except as provided  in Section C hereof  with  respect to
      proceedings to enforce rights to  indemnification,  the Corporation  shall
      indemnify any such  indemnitee in  connection  with a proceeding  (or part
      thereof)  initiated by such  indemnitee  only if such  proceeding (or part
      thereof) was authorized by the Board of Directors of the Corporation.

B.    The right to indemnification conferred in Section A of this  Article TENTH
      shall  include  the  right  to be paid  by the  Corporation  the  expenses
      incurred  in  defending  any  such  proceeding  in  advance  of its  final
      disposition (hereinafter an "advancement of expenses"); provided, however,
      that, if the Delaware General Corporation Law requires,  an advancement of
      expenses incurred by an indemnitee in his or her capacity as a Director or
      Officer (and not in any other capacity in which service was or is rendered
      by such indemnitee, including, without limitation, services to an employee
      benefit  plan) shall be made only upon delivery to the  Corporation  of an
      undertaking  (hereinafter  an  "undertaking"),  by or on  behalf  of  such
      indemnitee,  to repay all amounts so advanced  if it shall  ultimately  be
      determined by final judicial decision from which there is no further right
      to appeal (hereinafter a "final adjudication") that such indemnitee is not
      entitled  to be  indemnified  for such  expenses  under  this  Section  or
      otherwise.  The  rights  to  indemnification  and  to the  advancement  of
      expenses  conferred  in  Sections A and B of this  Article  TENTH shall be
      contract rights and such rights shall continue as to an indemnitee who has
      ceased to be a Director,

                                        3

<PAGE> 4



      Officer,  employee  or  agent  and  shall  inure  to  the  benefit  of the
      indemnitee's heirs, executors and administrators.

C.    If a claim under Section A or B of this Article TENTH is not paid in  full
      by the  Corporation  within  sixty  days  after a  written  claim has been
      received  by  the  Corporation,  except  in the  case  of a  claim  for an
      advancement  of  expenses,  in which case the  applicable  period shall be
      twenty days, the indemnitee may at any time thereafter  bring suit against
      the  Corporation to recover the unpaid amount of the claim.  If successful
      in  whole  or in  part  in any  such  suit,  or in a suit  brought  by the
      Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of
      an  undertaking,  the  indemnitee  shall be  entitled  to be paid also the
      expenses of prosecuting or defending such suit. In (i) any suit brought by
      the indemnitee to enforce a right to indemnification hereunder (but not in
      a suit brought by the  indemnitee to enforce a right to an  advancement of
      expenses)  it  shall  be a  defense  that,  and  (ii)  in any  suit by the
      Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of
      an undertaking the Corporation  shall be entitled to recover such expenses
      upon a final  adjudication that, the indemnitee has not met any applicable
      standard for indemnification set forth in the Delaware General Corporation
      Law.  Neither  the  failure  of the  Corporation  (including  its Board of
      Directors,  independent legal counsel, or its stockholders) to have made a
      determination prior to the commencement of such suit that  indemnification
      of the  indemnitee is proper in the  circumstances  because the indemnitee
      has met the  applicable  standard  of  conduct  set forth in the  Delaware
      General  Corporation  Law, nor an actual  determination by the Corporation
      (including  its Board of  Directors,  independent  legal  counsel,  or its
      stockholders) that the indemnitee has not met such applicable  standard of
      conduct,  shall create a presumption  that the  indemnitee has not met the
      applicable  standard of conduct or, in the case of such a suit  brought by
      the  indemnitee,  be a defense  to such suit.  In any suit  brought by the
      indemnitee to enforce a right to  indemnification  or to an advancement of
      expenses  hereunder,  or by the  Corporation  to recover an advancement of
      expenses  pursuant to the terms of an  undertaking,  the burden of proving
      that  the  indemnitee  is  not  entitled  to be  indemnified,  or to  such
      advancement of expenses, under this Article TENTH or otherwise shall be on
      the Corporation.

D.    The rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses conferred
      in this Article  TENTH shall not be exclusive of any other right which any
      person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute,  the Corporation's
      Certificate of Incorporation,  Bylaws,  agreement, vote of stockholders or
      Disinterested Directors or otherwise.

E.    The Corporation may maintain insurance,  at its expense, to protect itself
      and any  Director,  Officer,  employee  or  agent  of the  Corporation  or
      subsidiary  or  Affiliate  or  another  corporation,   partnership,  joint
      venture, trust or other enterprise against any expense, liability or loss,
      whether  or not the  Corporation  would have the power to  indemnify  such
      person against such expense,  liability or loss under the Delaware General
      Corporation Law.

F.    The  Corporation  may, to the extent  authorized  from time to time by the
      Board of Directors, grant rights to indemnification and to the advancement
      of expenses to any  employee  or agent of the  Corporation  to the fullest
      extent  of the  provisions  of this  Article  TENTH  with  respect  to the
      indemnification  and  advancement of expenses of Directors and Officers of
      the Corporation.


