FIRST INVESTORS LIFE VARIABLE ANNUITY FUND A
485BPOS, 1997-05-19
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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 19, 1997
    

                                                       Registration No. 2-66295
                                                                       811-2982
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                   ----------

                                   F O R M N-4

             REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

   
                         Post-Effective Amendment No. 23
    

                                     and/or

                   REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT
                               COMPANY ACT OF 1940

   
                                Amendment No. 23

                  FIRST INVESTORS LIFE VARIABLE ANNUITY FUND A
                           (Exact Name of Registrant)
    

                     FIRST INVESTORS LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
                               (Name of Depositor)

                    95 Wall Street, New York, New York 10005
              (Address of Depositor's Principal Executive Offices)

                                 (212) 858-8200
               (Depositor's Telephone Number, including Area Code)

                          Richard H. Gaebler, President
                     FIRST INVESTORS LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
                                 95 Wall Street
                            New York, New York 10005
                     (Name and Address of Agent For Service)

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

It is proposed  that this filing will become  effective on May 20, 1997 pursuant
to paragraph (b) of Rule 485.

   
Pursuant to Rule 24f-2 under the Investment Company Act of 1940,  Registrant has
previously  elected to register an  indefinite  number of  securities  under the
Securities Act of 1933. Registrant filed a Rule 24f-2 Notice for its fiscal year
ending December 31, 1996 on February 26, 1997.
    


                                      C-1
<PAGE>

The sole purpose of this  Post-Effective  Amendment No. 23 is to  electronically
file certain  exhibits  previously  filed with the  Commission  in paper format.
Parts A and B of this  Post-Effective  Amendment No. 23 have been filed with the
Commission  on April 28, 1997 in  Registrant's  Post-Effective  Amendment No. 22
(File No. 2-66295).

<PAGE>


                            PART C: OTHER INFORMATION

ITEM 24. Financial Statement and Exhibits

         (a)      Financial Statements:

                  The financial statements for the period ending
                  December 31, 1996 for First  Investors Life Insurance  Company
                  and First Investors Life Variable Annuity Fund A, are included
                  in  Part  B,  except   Condensed   Financial   Information  on
                  Accumulation Unit Values, which is included in Part A.

         (b)      Exhibits:

                  1.       Resolution of the Board of Directors of First  
                           Investors Life Insurance Company creating the
                           Separate Account

                  2.       Safekeeping Agreement between First Investors Life  
                           Insurance Company and United States Trust Company of
                           New York

                  3.       Distribution Contracts:

                           a.     Underwriting Agreement between First Investors
                                  Life Insurance Company and First Investors 
                                  Corporation dated April 16, 1987

                           b.     Specimen Variable Annuity Dealer agreement 
                                  between First Investors Corporation and 
                                  dealers and salesman

                  4.       Specimen Individual Variable Annuity Contracts issued
                           by the Company for participation in the Separate 
                           Account

                  5.       Form of application used with Individual Variable 
                           Annuity Contracts provided in response to (4) above

                  6.       a./1/  Declaration of Intention Charter of First 
                                  Investors Life Insurance Company, together
                                  with all amendments
                           a./2/  Certificate of Amendment
                             /3/  Certificate of Amendment
                             /4/  Certificate of Amendment
                             /5/  Certificate of Amendment
                             /6/  Certificate of Amendment

                           b.     By-laws of First Investors Life Insurance 
                                  Company

                  7.       Not applicable
                  8.       Not applicable

                  9./1/    Opinion of counsel


                                      C-3
<PAGE>

             10.  a./2/    Consent of Independent Public Accountants

                           b.     Power of Attorney

             11.    Not applicable

             12./2/ Not applicable

             13.    Performance Calculations

             14.    Not applicable

- --------------------
/1/   Incorporated  by  reference  from  Registrant's  Rule 24f-2 Notice for its
      fiscal year ending December 31, 1996 filed with the Commission on February
      26, 1997.
/2/   Incorporated  by  reference  from  Post-Effective   Amendment  No.  22  to
      Registrant's  Registration  Statement  (File No.  2-66295)  filed on 
      April 28, 1997.

ITEM 25. Directors and Officers of First Investors Life Insurance Company

                                         Position and Office
Name and Principal                       with First Investors
Business Address                         Life Insurance Company
- ------------------                       ----------------------

Lawrence M. Falcon                       Senior Vice President
95 Wall Street                           and Comptroller
New York, NY  10005

Richard H. Gaebler                       President and Director
95 Wall Street
New York, NY  10005

Jay G. Baris                             Director
919 Third Avenue
New York, NY  10022


                                      C-4
<PAGE>

                                         Position and Office
Name and Principal                       with First Investors
Business Address                         Life Insurance Company
- ------------------                       ----------------------

William H. Drinkwater                    First Vice President
95 Wall Street                           and Chief Actuary
New York, NY  10005

George V. Ganter                         Director
95 Wall Street
New York, NY 10005

Glenn O. Head                            Chairman and Director
95 Wall Street
New York, NY  10005

Glenn T. Dallas                          Director
21 Eagle Nest Road
Morristown, NJ 07960

Carol Lerner Brown                       Secretary
95 Wall Street
New York, NY  10005

Jackson Ream                             Director
NCNB Texas National Bank
P.O. Box 225961
Dallas, TX  75265

Nelson Schaenen Jr.                      Director
Weiss, Peck & Greer
One New York Plaza
New York, NY  10004

Robert J. Grosso                         Director
95 Wall Street
New York, NY 10005

John T. Sullivan                         Director
95 Wall Street
New York, NY  10005

Kathryn S. Head                          Director
581 Main Street
Woodbridge, NJ  07049

Ada M. Suchow                            Vice President
95 Wall Street
New York, NY  10005

William M. Lipkus                        Chief Accounting Officer
95 Wall Street
New York, NY  10005


                                      C-5
<PAGE>

ITEM 26.  Persons  Controlled  by or Under Common  Control with the Depositor or
Registrant

         There are no persons  directly  or  indirectly  controlled  by or under
common control with the Registrant.  Set forth below are all persons  controlled
by or under common control with First Investors Life Insurance Company:

         Route 33 Realty  Corporation  (New  Jersey).  Ownership:  100% by First
         Investors  Life Insurance  Company;  Principal  Business:  Real Estate;
         Subsidiary of First Investors Life Insurance Company.

         First Investors Consolidated Corporation (FICC) (Delaware).  Ownership:
         Glenn O. Head is the controlling person of the voting stock;  Principal
         Business:  Holding  Company;  Parent of First  Investors Life Insurance
         Company.

         Administrative Data Management Corp. (New York). Ownership:  100% owned
         by  FICC;  Principal  Business:  Transfer  Agent;  Affiliate  of  First
         Investors Life Insurance Company.

         Executive Investors  Management Company,  Inc.  (Delaware).  Ownership:
         100% owned by FICC; Principal Business:  Investment Advisor;  Affiliate
         of First Investors Life Insurance Company.

         First Investors Asset Management Company,  Inc. (Delaware).  Ownership:
         100% owned by FICC; Principal Business:  Investment Advisor;  Affiliate
         of First Investors Life Insurance Company.

         First Investors Corporation (New York). Ownership:  100% owned by FICC;
         Principal  Business:  Broker-Dealer;  Affiliate of First Investors Life
         Insurance Company.

         First Investors Leverage Corporation (New York). Ownership:  100% owned
         by FICC;  Principal  Business:  Inactive;  Affiliate of First Investors
         Life Insurance Company.

         First Investors Management Company, Inc. (New York). Ownership: 100% of
         voting  common  stock  owned by FICC;  Principal  Business:  Investment
         Advisor; Affiliate of First Investors Life Insurance Company.

         First Investors  Realty  Company,  Inc. (New Jersey).  Ownership:  100%
         owned by FICC;  Principal  Business:  Real  Estate;  Affiliate of First
         Investors Life Insurance Company.


                                      C-6
<PAGE>

         First Investors Resources,  Inc. (Delaware).  Ownership:  100% owned by
         FICC; Principal Business:  Commodity Pool Operator;  Affiliate of First
         Investors Life Insurance Company.

         Executive Investors Corporation.  (Delaware).  Ownership: 100% owned by
         FICC; Principal Business:  Broker-Dealer;  Affiliate of First Investors
         Life Insurance Company.

         First Financial  Savings Bank, S.L.A.  (FFSB) (New Jersey).  Ownership:
         100%  owned by FICC,  except  Directors  Qualifying  Shares;  Principal
         Business: Savings and Loan; Affiliate of First Investors Life Insurance
         Company.

         First Investors Credit Corporation (New Jersey).  Ownership: 100% owned
         by FFSB;  Principal  Business:  Inactive;  Affiliate of First Investors
         Life Insurance Company.

         N.A.K. Realty Corporation (New Jersey).  Ownership: 100% owned by FICC;
         Principal  Business:  Real Estate;  Affiliate of First  Investors  Life
         Insurance Company.

         Real Property  Development  Corporation (New Jersey).  Ownership:  100%
         owned by FICC;  Principal  Business:  Real  Estate;  Affiliate of First
         Investors Life Insurance Company.

         First Investors Credit Funding Corporation (New York). Ownership:  100%
         owned by FICC; Principal Business: Sells commercial paper; Affiliate of
         First Investors Life Insurance Company.

         School Financial  Management  Services,  Inc. (Ohio).  Ownership:  100%
         owned  by  FICC;   Principal  Business:   Tuition  assistance  program;
         Affiliate of First Investors Life Insurance Company.

         Specialty Insurance Group, Inc.  (Delaware).  Ownership:  100% owned by
         FICC;  Principal  Business:  Insurance broker for specialized  lines of
         insurance  available to school  systems;  Affiliate of First  Investors
         Life Insurance Company.


ITEM 27. Number of Contractowners

   
         As of May 2,  1997,  the  number  of  owners  of  variable  annuity
contracts offered by First Investors Life Variable Annuity Fund A was 1,424
    


                                      C-7
<PAGE>

ITEM 28. Indemnification

         Article XIV of the By-Laws of First  Investors Life  Insurance  Company
provides as follows:

         "To  the  full  extent  authorized  by  law  and by  the  Charter,  the
         Corporation shall and hereby does indemnify any person who shall at any
         time be  made,  or  threatened  to be  made,  a party  in any  civil or
         criminal  action or  proceeding  by  reason  of the fact  that he,  his
         testator  or his  intestate  is or was a  director  or  officer  of the
         Corporation  or  served  another  corporation  in any  capacity  at the
         request  of the  Corporation,  provided,  that the notice  required  by
         Section 62-a of the  Insurance  Law of the State of New York, as now in
         effect  or  as   amended   from  time  to  time,   be  filed  with  the
         Superintendent of Insurance."

         Reference  is hereby  made to the New York  Business  Corporation  Law,
Sections 721 through 725.

         The general  effect of this  Indemnification  will be to indemnify  any
person made,  or  threatened to be made, a party to an action by or in the right
of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that
the person,  or that  person's  testator or  intestate,  is or was a director or
officer  of  the  corporation,  or is or  was  serving  at  the  request  of the
corporation  as a director  or officer of any other  corporation  of any type or
kind, domestic or foreign, of any partnership,  joint venture,  trust,  employee
benefit  plan or  other  enterprise,  against  amounts  paid in  settlement  and
reasonable  expenses,   including  attorney's  fees,  actually  and  necessarily
occurred in  connection  with the defense or  settlement  of such action,  or in
connection  with an appeal  therein if such  director  or officer  acted in good
faith,  for a purpose  reasonably  believed  by that  person  to be in,  and not
opposed to, the best interests of the  corporation  and not otherwise  knowingly
unlawful.

ITEM 29. Principal Underwriters

         (a)      First Investors Corporation, Underwriter of the Registrant, 
is also underwriter for:

                  First Investors Cash Management Fund, Inc.
                  First Investors Fund For Income, Inc.
                  First Investors Series Fund
                  First Investors Government Fund, Inc.
                  First Investors High Yield Fund, Inc.
                  First Investors Global Fund, Inc.
                  First Investors Multi-State Insured Tax Free Fund
                  First Investors New York Insured Tax Free Fund, Inc.
                  First Investors Insured Tax Exempt Fund, Inc.
                  First Investors Tax-Exempt Money Market Fund, Inc.
                  First Investors U.S. Government Plus Fund
                  First Investors Series Fund II, Inc.


                                      C-8
<PAGE>

         First Investors Corporation is Sponsor of:

         First Investors Single Payment and Periodic Payment Plans I     
           for Investment in First Investors Global Fund, Inc.
         First  Investors  Single  Payment  and  Periodic  Payment  Plans II for
           Investment in First Investors Global Fund, Inc.
         First  Investors   Single  Payment  and  Periodic   Payment  Plans  for
           Investment in First Investors Fund For Income, Inc.
         First  Investors   Single  Payment  and  Periodic   Payment  Plans  for
           Investment in First Investors Government Fund, Inc.
         First Investors Periodic Payment Plans for Investment in
           First Investors High Yield Fund, Inc.
         First Investors Single Payment and Periodic Payment Plans
           for the Accumulation of Shares of First Investors Global
           Fund, Inc.
         First Investors Single Payment and Periodic Payment Plans
           for Investment in First Investors Insured Tax Exempt
           Fund, Inc.

         (b)      The following persons are the officers and directors of First 
Investors Corporation:

Name and Principal                   Position and Office with
Business Address                     First Investors Corporation
- ------------------                   ---------------------------

Glenn O. Head                        Chairman of the Board and Director
95 Wall Street
New York, NY  10005

Lawrence A. Fauci                    Senior Vice President and Director
95 Wall Street
New York, NY  10005

Kathryn S. Head                      Vice President, Chief Financial
581 Main Street                      Officer and Director
Woodbridge, NJ  07095

Joseph I. Benedek                    Treasurer
581 Main Street
Woodbridge, NJ  07095

Louis Rinaldi                        Senior Vice President
581 Main Street
Woodbridge, NJ  07095

Jeremiah J. Lyons                    Director
56 Weston Avenue
Chatham, NJ 07928


                                      C-9
<PAGE>

Frederick Miller                     Senior Vice President
581 Main Street
Woodbridge, NJ  07095

Larry R. Lavoie                      Secretary and General Counsel
95 Wall Street
New York, NY  10005

Marvin M. Hecker                     President
95 Wall Street
New York, NY  10005

Howard M. Factor                     Vice President
95 Wall Street
New York, NY  10005

Matthew Smith                        Vice President
581 Main Street
Woodbridge, NJ  07095

Anne Condon                          Vice President
581 Main Street
Woodbridge, NJ  07095

Robert J. Murphy                     Comptroller
581 Main Street
Woodbridge, NJ  07095

John T. Sullivan                     Director
95 Wall Street
New York, NY  10005

Jane W. Kruzan                       Director
232 Adair Street
Decatur, GA 30030

Roger L. Grayson                     Director
95 Wall Street
New York, NY 10005


   
Elizabeth Reilly                     Vice President
581 Main Street
Woodbridge, NJ  07095
    



         (c)      Not Applicable

ITEM 30. Location of Accounts and Records


                                      C-10
<PAGE>

         All  accounts,  books and other  documents  required  to be  maintained
pursuant to Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, are
located at the  offices  of First  Investors  Life  Insurance  Company,  95 Wall
Street, New York, New York 10005.


ITEM 31. Management Services

         Not applicable.

ITEM 32. Undertakings

         Registrant hereby makes the following undertakings:

         (a)      An  undertaking  to file a  post-effective  amendment  to this
                  registration statement as frequently as is necessary to ensure
                  that the  audited  financial  statements  in the  registration
                  statement  are never  more  than 16 months  old for so long as
                  payments under the variable annuity contracts may be accepted;

         (b)      An   undertaking   to  include  either  (1)  as  part  of  any
                  application to purchase a contract  offered by the prospectus,
                  a space that an applicant  can check to request a Statement of
                  Additional  Information or (2) a post card or similar  written
                  communication  affixed to or included in the  prospectus  that
                  the applicant can remove to send for a Statement of Additional
                  Information;

         (c)      An   undertaking   to  deliver  any  Statement  of  Additional
                  Information and any financial  statements  required to be made
                  available  under  this  Form  promptly  upon  written  or oral
                  request.

         (d)               Representation Regarding Reasonableness of
                               Aggregate Contract Fees and Charges
                            Pursuant to Section 26(a)(e)(2)(A) of the
                                 Investment Company Act of 1940

                  First  Investors  Life  represents  that the fees and  charges
                  deducted  under the Contracts  described in this  Registration
                  Statement, in the aggregate, are reasonable in relation to the
                  services rendered,  the expenses expected to be incurred,  and
                  the risks assumed by First Investors Life under the Contracts.
                  First  Investors  Life  bases  its   representations   on  its
                  assessment  of all of the facts and  circumstances,  including
                  such  relevant  factors  as:  the  nature  and  extent of such
                  services,  expenses  and risks;  the need for First  Investors
                  Life  to  earn a  profit;  and the  regulatory  standards  for
                  exemptive relief under the Investment Company Act of 1940 used
                  prior  to  October  1996,  including  the  range  of  industry
                  practice.


                                      C-11
<PAGE>


SIGNATURES


         Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act of 1933 and the
Investment  Company Act of 1940, the Registrant  represents  that this Amendment
meets all the requirements for  effectiveness  pursuant to Rule 485(b) under the
Securities  Act of 1933,  and has duly caused this  Post-Effective  Amendment to
this  Registration  Statement  to be  signed on its  behalf by the  undersigned,
thereunto duly  authorized,  in the City of New York,  State of New York, on the
21st day of April, 1997.

