1
                                                                     EXHIBIT 1.1

                     UNITED COMPANIES FINANCIAL CORPORATION
                           (a Louisiana corporation)

                                   Securities


               FORM OF UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT - BASIC PROVISIONS


                                                                 _________, 1995



To:      The Underwriters named
         in the within mentioned
         Terms Agreement

Dear Sirs:

                 United Companies Financial Corporation, a Louisiana
corporation (the "Company"), proposes to issue and sell from time to time its
senior debt securities, subordinated debt securities, convertible subordinated
debt securities (collectively, the "Debt Securities") and its preferred stock,
par value $2.00 per share (the "Preferred Stock"; together with the Debt
Securities, (the "Registered Securities") in one or more offerings on terms
determined at the time of sale.  If specified in a Terms Agreement (as defined
below), the Company proposes to grant to the underwriters an option to purchase
up to that amount of Registered Securities specified in such Terms Agreement
(herein called the "Option Securities").  The Debt Securities will be issued
under either an indenture dated as of October 1, 1994, (the "Senior
Indenture"), between the Company and The First National Bank of Chicago, as
Trustee, or an indenture dated as of October 1, 1994, between the Company and
State Street Bank and Trust Company, as Trustee, (the "Subordinated Indenture",
and together with the Senior Indenture, the "Indentures").  Each issue of Debt
Securities may vary as to aggregate principal amount, maturity date or dates,
interest rate or rates and timing of payments thereof, redemption provisions,
conversion or exchange provisions and sinking fund requirements, if any,
covenants and any other variable terms which the Indentures contemplate may be
set forth in a supplemental indenture to the Senior Indenture or Subordinated
Indenture, as the case may be, (each, a "Supplemental Indenture").  The
Preferred Stock will be issued in one or more series, which series may vary as
to voting rights, dividends, optional and mandatory redemption provisions,
liquidation preference and conversion or exchange provisions, if any, and any
other terms, with all such terms for any particular series or issue of the
Preferred Stock being determined at the time of issue.  The Registered
Securities (together with the Option Securities and any Debt Securities or
shares of common stock, par value $2.00 per share, of the Company (the "Common
Stock") issuable upon conversion or exchange of Registered
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Securities (the "Underlying Securities")) involved in any such offering are
hereinafter referred to as the "Securities."

                 Whenever the Company determines to make an offering of
Securities, it will enter into an agreement substantially in the form of
Exhibit A(I) or Exhibit A(II) hereto (the "Terms Agreement") providing for the
sale of such Securities (the "Offered Securities") to, and the purchase and
offering thereof by, the underwriter or underwriters named therein (the
"Underwriter" or "you", which terms shall include the underwriter or
underwriters named therein whether acting alone in the sale of such Offered
Securities or as members of an underwriting syndicate).  The Terms Agreement
relating to each offering of Securities may take the form of an exchange of any
standard form of written telecommunication and shall specify the principal
amount of Debt Securities or number of shares of Preferred Stock to be issued
and their terms, the name or names of the Underwriters participating in such
offering (subject to substitution as provided in Section 10 hereof) and the
principal amount of Debt Securities or number of shares of Preferred Stock
which each severally agrees to purchase, the name or names of the Underwriters
acting as manager or co-managers in connection with such offerings, if any (the
"Representatives", which term shall include each Underwriter in the event that
there shall be no manager or co-manager), the price at which the Securities are
to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Company, the initial public
offering price, any delayed delivery arrangements, the time and place of
delivery and payment and such other applicable information as is indicated in
Exhibit A(I) or Exhibit A(II) hereto as agreed upon by the Company and the
Underwriters.  This Agreement, the applicable Terms Agreement, the Indentures
and the applicable related Supplemental Indenture, if any, are hereinafter
referred to collectively as the "Operative Documents."

                 Each offering of the Securities will be governed by this
Agreement, as supplemented by the applicable Terms Agreement and this Agreement
and such Terms Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon each
Underwriter participating in the offering of such Offered Securities.

                 The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "Commission") a registration statement on Form S-3
(File No. 33-______), including a prospectus, relating to the Securities and
the offering thereof from time to time in accordance with Rule 415 under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") and has filed such
pre-effective amendments thereto as may have been required to the date hereof.
Such registration statement, as so amended, has been declared effective by the
Commission, and the Indentures, if applicable, have been qualified under the
Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the "1939 Act").  Such registration
statement, as amended to the date such registration
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statement has been declared effective, including any documents incorporated by
reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act which were
filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act") on
or before the effective date of the registration statement, is hereinafter
called the "Registration Statement, " and such prospectus, as such prospectus
is supplemented on or after the date of the applicable Terms Agreement and
prior to the related Closing Time, by any prospectus supplement relating to the
Offered Securities, including by any such prospectus supplement in the form
first filed or to be filed on or after the date of the related Terms Agreement
pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act, including any documents
incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the
1933 Act which were filed under the 1934 Act on or before the date of such
prospectus supplement (any such prospectus supplement, including such
incorporated documents, in the form first filed on or after the date of the
related Terms Agreement pursuant to Rule 424(b) is hereinafter called the
"Prospectus Supplement"), is hereinafter called the "Prospectus".  All
references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other
information which is "contained," "included" or "stated" in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus (and all other references of like import) shall be
deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and
other information which is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be; and all
references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements, if any, to the
Registration Statement, the Prospectus or a Prospectus Supplement (and all
other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include the filing
of any document under the 1934 Act after the effective date of the Registration
Statement or the issue date of the Prospectus or Prospectus Supplement, as the
case may be, and prior to the related Closing Time which is deemed to be
incorporated therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act.

                 Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined are
used herein as defined in the applicable Indenture, if any, (or, during the
period of time following the date of this Agreement and prior to the applicable
Closing Time (as defined in Section 2(b) hereof), as defined in the form of
applicable Indenture, if any, last filed by the Company with the Commission).

                 Section 1.  Representations and Warranties.  (a)  The Company
represents and warrants at and as of the date hereof, as of the date of the
applicable Terms Agreement and as of the Closing Time (as hereinafter defined)
(in each case, the "Representation Date") as follows:

                  (i)   The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3
         under the 1933 Act.  The Registration Statement, at the time it became
         effective, and the prospectus contained
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         therein, and any amendments thereof and supplements thereto filed
         prior to the related Closing Time, conformed in all material respects
         to the requirements of the 1933 Act and the rules and regulations of
         the Commission thereunder; on the date of the related Terms Agreement
         and as of the related Closing Time, the Registration Statement and the
         Prospectus relating to the Offered Securities, and any amendments
         thereof and supplements thereto, will conform in all material respects
         to the requirements of the 1933 Act and the rules and regulations of
         the Commission thereunder; the Registration Statement, at the time it
         became effective (or, if an amendment to the Registration Statement or
         an annual report on Form 10-K has been filed by the Company with the
         Commission subsequent to the effectiveness of the Registration
         Statement, then at the time such amendment became effective or as of
         the most recent such filing, as the case may be), did not contain any
         untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
         required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
         therein not misleading; the Prospectus, on the date of any filing
         pursuant to Rule 424(b) and the Prospectus (as supplemented) as of the
         related Closing Time, will not include any untrue statement of a
         material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the
         statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they
         are made, not misleading; provided, however, that the representations
         and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or
         omissions from the Registration Statement or Prospectus made in
         reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the
         Company in writing by any of you expressly for use in the Registration
         Statement or Prospectus or to that part of the Registration Statement
         which shall constitute the Statement of Eligibility and Qualification
         under the 1939 Act (Form T-1) of either Trustee under the Indentures,
         if any.

                 (ii)   The documents incorporated by reference in the
         Registration Statement and Prospectus, at the time they were or
         hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in
         all material respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act, and the
         rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

                (iii)   Deloitte & Touche LLP or such other nationally
         recognized independent public accountants who are reporting upon the
         audited financial statements and schedules included or incorporated by
         reference in the Registration Statement are independent public
         accountants as required by the 1933 Act.

                 (iv)   This Agreement and the applicable Terms Agreement have
         been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
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                  (v)   (A) The consolidated financial statements and the
         related notes of the Company included or incorporated by reference in
         the (i) Registration Statement, including the prospectus contained
         therein, at the time the Registration Statement became effective and
         (ii) the Prospectus relating to the Offered Securities as of the issue
         date of the related Prospectus Supplement and the Prospectus (as
         supplemented) as of the Closing Time for the related Offered
         Securities, present or will present, as the case may be, fairly, in
         all material respects, the consolidated financial position of the
         Company and its consolidated subsidiaries, considered as one
         enterprise, as of the respective dates indicated and the consolidated
         results of operations and cash flows and stockholders' equity and the
         other information purported to be shown therein of the Company and its
         consolidated subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, for the
         respective periods specified; (B) such financial statements and
         related notes have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted
         accounting principles applied on a consistent basis throughout the
         periods involved (unless otherwise disclosed in a note); and (C) the
         financial statement schedules incorporated by reference in the
         Registration Statement present fairly, in all material respects, the
         information required to be stated therein.

