SC 14D1/A

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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                 SCHEDULE 14D-1
                               (AMENDMENT NO. 7)
                            TENDER OFFER STATEMENT
      PURSUANT TO SECTION 14(D)(1) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                       ALLIED LIFE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
                           (NAME OF SUBJECT COMPANY)

                    NATIONWIDE LIFE ACQUISITION CORPORATION
                      NATIONWIDE MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY
                                    (Bidders)

                           COMMON STOCK, NO PAR VALUE
                         (Title of Class of Securities)

                                   019246107
                      (CUSIP Number of Class of Securities)

                                W. SIDNEY DRUEN
                   SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL
                      NATIONWIDE MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY
                              ONE NATIONWIDE PLAZA
                              COLUMBUS, OHIO 43215
                           TELEPHONE: (614) 249-7111
            (Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person Authorized
           to Receive Notices and Communications on Behalf of Bidders)

                                 WITH A COPY TO:
                               ERIC M. FOGEL, ESQ.
                             HAROLD W. NATIONS, ESQ.
                                  HOLLEB & COFF
                         55 E. MONROE STREET, SUITE 4100
                             CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60603
                            TELEPHONE: (312) 807-4600

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         This Amendment No. 7 amends and supplements the Tender Offer Statement
on Schedule 14D-1 initially filed on June 10, 1998 (as amended, the "Schedule
14D-1") with the Securities and Exchange Commission by Nationwide Life
Acquisition Corporation ("Purchaser"), an Ohio corporation and a wholly owned
subsidiary of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company ("Parent"), an Ohio mutual
insurance company, to purchase all outstanding shares of common stock, no par
value (the "Common Shares"), of Allied Life Financial Corporation, an Iowa
corporation, at a price of $30.00 per Common Share, net to the seller in cash,
without interest thereon, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth
in the Offer to Purchase dated June 10, 1998 (the "Offer to Purchase") and the
Letter of Transmittal (which, together with any amendments or supplements
thereto, constitutes the "Offer"). Capitalized terms used and not defined herein
shall have the meanings assigned such terms in the Offer to Purchase or the
Schedule 14D-1.
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ITEM 6. INTEREST IN SECURITIES OF THE SUBJECT COMPANY.

     At 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on Wednesday, September 30, 1998, the
Offer expired. Based on information provided by the depositary, ChaseMellon
Shareholder Services, L.L.C. (the "Depositary"), a total of approximately
2,998,027 Common Shares (including approximately 2,100 Common Shares subject to
guarantee of delivery) were validly tendered and not properly withdrawn pursuant
to the Offer. The Purchaser has accepted for payment, and has notified the
Depositary to promptly pay for, the tendered and accepted Common Shares at the
purchase price of $30.00 per Common Share in cash.

     Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, the Purchaser intends to merge itself
with and into the Company in accordance with the Iowa Business Corporation Act
as promptly as practicable. As a result of the Merger, the Company will become a
wholly owned subsidiary of the Parent and each outstanding Common Share (other
than Common Shares held by stockholders who perfect their appraisal rights under
Iowa law, Common Shares held in the Company's treasury, and Common Shares held
directly by the Purchaser or the Parent) will be cancelled, extinguished and
converted into the right to receive $30.00 per share in cash, without interest
thereon.

     The consummation of the Offer was publicly announced in a press release
issued by the Parent on October 1, 1998, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit
(a)(26) hereto and incorporated by reference.

ITEM 11. MATERIAL TO BE FILED AS EXHIBITS.

         (a)     (26)     Text of Press Release issued by Nationwide Mutual
                          Insurance Company on October 1, 1998.

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                                   SIGNATURE

         After due inquiry and to the best of its knowledge and belief, the
undersigned certifies that the information set forth in this statement is true,
complete and correct.

Dated:  October 1, 1998

                   NATIONWIDE MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY


                   By:      /s/ David A. Diamond
                            -------------------------------
                            Name:   David A. Diamond
                            Title:  Vice President - Enterprise Controller

                   NATIONWIDE LIFE ACQUISITION CORPORATION


                   By:      /s/ Mark B. Koogler
                            -------------------------------
                            Name:   Mark B. Koogler
                            Title:  Vice President - Associate General Counsel
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                                 EXHIBIT INDEX

(a)(26)            Text of Press Release issued by Nationwide Mutual Insurance
                   Company on October 1, 1998.

EX-99.A.26

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                                                                 Exhibit (a)(26)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contact:  Gerard Carney                 John Millen
          Powell Tate                   Nationwide Insurance
          (212) 521-5233                (614) 249-6348

          Jim Marren
          Powell Tate
          (212) 521-5210


                          NATIONWIDE COMPLETES TENDER
                             OFFER FOR ALLIED LIFE


     COLUMBUS, OHIO, OCTOBER 1, 1998 -- Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company
("Nationwide") today announced that its cash tender offer for all outstanding
shares of common stock of ALLIED Life Financial Corporation ("ALLIED Life")
expired, as scheduled, at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on Wednesday,
September 30, 1998.

     Nationwide, through its subsidiary making the offer, has accepted for
purchase all shares validly tendered and not withdrawn prior to the expiration
of the offer. Based on information provided by ChaseMellon Shareholder
Services, L.L.C., as depositary, a total of 2,998,027 shares of ALLIED Life
have been acquired by Nationwide (including approximately 2,100 shares subject
to guarantee of delivery), representing approximately 65.6% of total common
shares currently outstanding.
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     As a result of the foregoing, Nationwide has acquired more than 90% of
ALLIED Life's outstanding common and preferred shares, which include shares
acquired pursuant to the merger of ALLIED Mutual Insurance Company with and
into Nationwide (effective October 1, 1998), thereby permitting the second step
of the acquisition without a meeting of ALLIED Life's shareholders.

     In the second step of the acquisition, ALLIED Life will be merged into a
subsidiary of Nationwide and each ALLIED Life common share not previously
purchased in the tender offer (except for ALLIED Mutual's holdings) will be
converted into the right to receive $30.00 in cash. The completion of the
merger is expected to occur by the end of the year.

     "We are gratified by the positive response to the tender offer, which we
view as implicit recognition by shareholders of the strategic merits of the
combined Nationwide/ALLIED entity," said Richard D. Crabtree, president and
chief operating officer of Nationwide.

     The dealer manager and financial advisor for the offer is Credit Suisse
First Boston Corporation. Georgeson & Company Inc. is the information agent.
For more information, call 1-800-223-2064 or visit Georgeson's web site at
www.georgeson.com.

     The $93 billion Nationwide Insurance Enterprise, based in Columbus, Ohio,
is one of the country's largest diversified insurance and financial services
organizations and a Fortune 500 company. Nationwide is the country's
fourth-largest auto insurer and fifth-largest homeowners insurer.


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