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                                                                       Exhibit 6


TEXTRON FINANCIAL CORPORATION AGREES TO ACQUIRE LITCHFIELD
FINANCIAL CORPORATION

Specialized Commercial Finance Company to Significantly Enhance
Textron Financial's Resort and Recreation Portfolio

PROVIDENCE, R.I., and WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass., Sept. 23/PRNewswire/--Textron
Financial Corporation (NYSE: TXT) and Litchfield Financial Corporation (Nasdaq:
LTCH) today announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement whereby
Textron Financial Corporation will acquire the entire outstanding capital stock
of Litchfield for $24.50 per share in a cash transaction valued at
approximately $183 million. The Boards of Directors of both companies have
approved the agreement.

Litchfield is a commercial finance company specializing in receivables-based
finance agreements for the vacation ownership (timeshare) industry and other
commercial finance niches. With over $550 million in managed finance
receivables, Litchfield has a ten-year track record of over 20% annual earnings
growth.

"Litchfield bolsters Textron Financial Corporation's competitive position in
one of our fastest-growing core niches -- resort and recreation finance. It
also complements our existing portfolio by adding other niches consistent with
TFC's strategy. We have known Litchfield management for a long time. Their
track record and culture mirror our own, and we are eager to have this highly
successful organization join our family of businesses," remarked Stephen A.
Giliotti, Textron Financial Corporation Chairman, President and CFO.

Richard A. Stratton, President and CEO of Litchfield commented, "This is a
great combination of skills, culture and resources. Our timeshare and factoring
lending groups will complement Textron Financial's resort and recreation
finance and factoring businesses, which focus on complementary market segments.
Our land receivables, tax lien and financial services businesses will provide
Textron Financial new opportunities in growing markets. And by improving our
access to lower cost capital, the combination will enable us to expand the
growth of our core businesses." Mr. Stratton will remain President of
Litchfield and


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will also become Senior Vice President - Operations of Textron Financial
Corporation.

The agreement provides for an all-cash tender offer by Textron Financial for
all of Litchfield's outstanding shares of common stock, commencing within five
business days. The tender is expected to close by late October, 1999, unless
extended, and is subject to the valid tender of at least 66.66% of the
outstanding Litchfield shares on a fully diluted basis, and to customary
government filings and other customary conditions. Litchfield management and
directors intend to tender their shares in response to the offer.

The tender offer for shares of Litchfield common stock will be made only
through definitive tender offer documents, which will be filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission and mailed to the shareholders of
Litchfield. Following completion of the tender offer, it is contemplated that
the holders of any then-outstanding shares of common stock will receive, in a
second-step merger, the same $24.50 per share cash consideration as holders
will receive in the tender offer.

With 140 employees, Litchfield has offices in Williamstown, Mass.; Atlanta;
Denver; and Scottsdale, Ariz. The company's customers consist of developers of
vacation ownership (timeshare) properties and rural land, small finance
companies, and municipalities selling real estate tax liens.

With over $5 billion in managed receivables and a twenty-year history of record
earnings, Textron Financial Corporation is a diversified commercial finance
company with three groups of products and services: term financing for
Aircraft, Equipment and Golf (including the financing of Textron products);
revolving credit arrangements; and specialty finance. Other services include
syndications, asset management, portfolio servicing and insurance brokerage.


Textron Financial Corporation is a subsidiary of Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT), a
$10 billion, global, multi-industry company with market-leading operations in
Aircraft, Automotive, Industrial and Finance. Textron has a workforce of over
64,000 employees and major manufacturing facilities in 23 countries. Textron is
among Fortune magazine's "America's Most Admired Companies."

SOURCE: Litchfield Financial Corporation

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995: Statements in this press release regarding Litchfield Financial Corp.'s
business which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that
involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and
uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained
in the forward-looking statements, see "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual
Report or Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year.