                 (vi)   The Company has been duly incorporated, is validly
         existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State
         of Louisiana, has corporate power and authority to own its property
         and to conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and is duly
         qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each
         jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or
         leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent
         that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing are not
         reasonably likely to, individually or in the aggregate, have a
         material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise),
         properties, assets, business or results of operations of the Company
         and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise.

                (vii)   Each subsidiary of the Company has been duly
         incorporated, and other than Foster Mortgage Corporation ("FMC"), is
         validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the law of
         the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has the corporate power and
         authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described
         in the Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in
         good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its
         business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such
         qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so
         qualified or be in good standing are not reasonably likely to,
         individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on
         the condition (financial or
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         otherwise), properties, assets, business or results of operations of
         the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise.

               (viii)   Except as otherwise disclosed in the Prospectus and
         other than the senior preferred stock of FMC, all of the issued and
         outstanding capital stock of each subsidiary of the Company has been
         duly authorized, is validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and
         is owned by the Company, directly or through one or more subsidiaries
         of the Company, free and clear of any lien, mortgage, pledge,
         encumbrance, claim or equity.

                 (ix)   The Company has all of the requisite corporate power
         and authority to execute, issue and deliver the Securities and to
         incur and perform its obligations provided for therein; as of the date
         of applicable Terms Agreement, the Debt Securities, if any, will have
         been duly authorized by the Company and, when executed, issued and
         authenticated in the manner provided for in the applicable Indenture
         and related Supplemental Indenture, if any, and delivered as provided
         for in this Agreement and the applicable Terms Agreement, will have
         been duly executed, issued and delivered by the Company and will
         constitute legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company
         entitled to the benefits of the applicable Indenture and enforceable
         against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as
         enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency,
         fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other similar
         laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally, general
         equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or
         at law) and an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing; as of
         the date of the applicable Terms Agreement, if any Securities to be
         issued are convertible or exchangeable, the Underlying Securities
         issuable upon conversion or exchange will be duly and validly
         authorized, will have been duly reserved for issuance upon conversion
         or exchange of the Securities, and when issued upon the conversion or
         exchange of the Securities, will be duly and validly issued and, in
         the case of Underlying Securities which are Common Stock, fully paid
         and non-assessable; and the Securities conform in all material
         respects to the description thereof contained in the Prospectus (as
         supplemented).

                  (x)   The Company has all of the requisite corporate power
         and authority to execute and deliver the Indentures, if any, and to
         perform its obligations provided for therein; as of the date of the
         applicable Terms Agreement and as of the Closing Time for the related
         Offered Securities, the Company will have all requisite corporate
         power and authority to execute and deliver the related Supplemental
         Indenture and to perform its obligations provided for
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         therein; the Indentures, if any, have been duly authorized by the
         Company, will be substantially in the forms heretofore delivered to
         you and, when executed and delivered by the Company and assuming due
         execution and delivery by the Trustees, will constitute legal, valid
         and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the
         Company in accordance with their terms, except as enforcement thereof
         may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance,
         reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or
         affecting creditors' rights generally, general equitable principles
         (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and an
         implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing; and the Indentures
         conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained
         in the Prospectus (as supplemented) as of the date of the applicable
         Terms Agreement, and as of the Closing Time for the related Offered
         Securities, the related Supplemental Indenture, if any, will have been
         duly authorized by the Company and will constitute the legal, valid
         and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the
         Company in accordance with its terms, except as enforcement thereof
         may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance,
         reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or
         affecting creditors' rights generally, general equitable principles
         (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and an
         implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.

                 (xi)   All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the
         Company have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully paid
         and non-assessable.

                (xii)   Except as disclosed in the Prospectus (as
         supplemented), there are no holders of securities (debt or equity) of
         the Company, or holders of rights (including preemptive rights),
         warrants or options to obtain securities of the Company, who have the
         right to request the Company to register securities held by them under
         the 1933 Act.

               (xiii)   Since the respective dates as of which information is
         given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, except as
         otherwise stated therein or contemplated thereby or in any amendment
         thereof or supplement thereto, there has not been (A) any material
         adverse change in the condition (financial or otherwise), properties,
         assets, business or results of operations of the Company and its
         subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in
         the ordinary course of business, (B) any transaction entered into by
         the Company or any of its subsidiaries, other than in the ordinary
         course of business, that is reasonably likely to have a material
         adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), properties,
         assets, business or results of operations of the Company and its
         subsidiaries,
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         considered as one enterprise, or (C) any dividend or distribution of
         any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on its capital stock,
         other than regular quarterly dividends.

                (xiv)   Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (A)
         in violation of its or any of their articles or certificates of
         incorporation or by-laws or, other than FMC, in default (nor has an
         event occurred that with notice or passage of time or both would
         constitute such a default) in the performance or observance of any
         obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any
         contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit
         agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the
         Company or its subsidiaries is subject or by which any of them or any
         of their properties may be bound or affected, (B) other than FMC, in
         violation of any existing applicable law, ordinance, regulation,
         judgment, order or decree of any government, governmental
         instrumentality, arbitrator or court, domestic or foreign, having
         jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of
         their properties or (C) other than FMC, in each case to the knowledge
         of the Company, in violation of or has violated any permit,
         certificate, license, order or other approval or authorization
         required in connection with the operation of its business that, with
         respect to clause (A), (B) or (C) of this sentence, are not reasonably
         likely to (individually or in the aggregate) (1) adversely affect the
         legality, validity or enforceability of this Agreement, the applicable
         Terms Agreement, or the applicable Indenture and related Supplemental
         Indenture, if any, (2) have a material adverse effect on the condition
         (financial or otherwise), properties, assets, business or results of
         operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one
         enterprise, or (3) impair the ability of the Company to fully perform
         on a timely basis any obligations that it has under this Agreement,
         the applicable Terms Agreement, the applicable Indenture or the
         related Supplemental Indenture, if any.

                 (xv)   The issuance, sale and delivery of the Offered
         Securities, the execution, delivery and performance of the other
         Operative Documents, the compliance by the Company with the terms
         therein and the consummation by the Company of the transactions
         contemplated thereby and in the Registration Statement do not and will
         not result in a violation of any of the terms or provisions of the
         articles or certificates of incorporation or by-laws of the Company or
         any of its subsidiaries, and do not and will not conflict with, or
         result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of,
         or constitute a default under, (A) any indenture, mortgage, deed of
         trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or
         instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party
         or
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         by which any of them or any of their properties or assets is bound,
         except for such conflicts, breaches, violations or defaults that are
         not reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the
         condition (financial or otherwise), properties, assets, business or
         results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered
         as one enterprise, or (B) any existing applicable law, rule,
         regulation, judgment, order or decree of any government, governmental
         instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction
         over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their
         properties.

                (xvi)   No authorization, approval, consent or order of, or
         qualification with, any governmental body or agency is required to be
         obtained or made by the Company for (A) the due authorization,
         execution, delivery and performance by the Company of each of the
         Operative Documents to which it is or will be a party or (B) the valid
         authorization, issuance, sale and delivery of the Offered Securities,
         except such as may be required by the securities or blue sky laws of
         the various states in connection with the offer and sale of the
         Securities.

               (xvii)   There is no action, suit, investigation or proceeding
         before or by any government, governmental instrumentality or court,
         domestic or foreign, now pending or, to the knowledge of the Company,
         threatened against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries
         or any of their properties that (A) is required to be disclosed in the
         Prospectus and is not so disclosed in the Prospectus (as
         supplemented), (B) except as disclosed in the Prospectus (as
         supplemented), is reasonably likely to result in any material adverse
         change in the condition (financial or otherwise), properties, assets,
         business or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries,
         considered as one enterprise, (C) seeks to restrain, enjoin, prevent
         the consummation of or otherwise challenge the issuance and sale of
         the Securities or the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the
         applicable Terms Agreement or the applicable Indenture or related
         Supplemental Indenture, if any, or any of the transactions
         contemplated hereby or thereby or (D) questions the legality or
         validity of any such transaction or seeks to recover damages or obtain
         other relief in connection with any such transaction, and, in each
         case to the knowledge of the Company, there is no valid basis for any
         such action, suit, investigation or proceeding except as otherwise
         disclosed in the Prospectus (as supplemented).

              (xviii)   There are no statutes, regulations, contracts or other
         documents that are required to be described in the Registration
         Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the
         Registration Statement that are not described or filed as required.
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                (xix)   Each of the Company and its subsidiaries other than FMC
         has all necessary consents, authorizations, approvals, orders,
         licenses, certificates and permits of and from, and has made all
         declarations and filings with, all federal, state, local and other
         governmental authorities, all self-regulatory organizations and all
         courts and other tribunals, to own, lease, license and use its
         properties and assets and to conduct its business in the manner
         described in the Prospectus (as supplemented), except to the extent
         that the failure to so obtain or file is not reasonably likely to have
         a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries,
         considered as one enterprise, and neither the Company nor any of its
         subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the
         revocation or modification of any such consent, authorization,
         approval, order, license, certificate or permit which singly or in the
         aggregate, if the subject of any unfavorable decision, ruling or
         finding, are reasonably likely to result in any material adverse
         change in the condition (financial or otherwise), properties, assets,
         business or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries,
         considered as one enterprise.

