As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 18, 1997
================================================================================
                                                     Registration No. 333-______

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                        Under The Securities Act of 1933

                           E. W. BLANCH HOLDINGS, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

           Delaware                                              41-1741779
(State or other jurisdiction                                 (I.R.S. Employer
of incorporation or organization)                           Identification No.)

      3500 West 80th Street
      Minneapolis, Minnesota                                      55431
(Address of principal executive offices)                        (Zip Code)

                            1993 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN
                         of E. W. BLANCH HOLDINGS, INC.
                            (Full title of the plan)

                                Daniel P. O'Keefe
         Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
                           E. W. BLANCH HOLDINGS, INC.
                              3500 West 80th Street
                          Minneapolis, Minnesota 55431
                     (Name and address of agent for service)

                                 (612) 835-3310
          (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
================================================================================
                                   Proposed      Proposed
 Title of                          maximum       maximum
securities        Amount to        offering      aggregate      Amount of
  to be               be           price per     offering      registration
registered (1)    Registered       share(2)      price(2)          fee
================================================================================
Common Stock
($.01 par value)  2,400,000         $32.875    $78,900,000      $23,909.09
================================================================================

(1)      This Registration Statement also relates to the Rights to purchase
         fractional shares of Preferred Stock of the Registrant which are
         attached to all shares of Common Stock outstanding as of, and issued
         subsequent to, January 24, 1997 pursuant to the terms of the
         Registrant's Rights Agreement, dated as of January 24, 1997. Until the
         occurrence of certain prescribed events, the Rights are not
         exercisable, are evidenced by the certificates of Common Stock and will
         be transferred with and only with such Common Stock.

(2)      Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee in
         accordance with Rule 457(h)(1) and (c), based upon the average of the
         high and low prices of the Common Stock as reported on the New York
         Stock Exchange on November 11, 1997.

<PAGE>


                                    PART II.
               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

                  The following documents, which have been filed by E. W. Blanch
Holdings, Inc. (the "Company") with the Securities and Exchange Commission, are
incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement, as of their respective
dates:

         (a)      The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
                  December 31, 1996;

         (b)      The Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters
                  ending March 31, 1997, June 30, 1997 and September 30, 1997;

         (c)      The Company's Current Report on Form 8-K filed February 7,
                  1997;

         (d)      The description of the Company's Common Stock contained in
                  Item 1 of the Registration Statement on Form 8-A dated March
                  5, 1993, and any amendment or report filed for the purpose of
                  updating such description filed subsequent to the date of this
                  Registration Statement on Form S-8 and prior to the
                  termination of the offering described herein.

                  All documents filed by the Company pursuant to Sections 13(a),
13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
"Exchange Act") subsequent to the date hereof and prior to the filing of a
post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered hereby have
been sold or which deregisters all securities remaining unsold shall be deemed
to be incorporated by reference herein and to be a part hereof from the
respective dates of filing of such documents.

Item 4.  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES.

                  The description of the Company's Common Stock to be offered
pursuant to this Registration Statement has been incorporated by reference into
this Registration Statement as described in Item 3 of this Part II.

Item 5.  INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL.

                  Not applicable.

Item 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.

                  Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law contains
detailed provisions for indemnification of directors and officers of Delaware
corporations against expenses, judgments, fines and settlements in connection
with litigation.

                  Article Thirteenth of the Company's Restated Certificate of
Incorporation provides that, to the extent permitted by the Delaware General
Corporation Law, the Company shall indemnify any person made a party to any
action, suit or proceeding by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a
director, officer, employee or agent of the Company. Article Thirteenth further
provides that a director shall not be personally liable to the Company or its
stockholders for monetary damages for a breach of fiduciary duty as a director,
except for liability (a) for any breach of the director's duty of loyalty to the
Company or its stockholders, (b) for acts or omissions not in good faith or
which 

<PAGE>


involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (c) under the
Delaware statutory provision making directors liable for unlawful dividends or
unlawful stock repurchases or redemptions or (d) for any transaction from which
the director derived an improper personal benefit.

                  A provision regarding indemnification of officers and
directors of the Company to the extent permitted by Section 145 of the Delaware
General Corporation Law is contained in the Company's Bylaws.

Item 7.  EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED.

                  No securities are to be reoffered or resold pursuant to this
Registration Statement.

Item 8.  EXHIBITS.

