<PAGE>
 
     As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 8, 1999

                                                           Registration No. 333-
     ----------------------------------------------------------------------

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                   ----------

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                                   ----------

                        CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

                                   ----------

              Delaware                                     54-171854
    (State or other jurisdiction                       (I.R.S. Employer
  of incorporation or organization)                   Identification No.)

                                   ----------

                      2980 Fairview Park Drive, Suite 1300
                          Falls Church, Virginia 22042
                        (Address, including zip code, of
                    Registrant's principal executive offices)

                                   ----------

                        CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
                            1994 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)

                                   ----------

                           JOHN G. FINNERAN, JR., Esq.
                     Senior Vice President, General Counsel
                             and Corporate Secretary
                      2980 Fairview Park Drive, Suite 1300
                          Falls Church, Virginia 22042
                                 (703) 205-1000

            (Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,
                   including area code, of agent for service)

                                   ----------

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                      CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
=======================================================================================================
    Title of Security            Amount to be    Proposed Maximum     Proposed Maximum      Amount of
     to be Registered            Registered       Offering Price          Aggregate       Registration
                                                   Per Unit (2)        Offering Price          Fee
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    <S>                          <C>             <C>                  <C>                 <C>
    Stock Options (1)               90,000           $27.8125           $2,503,125          $695.87
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Stock Options  (1)               5,000           $29.2266             $146,133           $40.63
=======================================================================================================

</TABLE>

(1) Represent options to purchase shares of common stock, $.01 par value
    ("Common Stock"), of the Registrant issuable under the Registrant's 1994
    Stock Incentive Plan (the "Plan") in consideration for the agreement of a
    recipient to forgo incentive compensation payments. The shares of Common
    Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Stock Options previously were
    registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, pursuant to
    Registration Statement No. 333-51637 (dated May 1, 1998).

(2) Purchase price of the Stock Option registered for sale under the Plan.
<PAGE>
 
                                    Part II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

         The following documents, heretofore filed by Capital One Financial
Corporation (the "Registrant") with the Securities and Exchange Commission
pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange
Act"), are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement, except as
superseded or modified as described herein:

    (a)  The Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December
         31, 1997.

    (b)  The Registrant's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended
         March 31, 1998, June 30, 1998 and September 30, 1998.

    (c)  The Registrant's Current Reports on Form 8-K, filed January 15, 1998,
         April 16, 1998, June 12, 1998, July 23, 1998, August 20, 1998, August
         21, 1998, October 13, 1998, October 21, 1998, November 6, 1998 and
         December 8, 1998.

         All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections
13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the filing of a
post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered hereunder
have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall
be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and to
be part hereof from the date of filing of such documents. Any statement
contained in any such incorporated document shall be deemed to be modified or
superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a
statement contained in any other incorporated document subsequently filed (or in
this Registration Statement, with respect to an incorporated document filed
prior to the filing hereof), modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such
statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified
or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

Item 4.  Description of Securities.

         The Compensation Committee (the "Compensation Committee") of the
Registrant's Board of Directors has approved, under the Registrant's 1994 Stock
Incentive Plan (the "Plan"), a Supplemental Special Option Program (the
"Program") under which eligible employees are entitled to elect to forgo
incentive compensation payments and receive in consideration stock options
issued under the Plan (the "Stock Options"). Each Stock Option will entitle the
holder to purchase shares of Common Stock at an exercise price per share equal
to the fair market value (as defined by the Plan) of the Common Stock on the
date of the grant. Each Stock Option will expire on the tenth anniversary of its
date of grant. Upon the termination of employment of the holder, the Stock
Option will be forfeited if not then vested and the Stock Option will remain
exercisable (if vested) only for a period of three months from the date of
termination, except that, in the event of the death of the holder or the
termination of the holder's employment due to disability, the Stock Option, to
the extent that it was exercisable on the date of such death or termination,
shall remain exercisable for a period of one year (but not beyond the ten-year
expiration date of the Stock Option).

         Stock Options will vest on December 17, 2001. Notwithstanding these
vesting rules, unless previously terminated, all options will become fully
vested upon a Change of Control (as that term is defined in the Plan).