                 (xx)   Each of the Company and its subsidiaries owns or
         possesses, or can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate patents,
         patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know-how (including
         trade secrets and other proprietary or confidential information,
         systems or procedures, whether patented or unpatented), trademarks,
         service marks and trade names (collectively, "intellectual property")
         presently employed by them in connection with the business now
         operated by them, except where the failure to own or possess or have
         the ability to acquire any such intellectual property is not
         reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the condition
         (financial or otherwise), properties, assets, business or results of
         operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one
         enterprise, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has
         received any notice of infringement of or conflict with asserted
         rights of others with respect to any of the foregoing that,
         individually or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable
         decision, ruling or finding, is reasonably likely to result in any
         material adverse change in the condition (financial or otherwise),
         properties, assets, business or results of operations of the Company
         and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise.

                (xxi)   The Company has not taken and will not take, directly
         or indirectly, any action designed to or that might be reasonably
         expected to, cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the
         price of the Securities.
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               (xxii)   The Company is not an investment company within the
         meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

                 (b)  Any certificate signed by any officer of either the
Company or any of its subsidiaries and delivered to you or to your counsel at
the Closing Time pursuant to this Agreement or the applicable Terms Agreement
or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall be deemed a
representation and warranty by the Company or such subsidiary of the Company,
as the case may be, to each of you as to the matters covered thereby.

                 Section 2.  Sale and Delivery to the Underwriters: Closing.
(a)  Your several commitments to purchase Securities pursuant to any Terms
Agreement shall be deemed to have been made on the basis of the representations
and warranties herein contained, and shall be subject to the terms and
conditions herein set forth.

                 (b)  Payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of, any
Securities to be purchased by you shall be made at the place set forth in the
applicable Terms Agreement or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by
the Company and you, on the third full business day (unless postponed pursuant
to Section 10) following the date of the applicable Terms Agreement or at such
other time not more than ten full business days thereafter as you and the
Company shall determine (such date and time of payment and delivery being
herein called the "Closing Time").  Payment shall be made to the Company by
wire transfer payable in same-day federal funds, less one day's interest at the
federal funds rate, to an account specified by the Company in the applicable
Terms Agreement or by certified or official bank check or checks in New York
Clearing House funds payable to the order of the Company, as specified in the
applicable Terms Agreement, against delivery of the Securities to the
Representatives for the respective accounts of the Underwriters of the
Securities to be purchased by them.

                 (c)  The Debt Securities shall be in such denominations
($1,000 or an integral multiple thereof) and registered in such names as the
Representatives may request in writing at least two full business days prior to
the Closing Time.  The Debt Securities, which may be in temporary form, and the
shares of Preferred Stock will be made available in New York City for
examination and packaging by the Representatives not later than 10:00 A.M., New
York City time, on the business day prior to the Closing Time.

                 If specified in a Terms Agreement, on the basis of the
representations, warranties and covenants herein contained, and subject to the
terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company grants an option to you to
purchase, severally and not jointly, up to that amount of the Option
Securities, as shall be specified in the Terms Agreement, from the Company at
the same price as you
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shall pay for the relevant Securities.  Said option may be exercised only to
cover over-allotments in the sale of the Securities by you and may be exercised
in whole or in part at any time (not more than once) on or before the thirtieth
day after the date of the Terms Agreement upon written or telegraphic notice by
you to the Company setting forth the amount of the Option Securities as to
which you are exercising the option.  The amount of Option Securities to be
purchased by each Underwriter shall be the same percentage of the total amount
of the Option Securities to be purchased by the several Underwriters as such
Underwriter is purchasing of the Securities, as adjusted by you in such manner
as you deem advisable to avoid fractional shares/units.

                 If authorized by the applicable Terms Agreement, the
Underwriters named therein may solicit offers to purchase Debt Securities from
the Company pursuant to delayed delivery contracts ("Delayed Delivery
Contracts") substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, with such changes
therein as the Company may approve.  As compensation for arranging Delayed
Delivery Contracts, the Company will pay to the Representatives at Closing Time
a fee equal to that percentage of the principal amount of Debt Securities for
which Delayed Delivery Contracts are made at Closing Time as is specified in
the applicable Terms Agreement.  Any Delayed Delivery Contracts are to be with
institutional investors of the types which will be set forth in the applicable
Prospectus Supplement.  At Closing Time the Company will enter into Delayed
Delivery Contracts (for not less than the minimum principal amount of Debt
Securities per Delayed Delivery Contract specified in the applicable Terms
Agreement) with all purchasers proposed by you and previously approved by the
Company as provided below, but not for an aggregate principal amount of Debt
Securities in excess of that specified in the applicable Terms Agreement.  You
will not have any responsibility for the validity or performance of Delayed
Delivery Contracts.

                 The Representatives will submit to the Company, at least three
business days prior to Closing Time, the names of any institutional investors
with which it is proposed that the Company will enter into Delayed Delivery
Contracts and the principal amount of Debt Securities to be purchased by each
of them and the Company will advise the Representatives, at least two business
days prior to Closing Time, of the names of the institutions with which the
making of Delayed Delivery Contracts is approved by the Company and the
principal amount of Debt Securities to be covered by each such Delayed Delivery
Contract.

                 The principal amount of Debt Securities agreed to be purchased
by the respective Underwriters pursuant to the applicable Terms Agreement shall
be reduced by the principal amount of Debt Securities covered by Delayed
Delivery Contracts, as to each Underwriter as set forth in a written notice
delivered by the Representatives to the Company; provided, however, that
   13
                                                                              13


the total principal amount of Debt Securities to be purchased by all
Underwriters shall be the total amount of Debt Securities covered by the
applicable Terms Agreement, less the principal amount of Debt Securities
covered by Delayed Delivery Contracts.

                 Section 3.  Certain Covenants of the Company.  The Company
covenants with each of you as follows:

                 (a)  Immediately following the execution of each Terms
         Agreement, the Company will prepare a Prospectus Supplement setting
         forth the principal amount of Debt Securities or the number of shares
         of Preferred Stock covered thereby and their terms not otherwise
         specified in the applicable Indenture, if any, the names of the
         Underwriters and the principal amount of Debt Securities or the number
         of shares of Preferred Stock which each of them severally has agreed
         to purchase, the price at which the Offered Securities are to be
         purchased by you from the Company, the initial public offering price,
         the selling concession and reallowance, if any, any delayed delivery
         arrangements, and such other information as the Representatives and
         the Company deem appropriate in connection with the offering of the
         Securities.  The Company will promptly transmit copies of the
         Prospectus Supplement to the Commission for filing pursuant to Rule
         424 under the 1933 Act and will furnish to each of you as many copies
         of the Prospectus and such Prospectus Supplement as the
         Representatives shall reasonably request.

                 (b)  The Company has furnished or will furnish to you, without
         charge, as many signed and conformed copies of the Registration
         Statement and of each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed
         therewith or incorporated by reference therein and documents
         incorporated by reference in the Prospectus) and signed copies of all
         consents and certificates of experts and, during the period mentioned
         in paragraph (f) below, as many copies of the Prospectus and any
         supplements and amendments thereto, in each case as soon as available,
         as you may reasonably request.

                 (c)  From the date of a Terms Agreement, and for so long as a
         Prospectus is required to be delivered in connection with the sale of
         Offered Securities covered by such Terms Agreement, the Company will
         give you notice of its intention to file any amendment to the
         Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the
         Prospectus, whether pursuant to the 1934 Act, the 1933 Act or
         otherwise, and will furnish you with copies of any such amendment or
         supplement or other documents proposed to be filed a reasonable time
         in advance of filing and will not file any such amendment or
         supplement or use any such prospectus to which you or your counsel
         reasonably shall object.
   14
                                                                              14


                 (d)  From the date of a Terms Agreement, and for so long as a
         Prospectus is required to be delivered in connection with the sale of
         Offered Securities covered by such Terms Agreement, the Company will
         notify you immediately, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) of the
         effectiveness of any amendment to the Registration Statement, (ii) of
         the mailing or the delivery to the Commission for filing of any
         supplement to the Prospectus or any document to be filed pursuant to
         the 1934 Act which will be incorporated by reference into the
         Registration Statement or Prospectus, (iii) of the receipt of any
         comments from the Commission with respect to the Registration
         Statement, the Prospectus or any Prospectus Supplement, (iv) of any
         request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration
         Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or for
         additional information, and (v) of the issuance by the Commission of
         any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
         Statement or the initiation of any proceedings for that purpose.  The
         Company will make every reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of
         any stop order and, if any stop order is issued, to obtain the lifting
         thereof at the earliest possible moment.

