<PAGE>

================================================================================


                         SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                               Washington, D.C. 20549

                                      FORM 8-K

                                   CURRENT REPORT
                           Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
                                       of the
                           Securities Exchange Act of 1934



Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):  August 1, 1997


                             FREMONT GENERAL CORPORATION
               (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

                                       Nevada
                   (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)


             1-8007                                      95-2815260
    (Commission File Number)                (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

           2020 Santa Monica Boulevard - Suite 600 Santa Monica, CA 90404
 (Address of Principal Executive Offices)
(Zip Code)

                                   (310) 315-5500
                 (Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

                                         N/A
            (Former Name or Former Address, if Changes Since Last Report)


================================================================================


<PAGE>


     Item 2.        Acquisition or Disposition of Assets.

                            On August 1, 1997,  Fremont General  Corporation,  a
                    Nevada   corporation   (the   "Company"),    completed   the
                    acquisition  of  Industrial   Indemnity  Holdings,   Inc.  a
                    Delaware corporation ("Industrial Indemnity"), pursuant to a
                    Stock  Purchase  Agreement  dated as of May 16,  1997 by and
                    among the Company,  Fremont Indemnity  Company, a California
                    corporation  and  wholly-owned  subsidiary  of  the  Company
                    ("Fremont Indemnity") and Talegen Holdings, Inc., a Delaware
                    corporation and subsidiary of Xerox Corporation ("Talegen"),
                    whereby Fremont Indemnity  purchased from Talegen all of the
                    issued  and   outstanding   capital   stock  of   Industrial
                    Indemnity.  The purchase price paid by the Company consisted
                    of $365 million in cash and the pay-off of approximately $79
                    million of an outstanding  debt  obligation  that Industrial
                    Indemnity owed to Talegen. Financing for the transaction was
                    provided  by  internal  funds  and  bank   borrowings.   The
                    aggregate   purchase  price  was   determined   pursuant  to
                    arms-length  negotiations among the constituent corporations
                    The acquisition will be treated as a purchase for accounting
                    purposes.

                           Industrial    Indemnity,    which    specializes   in
                    underwriting workers'  compensation  insurance and providing
                    risk  management  services,  has a  strong  presence  in the
                    western  United States  dating back over 70 years.  In 1996,
                    Industrial  Indemnity  had gross  premiums of $259  million,
                    with invested assets of approximately $1.1 billion.

                           There   were,   and   are  to   date,   no   material
                    relationships   between  the  Company,   its   subsidiaries,
                    officers,  or directors,  and Talegen or Xerox  Corporation,
                    other than the previously  described $79 million  pay-off of
                    an  outstanding  debt  obligation  negotiated as part of the
                    purchase price.


     Item 7.        Financial Statements and Exhibits.

                    (a)      Financial statements of business acquired.

                           Financial  statements are not available at this time.
                    Such statements will be filed no later than October 15, 1997
                    as permitted by paragraph (a)(4) to Item 7 of Form 8-K.

                    (b)      Pro forma financial information.

                           Pro forma  financial  information is not available at
                    this  time.  Such  information  will be filed no later  than
                    October 15, 1997 as permitted by paragraph  (b)(2) to item 7
                    of Form 8-K.

                    (c)      Exhibits.
<TABLE>
                                                                                              Sequentially
     Exhibit                                                                                    Numbered
     Number                                   Description                                         Page
     -------        ------------------------------------------------------------              ------------   
       <C>          <S>                                                              
        2.1         Stock  Purchase  Agreement  by  and  among Talegen Holdings,   
                    Inc.,   Fremont  Indemnity   Company  and  Fremont   General 
                    Corporation dated as of  May  16,  1997  including  exhibits
                    thereto.

        2.2         Tax Allocation and  Indemnification  Agreement,  dated as of
                    May 16, 1997 by and among Xerox  Financial  Services,  Inc.,
                    Talegen Holdings, Inc., Industrial Indemnity Holdings, Inc.,
                    Fremont   General   Corporation,   and   Fremont   Indemnity
                    Company, a California corporation.

</TABLE>

                                       2
<PAGE>





                                   SIGNATURE



        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.