                                  FIRST INVESTORS LIFE VARIABLE
                                  ANNUITY FUND A
                                  (Registrant)


                                  By /s/ Richard H. Gaebler
                                     -----------------------------
                                     Richard H. Gaebler, President
                                     First Investors Life Insurance Company


                                  FIRST INVESTORS LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
                                   (Depositor)

                                  By /s/ Richard H. Gaebler
                                     ----------------------
                                     Richard H. Gaebler
                                     President

         As required  by the  Securities  Act of 1933,  this  Amendment  to this
Registration  Statement  has been signed below by the  following  persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated:


         SIGNATURE                 TITLE                      DATE
         ---------                 -----                      ----

/s/ Richard H. Gaebler       President and Director       May 16, 1997
- ---------------------
Richard H. Gaebler

/s/ Lawrence M. Falcon       Senior Vice President        May 16, 1997
- ----------------------       and Comptroller
Lawrence M. Falcon           


Glenn O. Head*               Chairman and Director        May 16, 1997
Jay G. Baris*                Director                     May 16, 1997
George V. Ganter*            Director                     May 16, 1997
Robert J. Grosso*            Director                     May 16, 1997
Scott Hodes*                 Director                     May 16, 1997
Jackson Ream*                Director                     May 16, 1997
Nelson Schaenen Jr.*         Director                     May 16, 1997
John T. Sullivan*            Director                     May 16, 1997
Kathryn S. Head*             Director                     May 16, 1997
Glenn T. Dallas*             Director                     May 16, 1997


* By:/s/ Richard H. Gaebler
     ----------------------
     Richard H. Gaebler
     Attorney-In-Fact
     Pursuant to Power of
     Attorney previously filed

<PAGE>


                                INDEX TO EXHIBITS


Exhibit
Number                          Description
- -------                         -----------


99.N4.1           Board resolution creating the Separate
                  Account

99.N4.2           Safekeeping Agreement

99.N4.3A          Underwriting Agreement

99.N4.3B          Specimen Variable Annuity Dealer Agreement

99.N4.4           Specimen Individual Variable Annuity Contract

99.N4.5           Form of application

99.N4.6A.1        Declaration of Intention and Charter of FIL

99.N4.6A.2        Certificate of Amendment

99.N4.6A.3        Certificate of Amendment

99.N4.6A.4        Certificate of Amendment

99.N4.6A.5        Certificate of Amendment

99.N4.6B          By-Laws

99.N4.10B         Powers of Attorney




                     FIRST INVESTORS LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY

                        RESOLUTIONS OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS

                            DECEMBER 4, 1979 MEETING

         RESOLVED,  that in accordance  with the "General Plan of Operations for
Separate  Account  A"  filed  with  the New  York  Insurance  Department,  First
Investors  Life Insurance  Company shall  establish  Separate  Account A for the
purpose of funding  non-qualified  retirement programs and deferred compensation
plans for individuals through the issuance of Variable Annuity Contracts.

         RESOLVED,  the  President  is  directed to do all things  necessary  or
proper, in his discretion or judgement, to enable this Corporation to offer said
Variable  Annuity  Contracts  including,  but without limiting the generality of
such  directions  or  authority,  the  filing of a  registration  statement  and
amendments  thereto with the Securities and Exchange  Commission;  the filing of
any necessary documents with the securities bureaus and insurance departments of
the various  states and the taking of all other  action  required by the laws of
the United States or of the various  states;  the issuing of any preliminary and
final prospectuses;  and the payment of all fees, costs, and expenses incidental
thereto.

         RESOLVED,  that First  Investors  Life Insurance  Company shall,  at an
appropriate time,  purchase $125,000 mutual fund shares of a new First Investors
special  bond fund,  the  investments  of which will comply with the  investment
requirements  for a separate account as provided in New York Insurance Law. Said
purchase  shall be for the  purpose  of  contributing  said  shares to  Separate
Account A to facilitate its orderly establishment and maintenance as provided in
the "General Plan of Operations for Separate Account A".

         FURTHER  RESOLVED,  that the Chairman or President is hereby authorized
to execute this investment transaction.




                             UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT


         This agreement made this 16th day of April,  1987, by and between FIRST
INVESTORS  LIFE  INSURANCE  COMPANY  (hereinafter  referred to as "FIL");  First
Investors Life Variable Annuity Fund A (hereinafter referred to as the "Separate
Account")  which is registered as a unit  investment  trust under the Investment
Company Act of 1940, as amended,  and FIRST INVESTORS  CORPORATION  (hereinafter
referred to as the "Underwriter").

                                   Witnesseth:

         FIL and the Separate  Account invite the  Underwriter to form a selling
group of  broker/dealers  to distribute the Variable Annuity Contracts issued by
FIL and the Separate  Account  (hereinafter  referred to as the "selling group")
and each broker/dealer  joining such selling group (hereinafter referred to as a
"member")  shall  do so  pursuant  to an  effective  dealer  agreement  with the
Underwriter  containing the following  terms and  conditions  applicable to such
selling group members and which ought to be included  therein to make such terms
and conditions enforceable against such members by FIL, the Separate Account and
the Underwriter:

      1.    All  applications  for Variable  Annuity  Contracts shall be made on
            application forms supplied by FIL and all initial payments collected
            shall be  remitted in full  together  with such  application  forms,
            signed by the applicants, directly to the executive office of FIL at
            120 Wall Street,  New York,  N.Y.  10005.  Checks or money orders in
            payment thereof shall be drawn to the order of "First Investors Life
            Insurance  Company".  Payments  shall not be  considered as received
            until  the  application  has been  accepted  by FIL,  except  at the
            direction and risk of the applicant.  After the initial  payment has
            been made and the Variable  Annuity  Contract  has been issued,  the
            contract  owner  or  participant  shall  make  all,  if any,  future
            payments directly to FIL at such address as it may from time to time
            designate.

      2.    Applications  shall be processed by FIL at the public offering price
            then in effect as described in the current Variable Annuity Contract
            prospectus.  All applications are subject to acceptance or rejection
            by the FIL at its sole discretion.

      3.    When and so long as  requested  by the  Underwriter,  subject to the
            limitation that total commissions and concessions  cannot exceed the
            percentages  shown in Table A, FIL will make payment of  concessions
            (commissions  for  members)  directly to members with respect to the
            sale of Variable  Annuity  Contracts as directed by the  Underwriter
            from time to time.  Subject to the foregoing,  FIL will make payment
            of the commissions for all Variable Annuity Contract premiums to the
            Underwriter as set forth in Table A attached,  as consideration  for
            the  Underwriter's  undertaking to assume,  among other things,  all
            costs  associated  with the  distribution  of the  Variable  Annuity
            Contracts,  including sales literature and mutual fund prospectuses,
            but  not  including  the  Variable  Annuity  Contract  prospectuses,
            Variable  Annuity   registration   statements  or  Variable  Annuity

<PAGE>

            registration fees nor the Separate Account registration  statements,
            reports  and fees,  nor any costs  directly  incurred  by FIL or its
            employees in aiding the Underwriter in such distribution efforts. As
            required  by  Federal  Securities  Laws and  regulations,  all sales
            literature  must be first submitted by the Underwriter for clearance
            with the appropriate regulatory authorities. Further, as required by
            State Insurance laws and  regulations,  all sales literature must be
            first  submitted  by FIL for prior  clearance  with the  appropriate
            regulatory  authorities.  FIL and the Underwriter  will cooperate in
            the  development  of  such  literature,   as  requested.   No  sales
            literature  will be used  unless both FIL and the  Underwriter  have
            given it prior approval.

      4.    In accepting this invitation, the Underwriter agrees:

            (a)   That members will be made to understand that all  applications
                  and/or considerations for Variable Annuity Contracts are to be
                  transmitted promptly to FIL at the appropriate address.

            (b)   That all members will be made to  understand  that they are to
                  distribute  the  Variable  Annuity  Contracts  only  in  those
                  jurisdictions  in  which  such  respective   Variable  Annuity
                  Contracts are registered or qualified for sale or only through
                  those member Registered Representatives who are fully licensed
                  with  FIL  to  sell   Variable   Annuity   Contracts   in  the
                  jurisdictions involved.

      5.    Any party  shall  have the right to cancel  this  agreement  after a
            period of three  years  (commencing  on the date the first  Variable
            Annuity Contract is offered for sale). The signing of this agreement
            does  not  make it  incumbent  upon FIL to  license  any  particular
            member's Registered Representative as a salesman of Variable Annuity
            Contracts.  All  matters  dealing  with  the  licensing  of one of a
            member's  Registered  Representatives  under  any  applicable  state
            insurance law shall be a matter  handled  directly by the member and
            the Registered  Representative  involved;  but FIL must be furnished
            proof of licensing before commission payments may be made.

      6.    No person is authorized to make any  representations  concerning the
            Variable Annuity  Contracts except those contained in the prospectus
            for the Variable  Annuity  Contracts and any such information as may
            be released by FIL or the Underwriter as information supplemental to
            such prospectus.  Additional costs of any prospectus and any printed
            information  issued  as  supplemental  to such  prospectus  shall be
            supplied by FIL to the  Underwriter for members of the selling group
            in  reasonable   quantities  upon  request,  or  where  appropriate,
            directly to the member's Registered Representative.

<PAGE>

      7.    Any  notice  shall be  deemed  to have  been  given if mailed to the
            Underwriter's  address  as  registered  from  time to time  with the
            National  Association of Securities  Dealers,  Inc. Notice is deemed
            given to FIL if mailed to its executive office address.

      8.    FIL and the  Underwriter  shall  each  comply  with  all  applicable
            Federal  and  State  laws,  rules  and  regulations.   Further,  the
            Underwriter will by agreement arrange for each member of the selling
            group to do the same.

      9.    FIL agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriter and/or any
            member and each person,  if any, who controls the Underwriter or any
            member,  their  agents  and  employees,  against  any and all  loss,
            liability,   claims,  damage,  and  expenses  whatsoever  reasonably
            incurred  in  investigating  or  defending  against  any  litigation
            commenced or threatened or any claim  whatsoever  arising out of any
            untrue or alleged  untrue  statement of a material fact contained in
            the  prospectus,  registration  statement,  in  any  sales  material
            prepared by FIL or supplied to any member through the Underwriter by
            FIL or in any  application  ("application")  filed  in any  state in
            order  to  qualify  the same for  sale or the  omission  or  alleged
            omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the
            statements  therein,  in light of the circumstances under which they
            were made, not misleading.

      10.   The Underwriter agrees and by agreement will arrange for each member
            of the selling  group to  indemnify  and hold  harmless FIL and each
            person,  if any, who  controls  FIL,  its agents,  subsidiaries  and
            employees,  against any and all loss, liability, claims, damage, and
            expense  whatsoever  (including  but  not  limited  to any  and  all
            expenses   whatsoever   reasonably   incurred  in  investigating  or
            defending  against any  litigation  commenced or  threatened  or any
            claim  (whatsoever)  arising  out of any  untrue or  alleged  untrue
            statement or  representation  made (except as such statements may be
            made in reliance on the prospectus, registration statement and sales
            material  supplied  by FIL),  the  failure  to  deliver a  currently
            effective   prospectus,   or  the  use  of  any  unauthorized  sales
            literature by the Underwriter or any member, and their employees, in
            connection with the sale of the subject Variable Annuity Contracts.

      11.   Nothing herein contained shall require FIL or the Underwriter or any
            member  to take  any  action  contrary  to any  provision  of  their
            charters or to any applicable statute or regulation.

      12.   This  Agreement  shall  become  effective  as of the date hereof and
            shall  continue  in force and effect  from year to year  thereafter;
            provided,  however,  this Agreement  shall terminate in the event of
            its  "assignment" as such term is defined in the Investment  Company
            Act of 1940, as amended.

      13.   This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the
            State of New York.  

<PAGE>

      IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the parties  hereto have caused this Agreement to be
executed in duplicate on the day and year first above written.

FIRST INVESTORS CORPORATION                      FIRST INVESTORS LIFE INSURANCE 
                                                 COMPANY


By /s/ David D. Grayson                          By /s/ Richard H. Gaebler
   --------------------                             ----------------------
       President                                         President


                                                 FIRST INVESTORS LIFE VARIABLE 
                                                 ANNUITY FUND A



                                                 By First Investors Life 
                                                 Insurance Company, Depositor


                                                 By /s/ Larry M. Falcon
                                                        Vice President


<PAGE>

                                     TABLE A

                             UNDERWRITER COMMISSIONS


         Kind of Policy                                     Total Commission

         Individual Single payment:

                  Less than 10,000............................... 8.50%
                  $10,000 but less than $25,000.................. 7.75%
                  $25,000 but less than $50,000 ................. 6.25%
                  $50,000 but less than $100,000................. 4.75%
                  $100,000 but less than $250,000................ 3.50%
                  $250,000 but less than $500,000................ 2.50%
                  $500,000 but less than $1,000,000.............. 2.00%
                  $1,000,000 or over............................. 1.50%



                     First Investors Life Insurance Company
                                 120 Wall Street
                            New York, New York 10005

                                                              December 13, 1979


                              Re:     First Investors Life Variable Annuity Fund
                                      Safekeeping Agreement

Gentlemen:

         This letter will confirm our agreement with respect to our  designation
of the United States Trust Company of New York, 45 Wall Street,  New York,  N.Y.
10005,  as the safekeeping  agent for the securities and similar  investments of
First Investors Life Variable Annuity Fund (the "Separate Account").

         The United  States Trust  Company of New York has been duly  designated
and  appointed  by the Board of  Directors  of First  Investors  Life  Insurance
Company  ("First  Investors"),  the Depositor for the Separate  Account,  as the
safekeeping  agent for the  Separate  Account's  issued  securities  and similar
investments  pursuant  to the  Investment  Company Act of 1940 and the rules and
regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission  thereunder and securities
purchased  by  First  Investors  pursuant  to the  maintenance  of the  Separate
Account.

         The securities and similar investments of the Separate Account shall be
deposited in the safekeeping of, or in a vault or other depository maintained by
the Bank,  and the  securities  and similar  investments  so deposited  shall be
physically  segregated  at all times from those of any other  persons,  firms or
corporation.

         Any two of the following officers of First Investors are authorized and
permitted to have access to the securities and similar investments so deposited,
and such access to such securities and similar investments so deposited shall be
had by two or more such persons  jointly,  in conjunction  with  authorized Bank
employees.

Name                        Title             Signature
- ----                        -----             ---------

Richard H. Gaebler,         President         /s/ Richard H. Gaebler

Richard E. Scanlan,         Vice President    /s/ Richard E. Scanlan

Lawrence M. Falcon,         Comptroller       /s/ Lawrence M. Falcon


<PAGE>


         Access to such securities and similar investments shall be permitted to
the  properly  authorized  officers and  employees  of the Bank.  Access to such
securities and similar investments shall also be permitted, jointly with any two
of the above  designated  officers  of First  Investors  and with an  authorized
employee of the Bank, to an independent public accountant for the purpose of the
examination of First Investors  securities and similar  investments  required by
the rules and  regulations  of the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission.  Such
designation shall be signed by one of the above officers of First Investors.

         Such securities and similar  investments  shall at all times be subject
to inspection by the Securities and Exchange  Commission  through its authorized
employees or agents,  accompanied by one or more of the officers or employees of
the Bank and, unless  otherwise  directed by order of the Commission,  by one or
more of the designated officers of First Investors.

         Each person when depositing such securities or similar  investments in,
or withdrawing such from the Bank, or when ordering their withdrawal or delivery
from the safekeeping of the Bank,  shall sign a notation in duplicate in respect
to such  deposit,  withdrawal or order which shall show (1) the date and time of
deposit,  withdrawal  or order  (2) the title and  amount of the  securities  or
similar  investments  deposited,  withdrawn or ordered to be  withdrawn,  and an
identification  thereof by a certificate number or otherwise,  (3) the manner of
acquisition of the securities or similar investments  deposited,  or the purpose
for which they have been withdrawn or order to be withdrawn and (4) if withdrawn
and  delivered  to any other  person,  the name of such  person.  A copy of such
notation  shall be  transmitted  promptly by the Bank to the  President of First
Investors.  Such  notation  shall be on  serially-numbered  forms  and  shall be
preserved for at least one year.

         Such securities and similar  investments  shall be verified by complete
examination of an independent  public accountant  designated in writing by First
Investors  at least once during  each fiscal  year.  Such  designation  shall be
signed by one of the officers above named.

         The Secretary  and the  President of First  Investors and each of them,
have been  authorized  and  directed  to  certify  to the Bank that  resolutions
incorporating  the terms of this agreement,  copies of which are attached,  have
been duly adopted,  and to further certify the names and specimen  signatures of
the officers of First Investors referred to herein.

         First  Investors  undertakes  to notify  the Bank of any  change in the
names and signatures of the Officers of the Corporation  designated  above,  and
until the Bank actually receives such 


                                      -2-
<PAGE>

notice it shall be entitled to rely on the designations herein set forth.

         The  Bank  shall  have  no  responsibility   for  any  failure  of  the
representatives  of First  Investors or of the foregoing  public  accountants to
make  examination of securities or for any loss,  damage or expense  suffered or
sustained  by First  Investors  by reason of the acts or neglect of said persons
arising out of or in  connection  with their access to said  examination  of the
securities. All securities shall be registered in the name of First Investors or
in the name of a Separate Account.

         With respect to the  securities  and other property held at any time in
safekeeping hereunder, the Bank is hereby authorized:

         1. To pay and charge to First Investor's account in accordance with its
instructions  the amount of the purchase price of securities  purchased by First
Investors  for  deposit  with the Bank upon  delivery of such  securities.  Such
instructions  shall  specify  the name of the  issuer  of the  securities  and a
description  thereof, the number of shares or principal amount purchased and any
accrued  interest  or  charges,  the  purchase  price  per unit and the name and
address of the party to whom payment is to be made.

         2. To  release,  assign  and  deliver  securities  held in the  custody
account in accordance with written  instructions  of First Investors  specifying
the quantity and  describing  the  securities to be delivered,  to whom delivery
shall be made and the  amount of the sales or  redemption  price to be  received
upon such  delivery.  Delivery  shall be made  against  receipt by the Bank of a
check of the specified recipient of such securities. Unless otherwise instructed
by First  Investors,  such check shall be certified by the bank,  trust company,
national  bank or  other  banking  institution  on  which  drawn,  or shall be a
cashier's or treasurer's  check or draft of any bank,  trust  company,  national
bank or other banking  institution.  The Bank shall not be liable for the monies
called for or represented by any such check or draft until actually received.

         3. To charge the account of First Investors for all expenses,  taxes or
other  charges  or  liabilities  incurred  by the Bank in  connection  with this
custodian  account  and First  Investors  hereby  agrees to  indemnify  the Bank
against liability for all such items.

         The Bank shall give First  Investors a written  advice or  confirmation
concerning  all sales,  purchases or other disposal of securities in the custody
account.

         The Bank shall be paid and may draw upon the account of First Investors
after proper notice of such compensation and 


                                      -3-
<PAGE>

reimbursement  for all necessary and proper  disbursements  and expenses made or
incurred by the Bank in carrying out the  foregoing  duties at such times as the
parties may have agreed upon.

         The Bank will be responsible for the performance of only such duties as
are set forth herein or contained in express instructions given to the Bank. The
Bank will use the same care with respect to the  safekeeping  of property in the
custody  account as it uses in respect of its own similar  property  but it need
not maintain any insurance for the benefit of First  Investors.  All collections
of funds or other  property  paid or  distributed  in respect of property in the
custody account shall be made at the risk of First Investors.  The Bank will not
be responsible  for any act or omission,  or for the solvency,  of any broker or
agent  selected by First  Investors  to effect any  transaction  for its custody
account.  First  Investors  warrants  its  authority  to deposit in the  custody
account any  property  received by the Bank  therefor  and to give  instructions
relative thereto.