                 (e)  Between the date of any Terms Agreement and termination
         of any trading restrictions specified in the applicable Terms
         Agreement, if any, or Closing Time, whichever is later, with respect
         to (i) the Debt Securities covered thereby, the Company will not,
         without your prior consent or as otherwise permitted by the Terms
         Agreement, offer or sell, or enter into any agreement to sell, any
         debt securities of the Company with a maturity of more than one year,
         including additional Debt Securities, (ii) the Preferred Stock covered
         thereby, the Company will not, without your prior consent or as
         otherwise permitted by the Terms Agreement, offer or sell, or enter
         into any agreement to sell, any shares of its preferred stock or any
         securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for or any
         right to purchase or acquire preferred stock and (iii) the Underlying
         Securities covered thereby, the Company will not, without your prior
         consent or as otherwise permitted by the Terms Agreement, offer or
         sell, or enter into any agreement to sell, any securities of the same
         class as the Underlying Securities or any securities convertible into
         or exercisable or exchangeable for or any right to purchase or acquire
         Underlying Securities or securities of such class.

                 (f)  The Company will comply to the best of its ability with
         the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act and the 1939 Act and the regulations
         thereunder so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the
         Securities as contemplated in this Agreement, the applicable Terms
         Agreement and in the Prospectus.  If at any time when, in the opinion
         of your counsel, the Prospectus is required by law to be delivered
   15
                                                                              15


         in connection with sales of the Offered Securities by you or by a
         dealer, any event shall occur as a result of which it is necessary to
         amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements
         therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus is
         delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or if it is necessary to
         amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with law, the Company
         shall forthwith prepare and furnish, at the Company's expense, to each
         of you and to the dealers (whose names and addresses you will furnish
         to the Company) to which Offered Securities may have been sold by you
         and to any other dealers upon request, either amendments or
         supplements to the Prospectus so that the statements in the Prospectus
         as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the
         circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, be
         misleading or so that the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented
         will comply with the law.

                 (g)  The Company will endeavor to qualify the Securities for
         offer and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of such
         jurisdictions as you shall reasonably request and to maintain such
         qualifications in effect for as long as may be required for the
         distribution of the Securities; provided, however, that the Company
         shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of
         process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in
         securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to
         subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any
         jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject.  The Company
         will file such statements and reports as may be required by the laws
         of each jurisdiction in which the Securities have been qualified as
         above provided.

                 (h)  With respect to each sale of Offered Securities, the
         Company will make generally available to its security holders as soon
         as practicable but in any event not later than 90 days after the close
         of the period covered thereby a consolidated earning statement for a
         twelve-month period beginning after the effective date (as defined in
         Rule 158(c) under the 1933 Act) of the Registration Statement relating
         to such Securities, but not later than the first day of the Company's
         fiscal quarter next following such effective date and that otherwise
         satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act and the
         regulations thereunder.

                 (i)  The Company will use the proceeds received from the sale
         of the Offered Securities in the manner specified in the Prospectus
         under the heading "Use of Proceeds."

                 (j)  The Company, during the period when the Prospectus is
         required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, will file
   16
                                                                              16


         promptly all documents required to be filed with the Commission
         pursuant to Section 13 or 14 of the 1934 Act within the time periods
         required under the 1934 Act.

                 (k)  For a period of five years after the applicable Closing
         Time, the Company will furnish to each of you copies of all annual
         reports, quarterly reports and current reports filed with the
         Commission on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K, or such other similar forms as
         may be designated by the Commission, and such other documents, reports
         and information as shall be furnished by the Company to the holders of
         the Securities or to security holders of its respective publicly
         issued securities generally.

                 Section 4.  Payment of Expenses.  The Company will pay and
bear all costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations
under this Agreement and each related Terms Agreement, including (a) the
preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including
financial statements and schedules and exhibits), as originally filed and as
amended and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, and the
cost of furnishing copies thereto to you, (b) the preparation, printing and
distribution of this Agreement (including each related Terms Agreement), the
Offered Securities, any related Indentures, a survey of state securities or
blue sky laws (the "Blue Sky Survey"), (c) the delivery of the Offered
Securities to you, (d) the fees and disbursements of the Company's counsel and
accountants, (e) the qualification of the Offered Securities under the
applicable securities laws in accordance with Section 3(g) and any filing for
review of the offering with the National Association of Securities Dealers,
Inc., if any, including filing fees and fees and disbursements of your counsel
in connection therewith and in connection with the Blue Sky Survey and any
legal investment survey, (f) any fees charged by rating agencies for rating the
Offered Securities, (g) the fees and expenses of any Trustees, including the
fees and disbursements of counsel for any Trustees, in connection with the
related Indentures and the Debt Securities, (h) any transfer agent's fees and
(i) the listing, if any, of the Securities on any securities exchange.  Subject
to the provisions of the following paragraph, you agree to pay, whether or not
the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated or this Agreement is
terminated, all costs and expenses incident to the performance of your
obligations under this Agreement and the applicable Terms Agreement not payable
by the Company pursuant to the preceding sentence, including without limitation
the fees and disbursements of your counsel.

                 If this Agreement is terminated by you in accordance with the
provisions of Section 5 or 9(a)(i), the Company shall reimburse each of you up
to an aggregate amount to be set forth in the related Terms Agreement for all
of your out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements
of your counsel, upon receipt of itemized statements therefor.
   17
                                                                              17


                 Section 5.  Conditions of Underwriters' Obligations.  The
obligations of each of you to purchase and pay for the Offered Securities
pursuant to any related Terms Agreement are subject to the accuracy of the
representations and warranties of the Company contained herein (including those
contained in the applicable Terms Agreement) or in certificates of any officer
of the Company delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance
by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder and to the
following further conditions:

                 (a)  At the applicable Closing Time, (i) no stop order
         suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have
         been issued under the 1933 Act and no proceedings for that purpose
         shall have been instituted and shall be pending or, to your knowledge
         or the knowledge of the Company, shall be contemplated by the
         Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for
         additional information shall have been complied with to the
         satisfaction of your counsel.

                 (b)  At the applicable Closing Time, each of you shall have
         received a signed opinion of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, or such other
         outside counsel of recognized standing reasonably acceptable to the
         Underwriters that may opine on matters of New York law and federal
         securities law, counsel for the Company, dated as of the applicable
         Closing Time, in form and substance satisfactory to your counsel, to
         the effect that:

                            (i)   The Indentures and the related Supplemental
                 Indenture(s), if any, described in the applicable Terms
                 Agreement are the legally valid and binding agreements of the
                 Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with
                 their terms except as enforcement thereof may be limited by
                 bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization,
                 moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting
                 creditors' rights generally, general equitable principles
                 (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and
                 an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing;

                           (ii)   The Debt Securities, if any, covered by the
                 applicable Terms Agreement are in the form contemplated by the
                 applicable Indenture and the related Supplemental
                 Indenture(s), and, when executed and authenticated in
                 accordance with the terms of the applicable Indenture and
                 delivered to and paid for by you in accordance with the terms
                 of this Agreement as supplemented by the applicable Terms
                 Agreement, will be legally valid and binding obligations of
                 the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance
                 with their terms except as enforcement thereof may be limited
                 by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent
   18
                                                                              18


                 conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws
                 relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally, general
                 equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding in
                 equity or at law) and an implied covenant of good faith and
                 fair dealing;

                          (iii)   The Indentures, if any, have been duly 
                 qualified under the 1939 Act;

                           (iv)   The Company is not an investment company
                 within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
                 amended;

                            (v)   The statements set forth in the Prospectus
                 under the caption "Description of Securities," insofar as they
                 constitute summaries of documents, are accurate in all
                 material respects and the Indentures, if any, and the Offered
                 Securities covered by the applicable Terms Agreement conform
                 in all material respects to the descriptions thereof in the
                 Prospectus;

                           (vi)   The Registration Statement is effective under
                 the 1933 Act and, to the best of such counsel's knowledge, no
                 stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
                 Statement has been issued under the 1933 Act and no
                 proceedings therefor have been initiated or threatened by the
                 Commission; and any required filing of the Prospectus pursuant
                 to Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act has been made in accordance
                 with Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act; and

                          (vii)   The Registration Statement (excluding the
                 documents incorporated therein by reference) and the
                 Prospectus comply as to form in all material respects with the
                 requirements for registration statements on Form S-3 under the
                 1933 Act; it being understood, however, that such counsel
                 expresses no opinion with respect to the financial statements,
                 schedules and other financial and statistical data included or
                 incorporated in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus
                 or with respect to the Statement as to the Eligibility and
                 Qualification of the Trustee on Form T-1, if any.  In passing
                 upon the compliance as to form of the Registration Statement
                 and the Prospectus, such counsel has assumed that the
                 statements made therein are correct and complete.