                                                  FREMONT GENERAL CORPORATION


     Date:  August 14, 1997                   BY: /s/   JOHN A. DONALDSON
                                                  ------------------------------
                                                  John A. Donaldson, Senior Vice
                                                  President, Controller and 
                                                  Chief Accounting Officer


                                       3
[{"type": "8-K", "sequence": "1", "description": "CURRENT REPORT", "secsgml_size_bytes": 6692}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "FREMONT GENERAL CORP", "cik": "0000038984", "assigned-sic": "6331", "irs-number": "952815260", "state-of-incorporation": "NV", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "001-08007", "film-number": "97660205"}, "business-address": {"street1": "2020 SANTA MONICA BLVD", "street2": "STE 600", "city": "SANTA MONICA", "state": "CA", "zip": "90404", "phone": "3103155500"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "2020 SANTA MONICA BLVD", "city": "SANTA MONICA", "state": "CA", "zip": "90404"}}
================================================================================

                         SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                               Washington, D.C. 20549

                                      FORM 8-K

                                   CURRENT REPORT
                           Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
                                       of the
                           Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):  August 1, 1997

                             FREMONT GENERAL CORPORATION
               (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

                                       Nevada
                   (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)

             1-8007                                      95-2815260
    (Commission File Number)                (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

           2020 Santa Monica Boulevard - Suite 600 Santa Monica, CA 90404
 (Address of Principal Executive Offices)
(Zip Code)

                                   (310) 315-5500
                 (Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

                                         N/A
            (Former Name or Former Address, if Changes Since Last Report)

================================================================================
Item 2.        Acquisition or Disposition of Assets.

                            On August 1, 1997,  Fremont General  Corporation,  a
                    Nevada   corporation   (the   "Company"),    completed   the
                    acquisition  of  Industrial   Indemnity  Holdings,   Inc.  a
                    Delaware corporation ("Industrial Indemnity"), pursuant to a
                    Stock  Purchase  Agreement  dated as of May 16,  1997 by and
                    among the Company,  Fremont Indemnity  Company, a California
                    corporation  and  wholly-owned  subsidiary  of  the  Company
                    ("Fremont Indemnity") and Talegen Holdings, Inc., a Delaware
                    corporation and subsidiary of Xerox Corporation ("Talegen"),
                    whereby Fremont Indemnity  purchased from Talegen all of the
                    issued  and   outstanding   capital   stock  of   Industrial
                    Indemnity.  The purchase price paid by the Company consisted
                    of $365 million in cash and the pay-off of approximately $79
                    million of an outstanding  debt  obligation  that Industrial
                    Indemnity owed to Talegen. Financing for the transaction was
                    provided  by  internal  funds  and  bank   borrowings.   The
                    aggregate   purchase  price  was   determined   pursuant  to
                    arms-length  negotiations among the constituent corporations
                    The acquisition will be treated as a purchase for accounting
                    purposes.

                           Industrial    Indemnity,    which    specializes   in
                    underwriting workers'  compensation  insurance and providing
                    risk  management  services,  has a  strong  presence  in the
                    western  United States  dating back over 70 years.  In 1996,
                    Industrial  Indemnity  had gross  premiums of $259  million,
                    with invested assets of approximately $1.1 billion.

                           There   were,   and   are  to   date,   no   material
                    relationships   between  the  Company,   its   subsidiaries,
                    officers,  or directors,  and Talegen or Xerox  Corporation,
                    other than the previously  described $79 million  pay-off of
                    an  outstanding  debt  obligation  negotiated as part of the
                    purchase price.

     Item 7.        Financial Statements and Exhibits.

                    (a)      Financial statements of business acquired.

                           Financial  statements are not available at this time.
                    Such statements will be filed no later than October 15, 1997
                    as permitted by paragraph (a)(4) to Item 7 of Form 8-K.

                    (b)      Pro forma financial information.

                           Pro forma  financial  information is not available at
                    this  time.  Such  information  will be filed no later  than
                    October 15, 1997 as permitted by paragraph  (b)(2) to item 7
                    of Form 8-K.

                    (c)      Exhibits.

                                                                                              Sequentially
     Exhibit                                                                                    Numbered
     Number                                   Description                                         Page
     -------        ------------------------------------------------------------              ------------
2.1         Stock  Purchase  Agreement  by  and  among Talegen Holdings,   
                    Inc.,   Fremont  Indemnity   Company  and  Fremont   General 
                    Corporation dated as of  May  16,  1997  including  exhibits
                    thereto.

        2.2         Tax Allocation and  Indemnification  Agreement,  dated as of
                    May 16, 1997 by and among Xerox  Financial  Services,  Inc.,
                    Talegen Holdings, Inc., Industrial Indemnity Holdings, Inc.,
                    Fremont   General   Corporation,   and   Fremont   Indemnity
                    Company, a California corporation.
2
SIGNATURE

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

                                                  FREMONT GENERAL CORPORATION

     Date:  August 14, 1997                   BY: /s/   JOHN A. DONALDSON
                                                  ------------------------------
                                                  John A. Donaldson, Senior Vice
                                                  President, Controller and 
                                                  Chief Accounting Officer

                                       3