         The Bank  shall  not be  liable  for any  action  taken  in good  faith
pursuant  to  this  agreement  nor  upon  written   instruction  or  Secretary's
Certificate of First Investors, and shall be fully protected in relying upon the
genuineness  and legality of any such document  which the Bank may in good faith
believe to be validly executed.  The Bank shall have no  responsibility  for the
genuineness or validity of any instrument or other item deposited with you.

         It is agreed that the Bank's duties under this  agreement are only such
as are herein specifically  provided,  being purely ministerial in nature. First
Investors  covenants and agrees to indemnify and hold the Bank harmless from all
taxes, charges,  expenses,  loss, damage,  assessments,  claims and liabilities,
including the cost and expense of defending  itself  against any claim,  whether
valid or not,  incurred or  assessed  against  the Bank in  connection  with the
performance of this  agreement,  except such as may arise from the Bank's active
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.

         The  Bank  shall  not  be  required  to  defend  any  action  or  legal
proceedings which may be instituted  against it in respect of the subject matter
of this agreement  unless  requested to do so by First Investors and indemnified
to the Bank's  satisfaction  against the cost and expense of such  defense.  The
Bank shall not be required to institute  legal  proceedings  of any kind. In the
event that adverse or  conflicting  claims are made with respect to the funds or
property  deposited  hereunder,  the Bank may refuse to comply  with any demands
made upon it with  respect  thereto  until such  claims are  resolved  by mutual
agreement or fully disposed of in appropriate legal proceedings, and in so doing
the Bank shall 


                                      -4-
<PAGE>

not incur any liability to any party or person  interested in the subject matter
of this agreement.

         Nothing in this  agreement  shall be  construed to give any third party
any rights  against  the Bank or to make the Bank a trustee,  its  liability  as
custodian under this agreement being that of a bailee for hire.

         The Bank shall be entitled  as to any  question  arising in  connection
with its duties  under this  agreement to receive and act upon advice of counsel
selected  in good  faith and with  reasonable  care (who may be First  Investors
counsel)  at First  Investors'  expense and shall be without  liability  for any
action taken or thing done in good faith in reliance upon such advice.

         This  agreement  may be  terminated  by either party on sixty (60) days
written notice,  except that if First Investors represents that in good faith it
has been unable to obtain the services of a successor  safekeeping  agent during
such time,  the Bank agrees to continue to serve for up to an  additional  sixty
(60) days. Upon First Investors' written instructions the Bank will deliver to a
successor  safekeeping  agent  at the  Bank's  office  all  securities  held  in
safekeeping and First Investors agrees to pay the Bank's reasonable  expenses in
connection with such termination.

         Any notice of other  instrument in writing for which  provision is made
in this agreement shall be sufficiently  given if addressed to the party to whom
such notice is intended to be proven,  and mailed or  delivered to its office as
follows:


                           To:      United States Trust Company of New York
                                    45 Wall Street
                                    New York, New York 10005
                                    Attention:  Custody Division

                           To:      First Investors Life Insurance Company
                                    120 Wall Street
                                    New York, New York 10005


                                      -5-
<PAGE>

         This  agreement  shall be  interpreted  and governed by the laws of the
State of New York and shall extend to and be binding upon the parties hereto and
their  respective  successors and assigns,  provided however that this agreement
shall not be  assignable  by either  party  without the  written  consent of the
other.

                                                  Very truly yours,

                                                  FIRST INVESTORS LIFE INSURANCE
                                                     COMPANY


                                                  By:/s/ Richard H. Gaebler


Accepted this 13th day of December, 1979.

UNITED STATES TRUST COMPANY OF
         NEW YORK


By: illegible


                        

                       VARIABLE ANNUITY DEALER AGREEMENT
                       ---------------------------------

         First     Investors     Corporation     (the     "Underwriter")     and
__________________________________________  (the "Dealer")  enter this agreement
this ________ day of April,  1997, for the purpose of authorizing  the Dealer to
offer and sell variable  annuity  contracts  (the  "Contracts")  issued by First
Investors Life  Insurance  Company and its Separate  Account D, (which  Separate
Account and First Investors Life Insurance  Company  hereinafter  referred to as
the "Issuer") through the Underwriter, subject to the following provisions:

          1.  The Issuer is engaged in the issuance of the Contracts pursuant to
              Federal  securities laws and the insurance laws of those states in
              which the Contracts  have been  qualified for sale.  The Contracts
              are  considered  securities  under  the  Securities  Act of  1933,
              therefore,  distribution  of the  Contracts  is made  through  the
              Underwriter,  a  registered  broker-dealer  under  the  Securities
              Exchange Act of 1934 and a member of the National  Association  of
              Securities Dealers, Inc, ("NASD"). The authorization for the offer
              and sale of the Contracts provided by this agreement is subject to
              all  provisions  of  the   Underwriting   Agreement   between  the
              Underwriter and the Issuer.

          2.  The Dealer certifies that it is a registered  broker-dealer  under
              the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934 and a member of the NASD. The
              dealer agrees to abide by all rules and  regulations  of the NASD,
              including  its  Rules of Fair  Practice,  and to  comply  with all
              applicable state and Federal laws and the rules and regulations of
              authorized   regulatory   agencies   affecting  the  sale  of  the
              Contracts.

          3.  The Dealer will select  persons  associated  with it who are to be
              trained and  qualified as agents to solicit  applications  for the
              Contracts in conformance  with applicable  state and Federal laws.
              Agents so trained and qualified will be registered representatives
              of the Dealer in accordance  with the rules of the NASD and agents
              of the  Issuer  in  accordance  with  the  insurance  laws of such
              jurisdictions as the Issuer may designate.  The Dealer will notify
              the Issuer when one of his agents and  registered  representatives
              is fully  licensed to sell  Contracts.  Such agents and registered
              representatives  are to  distribute  the  Contracts  only in those
              jurisdictions in which the Contracts are qualified for sale.

          4.  The Dealer and the agent  shall  enter  into an  agreement  before
              Contract sales are made in which the agent shall represent that he
              is or will  become a  registered  representative  of the Dealer in
              connection  with the sale of the Contracts,  that such  activities
              will be under the  supervision  and control of the Dealer and that
              the  agent's  right  to  sell  the  Contracts  is  subject  to his
              continued  compliance  with  such  agreement  and  the  rules  and
              procedures which may be established by the Dealer,  Underwriter or
              the Issuer.

<PAGE>

          5.  All applications for Contracts shall be made on application  forms
              supplied by the Issuer and all initial payments collected shall be
              remitted in full together with such application  forms,  signed by
              the applicants,  directly to the executive office of the Issuer at
              95 Wall Street,  New York, N.Y.  10005.  Checks or money orders in
              payment  thereof  shall be drawn to the  order of First  Investors
              Life  Insurance  Company.  Payments  shall  not be  considered  as
              received  until the  application  has been accepted by the Issuer,
              except  at the  direction  and risk of the  applicant.  After  the
              initial  payment has been made and the  Contract  has been issued,
              the  contractowner  or participant  shall make all, if any, future
              payments  directly to First Investors Life Insurance  Company,  95
              Wall Street,  New York,  N.Y. 10005 or at such other address as it
              may from time to time designate.

          6.  The Dealer will offer and sell the  Contracts  only in  accordance
              with the  terms  and  conditions  of the  then-current  prospectus
              applicable to the Contracts and will make no  representations  not
              included  in  the  prospectus  or in any  authorized  supplemental
              material  supplied by the Underwriter  and the Issuer.  The Dealer
              shall not use or permit the agents to use  advertising  media with
              regard to the Contracts and shall not use printed  materials other
              than those supplied or approved by the Underwriter and the Issuer.
              Additional  copies of any prospectus  and any printed  information
              issued as supplemental to such prospectus shall be supplied to the
              Dealer in reasonable quantities upon request.

          7.  All  applications  are subject to  acceptance  or rejection by the
              Issuer at its sole  discretion.  The Issuer  will make  payment of
              concessions  directly  to the Dealer  with  respect to the sale of
              Contracts as set forth in Table A attached.

          8.  As required by Federal Securities laws and regulations,  all sales
              literature  must be first  submitted by the  Underwriter for prior
              clearance with the appropriate regulatory authorities. Further, as
              required  by State  insurance  laws  and  regulations,  all  sales
              literature  must be  first  submitted  by the  Issuer,  for  prior
              clearance with the appropriate  regulatory  authorities.  No sales
              literature will be used unless both the Issuer and the Underwriter
              have given it prior approval.

          9.  The Dealer's registered representatives will be made to understand
              that all applications  and/or  considerations for Contracts are to
              be transmitted promptly to the Issuer at the appropriate address.

          10. The signing of this  agreement does not make it incumbent upon the
              Issuer   to   license   any   particular    Dealer's    registered
              representative  as a salesman of  Contracts.  All matters  dealing
              with   the   licensing   of  one  of   the   Dealer's   registered
              representatives  under any applicable state insurance law shall be
              a  matter  handled  directly  by the  Dealer  and  the  registered
              representative 

<PAGE>

              involved;  but the Issuer  must be  furnished  proof of  licensing
              before commission payments may be made.

          11. Any  notice  shall be deemed  to have been  given if mailed to the
              Underwriter's  address or the Dealer's  address as registered from
              time to time with the National  Association of Securities Dealers,
              Inc.  Notice  is  deemed  given to the  Issuer  if  mailed  to its
              executive office address at 95 Wall Street, New York, N.Y.
              10005.

          12. The Dealer  understands and agrees that if performing the services
              covered  by this  agreement,  it is acting in the  capacity  of an
              independent  contractor and not an agent or employee of either the
              Underwriter or Issuer and that no party to this agreement shall be
              liable for any obligation, act or omission of the other.

          13. The Issuer has agreed with the  Underwriter  to indemnify and hold
              harmless the Underwriter  and the Dealer and each person,  if any,
              who  controls  the  Underwriter  or the Dealer,  their  agents and
              employees,  against any and all loss, liability,  claims,  damage,
              and expenses whatsoever  (including but not limited to any and all
              expenses  whatsoever   reasonably  incurred  in  investigating  or
              defending  against any  litigation  commenced or threatened or any
              claim  whatsoever)  arising  out of any untrue or  alleged  untrue
              statement  of  a  material  fact  contained  in  the   prospectus,
              registration  statement,  in any sales  material  prepared  by the
              Issuer or supplied to the Dealer  through the  Underwriter  by the
              Issuer  or in any  application  filed  in any  state  in  order to
              qualify  the same for sale or the  omission  or  alleged  omission
              therefrom  of a  material  fact  necessary  in  order  to make the
              statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they
              were made, not misleading.

          14. The Dealer  will  indemnify  and hold  harmless  the Issuer or the
              Underwriter  and each  person,  if any, who controls the Issuer or
              the Underwriter, their agents, subsidiaries and employees, against
              any  and  all  loss,  liability,   claims,  damage,  and  expenses
              whatsoever  (including  but not  limited  to any and all  expenses
              whatsoever  reasonably  incurred  in  investigating  or  defending
              against  any  litigation  commenced  or  threatened  or any  claim
              whatsoever)  arising out of any untrue or alleged untrue statement
              or  representation  made (except as such statements may be made in
              reliance  on the  prospectus,  registration  statement  and  sales
              material supplied by the Issuer or the  Underwriter),  the failure
              to deliver a  currently  effective  prospectus,  or the use of any
              unauthorized sales literature by the Dealer, and its employees, in
              connection with the sale of the Contracts.

          15. This  agreement may not be assigned  except by mutual  consent and
              shall  continue  for a period  of one  year and from  year to year
              thereafter, subject to termination by any party upon 60 days prior
              written notice to the other parties,  

<PAGE>

              except that in the event the Dealer shall cease to be a registered
              broker-dealer   or  a  member  of  NASD,   this  agreement   shall
              immediately terminate.

          16. Failure of any party to terminate  this  agreement  for any of the
              causes set forth in this  agreement  shall not constitute a waiver
              of the right to terminate  this  agreement at a later time for any
              such causes.

          17. Within a reasonable time after  execution of this  agreement,  the
              Underwriter  reserves  the right to draw a report  concerning  the
              Dealer  from a  qualified  agency,  which  report  must  be to the
              satisfaction  of the  Underwriter.  In the event  that the  report
              proves unsatisfactory,  this agreement shall be canceled effective
              upon receipt by the Dealer of notification to this effect.

          18. This agreement  shall be construed in accordance  with the laws of
              the State of New York.


                                            FIRST INVESTORS CORPORATION


                                    By:   _____________________________________



                                          _____________________________________
                                                       Dealer


                                    By:   _____________________________________


<PAGE>

                                     TABLE A

                               DEALER CONCESSIONS


         Kind of Policy                                   Dealer Concessions
         --------------                                   ------------------

         Individual Single payment:

Less than $25,000...............................                   %
 $25,000 but less than $50,000..................                   %
 $50,000 but less than $100,000.................                   %
 $100,000 but less than $250,000................                   %
 $250,000 but less than $500,000................                   %
 $500,000 but less than $1,000,000..............                   %
 $1,000,000 and over............................                   %



                            VARIABLE ANNUITY CONTRACT

                                                                        CONTRACT
                                                                          NUMBER
                                                                       Annuitant
                                                                   Date of Issue
                                                                       Issue Age
                                                                Purchase Payment
                                                                   Maturity Date

Single Payment Deferred Variable Annuity

Accumulation of Values on a Variable Basis

Annuity Payment Options on Variable or Fixed Basis

Non-Participating

                                 FIRST INVESTORS
                             LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY

First  Investors  Life agrees to pay the benefits and other rights  described in
this contract in accord with the terms of this contract.

Signed for First  Investors  Life  Insurance  Company at its Home  Office in New
York, New York.

/s/Richard H. Gaebler
   Richard H. Gaebler, President

/s/Andrew J. Donohue
   Andrew J. Donohue, Secretary

10-DAY RIGHT TO EXAMINE CONTRACT

During a period of 10 days  from the date  this  Contract  is  delivered  to the
Owner, it may be surrendered to the Company  together with a written request for
cancellation  of the  Contract  and, in such event,  the Company will pay to the
Owner  an  amount  equal to the sum of (i) the  difference  between  the  Single
Purchase  Payment made under this Contract and the Net Single  Purchase  Payment
applied under this Contract and (ii) the  Accumulated  Value of this Contract on
the date of surrender.

THE ANNUAL  INVESTMENT  RETURN  REQUIRED  TO  MAINTAIN  LEVEL  VARIABLE  ANNUITY
PAYMENTS IS 4.25 PERCENT (AFTER ANY APPLICABLE  TAXES,  BUT BEFORE ASSET CHARGES
TOTALING .75 PERCENT FOR MORTALITY AND EXPENSE RISKS AND  MANAGEMENT  FEES WHICH
WILL NOT EXCEED  .75  PERCENT  OF NET  ASSETS OF MUTUAL  FUND IN WHICH  SEPARATE
ACCOUNT ASSETS ARE INVESTED). ANNUITY PAYMENTS AND OTHER VALUES PROVIDED BY THIS
CONTRACT,  WHEN BASED ON THE INVESTMENT  EXPERIENCE OF A SEPARATE  ACCOUNT,  ARE
VARIABLE AND ARE NOT GUARANTEED AS TO FIXED-DOLLAR AMOUNT.

<PAGE>

                               ALPHABETICAL GUIDE

                                                            PAGE
ACCUMULATION UNITS.............................................5
ACCUMULATION UNIT VALUE........................................6
ADJUSTMENT OF MONTHLY PAYMENT..................................7
ALLOCATION OF ANNUITY..........................................6
AMOUNT OF FIRST ANNUITY PAYMENT................................6
ANNUITY TABLES.................................................9
ANNUITY UNIT VALUE.............................................6
ASSIGNMENT.....................................................4
BENEFICIARY CHANGE.............................................8
BENEFICIARY DESIGNATION........................................8
CHANGE OF CONTRACT.............................................5
CHARGES AGAINST THE SEPARATE ACCOUNT...........................5
CHOICE OF ANNUITY OPTION.......................................6
CLAIMS OF CREDITORS............................................5
CONTRACT.......................................................4
CONTROL........................................................4
DEATH OF ANNUITANT.............................................7
DEATH OF BENEFICIARY...........................................8
DEFINITIONS....................................................4
ELECTION OF ANNUITY OPTIONS....................................7
FIXED ANNUITY..................................................7
INCONTESTABILITY...............................................4
INVESTMENTS OF THE SEPARATE ACCOUNT............................5
MATURITY DATE..................................................6
MISTATEMENT OF AGE OR SEX......................................4
MORE FAVORABLE PAYMENT OPTION..................................7
NET INVESTMENT FACTOR..........................................5
NET SINGLE PURCHASE PAYMENT....................................5
NONPARTICIPATING...............................................5
OWNERSHIP OF ASSETS............................................4
PROOF OF AGE...................................................5
PROOF OF SURVIVAL..............................................5
REPORTS........................................................5
SEPARATE ACCOUNT-GENERAL.......................................5
SETTLEMENT.....................................................5
SINGLE PURCHASE PAYMENT........................................5
SURRENDER OPTION...............................................7
VALUATION OF ASSETS............................................6
VARIABLE ANNUITY...............................................6
VOTING RIGHTS..................................................4
WITHDRAWAL OPTION..............................................8

                                POLICY PROVISIONS

                                                            PAGE
GENERAL PROVISIONS.............................................4
PURCHASE PAYMENTS..............................................5
SEPARATE ACCOUNT...............................................5
BENEFITS.......................................................6
BENEFICIARY....................................................8

<PAGE>

CONTRACT DATA                                           CONTRACT NUMBER   300000

                                                         ANNUITANT   JOHN A. DOE

                                               DATE OF ISSUE   NOVEMBER 15, 1993

                                                                  ISSUE AGE   36

                                                   PURCHASE PAYMENT   $10,000.00

                                                MATURITY DATE   DECEMBER 1, 2042

SEPARATE ACCOUNT

         FIRST INVESTORS LIFE VARIABLE ANNUITY FUND A

MUTUAL FUND

         FIRST INVESTORS SPECIAL BOND FUND

NET PAYMENT FACTOR

         0.9300

UNIT EFFECTIVE DATE

         SEPTEMBER 8, 1982

OWNER

         ANNUITANT

BENEFICIARY DESIGNATION

         REFER TO ENCLOSED APPLICATION

<PAGE>

General Provisions

1.  DEFINITIONS

As used in this Contract, the term:

(a)   "Separate Account" means the account shown as such on page 3.

