<PAGE>

                                   RICHARD P. HODGE

                             Executive Employment Agreement

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S>   <C>
o     Term
      January 1, 1999 - December 31, 2001

o     Base Salary
      $400,000 per year; if adjusted upward at sole discretion of Company, increased
      amount becomes Base Salary.

o     Benefits
      Standard employee benefits, additional life insurance coverage (two times Base
      Salary), executive medical, annual medical exam, automobile.

o     Death
      Estate gets 60% of Base Salary for balance of term.

o     Disability
      After six months, Company can terminate; employee gets 60% of Base Salary for
      balance of term; life and medical insurance continue for the shorter of employee's
      disability or until age 65.

o     Cause
      Upon gross neglect, conviction of felony, conviction of any crime relating to
      Company property, willful misconduct or material breach by employee or material
      prejudice to Company, Company can terminate without further liability.

o     Company Breach
      Employee receives Base Salary and all benefits for longer of balance of term;
      employee obligated to mitigate (minimum of one year base salary).

o     Other Provisions
      Protection of confidential information, non-compete during term, assignment of
      inventions, legal fees to employee if he prevails in action for breach or injunction;
      legal fees to Company if it prevails in action for injunction.
</TABLE>
<PAGE>

                             Employment Agreement

      EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT, dated as of January 1, 1999, between California
Federal Bank, a Federal Savings Bank (the "Company") and Richard P. Hodge (the
"Executive").

      The Company wishes to employ the Executive, and the Executive wishes to
accept such employment, on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.

      Accordingly, the Company and the Executive hereby agree as follows:

      1.     Employment, Duties and Acceptance.

             1.1 Employment, Duties. The Company hereby employs the Executive
for the Term (as defined in Section 2.1), to render exclusive (except as
otherwise provided herein) and full-time services to the Company as Executive
Vice President or in such other executive position as may be mutually agreed
upon by the Company and the Executive, and to perform such other duties
consistent with such position as may be assigned to the Executive by the Board
of Directors or any officer of the Company senior to the Executive.

             1.2 Acceptance. The Executive hereby accepts such employment and
agrees to render the services described above. During the Term, the Executive
agrees to serve the Company faithfully and to the best of the Executive's
ability, to devote the Executive's entire business time, energy and skill to
such employment, and to use the Executive's best efforts, skill and ability to
promote the Company's interests. The Executive further agrees to accept
election, and to serve during all or any part of the Term, as an officer or
director of the Company and of any subsidiary or affiliate of the Company,
without any compensation therefor other than that specified in this Agreement,
if elected to any such position by the shareholders or by the Board of Directors
of the Company or of any subsidiary or affiliate, as the case may be. The
Executive hereby represents and warrants that the Executive is not subject to
any other agreement, including without limitation, any agreement not to compete
or confidentiality agreement, which would be violated by the Executive's
performance of services hereunder.

             1.3 Location. The duties to be performed by the Executive hereunder
shall be performed primarily at the office of the Company in Dallas, Texas, with
up to one week per month at the office of the Company in San Francisco,
California, in each case subject to reasonable other travel requirements on
behalf of the Company.

      2.     Term of Employment; Certain Post-Term Benefits.

             2.1 The Term. The term of the Executive's employment under this
Agreement (the "Term") shall commence January 1, 1999 and shall end on December
31, 2001.


<PAGE>

             2.2 Special Curtailment. The Term shall end earlier than the
original December 31, 2001 termination date provided in Section 2.1 if sooner
terminated pursuant to Section 4. Non-extension of the Term shall not be deemed
to be a wrongful termination of the Term or this Agreement by the Company
pursuant to Section 4.4.