                 In addition, such counsel has participated in conferences with
         officers and other representatives of the Company, representatives of
         the independent public accountants for the Company, and the
         Representatives, at which the contents of the Registration Statement
         and the Prospectus and related matters were discussed and, although
   19
                                                                              19


         such counsel is not passing upon, and does not assume any
         responsibility for, the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the
         statements contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus
         and have not been called on to make and have not made any independent
         check or verification thereof, during the course of such participation
         (relying as to materiality to a large extent upon the statements of
         officers and other representatives of the Company), no facts came to
         such counsel's attention that caused such counsel to believe that the
         Registration Statement, at the time it became effective, or if an
         amendment to the Registration Statement or an annual report on Form
         10-K has been filed by the Company with the Commission subsequent to
         the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, then at the time such
         post-effective amendment became effective or as of the most recent
         filing, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to
         state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
         make the statements therein not misleading, or that the Prospectus
         (including the documents incorporated by reference therein but giving
         effect to Rule 412 under the 1933 Act), as of the date of the most
         recent Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus (as supplemented) as of
         the applicable Closing Time, contained an untrue statement of a
         material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make
         the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they
         were made, not misleading; it being understood that such counsel
         expresses no belief with respect to the financial statements and notes
         and schedules thereto and other financial, accounting, tax and
         statistical data included in (or incorporated in) the Registration
         Statement or the Prospectus or with respect to the Statement of
         Eligibility and Qualification of the Trustee on Form T-1, if any.

                 In rendering such opinion, Stroock & Stroock & Lavan (or such
         other counsel) (i) may rely as to factual matters upon certificates or
         written statements from officers or other appropriate representatives
         of the Company or upon certificates of public officials, (ii) may rely
         (to the extent such counsel deems proper and specifies in their
         opinion), as to matters involving the application of the laws of the
         State of Louisiana, upon the opinion of Kantrow, Spaht, Weaver &
         Blizter (A Professional Law Corporation) or such other outside counsel
         of recognized standing reasonably acceptable to the Underwriters, that
         may opine on matters of Louisiana law, and (iii) need not express any
         opinion with regard to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the
         federal law of the United States and the law of the State of New York.
         Further, such opinion may contain assumptions, limitations, exceptions
         and restrictions which are reasonably satisfactory to you and your
         counsel.
   20
                                                                              20


                 (c)  At the applicable Closing Time, each of you shall have
         received a signed opinion of Kantrow, Spaht, Weaver & Blizter (A
         Professional Law Corporation), or such other outside counsel of
         recognized standing reasonably acceptable to the Underwriters that may
         opine on matters of Louisiana law, counsel for the Company, dated as
         of the applicable Closing Time, in form and substance satisfactory to
         your counsel, to the effect that:

                            (i)   The Company has been duly incorporated and is
                 validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the
                 State of Louisiana, with corporate power and authority to own
                 its property and to conduct its business as described in the
                 Prospectus.  The Company is duly qualified as a foreign
                 corporation in each of the respective jurisdictions set forth
                 on Exhibit A to such opinion and officers of the Company have
                 submitted to such counsel a certificate, a copy of which is
                 attached to such opinion as Exhibit B, stating that, in their
                 opinion, such jurisdictions are the only jurisdictions in
                 which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing
                 of property requires such qualification, except to the extent
                 that the failure to be so qualified is not reasonably likely
                 to have a material adverse effect on the Company and its
                 subsidiaries considered as one enterprise;

                           (ii)   Each subsidiary of the Company has been duly
                 incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation  under the
                 laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has the
                 corporate power and authority to own its property and to
                 conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and is
                 duly qualified as a foreign corporation in each of the
                 respective jurisdictions set forth on Exhibit A to such
                 opinion and officers of such subsidiary have submitted to such
                 counsel a certificate, a copy of which is attached to such
                 opinion as Exhibit B, stating that, in their opinion, such
                 jurisdictions are the only jurisdictions in which the conduct
                 of its business or its ownership or leasing of property
                 requires such qualifications, except to the extent that the
                 failure to be so qualified is not reasonably likely to have a
                 material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries
                 considered as one enterprise; all of the issued and
                 outstanding capital stock of each subsidiary (other than the
                 senior preferred stock of FMC) has been duly authorized and
                 validly issued, is fully paid and non-assessable and all of
                 the issued and outstanding capital stock of such subsidiaries
                 (other than the senior preferred stock of FMC), is owned of
                 record by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, and
                 is free and clear of any pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim
   21
                                                                              21


                 or equity; UCLC is a corporation in good standing under the
                 laws of the State of Louisiana; and UCLIC and United General
                 Title Insurance Company are each in compliance with the laws
                 of the State of Louisiana;

                          (iii)   The Debt Securities, if any, described in the
                 applicable Terms Agreement have been duly authorized by the
                 Company;

                           (iv)  The Company has the requisite corporate power
                 and authority to execute, deliver and perform its obligations
                 under the Indentures and the related Supplemental
                 Indenture(s), if any.  The Indentures, if any, have been duly
                 authorized, executed and delivered by the Company;

                            (v)   The Company has the requisite corporate power
                 and authority to issue and deliver the Offered Securities;

                           (vi)   The Company has the requisite corporate power
                 and authority to execute, deliver and perform its obligations
                 under this Agreement and the applicable Terms Agreement.  This
                 Agreement, the applicable Terms Agreement and the Delayed
                 Delivery Contracts, if any, have been duly authorized,
                 executed and delivered by the Company;

                          (vii)   Neither (A) the execution and delivery by the
                 Company of each of the Operative Documents to be executed and
                 delivered by the Company at or prior to the applicable Closing
                 Time nor (B) the issuance and sale of the Offered Securities
                 by the Company pursuant to this Agreement, the applicable
                 Terms Agreement and the Indentures and the related
                 Supplemental Indentures, if any, will, as of the applicable
                 Closing Time, result in the violation or breach by the Company
                 of, or a default under, (1) its articles of incorporation or
                 by-laws, (2) any federal or Louisiana statute, rule or
                 regulation applicable to the Company or any of its
                 subsidiaries (except that no opinion is expressed with respect
                 to blue sky or state securities laws), (3) any agreement or
                 other instrument known to such counsel and listed as an
                 Exhibit to the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form
                 10-K for the Company's most recent fiscal year binding upon
                 the Company or any of its subsidiaries that is material to the
                 Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, or
                 (4) any court or administrative orders, writs, judgments or
                 decrees applicable to the Company and known to such counsel;
   22
                                                                              22


                         (viii)   To the best of such counsel's knowledge, no
                 consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing with,
                 any federal or Louisiana court or governmental body or agency
                 is required to be obtained or made by the Company or any of
                 its subsidiaries for the execution and delivery by the Company
                 of each of the Operative Documents to be executed and
                 delivered by the Company at or prior to the Closing Time and
                 the consummation of the issuance and sale of the Offered
                 Securities by the Company pursuant to this Agreement, the
                 applicable Terms Agreement and the Indentures and the related
                 Supplemental Indentures, if any, except such as have been
                 obtained or made under the 1933 Act and such as may be
                 required under state securities laws in connection with the
                 purchase and distribution of such Securities by you;

                           (ix)   After due inquiry, such counsel has no
                 knowledge of any legal or governmental proceeding pending or
                 threatened to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is
                 a party or to which any of the properties of the Company or
                 any of its subsidiaries is subject that is required to be
                 described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and
                 is not so described therein; or of any statutes, regulations,
                 contracts or other documents that are required to be described
                 in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed
                 as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not
                 described or filed as required;

                            (x)  If any Offered Securities to be issued are
                 convertible or exchangeable, the related Underlying Securities
                 are duly and validly authorized, have been duly reserved for
                 issuance upon conversion or exchange of the Offered
                 Securities, and when issued upon the conversion or exchange of
                 the Offered Securities, will be duly and validly issued and,
                 in the case of such Underlying Securities which are Common
                 Stock, fully paid and non-assessable;

                           (xi)  If the Offered Securities are Preferred Stock
                 or Debt Securities convertible or exchangeable into Common
                 Stock, such counsel shall opine that all of the outstanding
                 shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly
                 authorized and are validly issued, fully paid and
                 non-assessable, and except as disclosed in the Prospectus none
                 of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are
                 subject to any preemptive or similar rights; and

                          (xii)   Each of the documents incorporated or deemed
                 to be incorporated by reference in the Registration
   23
                                                                              23


                 Statement, at the time it was filed with the Commission,
                 complied as to form in all material respects with the
                 requirements for such document under the 1934 Act and the
                 regulations thereunder.

                 In addition, such counsel has participated in conferences with
         officers and other representatives of the Company, representatives of
         the independent public accountants for the Company, and the
         Representatives, at which the contents of the Registration Statement
         and the Prospectus and related matters were discussed and, although
         such counsel is not passing upon, and does not assume any
         responsibility for, the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the
         statements contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus
         and have not been called on to make and have not made any independent
         check or verification thereof, during the course of such participation
         (relying as to materiality to a large extent upon the statements of
         officers and other representatives of the Company), no facts came to
         such counsel's attention that caused such counsel to believe that the
         Registration Statement, at the time it became effective, or if an
         amendment to the Registration Statement or an annual report on Form
         10-K has been filed by the Company with the Commission subsequent to
         the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, then at the time such
         post-effective amendment became effective or as of the most recent
         filing, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to
         state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
         make the statements therein not misleading, or that the Prospectus
         (including the documents incorporated by reference therein but giving
         effect to Rule 412 under the 1933 Act), as of the date of the most
         recent Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus (as supplemented) as of
         the applicable Closing Time, contained an untrue statement of a
         material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make
         the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they
         were made, not misleading; it being understood that such counsel
         expresses no belief with respect to the financial statements and notes
         and schedules thereto and other financial, accounting, tax and
         statistical data included in (or incorporated in) the Registration
         Statement or the Prospectus or with respect to the Statement of
         Eligibility and Qualification of the Trustee on Form T-1, if any.