(b)   "Valuation  Date"  means any date on which the New York Stock  Exchange is
      open for trading;

(c)   "Valuation  Period"  means  the  period  starting  on the  day  after  any
      Valuation Date and ending on the next such Date;

(d)   "Accumulation  Unit"  means a unit used to measure the value of an Owner's
      interest  in the  Separate  Account  prior to the  date on  which  annuity
      payments commence;

(e)   "Annuity  Unit" means a unit used to determine  the amount of each annuity
      payment after the first;

(f)   "Accumulated Value" means the value of all the Accumulation Units credited
      to this Contract;

(g)   "Purchase Payment" means an amount paid to the Company under this Contract
      as a payment for the benefits described herein;

(h)   "Variable  Annuity"  means an annuity  with  annuity  payments  varying in
      amount in accordance  with the net  investment  experience of the Separate
      Account;

i)    "Fixed-Dollar  Annuity" means an annuity with annuity  payments which stay
      fixed as to dollar amount throughout the payment period;

(j)   "Attained  Age" of the Annuitant on any date after the Date of Issue means
      the age of the  Annuitant  at issue as shown on page 3 plus the  number of
      years elapsed from the Date of Issue to such date; and

(k)   "Annuity  Commencement  Date" means the date on which annuity payments are
      to commence. Also referred to as "Maturity Date" in this Contract.

2.  CONTRACT

            This  Contract,  the  application,  and any riders  attached to this
            Contract constitute the whole contract.  Only the President,  a Vice
            President,  the Secretary,  or an Assistant Secretary of the Company
            has the power, on behalf of the Company, to change,  modify or waive
            any  provisions of this  Contract.  Any changes,  modifications,  or
            waivers must be in writing. The Company will

<PAGE>

not be bound  by any  promises  or  representations  made by any  agent or other
person except as specified above.

3.  CONTROL

Consistent with the terms of any Beneficiary designation and any assignment, the
Owner may, during the lifetime of the Annuitant:

1.       assign this Contract or surrender it in whole or in part;

2.       amend or change this Contract with the consent of the Company; and

3.       exercise any right, receive any benefit, or enjoy any privilege in this
Contract.

The Company  reserves the right to require this Contract for  endorsement of any
assignment or change.

4.  INCONTESTABILITY

This Contract will not be contested.

5.  MISSTATEMENT OF AGE OR SEX

If the age or the sex of the Annuitant has been misstated,  the benefits in this
Contract will be those which the Net Single  Purchase  Payment would have bought
for the right age and sex.  Any amounts  which  should have been in the payments
made by the Company  before the error was found will be made up right away.  Any
excess  amounts in the payments  made by the Company  before the error was found
will be charged against the payments which are due later.

6.  ASSIGNMENT

No assignment of this Contract  shall be binding on the Company  unless it is in
writing and filed with the Company at its Home  Office.  The Company will assume
no  responsibility  for the validity or  sufficiency of any  assignment.  Unless
otherwise provided in the assignment,  the interest of any revocable beneficiary
shall be  subordinate  to the interest of any  assignee,  regardless of when the
assignment was made and the assignee shall receive any sum payable to the extent
of his interest.

7.  OWNERSHIP OF THE ASSETS

The Company  shall have  exclusive  and  absolute  ownership  and control of its
assets, including all assets in the Separate Account.

<PAGE>

8.  VOTING RIGHTS


The Owner shall have the right to vote only at the meetings of the Fund.

Ownership of this  Contract  shall not entitle any person to vote any meeting of
shareholders of the Company. Votes attributable to the Contract shall be cast in
conformity with applicable law.

9.  REPORTS

At least once each  Contract  Year the Company shall mail a report to the Owner.
The report shall be mailed to the last address known to the Company.  The report
shall  include a statement of the number of units  credited to this Contract and
the dollar value of such units.  The  information in the report shall be as of a
date not more than two  months  prior to the date of  mailing  the  report.  The
company  shall also mail to the Owner at least  once in each  Contract  Year,  a
report of the investments held in the Separate Account under this Contract.

10.  PROOF OF AGE

Any  annuity  payment  will be  subject  to proof of age of the payee  which the
Company will accept.

11.      PROOF OF SURVIVAL

The  Company  has the right to ask for proof that the person on whom the payment
is based is alive when each payment is due.

12.  SETTLEMENT

Any payment by the Company under this Contract is payable at its Home Office.

13.      CLAIMS OF CREDITORS

To the  extent  allowed  by law,  Proceeds  will not be subject to any claims of
creditors.

14.      CHANGE OF CONTRACT

The Company keeps the right to change this Contract to meet the  requirements of
the Investment  Company Act of 1940 or other applicable federal or state laws or
regulations.

15.      NONPARTICIPATING

This Contract is nonparticipating.  It will not share in the surplus earnings of
the Company.

Purchase Payments

16.      SINGLE PURCHASE PAYMENT

The Single  Purchase  Payment is due on the Date of Issue;  and must be at least
$2,000.

<PAGE>

17.      NET SINGLE PURCHASE PAYMENT

The Net Single Purchase Payment is equal to the Net Payment Factor shown on page
3 times the Single Purchase Payment less premium taxes.

The Company will use the Net Single  Purchase  Payment on the day it is received
at the Home Office to provide  accumulation  units,  the number of which will be
based on that day's value of such units.

Separate Account

18.      GENERAL

The  Separate  Account is a  segregated  investment  account  maintained  by the
Company.  A part of the assets of the Separate  Account have been  allocated for
this and certain other  Contracts.  The assets of the Separate  Account are held
apart from the assets of the Company.  Charges against these assets do not arise
out of any other business of the Company.

19.      INVESTMENT OF THE SEPARATE ACCOUNT

The assets of the Separate Account will be invested in shares of the mutual fund
shown on page 3 ("Fund").  The Fund is registered  under the Investment  Company
Act of 1940, as amended (the "Act").

The  Company  may, in its  discretion,  invest the assets in shares of any other
fund or investment allowed by law.

All  distributions  from the Fund will be  reinvested  and kept as assets.  When
needed to pay for  surrenders,  shares of the Fund held by the Separate  Account
will be redeemed at net asset value.

20.      ACCUMULATION UNITS

This  Contract  will be credited  with the number of  Accumulation  Units of the
Separate  Account  bought  by the  amount  of the Net  Single  Purchase  Payment
allocated to the Separate Account.

21.      CHARGES AGAINST THE SEPARATE ACCOUNT

The Company  deducts an amount  equal on a yearly basis to .75% of the daily net
asset value of the Separate  Account.  This is to pay it for taking on mortality
and expense  risks.  About 80% of this charge is for mortality  risk and 20% for
expense risk.

22.      NET INVESTMENT FACTOR

<PAGE>

The net investment  factor for the Separate  Account for any Valuation Period is
obtained by dividing (a) by (b) and subtracting (c) from the result, where:

         (1) the net asset value per share of the Fund at the end of the current
         Valuation Period, plus:

         (2) the per share amount of any dividend or capital gains distributions
         made by the Fund during the current Valuation Period, plus or minus:

         (3)  a per share charge or credit for any taxes reserved for.

(b)      is the result of:

         (1) the net  asset  value  per  share  of the Fund as of the end of the
         preceding Valuation Period, plus or minus:

         (2) the per  share  charge or credit  for any  taxes  reserved  for the
         preceding Valuation Period.

(c)      is a factor for the charges deducted for mortality and expense risks.

23.      VALUATION OF ASSETS

Fund  shares  held in the  Separate  Account  will be  valued at their net asset
value. Other assets will be valued at fair market value.

24.      ACCUMULATION UNIT VALUE

The value of an  Accumulation  unit was set at $1.00 on the Unit Effective Date.
The value for a later  period is obtained by  multiplying  the unit value at the
start of the period by the Net  Investment  Factor for the period from its start
to its end. The unit value may rise or fall based on investment results.

25.      ANNUITY UNIT VALUE

The value of an Annuity Unit was set at $1.00 on the Unit  Effective  Date.  The
value for a later period is obtained by first  multiplying the unit value at the
start of the period by the Net  Investment  Factor for the period from its start
to its end and then  multiplying the result by a factor which offsets the effect
of the assumed  interest rate of 3.5% per year built into the tables used in the
Contract.

Benefits

26.      MATURITY DATE

Annuity  payments  will start on the  Maturity  Date shown on page 3. On written
request,  it may be  changed.  But it will not be deferred  beyond the  Contract
Anniversary on which the attained age of the Annuitant is 85.

<PAGE>

27.      CHOICE OF ANNUITY OPTION

A choice of Annuity  Option  should be made by the Owner at least 30 days before
the Maturity Date.

If a choice is not made on time,  payments  will start on the Maturity Date on a
Variable Annuity basis with the Annuity Option as 10 years certain or life.

Once payments start, no further choice is allowed.

28.      AMOUNT OF FIRST ANNUITY PAYMENT

7 days before the Maturity  Date,  any premium  taxes not yet  deducted  will be
deducted from the Accumulated Value to determine the Net Accumulated Value. Such
value  will  then be  applied  to the  proper  Annuity  Table on page 9 or 10 to
determine the amount of the first monthly annuity payment.

The amount of each payment  depends on the sex and adjusted age of the Annuitant
and  Joint  Annuitant,  if  any,  at the  Maturity  Date.  The  adjusted  age is
determined at the time the first payment is due. For a payee born prior to 1900,
the adjusted age is the actual age. For a payee born 1900 or later, the adjusted
age is the  actual  age  minus  four  years  and  also  minus  one year for each
completed five years during the period from 1900 to the payee's year of birth.

The Company  may, at its option,  credit  interest  above the 3.5% per year rate
built into the table used in this Contract.

29.      ALLOCATION OF ANNUITY

When the Owner makes a choice as to annuity  option,  he or she will also choose
between a Fixed Annuity,  a Variable Annuity or any combination of the two. If a
choice  is not made at least 30 days  before  the  Maturity  Date,  as stated in
Section 27, payments will be made on a Variable Annuity basis.

30.      VARIABLE ANNUITY

A Variable  Annuity is one with payments  which vary as to dollar amount through
the annuity period based on the investment results of the Separate Account.  The
method by which the amount of the first  monthly  payment is determined is shown
in Section 28.

Each payment for any due date after the first will be determined by  multiplying
the  Annuity  Unit  Value on the date  seven days prior to the date on which the
payment is due by a constant 

<PAGE>

number of Annuity Units.

The constant  number of Units is determined by dividing the dollar amount of the
first payment by the then current value of an Annuity Unit on the date the first
payment is due.

The Company  guarantees  that the dollar  amount of each payment after the first
will not be affected by variations in mortality or expense  experience  from the
mortality and expense assumptions on which the first payment is based.

31.      FIXED ANNUITY

A Fixed  Annuity  is one with  payments  which  stay  fixed as to dollar  amount
through the annuity period.  The method by which the amount of the first monthly
payment is  determined  is shown in Section 28. Later  payments will not be less
than the first  but a later  payment  may be more than the first if the  Company
credits interest above the rate built into the tables.

32.      ADJUSTMENT OF MONTHLY PAYMENT

If the Net  Accumulated  Value on the  Maturity  Date is less than  $2,000,  the
Company  shall have the right to pay such  value in one sum in lieu of  payments
otherwise provided for. If the Net Accumulated Value is not less than $2,000 but
either the Variable Annuity or the fixed Annuity Payments  provided for would be
or  become  less than  $20,  the  Company  shall  have the  right to change  the
frequency  of payment to such  intervals  as will result in payments of at least
$20.

33.      MORE FAVORABLE PAYMENT OPTION

At the time fixed annuity payments begin, the single premium fixed annuity rates
then in use by the Company will be used if they provide a payment  amount to the
payee  greater than that shown in the table on page 9 or 10. Each $1,000 of cash
value  shall be  considered  to be $1,030  for the  purpose  of using the single
premium annuity rates.

34.      ELECTION OF ANNUITY OPTIONS

The Owner may elect to have annuity  payments  made under any one of the Annuity
Options  described  below or in any other manner  agreeable to the Company.  Any
such  election  shall be made in  writing to the  Company at its Home  Office at
least 30 days before the Maturity  Date. The election may be changed in the same
manner at any time prior to the  surrender  of this  Contract.  If the amount of
payments  for  different  guaranteed  periods are the same at any given age, the
Company will deem the longer period certain to have been chosen.

Option 1 - Life Annuity - An annuity  payable monthly during the lifetime of the
Annuitant, ceasing with the last payment due 

<PAGE>

prior to his or her death.

Option 2a - Joint and Survivor Life Annuity - An annuity  payable monthly during
the joint  lifetime of the  Annuitant and the Joint  Annuitant  and  continuing,
after the death of either, during the lifetime of the survivor, ceasing with the
last payment due prior to the death of the survivor.

Option 2b - Joint and  Two-Thirds to Survivor Life Annuity - An annuity  payable
monthly during the joint  lifetime of the Annuitant and the Joint  Annuitant and
continuing,  after the death of either, during the lifetime of the survivor with
two-thirds payments, ceasing with the last payment due prior to the death of the
survivor.

Option 2c - Joint and  One-Half to Survivor  Life  Annuity - An annuity  payable
monthly during the joint  lifetime of the Annuitant and the Joint  Annuitant and
continuing,  after the death of either, during the lifetime of the survivor with
one-half  payments,  ceasing with the last payment due prior to the death of the
survivor.

Options 3 - Life  Annuity  with 60, 120,  240 Monthly  Payments  Guaranteed - An
annuity payable monthly during the lifetime of the Annuitant, with the guarantee
that if, at his or her death, payments have been made for less than 60, 120, 240
monthly periods,  as elected,  any guaranteed annuity payments will be continued
during the remainder of the selected period to the Beneficiary.

Option 4 - Unit  Refund Life  Annuity - An annuity  payable  monthly  during the
lifetime of the Annuitant,  with the last payment due prior to his or her death,
provided further that, at such death, the Beneficiary will receive an additional
payment of the then  dollar  value of the number of Annuity  Units  equal to the
excess,  if any, of (a) over (b) where (a) is the total amount applied under the
option  divided by the Annuity  Unit Value at the  Maturity  Date and (b) is the
product of the number of  Annuity  Units  represented  by each  payment  and the
number of payments made.

When this  option is applied  as a Fixed  Annuity  (a) shall be the  Accumulated
Value applied at the Maturity Date to the Fixed Annuity, (b) shall be the sum of
all Fixed Annuity Payments made.

35.      DEATH OF ANNUITANT

On receipt of due proof of the death of the Annuitant  before  Annuity  Payments
have begun, the Company will pay to the Beneficiary the Accumulated value of the
Contract  as of the day on which  written  notice  of death is  received  by the
Company or the Purchase Payment whichever is greater.

<PAGE>

On receipt of due proof of death of the Annuitant  after  Annuity  Payments have
begun under an Annuity Option, if any Payments remain under the Option they will
be paid to the Beneficiary as provided by the Option.

Unless  otherwise  provided in the  Beneficiary  designation,  if no Beneficiary
survives the  Annuitant,  the proceeds will be paid in one sum to the Owner,  if
living; otherwise, to the Owner's estate.

36.      SURRENDER OPTION

The Owner may turn this  Contract in for its  Surrender  Value  effective on the
date on which the request in writing is received at the Home  Office.  The value
will be the Net Accumulated Value on that date.

Any cash payment will be mailed within 7 days after receipt of a proper request;
but the Company may be allowed to defer the payment under the Investment Company
Act of 1940 as it is in  effect  at  that  time.  The  Surrender  Option  is not
available after the Maturity Date.

37.      WITHDRAWAL OPTION

The Owner may withdraw a part of the Surrender Value of this Contract  effective
on the date on which the request in writing is received at the Home  Office.  If
less than $1,500 is left as the value of the Contract, the Company will charge a
fee of $7.50 per year.  This fee will be deducted from the value of the contract
each year on the anniversary of the date when the value first went below $1,500.

Any cash payment will be mailed within 7 days after receipt of a proper request;
but the Company may be allowed to defer the payment under the Investment Company
Act of 1940 as it is in  effect  at that  time.  The  Withdrawal  Option  is not
available after the Maturity Date.

Beneficiary

38.      BENEFICIARY DESIGNATION

The  Beneficiary  named in the  application  for this  Contract will receive the
Proceeds when the Annuitant dies unless the  designation has been changed by the
owner.

39.      BENEFICIARY CHANGE

The  Owner may  change  the  designation  while the  Annuitant  is alive  unless
otherwise  provided in the previous  designation.  A change of designation  will
revoke any previous designation.

<PAGE>

A change  may be made by  filing a written  request  with the Home  Office.  The
request must be in a form  acceptable  to the  Company.  The Company may require
this Contract for endorsement of a change.

40.      DEATH OF BENEFICIARY

Unless otherwise provided, if any Beneficiary dies before the Annuitant,  his or
her interest will pass to any other Beneficiaries  according to their respective
interests.

If the Beneficiary dies while receiving any remaining Annuity Payments due after
the death of the Annuitant,  the value of the remainder of such Annuity Payments
will be paid in one sum to the Beneficiary's estate.