                                        4

<PAGE> 5



ELEVENTH:  A Director of this Corporation  shall not be personally liable to the
- --------
Corporation  or its  stockholders  for monetary  damages for breach of fiduciary
duty as a Director,  except for liability:  (i) for any breach of the Director's
duty of  loyalty  to the  Corporation  or its  stockholders;  (ii)  for  acts or
omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing
violation of law;  (iii) under Section 174 of the Delaware  General  Corporation
Law; or (iv) for any  transaction  from which the  Director  derived an improper
personal  benefit.  If  the  Delaware  General  Corporation  Law is  amended  to
authorize   corporate  action  further  eliminating  or  limiting  the  personal
liability of  Directors,  then the  liability  of a Director of the  Corporation
shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest  extent  permitted by the Delaware
General Corporation Law, as so amended.

Any repeal or modification of the foregoing paragraph by the stockholders of the
Corporation  shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a Director of
the Corporation existing at the time of such repeal or modification.

ITEM 7.   EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED.

      Not applicable.

ITEM 8.   LIST OF EXHIBITS.

      The following  exhibits are filed with or  incorporated  by reference into
this  Registration  Statement on Form S-8  (numbering  corresponds  generally to
Exhibit Table in Item 601 of Regulation S-K):

      4        Stock Certificate of American Financial Holdings, Inc.1
      8        Tax Opinion not required.  The Registrant has submitted or hereby
               undertakes to submit the Savings Plan and any  amendment  thereto
               to the Internal  Revenue  Service  ("IRS") in a timely manner and
               has made or will make all changes required by the IRS in order to
               qualify the plan.
      23       Consent of KPMG LLP.
      24       Power of Attorney is located on the signature pages.

- --------------------------
1    Incorporated  herein  by  reference  from  the  Exhibit  of the same number
     contained in the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (SEC No. 333-84463), as
     amended, and declared effective on October 12, 1999.


                                        5

<PAGE> 6



Item 9.   Undertakings

      The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

      (1)   To file, during any period in which it offers or sells securities, a
            post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement to:

            (i)   Include  any  Prospectus  required  by Section 10(a)(3) of the
                  Securities Act;

            (ii)  Reflect  in   the  Prospectus  any  facts  or  events   which,
                  individually  or together,  represent a fundamental  change in
                  the information in the Registration Statement. Notwithstanding
                  the   foregoing,   any  increase  or  decrease  in  volume  of
                  securities  offered (if the total dollar  value of  securities
                  offered  would not exceed that which was  registered)  and any
                  deviation  from the low or high end of the  estimated  maximum
                  offering  range  may be  reflected  in the form of  prospectus
                  filed  with  the  SEC  pursuant  to  Rule  424(b)  if,  in the
                  aggregate,  the changes in volume and price  represent no more
                  than a 20 percent  change in the  maximum  aggregate  offering
                  price set forth in the "Calculation of Registration Fee" table
                  in the effective registration statement; and

            (iii) Include any additional or changed material  information on the
                  plan  of   distribution   not  previously   disclosed  in  the
                  Registration   Statement  or  any  material   change  to  such
                  information   in  the   Registration   Statement   unless  the
                  information  required by (i) and (ii) is contained in periodic
                  reports  filed by the  Registrant  pursuant  to  Section 13 or
                  15(d) of the Exchange Act that are  incorporated  by reference
                  into this Registration Statement;

      (2)   For  determining  liability  under the Securities Act, to treat each
            post-effective  amendment  as a new  Registration  Statement  of the
            securities offered,  and the offering of the securities at that time
            to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

      (3)   To file a post-effective  amendment to remove from  registration any
            of the securities that remain unsold at the end of the Offering.

      (4)   That, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities
            Act,  each filing of the  Registrant's  or the Plan's  annual report
            pursuant  to  Section  13(a) or 15(d)  of the  Exchange  Act that is
            incorporated  by reference in the  Registration  Statement  shall be
            deemed to be a new Registration Statement relating to the securities
            offered  therein,  and the offering of such  securities at that time
            shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

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


                                        6

<PAGE> 7



                                   SIGNATURES

      Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act of 1933,  American
Financial  Holdings,  Inc.  certifies that is has reasonable  grounds to believe
that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused
this  Registration  Statement  to be  signed on its  behalf by the  undersigned,
thereunto duly authorized, in New Britain, Connecticut on November 22, 1999.

                                      AMERICAN FINANCIAL HOLDINGS, INC.


                                      By: /s/ Robert T. Kenney
                                          -------------------------------------
                                          Robert T. Kenney
                                          President and Chief Executive Officer


      Pursuant  to  the  requirements  of  the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  this
Registration  Statement  has  been  signed  by  the  following  persons  in  the
capacities and on the dates indicated.

      KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENT,  that each person whose  signature  appears
below  constitutes  and appoints Robert T. Kenney and Charles J. Boulier III, as
his true and lawful  attorney-in-fact  and agent with full power of substitution
and  resubstitution,  for him and in his name,  place and stead,  in any and all
capacities to sign any or all amendments to the Form S-8 Registration Statement,
and to file  the  same,  with all  exhibits  thereto,  and  other  documents  in
connection  therewith,   with  the  U.S.  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission,
respectively,  granting  unto said  attorney-in-fact  and agent  full  power and
authority  to do and  perform  each  and  every  act and  things  requisite  and
necessary  to be done as fully to all intents and  purposes as he might or could
do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and
agent or his substitute or  substitutes,  may lawfully do or cause to be done by
virtue hereof.

    Name                       Title                               Date
    ----                       -----                               ----

/s/ Robert T. Kenney           Director, President and Chief   November 22, 1999
- -------------------------      Executive Officer
Robert T. Kenney               (principal executive officer)


/s/ Charles J. Boulier III     Executive Vice President,       November 22, 1999
- --------------------------     Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer
Charles J. Boulier III         (principal accounting and
                               financial officer)


/s/ Adolf G. Carlson            Director                       November 22, 1999
- ------------------------
Adolf G. Carlson



/s/ Marie S. Gustin             Director                       November 22, 1999
- ----------------------
Marie S. Gustin





                                        7

<PAGE> 8




/s/ Fred M. Hollfelder          Director                       November 22, 1999
- --------------------------
Fred M. Hollfelder


/s/ Mark E. Karp                Director                       November 22, 1999
- -------------------
Mark E. Karp


/s/ Steven T. Martin            Director                       November 22, 1999
- -----------------------
Steven T. Martin


/s/ Harry N. Mazadoorian        Director                       November 22, 1999
- ----------------------------
Harry N. Mazadoorian


/s/ Jeffrey T. Witherwax        Director                       November 22, 1999
- --------------------------
Jeffrey T. Witherwax





                                        8

<PAGE> 9



THE PLAN.

    Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the trustees (or
other persons who administer the American  Savings Bank  Employees'  Savings and
Profit Sharing Plan) have duly caused this  Registration  Statement to be signed
on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the New Britain,
Connecticut, on December 30, 1999.


                                AMERICAN SAVINGS BANK EMPLOYEE'S SAVINGS
                                AND PROFIT SHARING PLAN

                                By: /s/ Richard J. Moore
                                    ----------------------------
                                    Richard J. Moore
                                    American Savings Bank Employees' Savings
                                    and Profit Sharing Plan



                                        9

<PAGE> 10

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                  EXHIBIT INDEX
                                  -------------


                                                                                               Sequentially
                                                                                                 Numbered
                                                                                                   Page
 Exhibit No.     Description               Method of Filing                                       Location
- ------------     ---------------------     ---------------------------------------------------   ----------
     <S>         <C>                       <C>                                                      <C>
      4          Stock Certificate of      Incorporated herein by reference from the Exhibits        --
                 American Financial        of the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form
                 Holdings, Inc.            S-1 filed with the SEC and declared effective on
                                           October 12, 1999.

     23          KMPG LLP                  Filed herewith.                                          12-13

     24          Power of Attorney         Located on the signature page.                            --

</TABLE>



                                          10

<PAGE> 1







       EXHIBIT 23  CONSENT OF KPMG LLP



<PAGE> 2




                          INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' CONSENT







The Board of Directors
American Financial Holdings, Inc.:



We consent to the incorporation by reference in the registration  statement (No.
333-______) on Form S-8 of American  Financial  Holdings,  Inc. for the American
Savings  Bank  Employees'  Savings and Profit  Sharing  Plan (the Plan),  of our
report  dated  December  22,  1999,  relating  to the  statements  of net assets
available  for plan  benefits of the Plan as of December 31, 1998 and 1997,  and
the related  statements of changes in net assets available for plan benefits for
the years then ended which  report  appears in the  December  31,  1998,  annual
report on Form 11-K of American Financial Holdings, Inc.


/s/ KPMG LLP


Hartford, Connecticut
December 30, 1999




<PAGE> 3









                          INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' CONSENT






The Board of Directors
American Financial Holdings, Inc.:



We consent to the incorporation by reference, in the registration statement (No.
333-______) on Form S-8 of American Financial Holdings, Inc. of our report dated
February 17, 1999, except for Note 17 which is as of June 28, 1999,  relating to
the consolidated  balance sheets of American Savings Bank and Subsidiaries as of
December 31, 1998 and 1997, and the related  consolidated  statements of income,
equity  and cash  flows for each of the  years in the  three-year  period  ended
December  31,  1998,  which  report  appears  in  registration   statement  (No.
333-84463) on Form S-1 of American Financial Holdings, Inc.


/s/ KPMG LLP

Hartford, Connecticut
December 30, 1999



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