                 In rendering such opinion, Kantrow, Spaht, Weaver & Blizter (A
         Professional Law Corporation) (or such other counsel) (i) may rely as
         to factual matters upon certificates or written statements from
         officers or other appropriate representatives of the Company and its
         subsidiaries and upon certificates of public officials and (ii) need
         not express any opinion with respect to the laws of any jurisdiction
         other than the federal law of the United
   24
                                                                              24


         States and the law of the State of Louisiana.  Further, such opinion
         may contain assumptions, limitations, exceptions and restrictions
         which are reasonably satisfactory to you and your counsel.

                 (d)  At the Closing Time, each of you shall have received the
         favorable opinion of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett as your counsel, dated
         as of the applicable Closing Time, to the effect that the opinions
         delivered pursuant to Sections 5(b) and 5(c) appear on their face to
         be appropriately responsive to the requirements of this Agreement and
         the applicable Terms Agreement except, specifying the same, to the
         extent waived by you, and with respect to the Securities, this
         Agreement and the applicable Terms Agreement, the Indentures, if any,
         the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the incorporation and
         legal existence of the Company and such other related matters as you
         may reasonably require.  In giving such opinion, such counsel may
         rely, as to all matters governed by the laws of jurisdictions other
         than the federal law of the United States, the law of the State of New
         York and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, upon
         the opinions of counsel satisfactory to you.  Such counsel may also
         state that, insofar as such opinion involves factual matters, they
         have relied, to the extent they deem proper, upon certificates of
         officers or other appropriate representatives of the Company and its
         subsidiaries and certificates of public officials.

                 (e)  At the applicable Closing Time, (i) the Registration
         Statement and the Prospectus, as they may then be amended or
         supplemented, shall contain all statements that are required to be
         stated therein under the 1933 Act and the regulations thereunder and
         in all material respects shall conform to the requirements of the 1933
         Act and the regulations thereunder and the 1939 Act and the
         regulations thereunder, and neither the Registration Statement nor the
         Prospectus, as they may then be amended or supplemented, shall contain
         an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material
         fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
         therein not misleading; (ii) there shall not have been, since the
         respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus
         (as supplemented), any material adverse change, or any development
         involving a prospective material adverse change, in the condition
         (financial or otherwise), properties, assets, business or results of
         operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one
         enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business;
         (iii) no action, suit or proceeding at law or in equity shall be
         pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against the
         Company or any of its subsidiaries that would be required to be set
         forth in the Prospectus other than as set
   25
                                                                              25


         forth therein or in any supplement thereto and no proceedings shall be
         pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against it or
         any of its subsidiaries before or by any federal, state or other
         commission, board or administrative agency wherein an unfavorable
         decision, ruling or finding is reasonably likely to materially
         adversely affect the condition (financial or otherwise), properties,
         assets, business or results of operations of the Company and its
         subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, other than as set forth in
         the Prospectus or in any supplement thereto; (iv) the Company shall
         have complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its
         part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the applicable
         Closing Time; and (v) the other representations and warranties of the
         Company set forth in Section 1(a) shall be accurate as though
         expressly made at and as of the applicable Closing Time.  At the
         applicable Closing Time, each of you shall have received a certificate
         of the President or a Vice President, and the Treasurer or Assistant
         Treasurer, of the Company, dated as of the applicable Closing Time, to
         such effect to such officer's knowledge.

                 (f)  At the time that a Terms Agreement is executed by the
         Company, each of you shall have received from Deloitte & Touche LLP or
         such other nationally recognized independent public accountants who
         are reporting on the audited financial statements and schedules
         included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement a
         letter dated the date thereof and also at the applicable Closing Time
         a letter dated the date thereof, in each case in form and substance
         satisfactory to the Representatives, containing statements and
         information of the type ordinarily included in the accountant's
         "comfort letters" to underwriters with respect to financial statements
         and certain financial information contained in the Registration
         Statement and the Prospectus.

                 (g)  At the applicable Closing Time, your counsel shall have
         been furnished with all such documents (including any consents under
         any agreements to which the Company is a party), certificates and
         opinions as they may reasonably request for the purpose of enabling
         them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as
         contemplated in this Agreement and the applicable Terms Agreement and
         the matters referred to in Section 5(d) and in order to evidence the
         accuracy and completeness of any of the representations, warranties or
         statements of the Company, the performance of any of the covenants of
         the Company, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions herein and in
         the applicable Terms Agreement contained; and all proceedings taken by
         the Company at or prior to the applicable Closing Time in connection
         with the authorization, issuance and sale of the
   26
                                                                              26


         Offered Securities, and by the Company at or prior to the applicable
         Closing Time in connection with the authorization and delivery of any
         other Operative Documents, each as contemplated in this Agreement and
         the applicable Terms Agreement, shall be reasonably satisfactory in
         form and substance to you and to your counsel.

                 (h)  If the Offered Securities to be sold to you pursuant to
         an applicable Terms Agreement are to be listed on any securities
         exchange, such Securities shall have been duly authorized for listing
         on such exchange on the date of the applicable Terms Agreement,
         subject only to official notice of issuance thereof and notice of a
         satisfactory distribution of the Securities.

                 (i)  On or after the date of the applicable Terms Agreement
         (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded any of
         the Company's debt securities or preferred stock by any "nationally
         recognized statistical rating organization" as that term is defined by
         the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the 1933 Act and
         regulations thereunder and (ii) no such organization shall have
         publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, with
         possible negative implications, its rating of the Company's debt
         securities or preferred stock.

                 (j)  Each of the Indentures and the related Supplemental
         Indentures, if any, shall have been executed and delivered by all
         parties thereto on or prior to the Closing Time, in each case in
         substantially the form last filed by the Company with the Commission,
         and each such instrument shall be in full force and effect at the
         Closing Time.

                 If any of the conditions specified in this Section 5 shall not
have been fulfilled when and as required by this Agreement or the applicable
Terms Agreement to be fulfilled, this Agreement and the applicable Terms
Agreement may be terminated by you on notice to the Company at any time at or
prior to the applicable Closing Time, and such termination shall be without
liability of any party to any other party, except as provided in Section 4.
Notwithstanding any such termination, the provisions of Sections 6 and 7 shall
remain in effect.

                 Section 6. Indemnification.  (a)  The Company agrees to
indemnify and hold harmless each of you and each person, if any, who controls
any of you within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act as follows:

                   (i)    against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage
         and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of an untrue
         statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in
         the Registration Statement (or any
   27
                                                                              27


         amendment thereto), including all documents incorporated or deemed to
         be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, or the
         omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to
         be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
         misleading or arising out of an untrue statement or alleged untrue
         statement of a material fact included in the Prospectus (or any
         amendment or supplement thereto) or the omission or alleged omission
         therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements
         therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made,
         not misleading;

                  (ii)    against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage
         and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate
         amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or investigation or
         proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or
         threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue
         statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or
         omission, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of
         the Company; and

                 (iii)    against any and all expense whatsoever (including
         fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by you (except to the extent
         otherwise expressly provided in paragraph (c) of this Section 6))
         reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against
         any litigation, or investigation or proceeding by any governmental
         agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based
         upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue
         statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid
         under subparagraph (i) or (ii) above;

provided, however, that the Company's obligations under this indemnity do not
apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising
out of an untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission
made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or the Prospectus
(or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity
with written information furnished to the Company by any of you through the
Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any
amendment thereto) or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto);
and provided further, that as to any related preliminary prospectus or
preliminary prospectus supplement this indemnity agreement shall not inure to
the benefit of any Underwriter on account of any loss, claim, damage or
liability (or action in respect thereof) arising from the sale of Offered
Securities to any person by that Underwriter if that Underwriter failed to send
or give a copy of the Prospectus, as the same may be amended or supplemented,
to that person within the time required by the 1933 Act, and the untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement of any
   28
                                                                              28


material fact or omission or alleged omission to state any material fact in
such preliminary prospectus or preliminary prospectus supplement was corrected
in the Prospectus, unless such failure resulted from non-compliance by the
Company with Section 3(b).  For purposes of the second proviso to the
immediately preceding sentence, the term Prospectus shall not be deemed to
include the documents incorporated by reference therein, and no Underwriter
shall be obligated to send or give any supplement or amendment to any document
incorporated by reference in a preliminary prospectus, a preliminary prospectus
supplement or the Prospectus to any person other than a person to whom such
Underwriter has delivered such incorporated documents in response to a written
request therefor.

                 (b)  Each of you agrees, severally and not jointly, to
indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of their
respective officers who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if
any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act
or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, against any and all loss, liability, claim,
damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in Section 6(a), as
incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged
untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any
amendment thereto) or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto)
in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the
Company by you through the Representatives expressly for use in the
Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or the Prospectus (or any
amendment or supplement thereto).