<PAGE>

                                 ANNUITY TABLES

               DOLLAR AMOUNT OF THE MONTHLY ANNUITY PAYMENT WHICH
                IS PURCHASED WITH EACH $1,000 OF PROCEEDS APPLIED
                   OPTIONS 1, 3 AND 4 - SINGLE LIFE ANNUITIES

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        Monthly Payments Guaranteed
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Adjusted Age              None              60             120             240             Unit Refund
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Male       Female          Option 1        Option 3        Option 3        Option 3           Options 4
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>            <C>            <C>              <C>            <C>             <C>                 <C>  
   50          54             $4.74            $4.73          $4.69           $4.52               $4.53
   51          55              4.84             4.83           4.78            4.58                4.60
   52          56              4.94             4.92           4.87            4.65                4.67
   53          57              5.04             5.03           4.97            4.71                4.75
   54          58              5.16             5.14           5.07            4.78                4.84



   55          59              5.28             5.25           5.18            4.85                4.93
   56          60              5.40             5.38           5.29            4.91                5.02
   57          61              5.54             5.51           5.41            4.98                5.12
   58          62              5.69             5.65           5.53            5.05                5.22
   59          63              5.84             5.80           5.66            5.11                5.32



   60          64              6.01             5.95           5.79            5.18                5.44
   61          65              6.18             6.12           5.94            5.24                5.56
   62          66              6.37             6.30           6.08            5.30                5.68
   63          67              6.57             6.49           6.24            5.36                5.82
   64          68              6.79             6.69           6.40            5.41                5.96



   65          69              7.02             6.91           6.57            5.46                6.10
   66          70              7.27             7.14           6.74            5.51                6.26
   67          71              7.54             7.38           6.91            5.55                6.43
   68          72              7.83             7.64           7.10            5.59                6.60
   69          73              8.14             7.91           7.28            5.62                6.78



   70          74              8.48             8.20           7.47            5.65                6.98
   71          75              8.84             8.51           7.66            5.68                7.19
   72          76              9.23             8.84           7.85            5.70                7.41
   73          77              9.65             9.18           8.04            5.71                7.65
   74          78             10.11             9.55           8.23            5.72                7.89
   75          79             10.61             9.93           8.41            5.73                8.16
</TABLE>


<PAGE>

                    OPTION 2a-JOINT AND SURVIVOR LIFE ANNUITY

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

    Adjusted Age of
    Joint Annuitant                                              Adjusted Age of Annuitant
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                    Male 51               Male 56               Male 58               Male 61
         Male                  Female              Female 55             Female 60             Female 62             Female 65
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>       <C>                    <C>                 <C>                   <C>                   <C>                   <C>  
          50                     54                  $4.21                 $4.35                 $4.40                 $4.47
          55                     59                   4.37                  4.58                  4.66                  4.78
          57                     61                   4.43                  4.67                  4.77                  4.90
          60                     64                   4.51                  4.80                  4.92                  5.00
          62                     66                   4.55                  4.88                  5.01                  5.22
          65                     69                   4.62                  4.99                  5.15                  5.39
          70                     74                   4.70                  5.14                  5.34                  5.65


<CAPTION>
    Adjusted Age of
    Joint Annuitant                                              Adjusted Age of Annuitant
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                    Male 63               Male 66               Male 71
         Male                  Female               Female67              Female70             Female 75
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

          50                     54                   $4.51                 $4.57                 $4.64
          55                     59                    4.85                  4.94                  5.07
          57                     61                    4.99                  5.10                  5.26
          60                     64                    5.20                  5.36                  5.59
          62                     66                    5.36                  5.54                  5.82
          65                     69                    5.56                  5.81                  6.19
          70                     74                    5.88                  6.23                  6.83
</TABLE>


<PAGE>

             OPTION 2b-JOINT AND TWO-THIRDS TO SURVIVOR LIFE ANNUITY

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
    Adjusted Age of
    Joint Annuitant                                              Adjusted Age of Annuitant
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                    Male 51               Male 56               Male 58               Male 61
         Male                  Female              Female 55             Female 60             Female 62             Female 65
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>       <C>                    <C>                 <C>                   <C>                   <C>                   <C>  
          50                     54                  $4.58                 $4.79                 $4.89                 $5.03
          55                     59                   4.80                  5.06                  5.17                  5.35
          57                     61                   4.89                  5.18                  5.30                  5.49
          60                     64                   5.04                  5.36                  5.50                  5.72
          62                     66                   5.14                  5.48                  5.64                  5.88
          65                     69                   5.30                  5.68                  5.85                  6.13
          70                     74                   5.58                  6.03                  6.23                  6.57


<CAPTION>
    Adjusted Age of
    Joint Annuitant                                              Adjusted Age of Annuitant
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                    Male 63               Male 66               Male 71
         Male                  Female               Female67              Female70             Female 75
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          50                     54                  $5.13                 $5.29                 $5.56
          55                     59                   5.47                  5.67                  6.00
          57                     61                   5.63                  5.84                  6.20
          60                     64                   5.87                  6.12                  6.54
          62                     66                   6.05                  6.32                  6.79
          65                     69                   6.32                  6.64                  7.19
          70                     74                   6.82                  7.21                  7.95
</TABLE>


<PAGE>

              OPTION 2c-JOINT AND ONE-HALF TO SURVIVOR LIFE ANNUITY

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
    Adjusted Age of
    Joint Annuitant                                              Adjusted Age of Annuitant
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                    Male 51               Male 56               Male 58               Male 61
         Male                  Female              Female 55             Female 60             Female 62             Female 65
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>       <C>                    <C>                 <C>                   <C>                   <C>                   <C>  
          50                     54                  $4.79                 $5.05                 $5.17                 $5.37
          55                     59                   5.05                  5.34                  5.47                  5.69
          57                     61                   5.17                  5.47                  5.61                  5.84
          60                     64                   5.36                  5.69                  5.84                  6.09
          62                     66                   5.50                  5.85                  6.01                  6.28
          65                     69                   5.73                  6.11                  6.28                  6.58
          70                     74                   6.16                  6.60                  6.81                  7.15



<CAPTION>
    Adjusted Age of
    Joint Annuitant                                              Adjusted Age of Annuitant
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                    Male 63               Male 66               Male 71
         Male                  Female               Female67              Female70             Female 75
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>       <C>                    <C>                 <C>                   <C>                   <C>  
          50                     54                  $5.51                 $5.74                 $6.17
          55                     59                   5.85                  6.12                  6.61
          57                     61                   6.01                  6.29                  6.81
          60                     64                   6.28                  6.58                  7.15
          62                     66                   6.47                  6.79                  7.41
          65                     69                   6.79                  7.15                  7.83
          70                     74                   7.41                  7.83                  8.66
</TABLE>


The dollar amount of the monthly annuity  payments for any age or combination of
ages not shown in the above tables will be  calculated  on the same basis as the
monthly annuity payments for those shown and may be obtained from the Company.



                                                                             VAA

                       APPLICATION FOR VARIABLE ANNUITY IN
                     FIRST INVESTORS LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
                                 NEW YORK, N.Y.

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.    Name of Proposed Annuitant


      First       Middle      Last


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.    Date of Birth        
                           
      Month   Day   Year


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.                              
    Sex:  [__] Male  [__] Female


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.    Residence Address         No. of Years __________

      Street and No. __________________________________

      City _______________ State ______ Zip Code ______

      Social Security
      Number:          [__][__][__]   [__][__]   [__][__][__][__]


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.    Annuity Applied For:
      First Investors Life Variable Annuity Fund ______
      Purchase Payment $ ______________   Check if IRA [__]


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.     Will the proposed Contract replace any existing life insurance
       or annuity contracts?       Yes [__]  No [__]
      (If "Yes," list company, plan, year issued in Remarks)


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7.    Primary Beneficiary (Full Name) and Relationship


      Contingent Beneficiary, if any, and Relationship


         Except  as  otherwise  directed:  (A) the  proceeds  are to be  divided
         equally  among  all   surviving   persons  who  are  named  as  Primary
         Beneficiary,  but if none survive,  equally among all surviving persons
         who are named as Contingent Beneficiary and (B) the right to change the
         beneficiary is reserved.


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8a.   Proposed Annuitant will be Owner of Contract unless otherwise
      indicated below.

      Name of Owner:    First       Middle      Last


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8b.   Owner              Date of Birth:  Month___ Day___ Year___

      Residence Add:
      Street and No.     _______________________________________

      City _______________ State ______ Zip Code _______________

      Relationship _____________________________________________

      Social Security
      Number:          [__][__][__]   [__][__]   [__][__][__][__]


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9.    Maturity Date:             [__] Contract Anniversary Age [90]

                                 [__] Other ___________________

      Cannot be deferred beyond first Contract anniversary following 
      Annuitant's 90th birthday.


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10.   Select the Subaccounts and the percentage of payment to be 
      allocated to each:

                                  Subaccount        %

      Up to 5 Subaccounts         __________      _____
      can be selected             __________      _____
                                  __________      _____
                                  __________      _____
                                  __________      _____

      Each % must be a whole
      number not less than 10%    __________      _____


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11.   Remarks (Include any special instructions)




- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE CONTRACT  APPLIED FOR SHALL NOT BECOME  EFFECTIVE UNTIL THIS APPLICATION HAS
BEEN ACCEPTED BY THE COMPANY AT ITS HOME OFFICE.  THIS  APPLICATION  WILL NOT BE
ACCEPTED  UNLESS THE OWNER HAS RECEIVED THE PROSPECTUS OF THE UNDERLYING  MUTUAL
FUND AND THE PROSPECTUS OF THE FIRST INVESTORS LIFE INSURANCE  COMPANY  VARIABLE
ANNUITY FUND. MONEY  TRANSMITTED TO THE COMPANY WITH THIS APPLICATION  SHALL NOT
BE APPLIED UNDER THE CONTRACT  UNTIL THIS  APPLICATION  HAS BEEN ACCEPTED IN THE
MANNER PRESCRIBED ABOVE.

Receipt of a current  prospectus  describing  the sales charges and the variable
annuity contract issued by First Investors Life Insurance  Company and a current
prospectus of the  underlying  mutual fund which  describes  the pertinent  data
concerning the fund, is acknowledged.

$_______ received with application and receipt given.

THE CONTRACTUAL  PAYMENTS OR VALUES UNDER THE VARIABLE ANNUITY PROVISIONS OF THE
CONTRACT  BEING  APPLIED FOR ARE  VARIABLE  AND ARE NOT  GUARANTEED  AS TO FIXED
DOLLAR  AMOUNTS.  THE  ACCUMULATION  VALUES  UNDER  THE  VARIABLE   ACCUMULATION
PROVISIONS OF THE CONTRACT BEING APPLIED FOR ARE VARIABLE AND ARE NOT GUARANTEED
AS TO FIXED DOLLAR AMOUNTS.

Dated at  ____________________________  this _______ day of ________ 19__
              City           State

                                  Signature of
Witness _________________________ Proposed Annuitant ____________________

                                  Signature of Owner ____________________
                                      (If other than Proposed Annuitant)


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

            ALL PURCHASE PAYMENT CHECKS MUST BE MADE PAYABLE TO THE
            INSURANCE COMPANY DO NOT MAKE CHECK PAYABLE TO THE AGENT
                            OR LEAVE THE PAYEE BLANK.
       Receipt to be given when any payment is collected with Application

Received from _____________ the sum of $____ being the first full _____ payment
to purchase an annuity contract on the life of ______________ for which 
an Application bearing the same number and date as this receipt is on this day 
made to First Investors Life Insurance Company.

                         (Representative must sign here) _______________________

Dated at _______________________ this ____ day of ________________ 19,__

<PAGE>



- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THIS QUESTION MUST BE ANSWERED BY AGENT
To the best of my knowledge,  a replacement  of life  insurance or an annuity 
is [__]        [__] is not involved in this transaction.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Commissions  will be paid only to the agent whose  signature  appears below.  If
there are two agents, both must sign.





__________________     _____________   __________  ____    _______    __________
Signature of Agent     Name of Agent   Ident. No.          Manager    Ident. No.


__________________     _____________   __________  ____    _______    __________
Signature of Agent     Name of Agent   Ident. No.          Manager    Ident. No.





                      DECLARATION OF INTENTION AND CHARTER


                                       of

                     FIRST INVESTORS LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY

             (Pursuant to Section 48 of the New York Insurance Law)

                              D E C L A R A T I O N


         We, the  undersigned,  all being  natural  persons of full age,  and at
least two thirds of us citizens of the United  States,  and at least three of us
residents of the State of New York,  do hereby  declare our  intention to form a
stock  corporation  for the  purpose  of doing the kinds of  insurance  business
authorized  by  Paragraphs  "1", "2" and "3"  respectively  of Section 46 of the
Insurance  Law of the State of New York to the extent  permitted  by the Charter
and for that purpose do adopt the following:

<PAGE>

                                  C H A R T E R

                                       of

                     FIRST INVESTORS LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY


                                    ARTICLE I

         The name of this  corporation  shall be FIRST  INVESTORS LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY.

                                   ARTICLE II

         The place  where this  Corporation  shall be located and where it shall
have its  principal  office  and place of  business  shall be in the City of New
York,  County of New York,  and State of New York,  and it shall  have  power to
conduct  its  business  wherever  authorized  by law. It shall have power by its
Board of Directors to establish and maintain  other and  subordinate  offices in
this State and in other states, territories and countries.

                                   ARTICLE III

         The  kinds of  insurance  or other  business  to be  transacted  by the
Corporation shall be the following:

         A. Those kinds of insurance specified in Paragraphs "1", "2" and "3" of
Section 46 of the  Insurance  Law of the State of New York,  as now or hereafter
amended, as follows:

         1. "Life  Insurance",  meaning every  insurance upon the lives of human
beings and every insurance  appertaining thereto. The business of life insurance
shall be deemed to  include  the  granting  of  endowment  benefits;  additional
benefits  in the event of death by  accident  or  accidental  means;  additional
benefits operating to safeguard the contract from lapse, or to provide a special
surrender value, in the event of total and permanent  disability of the insured;
and optional modes of settlement of proceeds.

         2.  "Annuities",  meaning all  agreements to make  periodical  payments
where the making or  continuance of all or of some of a series of such payments,
or the amount of any such payment,  is dependent  upon the  continuance of human
life, except payments made under the authority of paragraph one.

                  Any  such  agreement  made  in  connection  with  a  qualified
pension, profit-sharing or annuity plan may provide that any amounts paid to the
insurer to provide  annuities  shall be  allocated by the insurer to one or more
separate accounts.

         3. "Accident and health insurance", meaning (a) Insurance 

<PAGE>

against death or personal  injury by accident or by any specified  kind or kinds
of accident and insurance against sickness,  ailment or bodily injury, including
insurance  providing  disability  benefits  pursuant  to  article  nine  of  the
workmen's  compensation  law, except as specified in subparagraph (b) following;
and (b) Non-cancellable  disability  resulting from sickness,  ailment or bodily
injury, (but not including insurance solely against accidental injury) under any
contract  which  does not give the  insurer  the  option to cancel or  otherwise
terminate the contract at or after one year from its  effective  date or renewal
date.

         B.  The  cession  of  reinsurance  of any or all  risks  taken  by this
Corporation and the assumption of reinsurance  risks taken by other companies to
the extent permitted by law.

         C. Such other kind or kinds of business as are  necessarily or properly
incidental to the kind or kinds of business which this Corporation is authorized
to transact under A and B above.

                                   ARTICLE IV

         The mode and manner in which the corporate  powers of this  Corporation
shall be  exercised  are through a Board of  Directors  and by such  committees,
officers and agents as said Board of Directors may appoint or elect.

                                    ARTICLE V

         The number of the Directors of this Corporation  shall be not less than
thirteen (13) nor more than twenty-one  (21) persons,  a majority of whom at all
times shall be citizens  and  residents of the State of New York or of adjoining
states and not less than three of whom  shall be  residents  of the State of New
York.  The number of its  directors  shall be  determined by the By-Laws of this
Corporation but shall in no event be less than thirteen (13).
         The  Directors  of the  Corporation  need  not be  stockholders  of the
Corporation  and each shall be elected at the annual meeting of  stockholders of
the Corporation by plurality of the whole number of shares voted at the meeting.
Each  director  so elected  shall hold office  until the next annual  meeting of
stockholders and until his successor is elected and qualified.

         Vacancies  occurring in the Board of Directors in the intervals between
annual  meetings  of  stockholders  shall be  filled by a  majority  vote of the
remaining Directors in office at a special meeting called for that purpose or at
a regular meeting of the Board.

         Officers  of  the   Corporation   shall  be  elected   annually  at  an
organization  meeting  of the Board of  Directors,  notice of which  need not be
given, to be held annually immediately after the election of directors or at any
other meeting, duly held, whenever a vacancy in any office shall occur.

<PAGE>

                                   ARTICLE VI

         The names and post office  residence  addresses  of the  Directors  who
shall serve until the first annual meeting of this Corporation are:

Name                                        Address
- ----                                        -------
Arthur K. Atkinson, Sr.                     Apt. 13D Frontenao
                                            40 North Kingshighway
                                            St. Louis 8, Missouri

John D. Case                                Timberland Lane
                                            Old Brookville, New York

Harold M. Cole                              Union League Club
                                            38 E. 37th St.
                                            New York, New York

Edward B. Conway                            Bobolink Lane
                                            Greenwich, Conn.

David D. Grayson                            7 Melby Lane
                                            East Hills, New York

Glenn O. Head                               30 Winding Way
                                            Madison, New Jersey

Harold Holden                               25 Locust Lane
                                            Mt. Vernon, N.Y.

Berkeley D. Johnson                         33 Paddington Road
                                            Scarsdale, N.Y.

John H. Kostmayer                           536 E. 85 St.
                                            New York 28, New York

Michael Marchese                            68 Fair Hill Drive
                                            Long Meadow, Mass.

John A. Onsa                                Parktowne Place
                                            Apt. 1614 North
                                            Philadelphia 30, PA.

Rowland A. Robbins                          655 Park Ave.
                                            New York 21, New York

William E. Robinson                         Dairy Road
                                            Greenwich, Connecticut

<PAGE>

                                   ARTICLE VII

         The duration of the Corporation shall be perpetual.


                                  ARTICLE VIII

         The  amount  of the  capital  stock  of the  Corporation  shall be FIVE
HUNDRED THOUSAND  ($500,000)  Dollars,  consisting of TWO HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND
(250,000) shares of capital stock of the par value of TWO ($2.00) Dollars each.

                                   ARTICLE IX

         Unless otherwise determined by the Board of Directors, no holder of any
stock of the Corporation whether now or hereafter  authorized or issued,  shall,
as  such  holder,  have  any  right  to  purchase  or  subscribe  for any new or
additional  issue of (1) shares of stock, or of any option or options,  or other
instrument or instruments,  that shall confer upon the holder or holders thereof
the right to subscribe  for or to purchase or receive from the  Corporation  any
shares  of  its  stock,  whether  now  or  hereafter  authorized,  or (2) of any
obligations  which may be  convertible  into or  exchangeable  for any shares of
stock of the  Corporation,  or to which  shall be attached  or  appurtenant  any
option or options,  or other  instrument or instruments,  that shall confer upon
the holder or  holders of such  obligation,  option or  instrument  the right to
subscribe for, or to purchase or receive from the Corporation, any shares of its
stock;  and all such  rights are waived by each such  holder of the stock of the
Corporation.

                                    ARTICLE X

         The annual meeting of stockholders shall be held on the third Monday of
April in each and every year,  and if that day be a legal  holiday,  then on the
next succeeding business day.

         Notice  of the  time  and  place  of such  meeting  shall  be  given as
prescribed  in the  By-Laws  and as  required  by law,  including  notice to the
Superintendent  of Insurance of the State of New York to the extent  required by
law.

         Holders of record of a majority of the shares of capital  stock  issued
and  outstanding,  represented in person or by proxy,  shall constitute a quorum
for the  transaction  of  business  at any  meeting of  stockholders,  except as
otherwise  provided  by  law.  In the  absence  of a  quorum,  the  stockholders
attending or  represented  at the time and place for which a meeting  shall have
been  called,  or any officer  entitled to preside or act as  secretary  at such
meeting, may adjourn the meeting from time to time, without notice other than by
announcement  at the  meeting,  until  holders  of the number of shares of stock
requisite to constitute a quorum shall attend.