                  4.1      Restated Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated
                           by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company's Annual
                           Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
                           December 31, 1996)

                  4.2      Bylaws (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to
                           the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1,
                           Registration No. 33-59198)

                  5.1      Opinion and Consent of Dorsey & Whitney LLP

                  23.1     Consent of Ernst & Young LLP

                  23.2     Consent of Dorsey & Whitney LLP (included in Exhibit
                           5.1)

                  24.1     Power of Attorney

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;

                  (ii)     To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events
                           arising after the effective date of the 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 the registration statement.
                           Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or
                           decrease in volume of securities offered (if the
                           total dollar value of securities 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) if, in the aggregate, the
                           changes in volume and price represent no more than a
                           20% 

<PAGE>


                           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
                           the registration statement or any material change to
                           such information in the registration statement;

provided, however, that paragraphs A(1)(i) and A(1)(ii) above will not apply if
the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those
paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed by the registrant pursuant to
Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by
reference in the registration statement.

         (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be
a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, 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 being 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 of 1933, 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 therein, 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 of 1933 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 of 1933 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
other 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 of 1933 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such
issue.

<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 City of Minneapolis, State of Minnesota, on the 14th day
of November, 1997

                                       E. W. Blanch Holdings, Inc.

                                       By      /s/ Daniel P. O'Keefe
                                       -----------------------------------------
                                       Daniel P. O'Keefe
                                       Senior Vice President, General Counsel
                                       and Corporate Secretary

                  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933,
this Registration Statement has been signed on the 14th day of November, 1997,
by the following persons in the capacities indicated.

         Signature                                       Title
         ---------                                       -----

           *                              Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive
-----------------------                   Officer and Director
Edgar W. Blanch, Jr.

           *                              President, Chief Operating Officer
-----------------------                   and Director
Chris L. Walker                           

           *                              Executive Vice President and Chief
-----------------------                   Financial Officer
Ian D. Packer                             

           *                              Executive Vice President and Director
-----------------------
Frank S. Wilkinson, Jr.

           *                              Director
-----------------------
James N. Land, Jr.

           *                              Director
-----------------------
William B. Madden

           *                              Director
-----------------------
Joseph D. Sargent

*By  /s/ Daniel P. O'Keefe
    ----------------------
         Daniel P. O'Keefe
       Attorney-in-Fact

<PAGE>


                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit                                                              Page
-------                                                              ----

4.1          Restated Certificate of Incorporation       Previously Filed

4.2          Bylaws                                      Previously Filed

5.1          Opinion and Consent of Dorsey & Whitney LLP

23.1         Consent of Ernst & Young LLP

23.2         Consent of Dorsey & Whitney LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)

24.1         Power of Attorney
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "secsgml_size_bytes": 15332}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "BLANCH E W HOLDINGS INC", "cik": "0000898438", "assigned-sic": "6399", "irs-number": "411741779", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-40441", "film-number": "97723468"}, "business-address": {"street1": "3500 W 80TH ST", "city": "MINNEAPOLIS", "state": "MN", "zip": "55431", "phone": "6128353310"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "3500 W 80TH ST", "city": "MINNEAPOLIS", "state": "MN", "zip": "55431"}}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 18, 1997
================================================================================
                                                     Registration No. 333-______

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                        Under The Securities Act of 1933

                           E. W. BLANCH HOLDINGS, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

           Delaware                                              41-1741779
(State or other jurisdiction                                 (I.R.S. Employer
of incorporation or organization)                           Identification No.)

      3500 West 80th Street
      Minneapolis, Minnesota                                      55431
(Address of principal executive offices)                        (Zip Code)

                            1993 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN
                         of E. W. BLANCH HOLDINGS, INC.
                            (Full title of the plan)

                                Daniel P. O'Keefe
         Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
                           E. W. BLANCH HOLDINGS, INC.
                              3500 West 80th Street
                          Minneapolis, Minnesota 55431
                     (Name and address of agent for service)

                                 (612) 835-3310
          (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
================================================================================
                                   Proposed      Proposed
 Title of                          maximum       maximum
securities        Amount to        offering      aggregate      Amount of
  to be               be           price per     offering      registration
registered (1)    Registered       share(2)      price(2)          fee
================================================================================
Common Stock
($.01 par value)  2,400,000         $32.875    $78,900,000      $23,909.09
================================================================================

(1)      This Registration Statement also relates to the Rights to purchase
         fractional shares of Preferred Stock of the Registrant which are
         attached to all shares of Common Stock outstanding as of, and issued
         subsequent to, January 24, 1997 pursuant to the terms of the
         Registrant's Rights Agreement, dated as of January 24, 1997. Until the
         occurrence of certain prescribed events, the Rights are not
         exercisable, are evidenced by the certificates of Common Stock and will
         be transferred with and only with such Common Stock.