                 (c)  Each indemnified party shall give prompt notice to each
indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which
indemnity may be sought hereunder, enclosing a copy of all papers served, but
failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any
liability that it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity
agreement.  An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the
defense of such action.  If it so elects within a reasonable time after receipt
of such notice, an indemnifying party, jointly with any other indemnifying
parties receiving such notice, may assume the defense of such action with
counsel chosen by it and approved by the indemnified parties who are defendants
in such action, provided that, if such indemnified party or parties reasonably
determine that there may be legal defenses that are different from or in
addition to those available to such indemnifying party or parties, then such
indemnifying party or parties shall not be entitled to assume such defense.  If
the indemnifying party or parties are not entitled to assume the defense of
such action as a result of the proviso to the preceding sentence, counsel for
the indemnifying party or parties shall be entitled to conduct the defense of
such indemnifying party or parties and counsel for the indemnified party or
parties shall be entitled to conduct the defense of such indemnified
   29
                                                                              29


party or parties.  If an indemnifying party assumes the defense of such action,
the indemnifying parties shall not be liable for any fees and expenses of
counsel for the indemnified parties incurred thereafter in connection with such
action.  In no event shall the indemnifying party or parties be liable for the
fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel)
for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but
similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same
general allegations or circumstances.

                 (d)  No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written
consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or
threatened proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could
have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such
indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of
such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter
of such proceeding.  No indemnifying party shall be liable for any settlement
that an indemnified party may effect without the consent of the indemnifying
party, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.

                 Section 7.  Contribution.  In order to provide for just and
equitable contribution in circumstances under which the indemnity provided for
in Section 6 is for any reason held to be unenforceable by the indemnified
parties although applicable in accordance with its terms, the Company and each
of you shall contribute to the aggregate losses, liabilities, claims, damages
and expenses of the nature contemplated by such indemnity incurred by the
Company and one or more of you, in such proportions as will reflect the
relative benefits from the offering of such Securities received by the Company
on the one hand and by you, on the other hand, provided that if the Securities
are offered by you at an initial public offering price set forth in a
Prospectus Supplement, the relative benefits shall be deemed to be such that
you shall be responsible for that portion of the aggregate losses, liabilities,
claims, damages and expenses represented by the percentage that the
underwriting commission appearing on the cover page of the Prospectus
Supplement bears to the initial public offering price appearing thereon and the
Company shall be responsible for the balance; provided, however, that no person
guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of
the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not
guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.  For purposes of this Section 7,
each person, if any, who controls any of you within the meaning of Section 15
of the 1933 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as you, and each
director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the
Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company
within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or
   30
                                                                              30


Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the
Company.

                 Section 8.  Representations, Warranties and Agreements to
Survive Delivery.  The representations, warranties, indemnities, agreements and
other statements of the Company or its officers set forth in or made pursuant
to this Agreement will remain operative and in full force and effect regardless
of any termination of the applicable Terms Agreement (including this Agreement
as incorporated by reference therein), or any investigation made by or on
behalf of the Company or any of you or any controlling person and will survive
delivery of and payment for the Securities.

                 Section 9.  Termination of Agreement.  (a)  The
Representatives may terminate the applicable Terms Agreement (including this
Agreement, as incorporated by reference therein), immediately by notice to the
Company, at any time at or prior to the applicable Closing Time (i) if there
has been, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the
Prospectus, any material adverse change, or any development involving a
prospective material adverse change, in the condition (financial or otherwise),
properties, assets, business or results of operations of the Company and its
subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the
ordinary course of business, or (ii) if there has occurred any new outbreak of
hostilities or escalation of existing hostilities or other calamity or crisis
the effect of which on the financial markets of the United States is such as to
make it, in your reasonable judgment, impracticable to market the Securities or
enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, or (iii) if trading in any
securities of the Company has been suspended by the Commission, or if trading
generally on either the New York Stock Exchange or the American Stock Exchange
has been suspended, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed,
or maximum ranges for prices for securities have been required, by either of
such exchanges or by order of the Commission or any other governmental
authority or (iv) if a general commercial banking moratorium has been declared
by either federal or New York authorities.

                 (b)  If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section
9, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party,
except to the extent provided in Section 4 hereof.  Notwithstanding any such
termination, the covenants set forth in Section 3 with respect to any offering
of Securities purchased from the Company pursuant to the applicable Terms
Agreement and the provisions of Sections 6 and 7 shall remain in effect.

                 (c)  This Agreement may also terminate pursuant to the
provisions of Sections 2, 5 and 10, with the effect stated in such Sections.
   31
                                                                              31


                 Section 10.  Default by One or More of the Underwriters.  If
one or more of you shall fail at the applicable Closing Time to purchase the
Securities that such Underwriter or Underwriters are obligated to purchase
pursuant to the applicable Terms Agreement (the "Defaulted Securities"), the
Representatives shall have the right, within 24 hours thereafter, to make
arrangements for one or more of the non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other
substitute underwriters, to purchase all, but not less than all, of the
Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms
set forth in this Agreement; if, however, you have not completed such
arrangements within such 24-hour period, then:

                 (a)  if the aggregate amount of Defaulted Securities does not
         exceed 10% of the aggregate amount of the Securities to be purchased
         pursuant to such Terms Agreement, the non-defaulting Underwriters
         shall be obligated to purchase the full amount thereof in the
         proportions that their respective underwriting obligation proportions
         bear to the underwriting obligations of all non-defaulting
         Underwriters, or

                 (b)  if the aggregate amount of Defaulted Securities exceeds
         10% of the aggregate amount of the Securities to be purchased pursuant
         to such Terms Agreement, such Terms Agreement (including this
         Agreement as incorporated by reference therein) shall terminate
         without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter.

                 No action taken pursuant to this Section 10 shall relieve any
defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of its default.

                 In the event of any such default that does not result in a
termination of the applicable Terms Agreement, either the Representatives or
the Company shall have the right to postpone the applicable Closing Time for a
period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the
Registration Statement or Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements.

                 Section 11.  Notices.  All notices and other communications
under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly
given if delivered, mailed or transmitted by any standard form of
telecommunication.  Notices to you shall be directed to you as provided in the
applicable Terms Agreement.  Notices to the Company shall be directed to it c/o
United Companies Financial Corporation, 4041 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
70809, attention of Dale E. Redman, with copies to Kantrow, Spaht, Weaver &
Blitzer (A Professional Law Corporation), attention of Lee C. Kantrow and
Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, attention of Reed D. Auerbach.
   32
                                                                              32


                 Section 12.  Parties.  The applicable Terms Agreement and this
Agreement are made solely for the benefit of each of you, the Company and, to
the extent expressed, any person controlling either the Company or any of you,
and the directors of the Company, the officers of the Company who have signed
the Registration Statement, and the executors, administrators, successors and
assigns of such persons and, subject to the provisions of Section 10, no other
person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of the applicable
Terms Agreement or this Agreement.  The term "successors and assigns" shall not
include any purchaser, as such purchaser, from any of you of the Securities.
All of the obligations of each of you hereunder are several and not joint.

                 Section 13.  Governing Law and Time.  This Agreement and each
Terms Agreement shall be governed by the law of the State of New York without
regard to the conflicts of law principles thereof.  Specified times of the day
refer to New York City time.

                                        Very truly yours,
                                        
                                        UNITED COMPANIES
                                        FINANCIAL CORPORATION
                                        
                                        
                                        By: _________________________
                                            Name:  
                                            Title: 
                                            
   33
                                                                    Exhibit A(I)

                     UNITED COMPANIES FINANCIAL CORPORATION
                           (a Louisiana corporation)

                                  $___________
                                Debt Securities

                                TERMS AGREEMENT



                                                            _______ __, 199_



To:      United Companies Financial Corporation
         4041 Essen Lane
         Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70809

Dear Sirs:

          Reference is made to the United Companies Financial Corporation
Securities Underwriting Agreement-Basic Provisions dated _____ __, 1994 (the
"Underwriting Agreement").  This Agreement is the Terms Agreement referred to
in the Underwriting Agreement.  We offer to purchase, on and subject to the
terms and conditions of the Underwriting Agreement, the following securities
("Securities") on the following terms:

Title:                                     ____________ due ____________     

Principal Amount to be issued:             $___________           

Date of maturity:                          ____________            

Interest rate:                             ____________%

Interest payment dates:                    ____________ and  _________ of each
                                           year

Public offering price:                     ____________%, plus accrued interest
                                           from _____________


Purchase Price:                            ____________%, plus accrued interest
                                           from _______________ (payable by
                                           [wire transfer in same-day federal
                                           funds, less one day's interest
                                           at the federal funds rate] 
                                           [certified or official bank check 
                                           in New York Clearinghouse funds)]
   34
                                                                               2


Underwriting Commission:                   _____%


Redemption provisions:                     [Redeemable at the option of
                                           the Company in whole or in part on
                                           and after _____________, ____ at
                                           100% of principal amount plus
                                           accrued interest to the date of
                                           redemption.]

