EXHIBIT (99)


         [LETTERHEAD OF FIRST AMERICAN CORPORATION APPEARS HERE]

Contact:
Jo Etta Bandy                                                    NEWS  FOR
Vice President, Corporate Communications                               IMMEDIATE
The First American Corporation                                         RELEASE
(714) 800-3207


                    THE FIRST AMERICAN CORPORATION ANNOUNCES
                      INCREASE IN QUARTERLY CASH DIVIDEND

SANTA ANA, Calif., May 10, 2001 - The First American Corporation (NYSE: FAF),
the nation's leading, diversified provider of business information and related
products and services today announced that its board of directors has approved
an increase in the company's quarterly cash dividend from 6 cents per common
share to 7 cents per common share, representing an increase of nearly 17
percent.

     The cash dividend is payable on July 13, 2001, to shareholders of record as
of July 5, 2001. First American has paid a cash dividend for each of the last 92
years.

     "The increase in our quarterly cash dividend is testimony to our confidence
in First American's strong operating performance and future outlook," said
Parker S. Kennedy, president of The First American Corporation. "We are pleased
to share the benefits of our strong performance with our shareholders."

     The First American Corporation, based in Santa Ana, Calif., is the nation's
leading, diversified provider of business information and related products and
services. The corporation's three primary business segments include: title
information and services; real estate information and services, which includes
mortgage information services and database information and services; and
consumer information and services, which provides automotive, subprime and
direct-to-consumer credit reporting; direct-to-consumer public records
reporting; resident screening; pre-employment screening; property and automotive
insurance tracking services; property and casualty insurance; home warranties;
investment advisory; and trust and banking services. Information about the
company and an archive of its press releases can be found on the Internet at
www.firstam.com.

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