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                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION 
                            WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 

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                                SCHEDULE 14D-9 
                              (Amendment No. 17) 

              SOLICITATION/RECOMMENDATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO 
           SECTION 14(D)(4) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 

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                          AMERICAN BANKERS INSURANCE 
                                 GROUP, INC. 
                          (NAME OF SUBJECT COMPANY) 

                          AMERICAN BANKERS INSURANCE 
                                 GROUP, INC. 
                     (NAME OF PERSON(S) FILING STATEMENT) 

                   COMMON STOCK, PAR VALUE $1.00 PER SHARE, 
   INCLUDING THE ASSOCIATED SERIES C PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK PURCHASE 
                                    RIGHTS 
                        (TITLE OF CLASS OF SECURITIES) 

                                  24456 10 5 
                    (CUSIP NUMBER OF CLASS OF SECURITIES) 

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                               GERALD N. GASTON 
             Vice Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer 
                    American Bankers Insurance Group, Inc. 
                           11222 Quail Roost Drive 
                             Miami, FL 33157-6596 
                                (305) 253-2244 
     (Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person Authorized to Receive 
    Notice and Communications on Behalf of the Person(s) Filing Statement) 

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                                  COPIES TO: 

        MORTON A. PIERCE, ESQ.           JOSEPHINE CICCHETTI, ESQ.      
       JONATHAN L. FREEDMAN, ESQ.       Jorden Burt Boros Cicchetti 
         Dewey Ballantine LLP              Berenson & Johnson LLP 
      1301 Avenue of the Americas      777 Brickell Avenue, Suite 500 
          New York, NY 10019                  Miami, FL 33131 
           (212) 259-8000                     (305) 371-2600 

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   This Amendment No. 17 amends and supplements the Solicitation/ 
Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9, dated February 6, 1998 (as 
amended, the "Schedule 14D-9") of American Bankers Insurance Group, Inc., a 
Florida Corporation (the "Company" or "American Bankers"), filed in 
connection with the Cendant Offer. Capitalized terms used herein shall have 
the definitions set forth in the Schedule 14D-9 unless otherwise provided 
herein 

ITEM 9. MATERIAL TO BE FILED AS EXHIBITS 

Exhibit 50 ........ Press Release, dated July 23, 1998, of the Company. 



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                                  SIGNATURE 

   After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I 
certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete 
and correct. 


                                      AMERICAN BANKERS INSURANCE GROUP, INC. 


                                      By: /s/ GERALD N. GASTON 
                                          ------------------------------------ 
                                          Name: Gerald N. Gaston 
                                          Title: Chief Executive Officer, 
                                                 President and Vice Chairman 

Date: July 27, 1998 
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                                EXHIBIT INDEX 

EXHIBIT NO.                           DESCRIPTION 
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EXHIBIT 50...... PRESS RELEASE, DATED JULY 23, 1998, OF THE COMPANY

Attachments (1)

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