Conversion or                              ____________            
Exchange Provisions:

Delayed Delivery Contracts:                ____________            

Closing date and location:                 ____________, 10:00 A.M.;
                                           Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, 
                                           425 Lexington Avenue
                                           New York, New York  10017

Additional co-managers, if any:            ____________            

Additional underwriters, if any:           ____________            

Other terms:                               ____________            

                 The Company represents and warrants to each of us that the
representations and warranties of the Company set forth in Section 1 of the
Underwriting Agreement are accurate as though expressly made at and as of the
date hereof.  All of the provisions contained in the Underwriting Agreement, a
copy of which is attached hereto as Annex A, are herein incorporated by
reference in their entirety and shall be deemed to be a part of this Agreement
to the same extent as if such provisions had been set forth in full herein.
Terms defined in such document are used herein as therein defined.

                 As contemplated by Section 2 of the Underwriting Agreement,
attached as Schedule A hereto is a completed list of our respective
underwriting commitments, which shall be a part of this Agreement and the
Underwriting Agreement.

                 This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of
New York without regard to the conflicts of law principles thereof.

                 If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of
the agreement between the Underwriters and you, please sign and return to the
Underwriters a counterpart hereof,
   35
                                                                               3


whereupon this instrument along with all counterparts and together with the
Underwriting Agreement shall be a binding
   36
                                                                               4


agreement between the Underwriters and you in accordance with its terms and the
terms of the Underwriting Agreement.


                                        Very truly yours,

                                        [                   ]

                                                 By:  ________________________



Confirmed and accepted as of
the date first above written:

UNITED COMPANIES
FINANCIAL CORPORATION


By: ________________________
    Name:
    Title:
   37
                                                                   Exhibit A(II)

                     UNITED COMPANIES FINANCIAL CORPORATION
                           (a Louisiana corporation)

                               Equity Securities

                                TERMS AGREEMENT



                                                            _______ __, 199_



To:      United Companies Financial Corporation
         4041 Essen Lane
         Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70809

Dear Sirs:

          Reference is made to the United Companies Financial Corporation
Securities Underwriting Agreement-Basic Provisions dated _____ __, 1994 (the
"Underwriting Agreement").  This Agreement is the Terms Agreement referred to
in the Underwriting Agreement.  We offer to purchase, on and subject to the
terms and conditions of the Underwriting Agreement, the following securities
("Securities") on the following terms:

Title:                                     Preferred Stock, Series __

Number of Shares to be issued:             ___________ shares

Voting Rights:                             ____________            

Dividends:                                 [cash] dividends of $        to 
                                           $        per share payable quarterly
                                           in arrears on __________, _________,
                                           ____________, and __________ ___

Public offering price:                     $____________ per share
                                            

Purchase Price:                            $____________ per share (payable by 
                                           [wire transfer in same-day federal 
                                           funds, less one day's interest at 
                                           the federal funds rate] [certified 
                                           or official bank check in New York 
                                           Clearinghouse funds)]

Underwriting Commission:                   _____%
   38
                                                                               2


Redemption provisions:                     ____________

Liquidation Preference:                    $____________ per share plus        .

Conversion or Exchange                     ____________
Provisions:

Over-Allotment Option:                     ____________

Closing date and location:                 ____________ , 10:00 A.M.;
                                           Simpson Thacher & Bartlett,
                                           425 Lexington Avenue
                                           New York, New York  10017

Additional co-managers, if any:            ____________


Additional underwriters, if any:           ____________

Other Terms:                               ____________


Name of Transfer Agent and                 ____________
Registrar:

                 The Company represents and warrants to each of us that the
representations and warranties of the Company set forth in Section 1 of the
Underwriting Agreement are accurate as though expressly made at and as of the
date hereof.  All of the provisions contained in the Underwriting Agreement, a
copy of which is attached hereto as Annex A, are herein incorporated by
reference in their entirety and shall be deemed to be a part of this Agreement
to the same extent as if such provisions had been set forth in full herein.
Terms defined in such document are used herein as therein defined.

                 As contemplated by Section 2 of the Underwriting Agreement,
attached as Schedule A hereto is a completed list of our respective
underwriting commitments, which shall be a part of this Agreement and the
Underwriting Agreement.

                 This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of
New York without regard to the conflicts of law principles thereof.

                 If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of
the agreement between the Underwriters and you, please sign and return to the
Underwriters a counterpart hereof,
   39
                                                                               3


whereupon this instrument along with all counterparts and together with the
Underwriting Agreement shall be a binding agreement between the Underwriters
and you in accordance with its terms and the terms of the Underwriting
Agreement.


                                        Very truly yours,

                                        [                   ]

                                                 By:  ________________________




Confirmed and accepted as of
the date first above written:

UNITED COMPANIES
FINANCIAL CORPORATION


By: ________________________
    Name:
    Title:
   40
                                   SCHEDULE A






                                                                  Principal Amount
                                                                  of Debt Securities
                                                                  to be Purchased/
                                                                  Number of Shares of
           Underwriter                                            Preferred Stock    
           -----------                                            -------------------
                                                                


[              ]  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


[              ]  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


[              ]  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
                                                                  -------------------

                       Total  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
                                                                  -------------------
  
   41
                                                                       Exhibit B


United Companies Financial Corporation
c/o [Manager's Address]
Attention:

Dear Sirs:

                 The undersigned hereby agrees to purchase from United
Companies Financial Corporation (the "Company"), and the Company agrees to sell
to the undersigned, on ____________, 19__ (the "Delivery Date"), $____________
principal amount of the Company's ___% [Notes][Debentures] due ____________,
19__ (the "Securities"), offered by the Company's Prospectus dated
____________, 19__, as supplemented by its Prospectus Supplement dated
____________, 19__, receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, at a purchase
price of ___% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued interest from
____________, 19__, to the Delivery Date, and on the further terms and
conditions set forth in this contract.

                 Payment for the Securities which the undersigned has agreed to
purchase on the Delivery Date shall be made to the Company or its order by
certified or official bank check in New York Clearing House funds, at the
office of the Underwriters, on the Delivery Date, upon delivery to the
undersigned of the Securities to be purchased by the undersigned in definitive
form and in such denominations and registered in such names as the undersigned
may designate by written or telegraphic communication addressed to the Company
not less than five full business days prior to the Delivery Date.

                 The obligations of the undersigned to take delivery of and
make payment for Securities on the Delivery Date shall be subject only to the
conditions that (1) the purchase of Securities to be made by the undersigned
shall not on the Delivery Date be prohibited under the laws of the jurisdiction
to which the undersigned is subject and (2) the Company, on or before
____________, 19__, shall have sold to the Underwriters of the Securities (the
"Underwriters") such principal amount of the Securities as is to be sold to
them pursuant to the Terms Agreement dated ____________, 19__ between the
Company and the Underwriters.  The obligation of the undersigned to take
delivery of and make payment for Securities shall not be affected by the
failure of any purchaser to take delivery of and make payment for Securities
pursuant to other contracts similar to this contract.  The undersigned
represents and warrants to you that its investment in the Securities is not, as
of the date hereof, prohibited under the laws of any jurisdiction to which the
undersigned is subject and which govern such investment.
   42
                                                                               2


                 Promptly after completion of the sale to the Underwriters, the
Company will mail or deliver to the undersigned at its address set forth below
notice to such effect, accompanied by a copy of the opinion of counsel for the
Company delivered to the Underwriters in connection therewith.

                 By the execution hereof, the undersigned represents and
warrants to the Company that all necessary corporate action for the due
execution and delivery of this contract and the payment for and purchase of the
Securities has been taken by it and no further authorization or approval of any
governmental or other regulatory authority is required for such execution,
delivery, payment or purchase, and that, upon acceptance hereof by the Company
and mailing or delivery of a copy as provided below, this contract will
constitute a valid and binding agreement of the undersigned in accordance with
its terms.

                 This contract will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon
the parties hereto and their respective successors, but will not be assignable
by either party hereto without the written consent of the other.

                 It is understood that the Company will not accept Delayed
Delivery Contracts for an aggregate principal amount of Securities in excess of
$____________ and that the acceptance of any delayed Delivery Contract is in
the Company's sole discretion and, without limiting the foregoing, need not be
on a first-come, first-served basis.  If this contract is acceptable to the
Company, it is requested that the Company sign the form of acceptance on a copy
hereof and mail or deliver a signed copy hereof to the undersigned at its
address set forth below.  This
   43
                                                                               3


will become a binding contract between the Company and the undersigned when
such copy is mailed or delivered.

                 This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of
New York without regard to the conflicts of law principles thereof.

                                        Yours very truly,

                                        ______________________________      
                                             (Name of Purchaser)
                                        
                                        
                                        By____________________________
                                                  (Title)
                                        
                                        ______________________________
                                        
                                        
                                        ______________________________
                                                 (Address)

Accepted as of the date
first above written.

United Companies
Financial Corporation


By________________________

                 PURCHASER - PLEASE COMPLETE AT TIME OF SIGNING

                 The name and telephone number of the representative of the
Purchaser with whom details of delivery on the Delivery Date may be discussed
is as follows:  (Please print.)




                                                        Telephone No.
Name                                                (Including Area Code)
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