<PAGE>

         At  stockholders'  meetings each  stockholder  shall be entitled to one
vote, either in person or by proxy, for each share of stock held by him.

         The Board of  Directors  may fix a day,  not more than  forty (40) days
prior to the day of holding  any  meeting of the  stockholders  as the day as of
which  stockholders  entitled to notice of and to vote at such meeting  shall be
determined,  and only  stockholders  of record on such day shall be  entitled to
notice of or to vote at such meeting.

                                   ARTICLE XI

         The Board of  Directors  shall have power to appoint  from among  their
number an Executive  Committee  which, to the extent provided by the By-Laws and
permitted  by law,  shall  exercise  the powers of the Board of Directors in the
management of the property and affairs of the  Corporation  during the intervals
between the meetings of the Board of Directors.

                                   ARTICLE XII

         The Board of Directors may adopt such By-Laws,  not  inconsistent  with
this Charter and the laws of this State,  as may be deemed  appropriate  for the
election and  government of the officers of the  Corporation  and the conduct of
its business and affairs,  and the said Board shall have power to alter,  amend,
suspend and revoke the same.

                                  ARTICLE XIII

         The Corporation may issue both participating  policies or contracts and
non-participating  policies or contracts,  upon  receiving a special permit from
the  Superintendent  of  Insurance  of the  State  of New  York  so to do and in
compliance  with and pursuant to the  provisions of Section 216 of the Insurance
Law of the State of New York, as amended.

                                   ARTICLE XIV

         Each Director and each officer of the Corporation  shall be indemnified
by the Corporation  against  expenses  actually and reasonably  incurred by him,
including  attorneys' fees, in connection with any action, suit or proceeding to
which he may be made a party by reason of his having  been a director or officer
of the  Corporation  (whether or not he continued to be a director or officer at
the time of incurring such  expenses)  except in relation to matters as to which
he shall be  adjudged  in such  action,  suit or  proceeding  to be  liable  for
negligence  or  misconduct  in the  performance  of his duty as such director or
officer.  The foregoing right of  indemnification  shall not be exclusive of any
other right to which he may be entitled as a matter of law.

<PAGE>

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF,  we have hereunto  subscribed our names and affixed
our seals this 10th day of July, 1962.


                                              /S/ John W. Brown

                                              /S/ John D. Case

                                              /S/ Harold M. Cole

                                              /S/ John Confort, Jr.

                                              /S/ Herbert J. Deitz

                                              /S/ David D. Grayson

                                              /S/ John H. Kostmayer

                                              /S/ Arthur J. Marangelo

                                              /S/ Robert D. Murdock

                                              /S/ Joseph M. O'Brien

                                              /S/ Rowland A. Robbins

                                              /S/ George J. Solomon

                                              /S/ John P. Sullivan



STATE OF NEW YORK )
                                    :  ss.:
COUNTY OF NEW YORK         )


         On this 10th day of July, in the year nineteen  hundred and  sixty-two,
before me personally came JOHN W. BROWN, to me personally  known and known to me
to be the person who executed the foregoing instrument, and he individually duly
acknowledged before me that he executed the same.


                                               /S/ Grace C. Sorensen

                                               Grace C. Sorensen
                                               Notary Public, State of New York

<PAGE>

STATE OF NEW YORK )
                                    :  ss.:
COUNTY OF NEW YORK         )


         On this 10th day of July, in the year nineteen  hundred and  sixty-two,
before me personally  came JOHN D. CASE, to me personally  known and known to me
to be the person who executed the foregoing instrument, and he individually duly
acknowledged before me that he executed the same.


                                               /S/ Grace C. Sorensen

                                               Grace C. Sorensen
                                               Notary Public, State of New York




STATE OF NEW YORK )
                                    :  ss.:
COUNTY OF NEW YORK         )


         On this 10th day of July, in the year nineteen  hundred and  sixty-two,
before me personally came HAROLD M. COLE, to me personally known and known to me
to be the person who executed the foregoing instrument, and he individually duly
acknowledged before me that he executed the same.


                                               /S/ Grace C. Sorensen

                                               Grace C. Sorensen
                                               Notary Public, State of New York




STATE OF NEW YORK )
                                    :  ss.:
COUNTY OF NEW YORK         )


         On this 10th day of July, in the year nineteen  hundred and  sixty-two,
before me personally came JOHN CONFORT, JR., to me personally known and known to
me to be the person who executed the foregoing  instrument,  and he individually
duly acknowledged before me that he executed the same.


                                               /S/ Grace C. Sorensen

                                               Grace C. Sorensen
                                               Notary Public, State of New York

<PAGE>

STATE OF NEW YORK )
                                    :  ss.:
COUNTY OF NEW YORK         )


         On this 10th day of July, in the year nineteen  hundred and  sixty-two,
before me personally came HERBERT J. DEITZ, to me personally  known and known to
me to be the person who executed the foregoing  instrument,  and he individually
duly acknowledged before me that he executed the same.


                                               /S/ Grace C. Sorensen

                                               Grace C. Sorensen
                                               Notary Public, State of New York




STATE OF NEW YORK )
                                    :  ss.:
COUNTY OF NEW YORK         )


         On this 10th day of July, in the year nineteen  hundred and  sixty-two,
before me personally came DAVID D. GRAYSON,  to me personally known and known to
me to be the person who executed the foregoing  instrument,  and he individually
duly acknowledged before me that he executed the same.


                                               /S/ Grace C. Sorensen

                                               Grace C. Sorensen
                                               Notary Public, State of New York




STATE OF NEW YORK )
                                    :  ss.:
COUNTY OF NEW YORK         )


         On this 10th day of July, in the year nineteen  hundred and  sixty-two,
before me personally came JOHN H. KOSTMAYER, to me personally known and known to
me to be the person who executed the foregoing  instrument,  and he individually
duly acknowledged before me that he executed the same.


                                               /S/ Grace C. Sorensen

                                               Grace C. Sorensen
                                               Notary Public, State of New York

<PAGE>

STATE OF NEW YORK )
                                    :  ss.:
COUNTY OF NEW YORK         )


         On this 10th day of July, in the year nineteen  hundred and  sixty-two,
before me personally came ARTHUR J. MARANGELO,  to me personally known and known
to  me  to  be  the  person  who  executed  the  foregoing  instrument,  and  he
individually duly acknowledged before me that he executed the same.


                                               /S/ Grace C. Sorensen

                                               Grace C. Sorensen
                                               Notary Public, State of New York




STATE OF NEW YORK )
                                    :  ss.:
COUNTY OF NEW YORK         )


         On this 10th day of July, in the year nineteen  hundred and  sixty-two,
before me personally came ROBERT D. MURDOCK, to me personally known and known to
me to be the person who executed the foregoing  instrument,  and he individually
duly acknowledged before me that he executed the same.


                                               /S/ Grace C. Sorensen

                                               Grace C. Sorensen
                                               Notary Public, State of New York




STATE OF NEW YORK )
                                    :  ss.:
COUNTY OF NEW YORK         )


         On this 10th day of July, in the year nineteen  hundred and  sixty-two,
before me personally came JOSEPH M. O'BRIEN, to me personally known and known to
me to be the person who executed the foregoing  instrument,  and he individually
duly acknowledged before me that he executed the same.


                                               /S/ Grace C. Sorensen

                                               Grace C. Sorensen
                                               Notary Public, State of New York

<PAGE>

STATE OF NEW YORK )
                                    :  ss.:
COUNTY OF NEW YORK         )


         On this 10th day of July, in the year nineteen  hundred and  sixty-two,
before me personally came ROWLAND A. ROBBINS,  to me personally  known and known
to  me  to  be  the  person  who  executed  the  foregoing  instrument,  and  he
individually duly acknowledged before me that he executed the same.


                                               /S/ Grace C. Sorensen

                                               Grace C. Sorensen
                                               Notary Public, State of New York




STATE OF NEW YORK )
                                    :  ss.:
COUNTY OF NEW YORK         )


         On this 10th day of July, in the year nineteen  hundred and  sixty-two,
before me personally came GEORGE J. SOLOMON, to me personally known and known to
me to be the person who executed the foregoing  instrument,  and he individually
duly acknowledged before me that he executed the same.


                                               /S/ Grace C. Sorensen

                                               Grace C. Sorensen
                                               Notary Public, State of New York




STATE OF NEW YORK )
                                    :  ss.:
COUNTY OF NEW YORK         )


         On this 10th day of July, in the year nineteen  hundred and  sixty-two,
before me personally came JOHN P. SULLIVAN,  to me personally known and known to
me to be the person who executed the foregoing  instrument,  and he individually
duly acknowledged before me that he executed the same.


                                               /S/ Grace C. Sorensen

                                               Grace C. Sorensen
                                               Notary Public, State of New York




                            CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT


                       OF THE CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

                                       OF

                     FIRST INVESTORS LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY


              UNDER SECTION 805 OF THE BUSINESS CORPORATION LAW AND
                         SECTION 53 OF THE INSURANCE LAW


                                    * * * * *


               WE, THE UNDERSIGNED,  GLENN O. HEAD and RICHARD H. GAEBLER, being
respectively the executive  vice-president  and the secretary of FIRST INVESTORS
LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY hereby certify:

               1. The name of the  corporation is FIRST INVESTORS LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY.

               2. The Certificate of Incorporation of said corporation was filed
by the Superintendent of Insurance on the 6th day of September, 1962.

               3. (a) The  Certificate of  Incorporation  is amended to increase
the capital stock of the corporation from $500,000, consisting of 250,000 shares
of capital stock,  par value $2 per share, to $1,310,000,  consisting of 655,000
shares of capital stock, par value $2 per share.

                  (b) To effect the foregoing  Article VIII relating to the 
capital stock of the corporation is amended to read as follows:

               "The amount of the capital stock of the Corporation  shall be ONE
               MILLION  THREE  HUNDRED  TEN  THOUSAND  ($1,310,000.00)  DOLLARS,
               consisting of SIX HUNDRED FIFTY-FIVE THOUSAND (655,000) shares of
               capital stock of the par value of TWO ($2.00) DOLLARS each."

<PAGE>

               4.  The  amendment  was  authorized  by vote of  First  Investors
Corporation,  the sole shareholder of First Investors Life Insurance Company, at
a meeting  held  January  21,  1965 upon  notice  pursuant to Section 605 of the
Business Corporation Law of the State of New York.

               IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  we have signed this certificate on the 21st
day of January, 1965.

                                                  /S/ Glenn O. Head
                                                  ---------------------
                                                      Glenn O. Head
                                               Executive Vice President


                                                 /S/  Richard H. Gaebler
                                                  ---------------------
                                                      Richard H. Gaebler
                                                          Secretary


STATE OF NEW YORK )
                                    : ss:
COUNTY OF NEW YORK  )


               GLENN O. HEAD,  being first duly sworn,  deposes and says that he
is the Executive Vice President of First Investors Life Insurance  Company,  tht
he has read the foregoing  certificate  and knows the contents  thereof and that
the statements therein contained are true.

                                               /S/ Glenn O. Head
                                               ---------------------


Sworn to before me this 21st day of January, 1965.

/S/ Peter F. Huemme, Jr.
- ------------------------
Peter F. Huemme, Jr.
Notary Public, State of New York




                            CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT


                       OF THE CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

                                       OF

                     FIRST INVESTORS LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY

                        UNDER SECTION 805 OF THE BUSINESS
                        CORPORATION LAW AND SECTION 53 OF
                                THE INSURANCE LAW


                             * * * * * * * * * * * *

         WE, THE  UNDERSIGNED,  RICHARD H. GAEBLER and GRACE C. SORENSEN,  being
respectively  the President and the Secretary of FIRST  INVESTORS LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY hereby certify:

         1.  The  name of the  corporation  is FIRST  INVESTORS  LIFE  INSURANCE
COMPANY.

         2. The Certificate of  Incorporation  of said  corporation was filed by
the  Superintendent  of  Insurance  on the  6th  day of  September,  1962  and a
Certificate of Amendment thereto was filed by the Superintendent of Insurance on
the 9th day of April, 1965.

         3. The amendment to the Certificate of  Incorporation  effected by this
Certificate is as follows:  The first and second  paragraphs of Article X of the
Certificate of  Incorporation,  relating to the Annual Meeting of  Stockholders,
are  hereby  amended  so that the first  paragraph  is  deleted  and the  second
paragraph is amended to read as follows:

                           "Notice of the time and place of the  Annual  Meeting
                           of  Stockholders  shall be given as prescribed in the
                           By-Laws and as required by law,  including  notice to
                           the  Superintendent  of Insurance of the State of New
                           York to the extent required by law."

         4. The amendment was  authorized by vote of the  shareholders  of First
Investors  Life  Insurance  Company at a meeting  held June 4, 1974 upon  notice
pursuant  to Section  605 of the  Business  Corporation  Law of the State of New
York.

<PAGE>

         IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  we have signed this certificate on the 1st day of
October, 1974.

                                               /s/ Richard H. Gaebler
                                               ----------------------
                                                  Richard H. Gaebler
                                                      President



                                               /s/ Grace C. Sorensen
                                               ----------------------
                                                   Grace C. Sorensen
                                                       Secretary



STATE OF NEW YORK                )
                                 :
COUNTY OF NEW YORK               )


         RICHARD H. GAEBLER,  being duly sworn,  deposes and says that he is the
President  of  First  Investors  Life  Insurance  Company,  that he has read the
foregoing  certificate  and knows the contents  thereof and that the  statements
therein contained are true.



                                               /s/ Richard H. Gaebler
                                               ----------------------


Sworn to before me this
1st day of October, 1974


/s/ Winifred M. Veracka
- -----------------------
Winifred M. Veracka
Notary Public State of New York




                            CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT

                       OF THE CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
                                       OF
                     FIRST INVESTORS LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY

                        UNDER SECTION 805 OF THE BUSINESS
                        CORPORATION LAW AND SECTION 53 OF
                                THE INSURANCE LAW


                         * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

         WE, THE  UNDERSIGNED,  RICHARD H. GAEBLER and ANDREW J. DONOHUE,  being
respectively  the President and the Secretary of FIRST  INVESTORS LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY hereby certify:

         1.  The  name of the  corporation  is FIRST  INVESTORS  LIFE  INSURANCE
COMPANY.

         2. The Certificate of  Incorporation  of said  corporation was filed by
the  Superintendent  of  Insurance  on  the  6th  day  of  September,  1962  and
Certificates of Amendment thereto were filed by the  Superintendent of Insurance
on the 9th day of April, 1965 and the 4th day of November, 1974.

         3. (a) In  accordance  with  the  "Plan  for  Acquisition  of  Minority
Interests in First  Investors Life Insurance  Company"  approved by the New York
Insurance  Department on April 1, 1982,  the  Certificate  of  Incorporation  is
amended to  decrease  the  capital  stock of the  corporation  from  $1,130,000,
consisting of 655,000  shares of capital stock with a par value of $2 per share,
to $1,068,700, consisting of 534,350 shares of capital stock with a par value of
$2 per share.

            (b) To effect the foregoing, Article VIII relating to the capital 
stock of the corporation is amended to read as follows:

                  "The amount of capital stock of the  Corporation  shall be ONE
                  MILLION SIXTY EIGHT  THOUSAND  SEVEN  HUNDRED  ($1,068,700.00)
                  DOLLARS, consisting of FIVE HUNDRED THIRTY FOUR THOUSAND THREE
                  HUNDRED  FIFTY  (534,350)  shares of capital  stock of the par
                  value of TWO ($2.00) DOLLARS each.

         4. The amendment was  authorized by vote of the  shareholders  of FIRST
INVESTORS  LIFE  INSURANCE  COMPANY at a meeting  held June 8, 1982 upon  notice
pursuant  to Section  605 of the  Business  Corporation  Law of the State of New
York.

<PAGE>

         IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  we have signed this certificate on the 1st day of
September, 1982.


                                               /s/ Richard H. Gaebler
                                               ----------------------
                                                   Richard H. Gaebler
                                                       President



                                               /s/ Andrew J. Donohue
                                               ----------------------
                                                  Andrew J. Donohue
                                                      Secretary



STATE OF NEW YORK     )
                                     :
COUNTY OF NEW YORK )

         RICHARD H. GAEBLER,  being duly sworn,  deposes and says that he is the
President  of  First  Investors  Life  Insurance  Company,  that he has read the
foregoing  certificate  and knows the contents and that the  statements  therein
contained are true.


                                               /s/ Richard H. Gaebler
                                               ----------------------

Sworn to before me this 
1st day of September, 1982.



/s/ Elizabeth Azar
- ------------------
Elizabeth Azar
Notary Public, State of New York



                            CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT


                       OF THE CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

                                       OF

                     FIRST INVESTORS LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY

                        UNDER SECTION 805 OF THE BUSINESS
               CORPORATION LAW AND SECTION 53 OF THE INSURANCE LAW

                           * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

               WE, THE  UNDERSIGNED,  RICHARD H. GAEBLER and ANDREW J.  DONOHUE,
being  respectively  the  President and the  Secretary of FIRST  INVESTORS  LIFE
INSURANCE COMPANY hereby certify:

               1. The name of the  corporation is FIRST INVESTORS LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY.

               2. The Certificate of Incorporation of said corporation was filed
by the  Superintendent  of  Insurance  on the 6th  day of  September,  1962  and
Certificates of Amendment thereto were filed by the  Superintendent of Insurance
on the 9th day of April, 1965, the 4th day of November, 1974 and the 27th day of
October, 1982.

               3. The amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation  effected by
this Certificate is as follows: Article VIII of the Certificate of Incorporation
is amended to read as follows:

                  The amount of capital  stock of the  Corporation  shall be ONE
                  MILLION ONE HUNDRED  TWENTY TWO  THOUSAND  ONE HUNDRED  THIRTY
                  FIVE DOLLARS ($1,122,135.00) consisting of FIVE HUNDRED THIRTY
                  FOUR THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED FIFTY (534,350)  shares of capital
                  stock of the par value of TWO  DOLLARS  AND TEN CENTS  ($2.10)
                  each.

<PAGE>

               4. The amendment was  authorized by vote of the  shareholders  of
FIRST  INVESTORS  LIFE  INSURANCE  COMPANY  at a meeting  held June 5, 1984 upon
notice  pursuant to Section 605 of the Business  corporation Law of the State of
New York.

               IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  we have signed this  certificate on the 7th
day of June, 1984.