(2)      Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee in
         accordance with Rule 457(h)(1) and (c), based upon the average of the
         high and low prices of the Common Stock as reported on the New York
         Stock Exchange on November 11, 1997.
PART II.
               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

                  The following documents, which have been filed by E. W. Blanch
Holdings, Inc. (the "Company") with the Securities and Exchange Commission, are
incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement, as of their respective
dates:

         (a)      The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
                  December 31, 1996;

         (b)      The Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters
                  ending March 31, 1997, June 30, 1997 and September 30, 1997;

         (c)      The Company's Current Report on Form 8-K filed February 7,
                  1997;

         (d)      The description of the Company's Common Stock contained in
                  Item 1 of the Registration Statement on Form 8-A dated March
                  5, 1993, and any amendment or report filed for the purpose of
                  updating such description filed subsequent to the date of this
                  Registration Statement on Form S-8 and prior to the
                  termination of the offering described herein.

                  All documents filed by the Company pursuant to Sections 13(a),
13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
"Exchange Act") subsequent to the date hereof and prior to the filing of a
post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered hereby have
been sold or which deregisters all securities remaining unsold shall be deemed
to be incorporated by reference herein and to be a part hereof from the
respective dates of filing of such documents.

Item 4.  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES.

                  The description of the Company's Common Stock to be offered
pursuant to this Registration Statement has been incorporated by reference into
this Registration Statement as described in Item 3 of this Part II.

Item 5.  INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL.

                  Not applicable.

Item 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.

                  Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law contains
detailed provisions for indemnification of directors and officers of Delaware
corporations against expenses, judgments, fines and settlements in connection
with litigation.

                  Article Thirteenth of the Company's Restated Certificate of
Incorporation provides that, to the extent permitted by the Delaware General
Corporation Law, the Company shall indemnify any person made a party to any
action, suit or proceeding by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a
director, officer, employee or agent of the Company. Article Thirteenth further
provides that a director shall not be personally liable to the Company or its
stockholders for monetary damages for a breach of fiduciary duty as a director,
except for liability (a) for any breach of the director's duty of loyalty to the
Company or its stockholders, (b) for acts or omissions not in good faith or
which
involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (c) under the
Delaware statutory provision making directors liable for unlawful dividends or
unlawful stock repurchases or redemptions or (d) for any transaction from which
the director derived an improper personal benefit.

                  A provision regarding indemnification of officers and
directors of the Company to the extent permitted by Section 145 of the Delaware
General Corporation Law is contained in the Company's Bylaws.

Item 7.  EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED.

                  No securities are to be reoffered or resold pursuant to this
Registration Statement.

Item 8.  EXHIBITS.

                  4.1      Restated Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated
                           by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company's Annual
                           Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
                           December 31, 1996)

                  4.2      Bylaws (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to
                           the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1,
                           Registration No. 33-59198)

                  5.1      Opinion and Consent of Dorsey & Whitney LLP

                  23.1     Consent of Ernst & Young LLP

                  23.2     Consent of Dorsey & Whitney LLP (included in Exhibit
                           5.1)

                  24.1     Power of Attorney

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;

                  (ii)     To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events
                           arising after the effective date of the 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 the registration statement.
                           Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or
                           decrease in volume of securities offered (if the
                           total dollar value of securities 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) 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
                           the registration statement or any material change to
                           such information in the registration statement;

provided, however, that paragraphs A(1)(i) and A(1)(ii) above will not apply if
the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those
paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed by the registrant pursuant to
Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by
reference in the registration statement.

         (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be
a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, 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 being 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 of 1933, 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 therein, 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 of 1933 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 of 1933 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
other 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 of 1933 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such
issue.
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 City of Minneapolis, State of Minnesota, on the 14th day
of November, 1997

                                       E. W. Blanch Holdings, Inc.

                                       By      /s/ Daniel P. O'Keefe
                                       -----------------------------------------
                                       Daniel P. O'Keefe
                                       Senior Vice President, General Counsel
                                       and Corporate Secretary

                  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933,
this Registration Statement has been signed on the 14th day of November, 1997,
by the following persons in the capacities indicated.

         Signature                                       Title
         ---------                                       -----

           *                              Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive
-----------------------                   Officer and Director
Edgar W. Blanch, Jr.

           *                              President, Chief Operating Officer
-----------------------                   and Director
Chris L. Walker                           

           *                              Executive Vice President and Chief
-----------------------                   Financial Officer
Ian D. Packer                             

           *                              Executive Vice President and Director
-----------------------
Frank S. Wilkinson, Jr.

           *                              Director
-----------------------
James N. Land, Jr.

           *                              Director
-----------------------
William B. Madden

           *                              Director
-----------------------
Joseph D. Sargent

*By  /s/ Daniel P. O'Keefe
    ----------------------
         Daniel P. O'Keefe
       Attorney-in-Fact
EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit                                                              Page
-------                                                              ----

4.1          Restated Certificate of Incorporation       Previously Filed

4.2          Bylaws                                      Previously Filed

5.1          Opinion and Consent of Dorsey & Whitney LLP

23.1         Consent of Ernst & Young LLP

23.2         Consent of Dorsey & Whitney LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)

24.1         Power of Attorney