         Generally, the Stock Options are nontransferable except by will or by
the laws of descent and distribution

                                       2
<PAGE>
 
and, during the lifetime of an employee, may be exercised only by the employee.
However, a Tier 3 employee may transfer a Stock Option to (i) the spouse,
children, or grandchildren of the Tier 3 employee ("Immediate Family Members"),
(ii) a trust or trusts for the exclusive benefit of the Tier 3 employee and/or
such Immediate Family Members, or (iii) a partnership in which the Tier 3
employee and/or such Immediate Family Members are the only partners, provided
that: no consideration is paid to the Tier 3 employee in connection with the
transfer; in the event of a transfer to an individual, the Stock Option is
exercisable, during the Tier 3 employee's lifetime, only by the transferee or by
his or her guardian or legal representative; following a transfer, the Tier 3
employee retains no right or reversion in the Stock Option (or the underlying
Common Stock upon exercise) and has no right to alter or amend the Stock Option
or revoke the transfer; and subsequent transfer of the Stock Option by the
transferee (excluding transfers by will or by the laws of descent and
distribution) is prohibited. Following transfer, a Stock Option generally will
continue to be subject to the same terms and conditions as were applicable to
the Stock Option immediately before transfer.

         Under the Plan, in the event of a stock dividend, stock split or
combination of shares, spin-off, recapitalization or merger in which the
Registrant is the surviving corporation or other change in the Registrant's
capital stock, the number and kind of shares subject to the Stock Options, the
exercise price and other relevant provisions of the Stock Options are subject to
appropriate adjustment by the Compensation Committee, whose determination is
binding on all persons.

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

         John G. Finneran, Jr., general counsel of the Registrant, who has
rendered the opinion attached hereto as Exhibit 5.1, owns approximately 6,356
shares of Common Stock, holds options to purchase 190,622 shares of Common Stock
issued under the Plan.

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

         Under Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State of
Delaware (the "GCL"), a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a
party, or is threatened to be made a party, to any action, suit or proceeding by
reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director or officer of such
corporation if such person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she
reasonably believed to be in and not opposed to the best interest of the
corporation and, with respect to a criminal action or proceeding, such person
had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful, except
that, in the case of any action or suit by or in the right of the corporation,
no indemnification is permitted if the person shall be adjudged liable to the
corporation other than indemnification for such expenses as a court shall
determine such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to.

         Article XI of the Registrant's Restated Certificate of Incorporation
and Section 6.7 of the Registrant's By-laws provide, in general, for mandatory
indemnification of directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted from
time to time by the GCL or any other applicable law, against liability incurred
by them in proceedings instituted or threatened against them by third parties,
or by or on behalf of the Registrant itself, relating to the manner in which
they performed their duties unless they have been guilty of willful misconduct
or of a knowing violation of the criminal law.

         Under Article X of the Registrant's Restated Certificate of
Incorporation, a director of the Registrant is not personally liable to the
Registrant or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty
as a director, except for liability (i) for any breach of the director's duty of
loyalty to the Registrant or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in
good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of
law, (iii) under Section 174 of the GCL, or (iv) for any transaction from which
the director derived an improper personal benefit.

                                       3
<PAGE>
 
          The Registrant also maintains a director's and officer's insurance
policy generally covering the activities for which such persons are entitled to
indemnification.

Item 7.   Exemption from Registration Claimed.

          Not applicable.

Item 8.   Exhibits.

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

          5.1      Opinion of Counsel                  Filed herewith
         23.1      Consent of Counsel                  Contained in Exhibit 5.1
         23.2      Consent of Independent Auditors     Filed herewith

Item 9.  Undertakings.

    (a)   The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

          (1)  To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
               made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

               (i)   To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of
                     the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the "Securities
                     Act").

               (ii)  To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising
                     after the effective date of this Registration Statement (or
                     the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which,
                     individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental
                     change in the information set forth in this Registration
                     Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or
                     decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total
                     dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that
                     which was registered) and any deviation from the low or
                     high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be
                     reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the
                     Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b)
                     under the Securities Act if, in the aggregate, the changes
                     in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in
                     the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the
                     "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the effective
                     registration statement.

               (iii) To include any material information with respect to the
                     plan of distribution not previously disclosed in this
                     Registration Statement or any material change to such
                     information in this Registration Statement;

               Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do
               not apply if the information required to be included in a
               post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in
               periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and
               Exchange Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or
               Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by
               reference in the Registration Statement.

                                       4
<PAGE>
 
          (2)  That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
               Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be
               deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the
               securities offered thereby, and the offering of such securities
               at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering
               thereof.

          (3)  To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
               amendment any of the securities registered which remain unsold at
               the termination of the offering.

     (b)  The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
          determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the
          Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d)
          of the Exchange Act that is incorporated by reference in the
          Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration
          statement relating to the securities offered thereby, and the offering
          of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
          fide offering thereof.