                                               /S/ Richard H. Gaebler
                                               ----------------------
                                                   Richard H. Gaebler
                                                       President



                                               /S/ Andrew J. Donohue
                                               ----------------------
                                                   Andrew J. Donohue
                                                       Secretary


STATE OF NEW YORK )
                                    :
COUNTY OF NEW YORK         )

               RICHARD H. GAEBLER, being duly sworn, deposes and says that he is
the President of First  Investors Life Insurance  Company,  that he has read the
foregoing  certificate  and knows the contents and that the  statements  therein
contained are true.



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


Sworn to before me this 7th day of June, 1984.

/S/ Karen McCarthy
- ------------------
Karen McCarthy
Notary Public, State of New York


                                     BY-LAWS

                                       of

                     FIRST INVESTORS LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY

                                    ARTICLE I

Section 1.        Principal Office

         The principal  office of the  Corporation  shall be located at 120 Wall
Street in the City and County of New York,  but the  location  of the  principal
office may be changed, from time to time, to any other place within the State of
New York in the manner provided by law.

Section 2.        Other Offices, Doing Business

         The  Corporation  may also have such other office or offices,  agencies
and  branches  within or without the State of New York as the Board of Directors
or the Executive Committee may, from time to time,  designate or as the business
of the Corporation may require,  and it may carry on its business wherever it is
or may hereafter be duly licensed so to do.

Section 3.        Place where Books are to be kept

         The  original  or  duplicate  stock  ledger  containing  the  names and
addresses of the  shareholders,  the number and class of shares held by each and
the dates when they  respectively  became the owners of record thereof,  correct
books of account of all the business and transactions of the Corporation, copies
of the Charter of the Corporation  and the By-Laws,  the minutes of the meetings
of the Corporation's shareholders, directors and committees and such other books
and records as may, from time to time be required by law to be so kept, shall be
kept at the principal  office of the  Corporation  in New York.  Other books and
records  of the  Corporation  may be kept at such  place or  places,  within  or
without the State of New York, as the Board or the Executive  Committee may from
time to time, designate, or as the business of the Corporation may require.

                                   ARTICLE II

                            Meetings of Shareholders

Section 1.        Annual Meeting.

         The annual meeting of shareholders of the Corporation  shall be held on
the first  Tuesday of June,  unless the  previous day is  celebrated  as a legal
holiday in which event the meeting shall be held on the second  Tuesday of June.
Such meeting shall be held at the principal place of business of the Corporation
in the City and State of New York,  or at such other place within or without the
State of New York as may be designated by the Board.

<PAGE>

Section 2.        Special Meetings

         Special meetings of the shareholders,  for any purpose or purposes, may
be called by the Board or the President, and shall be called by the Secretary at
the  request,  in  writing,  of  shareholders  owing a majority in number of the
issued and outstanding  capital shares of the  Corporation,  which request shall
state the purpose or purposes of the proposed  meeting.  Such  special  meetings
shall be held at such time and place,  within or without  the State of New York,
as may be determined by the person or persons calling such meeting.

Section 3.        Notice

         Written notice of the annual or special meetings of shareholders  shall
be given as provided by applicable  law, to each  shareholder of record entitled
to  vote  thereat.  A  copy  of  every  such  notice  shall  be  mailed  to  the
Superintendent  of  Insurance  of the State of New York at least ten days before
the day set for such meeting.

Section 4.        Quorum

         The  presence  of a  quorum  for the  transaction  of  business  at all
meetings  of the  shareholders  shall  be  determined  in  accordance  with  the
provisions of the Charter.

                                   ARTICLE III

                                    Directors

Section 1.        Number, Terms and Duties

         The business of this Corporation shall be managed and controlled by the
Board,  which may adopt such rules and  regulations for that purpose and for the
conduct of its meetings as it may deem proper.  The number of directors shall be
fixed from time to time,  within  the limits  prescribed  by the  Charter,  by a
majority  vote of the entire  Board,  but no decrease in the number of directors
shall shorten the term of any incumbent director.

Section 2.        Removal of Directors

         Except as otherwise provided by law, any or all of the directors may be
removed with or without cause at any time by a majority vote of the shareholders
at any meeting called for that purpose. 


                                     - 2 -
<PAGE>

Section 3.        Vacancies

         Vacancies in the Board may be filled in accordance  with the provisions
of the Charter, and individuals designated to fill such vacancies shall not take
office nor exercise the duties  thereof until ten days after  written  notice of
their  election  shall have been filed in the  office of the  Superintendent  of
Insurance.

                                   ARTICLE IV

                               Directors' Meetings

Section 1.        First Meeting of the Board

         The first  meeting of the Board to be held  after an annual  meeting of
shareholders  for the  election  of  directors  shall be called and held for the
purposes of organization, the election or appointment of officers and members of
the Executive,  Finance and Stock Option  Committees and the transaction of such
other business as may come before the meeting.

Section2.         Regular Meetings.

         Regular meetings of the Board, no notices of which need be given, shall
be held on the first  Tuesday of March,  the Tuesday  immediately  following the
second Monday of September  and the first  Tuesday of December,  unless any such
day be a legal  holiday,  in which  event the  meeting  will be held on the next
succeeding business day. Commencing in 1974, the annual meeting of the Board, no
notice of which  need be  given,  shall be held on the  first  Tuesday  of June,
unless the  previous  day is  celebrated  as a legal  holiday in which event the
meeting will be held on the second Tuesday of June.  Such meetings shall be held
at the principal  place of business of the  Corporation in the City and State of
New York,  or at such other place within or without the State of New York as may
be designated by the Board.

Section 3.        Special Meetings

         The  Chairman,  or in his  absence  the  President,  may call a special
meeting of the Board at any time.  The  Secretary  shall call such  meeting upon
written request of five members of the Board or upon resolution of the Executive
Committee. All meetings, other than any meeting the giving of notice of which is
otherwise  prescribed  by law,  shall be called by a written or  printed  notice
mailed  to  each  Director  at  least  three  days  before  the  meeting  or  by
electrically transmitted notice given not less than twenty-four hours before the
hour set for the meeting, but all such notice may be waived at any time. For the
purpose of this section, notice will be deemed to be duly given to a director if
given to him orally  (including  by telephone) or if such notice be delivered to
such director in person or be mailed, telegraphed or cabled to his address as it
appears upon the books of the  Corporation  or to the address last made known in
writing to the Secretary of the  Corporation  by such director as the address to
which such notices are to be given.


                                     - 3 -
<PAGE>

Section 4.        Voting

         Each  director  present  shall  be  entitled  to cast  one  vote on all
questions coming before a meeting of the Board.  Except as otherwise provided by
law or in these  By-Laws,  the vote of a majority of the Directors  present at a
meeting at the time of a vote, if a quorum is present at such time, shall be the
act of the Board.

Section 5.        Quorum

         A  majority  of the  entire  Board  shall  constitute  a quorum for the
transaction  of business,  but less than a quorum may adjourn from time to time,
any  meeting  until a quorum  shall be  present,  without  notice  other than by
announcement at the meeting.

Section 6.        Fees

         The fees to be paid to directors  for  attending  committee  meeting or
meetings  of the  Board  may be fixed by the  Board  from  time to time,  in its
discretion,  subject to the  provisions of Section 214 of the New York Insurance
Law, as now or hereafter amended, or of other applicable law.

Section 7.        Organization, Chairman and Secretary of Meetings

         The Chairman, or in his absence the President of the Corporation, or in
their  absence a Vice  President,  shall call all meetings of the Board to order
and  shall  act as  Chairman  of the  meeting.  In the  absence  of all of  such
officers,  a director  chosen by those  present  shall call all  meetings of the
Board to order and shall act as Chairman of the meeting.

         The  Secretary  of the  Corporation,  or in his  absence,  an Assistant
Secretary, or, in the absence of both, a person appointed by the Chairman of the
meeting,  shall act as Secretary of the meeting and shall keep and make a record
of the proceedings thereat.

Section 8.        Officers on the Board

         The number of officers and salaried  employees of the  Corporation  who
are  members of the Board shall at all times be less than a quorum of the entire
Board.


                                     - 4 -
<PAGE>

                                    ARTICLE V

                                   Committees

Section 1.        Formation

         At the first  meeting of the Board to be held after the annual  meeting
of shareholders,  members of the Executive,  Finance and Stock Option Committees
shall be elected.  Members of such committees  shall hold office for one year or
until their successors  shall be elected.  At any meeting of the Board there may
be elected such special or other committees as the Board may deem necessary, the
members of which shall hold  office for such period as the Board may  determine,
or until their  successors  shall be elected.  In establishing  special or other
committees,  the Board shall specify the purpose for which they are established,
appropriate  names for each, the number of members thereof,  and the limitations
within  which the  powers  vested in them may be  exercised.  The action of each
committee  shall be recorded and a report shall be submitted to the Board at its
meeting next succeeding such action.

Section 2.        Executive Committee

         The  Executive  Committee of the Board shall  consist of such number as
the Board may determine, but not less than three Directors, all of whom shall be
elected  from the  membership  of the  Board.  The Board may also elect from its
membership alternate members of the Executive Committee and state the succession
in which the alternates  shall act as members of the Executive  Committee in the
event of the absence of any member. During the intervals between meetings of the
Board, the Executive  Committee shall have all powers of the Board to the extent
permitted by the Charter and by law.

Section 3.        Finance Committee

         The Finance  Committee of the Board shall consist of such number as the
Board may  determine,  but not less than three  directors,  all of whom shall be
elected  from the  membership  of the  Board.  The Board may also elect from its
membership  alternate  members of the Finance Committee and state the succession
in which the  alternates  shall act as members of the Finance  Committee  in the
event of the  absence of any  member.  The  Finance  Committee  shall act as the
investment  committee  and,  subject to the  direction and control of the Board,
shall  be  charged  with  the  duty  and   responsibility   of  supervising  the
Corporation's  investments  and loans,  including the power to invest,  acquire,
exchange and dispose of any of the assets of the  Corporation in such manner and
in such amounts as the committee may determine. All investments shall be made in
the name of "First Investors Life Insurance  Company" and shall be authorized or
approved by the Board or by the Finance Committee.


                                     - 5 -
<PAGE>

Section 4.        Audit Committee

         The Audit  Committee  of the Board shall  consist of such number as the
Board may  determine  and shall be  comprised  solely of  Directors  who are not
officers  or  employees  of  the  Corporation  or  of  any  entity  controlling,
controlled  by, or under  common  control with the  Corporation  and who are not
beneficial  owners  of a  controlling  interest  in  the  voting  stock  of  the
Corporation or any such entity.  The Audit Committee  shall have  responsibility
for  recommending  the selection of independent  certified  public  accountants;
reviewing the Corporation's financial condition and the scope and results of the
independent audit and any internal audit; nominating candidates for Director for
election by  shareholders;  evaluating the  performance of officers deemed to be
principal officers of the Corporation and recommending to the Board of Directors
the selection and compensation of such principal officers.

Section 5.        Quorum

         A majority  of the entire  Executive  Committee  or the entire  Finance
Committee  shall  constitute  a quorum to transact  business,  provided,  that a
quorum shall  consist of at least three  members and an  affirmative  vote of at
least three members shall be necessary  for action.  Members of such  committees
who are officers and salaried employees of the Corporation shall constitute less
than a majority of each committee.

                                   ARTICLE VI

                                    Officers

Section 1.        Election and Term

         The following officers of the Corporation shall be elected by the Board
at its annual meeting: The Chairman, the President, one or more Vice Presidents,
the Secretary and the Treasurer.  The Board may elect,  from time to time,  such
other  officers  as it may deem  necessary  or proper  for the  dispatch  of the
Corporation's  business,  including  without  limitation a General  Counsel,  an
Actuary,  a Comptroller and such number of Assistant Vice Presidents,  Assistant
Secretaries  and  Assistant  Treasurers  as it  may,  from  time to  time,  deem
requisite.  The Chairman and the President  shall be elected from the membership
of the  Board.  All  officers  of  the  Corporation  shall  hold  office  at the
discretion  of the  Board,  and any  officer  may be  removed at any time by the
affirmative  vote of a majority of the entire Board.  Vacancies may be filled at
any meeting of the Board.  In the event of the failure of the Board to elect the
officers at its annual  meeting,  such officers may be elected at any subsequent
meeting of the Board.


                                     - 6 -
<PAGE>

Section 2.        Powers and Duties of Chairman

         The Chairman shall preside at all meetings of the  shareholders  and of
the Board at which he is present  and shall have such other  powers and  perform
such other  duties as may be assigned to him from time to time by the Board.  He
shall  have  power to sign and  acknowledge  all deeds and  instruments  for the
transfer, conveyance or assignment of corporate property, discharge of mortgages
and all other instruments, contracts or evidence of obligation necessary for the
transaction of the corporate business,  including all policies of insurance, and
to sign all annual or other statements required by the insurance  departments of
the various states, territories,  districts, countries or jurisdictions in which
the Corporation may apply for or be granted permission to transact business.

Section 3.        Powers and Duties of the President

         The President  shall perform such duties as may be assigned to him from
time to time by the Board.  In the absence of the Chairman,  he shall preside at
all meetings of the shareholders and of the Board.  Unless otherwise directed by
the Board or the Executive Committee,  he may from time to time designate one of
the Vice  Presidents to perform the duties of the President  during the latter's
absence.  Subject to the direction of the Board he shall be the chief  executive
officer of the  Corporation,  shall have the general care and supervision of the
affairs of the Corporation and the direction of its officers,  together with the
powers  and  duties  usually  incident  to the  office  of  President  except as
specifically  limited by  appropriate  resolution  of the Board,  and shall have
power to sign and  acknowledge  all  deeds  and  instruments  for the  transfer,
conveyance or assignment of corporate  property,  discharge of mortgages and all
other  instruments,  contracts  or  evidence  of  obligation  necessary  for the
transaction of corporate business,  including all policies of insurance,  and to
sign all annual or other statements required by the insurance departments of the
various states, territories,  districts, countries or jurisdictions in which the
Corporation may apply for or be granted permission to transact business.

Section 4.        Powers and Duties of Vice President

         In the absence or inability to act of the President or if the office of
President be vacant, the Vice Presidents,  in order of seniority or in any other
order  determined  by the Board,  subject to the right of the Board from time to
time to extend or confine  such  power and  duties or to assign  them to others,
shall  perform all the duties and may exercise all the powers of the  President.
It shall be the  duty of the Vice  President  to  assist  the  President  in the
performance of his duties,  and each Vice President shall have such other powers
and shall  perform  such  other  duties as may be  assigned  by the  Board,  the
Executive Committee or the President.


                                     - 7 -
<PAGE>

Section 5.        Powers and Duties of Secretary

         The   Secretary   shall  act  as  Secretary  of  all  meetings  of  the
shareholders  and of the Board at which he is  present,  shall have  supervision
over the giving and serving of notices of the Corporation,  shall keep, or cause
to be  kept,  a  complete  record  of the  proceedings  of all  meetings  of the
shareholders,  Board,  Executive  Committee,  Finance Committee and Stock Option
Committee,  shall be the  custodian of all  corporate  books and records,  shall
present at each annual meeting of the  shareholders an alphabetical  list of the
shareholders  with the  number of shares  held by each and shall have such other
powers and perform such other duties as may be assigned to him from time to time
by the Board, the Executive Committee or the President.

Section 6.        Powers and Duties of Treasurer

         Subject to the  supervision  of the Finance  Committee,  the  Treasurer
shall be the chief  investment  officer of the  Corporation,  shall have general
supervision  over  the care and  custody  of the  funds  and  securities  of the
Corporation  and shall deposit the same or cause the same to be deposited in the
name of the Corporation in such bank or banks, trust company or trust companies,
and in such safe deposit company or companies as the Finance  Committee or Board
may  designate,  shall have  supervision  over the account of all  receipts  and
disbursements of the Corporation,  shall, whenever required by the Board, render
or cause to be rendered financial statements of the Corporation,  shall have the
power and perform the duties  usually  incident to the office of Treasurer,  and
shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as may be assigned to
him by the Board, the Executive Committee or the President.

Section 7.        Other Offices

         All other officers shall perform such duties as are assigned to them by
the  President  and  comply  with  such  orders  and  rules as the  Board or the
Executive Committee may issue from time to time.


Section 8.        Honorary Titles of Employees

         The Board of Directors may by resolution  from time to time confer upon
employees of the Corporation the honorary titles of Sales Vice President, Second
Sales Vice  President and Assistant Vice  President.  Said titles shall be of an
honorary  nature only,  and shall not subject  their  recipients  to any duty or
obligation  of any officer of the  Corporation  nor shall they confer upon their
recipients  any  authority  or power to act in any capacity as an officer of the
Corporation.  Said  titles may be  revoked at any time with or without  cause by
resolution of the Board of Directors.


                                     - 8 -
<PAGE>

                                   ARTICLE VII

                                 Corporate Seal

         The  corporate  seal shall be kept in the custody of the  Secretary and
shall be affixed by him to such  papers  executed by the  Corporation  as may be
necessary or customary.

                                  ARTICLE VIII

                             Execution of Documents

Section 1.        Execution

         The  President or any Vice  President  shall have the power to bind the
Corporation  upon  any  and  all  policies  of  insurance  contracts  and  other
obligatory  instruments by his signature and execution  thereof  attested by the
signature of the  Secretary,  any Assistant  Secretary or a Registrar,  and such
execution  shall be deemed to be the act of the  Corporation.  Such  signatures,
when  authorized by the Board,  may be engraved or printed  facsimiles  provided
they are countersigned by a Registrar, Assistant Secretary or Secretary.

Section 2.        Facsimiles

         Where  engraved  or  printed  facsimile  signatures  are used on policy
forms,  checks,  receipts  or  other  instruments  issued  or  delivered  by the
Corporation,  such policy forms,  checks,  receipts or other instruments bearing
the  facsimile  signature  of  a  deceased,  retired  or  disabled  officer  may
nevertheless  be issued and  delivered  during a period not exceeding six months
after the death, retirement, or disablement of such officer.

                                   ARTICLE IX

                             Certificates for Shares

         Certificates  representing  shares of capital stock of the  Corporation
shall be in such form,  consistent  with law and with the  Charter,  as shall be
approved  by the Board.  They shall be  consecutively  numbered  in the order of
their issue and shall be signed by the  President or any Vice  President  and by
the  Secretary  or any  Assistant  Secretary or the  Treasurer or any  Assistant
Treasurer,  and shall be sealed with the corporate seal of the  Corporation or a
facsimile  thereof.  Where  certificates  are manually signed by a registrar all
other  signatures on the certificate may be facsimile,  engraved or printed.  In
case any officer who shall have signed any such certificate,  or whose facsimile
signature  shall have been used thereon,  shall cease to be such officer  before
such  certificate  shall have been issued by the  Corporation,  such certificate
may,  nevertheless,  be used by the Corporation  with the same effect as if such
officer had not ceased to be such at the date of  issuance of such  certificate.
The Board may appoint a Transfer Agent by whom the shares of the Corporation may
be transferred,  and also a Registrar, by whom the shares may be registered, and
in the event of such appointments,  no certificate for shares of the Corporation
shall be valid unless  countersigned  by such Transfer  Agent and  registered by
such Registrar.


                                     - 9 -
<PAGE>

                                    ARTICLE X

                               Transfer of Shares

Section 1.        Transfers

         Certificates for shares may be transferred only by assignment  endorsed
thereon,  or an instrument of assignment  attached thereto,  and executed by the
person  named in the  certificate  or by an  attorney  lawfully  constituted  in
writing. Except as provided below, transfer of shares shall be made on the books
of the Corporation only upon a surrender of the certificate  properly  assigned,
and upon such surrender a new certificate shall be issued to the assignee signed
as provided in "Article IX". The surrendered  certificate shall be cancelled and
delivered to the  Secretary  who shall  preserve  the same.  In the event that a
certificate has been lost, mislaid, stolen or destroyed, upon written request of
the  holder  thereof,  accompanied  by  an  affidavit  of  loss,  a  replacement
certificate may  nevertheless be issued in lieu thereof,  in the exercise of the
Corporation's  discretion,  which shall be evidenced  by a letter  signed by the
President  or any Vice  President,  provided  that  prior to such issue a surety
bond,  in form  approved by counsel,  be  furnished  for the  protection  of the
Corporation, its Transfer Agent, if any, and its Registrar.

Section 2.        Fixing of Record Date

         Subject to, and in accordance with, the provisions of the Charter,  the
Board may at any time fix a record  date not more  than  forty nor less than ten
days prior to (a) the date of any meeting of shareholders or (b) the last day on
which  shareholders are entitled to express consent or dissent from any proposal
without a meeting, as the date as of which shareholders entitled to notice of or
to vote at such a meeting,  or whose  consent or dissent is  required  or may be
expressed, for any purpose, as the case may be, shall be determined, and, except
as  otherwise  provided  by law,  all  persons who were the holders of record of
voting  shares at such date and no others  shall be entitled to notice of and to
vote at such meeting or to express their consent or dissent, as the case may be.

Section 3.        Holders of Record

         The Corporation shall be entitled to treat the holders of record of any
share or shares as the holder in fact thereof and accordingly shall not be bound
to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or shares
on the part of any person whether or not the  Corporation  shall have express or
other notice thereof.


                                     - 10 -
<PAGE>

                                   ARTICLE XI

             Statutory Agents:         Powers of Attorney:        Qualification

         The President or any Vice President is authorized to appoint  statutory
agents of the Corporation,  and to execute,  with the Secretary or any Assistant
Secretary,  powers of attorney in evidence  thereof,  authorizing them to accept
service of process against the Corporation, to execute any and all papers and to
comply  with  all  applicable  requirements  of  law in  order  to  qualify  the
Corporation  to do  business  in any  state,  territory,  district,  country  or
jurisdiction and to take any other action on behalf of the Corporation necessary
or proper to be taken in compliance with law or with rules or regulations of the
supervisory authorities in order to qualify the Corporation to do business.

                                   ARTICLE XII

                                Waiver of Notice

Meetings Held on Waiver

         Whenever  any notice is required to be given  under the  provisions  of
these  By-Laws,  or of the  Charter,  or of any of the laws of the  State of New
York, a waiver thereof, in writing,  signed by the person or persons entitled to
such notice,  whether before or after the time stated  therein,  shall be deemed
equivalent thereto. The attendance of any shareholder at a meeting, in person or
by proxy,  without protesting prior to the conclusion of the meeting the lack of
notice of such meeting, shall constitute a waiver of notice by him.


                                     - 11 -
<PAGE>

                                  ARTICLE XIII

                                   Amendments

Section 1.        By the Directors

         In accordance with the provisions of the Charter,  these By-Laws may be
amended,  added to, altered or repealed,  or new by-laws may be adopted,  at any
regular or special  meeting  of the Board at which a quorum is  present,  by the
affirmative  vote of a majority of the directors  then in office.  If any by-law
regulating an impending election of directors is adopted, amended or repealed by
the Board,  there  shall be set forth in the  notice of the next  meeting of the
shareholders  for the  election of directors  the by-law so adopted,  amended or
repealed, together with a concise statement of the changes made.

                                   ARTICLE XIV

                                 Indemnification

         To  the  full  extent  authorized  by  law  and  by  the  Charter,  the
Corporation  shall and hereby does indemnify any person who shall at any time be
made,  or  threatened  to be made,  a party in any civil or  criminal  action or
proceeding  by reason of the fact that he, his  testator or his  intestate is or
was a director or officer of the  Corporation or served  another  corporation in
any  capacity  at the  request  of the  Corporation,  provided,  that the notice
required by Section 62-a of the  Insurance  Law of the State of New York, as now
in effect or as amended from time to time, be filed with the  Superintendent  of
Insurance.


                                     - 12 -


                  FIRST INVESTORS LIFE VARIABLE ANNUITY FUND A



                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

      KNOW  ALL MEN BY  THESE  PRESENTS  that  the  undersigned  officer  and/or
director of First  Investors  Life  Insurance  Company,  as  Depositor  of First
Investors Life Variable Annuity Fund A, hereby appoints Glenn O. Head or Richard
H.  Gaebler,  and each of them his true and  lawful  attorney  to execute in his
name, place and stead and on his behalf a Registration Statement on Form N-4 for
the  registration  pursuant  to the  Securities  Act of 1933 and the  Investment
Company Act of 1940 of variable annuity contracts, and any and all amendments to
said  Registration  Statement  (including  post-effective  amendments),  and all
instruments necessary or incidental in connection therewith and to file the same
with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Said attorney shall have full power
and  authority  to do and  perform in the name and on behalf of the  undersigned
every act whatsoever requisite or desirable to be done in the premises, as fully
and to all  intents  and  purposes  as the  undersigned  might or could do,  the
undersigned hereby ratifying and approving all such acts of said attorney.

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned has subscribed  these presents this 7th
day of November, 1996.


                                            /s/ Richard H. Gaebler
                                            ----------------------
                                                Richard H. Gaebler

<PAGE>


                  FIRST INVESTORS LIFE VARIABLE ANNUITY FUND A



                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

      KNOW  ALL MEN BY  THESE  PRESENTS  that  the  undersigned  officer  and/or
director of First  Investors  Life  Insurance  Company,  as  Depositor  of First
Investors Life Variable Annuity Fund A, hereby appoints Glenn O. Head or Richard
H.  Gaebler,  and each of them his true and  lawful  attorney  to execute in his
name, place and stead and on his behalf a Registration Statement on Form N-4 for
the  registration  pursuant  to the  Securities  Act of 1933 and the  Investment
Company Act of 1940 of variable annuity contracts, and any and all amendments to
said  Registration  Statement  (including  post-effective  amendments),  and all
instruments necessary or incidental in connection therewith and to file the same
with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Said attorney shall have full power
and  authority  to do and  perform in the name and on behalf of the  undersigned
every act whatsoever requisite or desirable to be done in the premises, as fully
and to all  intents  and  purposes  as the  undersigned  might or could do,  the
undersigned hereby ratifying and approving all such acts of said attorney.

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned has subscribed  these presents this 7th
day of November, 1996.


                                            /s/ Glenn O. Head
                                            -----------------
                                                Glenn O. Head

<PAGE>


                  FIRST INVESTORS LIFE VARIABLE ANNUITY FUND A



                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

      KNOW  ALL MEN BY  THESE  PRESENTS  that  the  undersigned  officer  and/or
director of First  Investors  Life  Insurance  Company,  as  Depositor  of First
Investors Life Variable Annuity Fund A, hereby appoints Glenn O. Head or Richard
H.  Gaebler,  and each of them his true and  lawful  attorney  to execute in his
name, place and stead and on his behalf a Registration Statement on Form N-4 for
the  registration  pursuant  to the  Securities  Act of 1933 and the  Investment
Company Act of 1940 of variable annuity contracts, and any and all amendments to
said  Registration  Statement  (including  post-effective  amendments),  and all
instruments necessary or incidental in connection therewith and to file the same
with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Said attorney shall have full power
and  authority  to do and  perform in the name and on behalf of the  undersigned
every act whatsoever requisite or desirable to be done in the premises, as fully
and to all  intents  and  purposes  as the  undersigned  might or could do,  the
undersigned hereby ratifying and approving all such acts of said attorney.

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned has subscribed  these presents this 7th
day of November, 1996.


                                            /s/ Scott Hodes
                                            ---------------
                                                Scott Hodes

<PAGE>


                  FIRST INVESTORS LIFE VARIABLE ANNUITY FUND A



                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

      KNOW  ALL MEN BY  THESE  PRESENTS  that  the  undersigned  officer  and/or
director of First  Investors  Life  Insurance  Company,  as  Depositor  of First
Investors Life Variable Annuity Fund A, hereby appoints Glenn O. Head or Richard
H.  Gaebler,  and each of them his true and  lawful  attorney  to execute in his
name, place and stead and on his behalf a Registration Statement on Form N-4 for
the  registration  pursuant  to the  Securities  Act of 1933 and the  Investment
Company Act of 1940 of variable annuity contracts, and any and all amendments to
said  Registration  Statement  (including  post-effective  amendments),  and all
instruments necessary or incidental in connection therewith and to file the same
with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Said attorney shall have full power
and  authority  to do and  perform in the name and on behalf of the  undersigned
every act whatsoever requisite or desirable to be done in the premises, as fully
and to all  intents  and  purposes  as the  undersigned  might or could do,  the
undersigned hereby ratifying and approving all such acts of said attorney.

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned has subscribed  these presents this 7th
day of November, 1996.


                                            /s/ Kathryn S. Head
                                            -------------------
                                                Kathryn S. Head

<PAGE>


                  FIRST INVESTORS LIFE VARIABLE ANNUITY FUND A



                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

      KNOW  ALL MEN BY  THESE  PRESENTS  that  the  undersigned  officer  and/or
director of First  Investors  Life  Insurance  Company,  as  Depositor  of First
Investors Life Variable Annuity Fund A, hereby appoints Glenn O. Head or Richard
H.  Gaebler,  and each of them his true and  lawful  attorney  to execute in his
name, place and stead and on his behalf a Registration Statement on Form N-4 for
the  registration  pursuant  to the  Securities  Act of 1933 and the  Investment
Company Act of 1940 of variable annuity contracts, and any and all amendments to
said  Registration  Statement  (including  post-effective  amendments),  and all
instruments necessary or incidental in connection therewith and to file the same
with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Said attorney shall have full power
and  authority  to do and  perform in the name and on behalf of the  undersigned
every act whatsoever requisite or desirable to be done in the premises, as fully
and to all  intents  and  purposes  as the  undersigned  might or could do,  the
undersigned hereby ratifying and approving all such acts of said attorney.

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned has subscribed  these presents this 7th
day of November, 1996.


                                            /s/ Jackson Ream
                                            ----------------
                                                Jackson Ream

<PAGE>


                  FIRST INVESTORS LIFE VARIABLE ANNUITY FUND A



                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

      KNOW  ALL MEN BY  THESE  PRESENTS  that  the  undersigned  officer  and/or
director of First  Investors  Life  Insurance  Company,  as  Depositor  of First
Investors Life Variable Annuity Fund A, hereby appoints Glenn O. Head or Richard
H.  Gaebler,  and each of them his true and  lawful  attorney  to execute in his
name, place and stead and on his behalf a Registration Statement on Form N-4 for
the  registration  pursuant  to the  Securities  Act of 1933 and the  Investment
Company Act of 1940 of variable annuity contracts, and any and all amendments to
said  Registration  Statement  (including  post-effective  amendments),  and all
instruments necessary or incidental in connection therewith and to file the same
with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Said attorney shall have full power
and  authority  to do and  perform in the name and on behalf of the  undersigned
every act whatsoever requisite or desirable to be done in the premises, as fully
and to all  intents  and  purposes  as the  undersigned  might or could do,  the
undersigned hereby ratifying and approving all such acts of said attorney.

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned has subscribed  these presents this 7th
day of November, 1996.


                                            /s/ Nelson Schaenen, Jr.
                                            ------------------------
                                                Nelson Schaenen, Jr.

<PAGE>


                  FIRST INVESTORS LIFE VARIABLE ANNUITY FUND A



                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

      KNOW  ALL MEN BY  THESE  PRESENTS  that  the  undersigned  officer  and/or
director of First  Investors  Life  Insurance  Company,  as  Depositor  of First
Investors Life Variable Annuity Fund A, hereby appoints Glenn O. Head or Richard
H.  Gaebler,  and each of them his true and  lawful  attorney  to execute in his
name, place and stead and on his behalf a Registration Statement on Form N-4 for
the  registration  pursuant  to the  Securities  Act of 1933 and the  Investment
Company Act of 1940 of variable annuity contracts, and any and all amendments to
said  Registration  Statement  (including  post-effective  amendments),  and all
instruments necessary or incidental in connection therewith and to file the same
with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Said attorney shall have full power
and  authority  to do and  perform in the name and on behalf of the  undersigned
every act whatsoever requisite or desirable to be done in the premises, as fully
and to all  intents  and  purposes  as the  undersigned  might or could do,  the
undersigned hereby ratifying and approving all such acts of said attorney.

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned has subscribed  these presents this 7th
day of November, 1996.


                                            /s/ John T. Sullivan
                                            --------------------
                                                John T. Sullivan

<PAGE>


                  FIRST INVESTORS LIFE VARIABLE ANNUITY FUND A



                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

      KNOW  ALL MEN BY  THESE  PRESENTS  that  the  undersigned  officer  and/or
director of First  Investors  Life  Insurance  Company,  as  Depositor  of First
Investors Life Variable Annuity Fund A, hereby appoints Glenn O. Head or Richard
H.  Gaebler,  and each of them his true and  lawful  attorney  to execute in his
name, place and stead and on his behalf a Registration Statement on Form N-4 for
the  registration  pursuant  to the  Securities  Act of 1933 and the  Investment
Company Act of 1940 of variable annuity contracts, and any and all amendments to
said  Registration  Statement  (including  post-effective  amendments),  and all
instruments necessary or incidental in connection therewith and to file the same
with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Said attorney shall have full power
and  authority  to do and  perform in the name and on behalf of the  undersigned
every act whatsoever requisite or desirable to be done in the premises, as fully
and to all  intents  and  purposes  as the  undersigned  might or could do,  the
undersigned hereby ratifying and approving all such acts of said attorney.

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned has subscribed  these presents this 7th
day of November, 1996.


                                            /s/ George V. Ganter
                                            --------------------
                                                George V. Ganter

<PAGE>


                  FIRST INVESTORS LIFE VARIABLE ANNUITY FUND A



                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

      KNOW  ALL MEN BY  THESE  PRESENTS  that  the  undersigned  officer  and/or
director of First  Investors  Life  Insurance  Company,  as  Depositor  of First
Investors Life Variable Annuity Fund A, hereby appoints Glenn O. Head or Richard
H.  Gaebler,  and each of them his true and  lawful  attorney  to execute in his
name, place and stead and on his behalf a Registration Statement on Form N-4 for
the  registration  pursuant  to the  Securities  Act of 1933 and the  Investment
Company Act of 1940 of variable annuity contracts, and any and all amendments to
said  Registration  Statement  (including  post-effective  amendments),  and all
instruments necessary or incidental in connection therewith and to file the same
with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Said attorney shall have full power
and  authority  to do and  perform in the name and on behalf of the  undersigned
every act whatsoever requisite or desirable to be done in the premises, as fully
and to all  intents  and  purposes  as the  undersigned  might or could do,  the
undersigned hereby ratifying and approving all such acts of said attorney.

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned has subscribed  these presents this 7th
day of November, 1996.


                                            /s/ Jay G. Baris
                                            ----------------
                                                Jay G. Baris

<PAGE>


                  FIRST INVESTORS LIFE VARIABLE ANNUITY FUND A



                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

      KNOW  ALL MEN BY  THESE  PRESENTS  that  the  undersigned  officer  and/or
director of First  Investors  Life  Insurance  Company,  as  Depositor  of First
Investors Life Variable Annuity Fund A, hereby appoints Glenn O. Head or Richard
H.  Gaebler,  and each of them his true and  lawful  attorney  to execute in his
name, place and stead and on his behalf a Registration Statement on Form N-4 for
the  registration  pursuant  to the  Securities  Act of 1933 and the  Investment
Company Act of 1940 of variable annuity contracts, and any and all amendments to
said  Registration  Statement  (including  post-effective  amendments),  and all
instruments necessary or incidental in connection therewith and to file the same
with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Said attorney shall have full power
and  authority  to do and  perform in the name and on behalf of the  undersigned
every act whatsoever requisite or desirable to be done in the premises, as fully
and to all  intents  and  purposes  as the  undersigned  might or could do,  the
undersigned hereby ratifying and approving all such acts of said attorney.

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned has subscribed  these presents this 7th
day of November, 1996.


                                            /s/ Robert J. Grosso
                                            --------------------
                                                Robert J. Grosso

<PAGE>



                  FIRST INVESTORS LIFE VARIABLE ANNUITY FUND A



                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

      KNOW  ALL MEN BY  THESE  PRESENTS  that  the  undersigned  officer  and/or
director of First  Investors  Life  Insurance  Company,  as  Depositor  of First
Investors Life Variable Annuity Fund A, hereby appoints Glenn O. Head or Richard
H.  Gaebler,  and each of them his true and  lawful  attorney  to execute in his
name, place and stead and on his behalf a Registration Statement on Form N-4 for
the  registration  pursuant  to the  Securities  Act of 1933 and the  Investment
Company Act of 1940 of variable annuity contracts, and any and all amendments to
said  Registration  Statement  (including  post-effective  amendments),  and all
instruments necessary or incidental in connection therewith and to file the same
with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Said attorney shall have full power
and  authority  to do and  perform in the name and on behalf of the  undersigned
every act whatsoever requisite or desirable to be done in the premises, as fully
and to all  intents  and  purposes  as the  undersigned  might or could do,  the
undersigned hereby ratifying and approving all such acts of said attorney.

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned has subscribed  these presents this 7th
day of November, 1996.


                                            /s/ Glenn T. Dallas
                                            -------------------
                                                Glenn T. Dallas




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