     (c)  Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
          Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
          persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or
          otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the
          Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against
          public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore,
          unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against
          such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses
          incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the
          Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
          proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling
          person in connection with the securities being registered, the
          Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has
          been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of
          appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by
          it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and
          will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

                                       5
<PAGE>
 
                                   SIGNATURES


         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8, and has duly caused this
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized, in the County of Fairfax, Commonwealth of Virginia, on January
8, 1999.


                                   CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION



                                   By: /s/ John G. Finneran, Jr.
                                       -----------------------------------------
                                       John G. Finneran, Jr.
                                       Corporate Secretary


         Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints
James M. Zinn and John G. Finneran, Jr., and each of them, his true and lawful
attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and
resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, and in any and all
capacities, to sign any or all amendments to this Registration Statement, and to
file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection
therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, state securities law
administrators, other governmental authorities, the National Association of
Securities Dealers, Inc, and stock exchanges, granting unto said
attorneys-in-fact and agents full power and authority to do and perform each and
every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the
premises, as fully and to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in
person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and
agents, or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done
by virtue thereof.

                                       6
<PAGE>
 
         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities indicated on January 8, 1999.

/s/ Richard D. Fairbank        Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, 
----------------------------   and Director (Principal Executive Officer)
Richard D. Fairbank            


/s/ Nigel W. Morris            President and Chief Operating Officer and 
----------------------------   Director
Nigel W. Morris

/s/ James M. Zinn              Senior Vice President (Principal Financial 
----------------------------   Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)
James M. Zinn                  


/s/ William Ronald Dietz       Director
----------------------------
William Ronald Dietz

/s/ James A. Flick, Jr.        Director
----------------------------
James A. Flick, Jr.

/s/ Patrick W. Gross           Director
----------------------------
Patrick W. Gross

/s/ James V. Kimsey            Director
----------------------------
James V. Kimsey

/s/ Stanley I. Westreich       Director
----------------------------
Stanley I. Westreich

                                       7
<PAGE>
 
                                  Exhibit Index

     Exhibit                    Description                    Sequential
     Number                     -----------                    Page Number
     ------                                                    -----------
       5.1           Opinion of Counsel                             9
      23.2           Consent of Independent Auditors                10

                                       8
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "FORM S-8", "secsgml_size_bytes": 21100}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORP", "cik": "0000927628", "assigned-sic": "6141", "irs-number": "541719854", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-70305", "film-number": "99503159"}, "business-address": {"street1": "2980 FAIRVIEW PARK DR", "street2": "STE 1300", "city": "FALLS CHURCH", "state": "VA", "zip": "22042-4525", "phone": "7032051000"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "2980 FAIRVIEW PARK DRIVE SUITE 1300", "city": "FALLS CHURCH", "state": "VA", "zip": "22042"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "OAKSTONE FINANCIAL CORP", "date-changed": "19940728"}}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 8, 1999

                                                           Registration No. 333-
     ----------------------------------------------------------------------

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                   ----------

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                                   ----------

                        CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

                                   ----------

              Delaware                                     54-171854
    (State or other jurisdiction                       (I.R.S. Employer
  of incorporation or organization)                   Identification No.)

                                   ----------

                      2980 Fairview Park Drive, Suite 1300
                          Falls Church, Virginia 22042
                        (Address, including zip code, of
                    Registrant's principal executive offices)

                                   ----------

                        CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
                            1994 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)

                                   ----------

                           JOHN G. FINNERAN, JR., Esq.
                     Senior Vice President, General Counsel
                             and Corporate Secretary
                      2980 Fairview Park Drive, Suite 1300
                          Falls Church, Virginia 22042
                                 (703) 205-1000

            (Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,
                   including area code, of agent for service)

                                   ----------
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
=======================================================================================================
    Title of Security            Amount to be    Proposed Maximum     Proposed Maximum      Amount of
     to be Registered            Registered       Offering Price          Aggregate       Registration
                                                   Per Unit (2)        Offering Price          Fee
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stock Options (1)               90,000           $27.8125           $2,503,125          $695.87
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Stock Options  (1)               5,000           $29.2266             $146,133           $40.63
=======================================================================================================
(1) Represent options to purchase shares of common stock, $.01 par value
    ("Common Stock"), of the Registrant issuable under the Registrant's 1994
    Stock Incentive Plan (the "Plan") in consideration for the agreement of a
    recipient to forgo incentive compensation payments. The shares of Common
    Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Stock Options previously were
    registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, pursuant to
    Registration Statement No. 333-51637 (dated May 1, 1998).

(2) Purchase price of the Stock Option registered for sale under the Plan.
Part II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

         The following documents, heretofore filed by Capital One Financial
Corporation (the "Registrant") with the Securities and Exchange Commission
pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange
Act"), are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement, except as
superseded or modified as described herein:

    (a)  The Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December
         31, 1997.

    (b)  The Registrant's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended
         March 31, 1998, June 30, 1998 and September 30, 1998.

    (c)  The Registrant's Current Reports on Form 8-K, filed January 15, 1998,
         April 16, 1998, June 12, 1998, July 23, 1998, August 20, 1998, August
         21, 1998, October 13, 1998, October 21, 1998, November 6, 1998 and
         December 8, 1998.

         All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections
13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the filing of a
post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered hereunder
have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall
be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and to
be part hereof from the date of filing of such documents. Any statement
contained in any such incorporated document shall be deemed to be modified or
superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a
statement contained in any other incorporated document subsequently filed (or in
this Registration Statement, with respect to an incorporated document filed
prior to the filing hereof), modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such
statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified
or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

Item 4.  Description of Securities.

         The Compensation Committee (the "Compensation Committee") of the
Registrant's Board of Directors has approved, under the Registrant's 1994 Stock
Incentive Plan (the "Plan"), a Supplemental Special Option Program (the
"Program") under which eligible employees are entitled to elect to forgo
incentive compensation payments and receive in consideration stock options
issued under the Plan (the "Stock Options"). Each Stock Option will entitle the
holder to purchase shares of Common Stock at an exercise price per share equal
to the fair market value (as defined by the Plan) of the Common Stock on the
date of the grant. Each Stock Option will expire on the tenth anniversary of its
date of grant. Upon the termination of employment of the holder, the Stock
Option will be forfeited if not then vested and the Stock Option will remain
exercisable (if vested) only for a period of three months from the date of
termination, except that, in the event of the death of the holder or the
termination of the holder's employment due to disability, the Stock Option, to
the extent that it was exercisable on the date of such death or termination,
shall remain exercisable for a period of one year (but not beyond the ten-year
expiration date of the Stock Option).

         Stock Options will vest on December 17, 2001. Notwithstanding these
vesting rules, unless previously terminated, all options will become fully
vested upon a Change of Control (as that term is defined in the Plan).

         Generally, the Stock Options are nontransferable except by will or by
the laws of descent and distribution

                                       2
and, during the lifetime of an employee, may be exercised only by the employee.
However, a Tier 3 employee may transfer a Stock Option to (i) the spouse,
children, or grandchildren of the Tier 3 employee ("Immediate Family Members"),
(ii) a trust or trusts for the exclusive benefit of the Tier 3 employee and/or
such Immediate Family Members, or (iii) a partnership in which the Tier 3
employee and/or such Immediate Family Members are the only partners, provided
that: no consideration is paid to the Tier 3 employee in connection with the
transfer; in the event of a transfer to an individual, the Stock Option is
exercisable, during the Tier 3 employee's lifetime, only by the transferee or by
his or her guardian or legal representative; following a transfer, the Tier 3
employee retains no right or reversion in the Stock Option (or the underlying
Common Stock upon exercise) and has no right to alter or amend the Stock Option
or revoke the transfer; and subsequent transfer of the Stock Option by the
transferee (excluding transfers by will or by the laws of descent and
distribution) is prohibited. Following transfer, a Stock Option generally will
continue to be subject to the same terms and conditions as were applicable to
the Stock Option immediately before transfer.

         Under the Plan, in the event of a stock dividend, stock split or
combination of shares, spin-off, recapitalization or merger in which the
Registrant is the surviving corporation or other change in the Registrant's
capital stock, the number and kind of shares subject to the Stock Options, the
exercise price and other relevant provisions of the Stock Options are subject to
appropriate adjustment by the Compensation Committee, whose determination is
binding on all persons.

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

         John G. Finneran, Jr., general counsel of the Registrant, who has
rendered the opinion attached hereto as Exhibit 5.1, owns approximately 6,356
shares of Common Stock, holds options to purchase 190,622 shares of Common Stock
issued under the Plan.

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

         Under Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State of
Delaware (the "GCL"), a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a
party, or is threatened to be made a party, to any action, suit or proceeding by
reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director or officer of such
corporation if such person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she
reasonably believed to be in and not opposed to the best interest of the
corporation and, with respect to a criminal action or proceeding, such person
had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful, except
that, in the case of any action or suit by or in the right of the corporation,
no indemnification is permitted if the person shall be adjudged liable to the
corporation other than indemnification for such expenses as a court shall
determine such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to.

         Article XI of the Registrant's Restated Certificate of Incorporation
and Section 6.7 of the Registrant's By-laws provide, in general, for mandatory
indemnification of directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted from
time to time by the GCL or any other applicable law, against liability incurred
by them in proceedings instituted or threatened against them by third parties,
or by or on behalf of the Registrant itself, relating to the manner in which
they performed their duties unless they have been guilty of willful misconduct
or of a knowing violation of the criminal law.

         Under Article X of the Registrant's Restated Certificate of
Incorporation, a director of the Registrant is not personally liable to the
Registrant or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty
as a director, except for liability (i) for any breach of the director's duty of
loyalty to the Registrant or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in
good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of
law, (iii) under Section 174 of the GCL, or (iv) for any transaction from which
the director derived an improper personal benefit.

                                       3
The Registrant also maintains a director's and officer's insurance
policy generally covering the activities for which such persons are entitled to
indemnification.

Item 7.   Exemption from Registration Claimed.

          Not applicable.

Item 8.   Exhibits.

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

          5.1      Opinion of Counsel                  Filed herewith
         23.1      Consent of Counsel                  Contained in Exhibit 5.1
         23.2      Consent of Independent Auditors     Filed herewith

Item 9.  Undertakings.

    (a)   The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

          (1)  To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
               made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

               (i)   To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of
                     the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the "Securities
                     Act").

               (ii)  To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising
                     after the effective date of this Registration Statement (or
                     the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which,
                     individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental
                     change in the information set forth in this Registration
                     Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or
                     decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total
                     dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that
                     which was registered) and any deviation from the low or
                     high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be
                     reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the
                     Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b)
                     under the Securities Act if, in the aggregate, the changes
                     in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in
                     the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the
                     "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the effective
                     registration statement.

               (iii) To include any material information with respect to the
                     plan of distribution not previously disclosed in this
                     Registration Statement or any material change to such
                     information in this Registration Statement;

               Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do
               not apply if the information required to be included in a
               post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in
               periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and
               Exchange Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or
               Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by
               reference in the Registration Statement.

                                       4
(2)  That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
               Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be
               deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the
               securities offered thereby, and the offering of such securities
               at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering
               thereof.

          (3)  To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
               amendment any of the securities registered which remain unsold at
               the termination of the offering.

     (b)  The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
          determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the
          Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d)
          of the Exchange Act that is incorporated by reference in the
          Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration
          statement relating to the securities offered thereby, and the offering
          of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
          fide offering thereof.

     (c)  Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
          Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
          persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or
          otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the
          Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against
          public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore,
          unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against
          such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses
          incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the
          Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
          proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling
          person in connection with the securities being registered, the
          Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has
          been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of
          appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by
          it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and
          will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

                                       5
SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8, and has duly caused this
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized, in the County of Fairfax, Commonwealth of Virginia, on January
8, 1999.

                                   CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION

                                   By: /s/ John G. Finneran, Jr.
                                       -----------------------------------------
                                       John G. Finneran, Jr.
                                       Corporate Secretary

         Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints
James M. Zinn and John G. Finneran, Jr., and each of them, his true and lawful
attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and
resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, and in any and all
capacities, to sign any or all amendments to this Registration Statement, and to
file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection
therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, state securities law
administrators, other governmental authorities, the National Association of
Securities Dealers, Inc, and stock exchanges, granting unto said
attorneys-in-fact and agents full power and authority to do and perform each and
every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the
premises, as fully and to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in
person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and
agents, or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done
by virtue thereof.

                                       6
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities indicated on January 8, 1999.

/s/ Richard D. Fairbank        Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, 
----------------------------   and Director (Principal Executive Officer)
Richard D. Fairbank            

/s/ Nigel W. Morris            President and Chief Operating Officer and 
----------------------------   Director
Nigel W. Morris

/s/ James M. Zinn              Senior Vice President (Principal Financial 
----------------------------   Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)
James M. Zinn                  

/s/ William Ronald Dietz       Director
----------------------------
William Ronald Dietz

/s/ James A. Flick, Jr.        Director
----------------------------
James A. Flick, Jr.

/s/ Patrick W. Gross           Director
----------------------------
Patrick W. Gross

/s/ James V. Kimsey            Director
----------------------------
James V. Kimsey

/s/ Stanley I. Westreich       Director
----------------------------
Stanley I. Westreich

                                       7
Exhibit Index

     Exhibit                    Description                    Sequential
     Number                     -----------                    Page Number
     ------                                                    -----------
       5.1           Opinion of Counsel                             9
      23.2           Consent of Independent Auditors                10

                                       8