      3.     Compensation; Benefits.

             3.1 Salary. As compensation for all services to be rendered
pursuant to this Agreement, the Company agrees to pay the Executive during the
Term a base salary, payable semi-monthly in arrears, at the annual rate of not
less than $400,000, less such deductions or amounts to be withheld as required
by applicable law and regulations (the "Base Salary"). In the event that the
Company, in its sole discretion, from time to time determines to increase the
Base Salary, such increased amount shall, from and after the effective date of
the increase, constitute "Base Salary" for purposes of this Agreement.

             3.2 Business Expenses. The Company shall pay or reimburse the
Executive for all reasonable expenses actually incurred or paid by the Executive
during the Term in the performance of the Executive's services under this
Agreement, upon presentation of expense statements or vouchers or such other
supporting information as the Company customarily may require of its officers
provided, however, that the maximum amount available for such expenses during
any period may be fixed in advance by the Chairman or Vice Chairman of the Board
of Directors, the President of the Company, or the Board of Directors. The
Company acknowledges that the Executive shall be permitted to travel first class
when traveling on behalf of the Company.

             3.3 Paid Time Off. During the Term, the Executive shall be entitled
to paid time off ("PTO") of five weeks taken in accordance with the PTO policy
of the Company during each year of the Term.

             3.4 Fringe Benefits. During the Term, the Executive shall be
entitled to all benefits for which the Executive shall be eligible under any
qualified pension plan, 401(k) plan, group insurance or other so-called "fringe"
benefit plan which the Company provides to its employees generally, together
with executive medical benefits for the Executive, the Executive's spouse and
the Executive's children as from time to time in effect for officers of the
Company generally.

             3.5 Additional Benefits. During the Term, the Executive shall be
entitled to such other benefits as are specified in Appendix I to this
Agreement.



                                       2
<PAGE>

      4.     Termination.

             4.1 Death. If the Executive shall die during the Term, the Term
shall terminate and no further amounts or benefits shall be payable hereunder,
except that the Executive's legal representatives shall be entitled to receive
continued payments in an amount equal to 60% of the Base Salary, in the manner
specified in Section 3.1, until the end of the Term (as in effect immediately
prior to the Executive's death).

             4.2 Disability. If during the Term the Executive shall become
physically or mentally disabled, whether totally or partially, such that the
Executive is unable to perform the Executive's services hereunder for (I) a
period of six consecutive months or (ii) for shorter periods aggregating six
months during any twelve month period, the Company may at any time after the
last day of the six consecutive months of disability or the day on which the
shorter periods of disability shall have equaled an aggregate of six months, by
written notice to the Executive (but before the Executive has recovered from
such disability), terminate the Term and no further amounts or benefits shall be
payable hereunder, except that the Executive shall be entitled to receive (I)
continued payments in an amount equal to 60% of the Base Salary, in the manner
specified in Section 3.1, until the end of the Term and (ii) such amounts and
benefits, if any, specified in Paragraph 5 of Appendix I. If the Executive shall
die before receiving all payments to be made by the Company in accordance with
the foregoing, such payments shall be made to a beneficiary designated by the
Executive on a form prescribed for such purpose by the Company, or in the
absence of such designation to the Executive's legal representative.

             4.3 Cause. In the event of gross neglect by the Executive of the
Executive's duties hereunder, conviction of the Executive of any felony,
conviction of the Executive of any lesser crime or offense involving the
property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates, willful
misconduct by the Executive in connection with the performance of any material
portion of the Executive's duties hereunder, breach by the Executive of any
material provision of this Agreement, the Company's employment policies
including the Code of Ethics, or any other conduct on the part of the Executive
which would make the Executive's continued employment by the Company materially
prejudicial to the best interests of the Company, the Company may at any time by
written notice to the Executive terminate the Term and, upon such termination,
this Agreement shall terminate and the Executive shall be entitled to receive no
further amounts or benefits hereunder, except any as shall have been earned to
the date of such termination. Termination for cause under the foregoing sentence
shall also include the bases therefore set forth in the provisions of 12 C.F.R.
Section 563.39(b)(1) or successor regulation defining termination for cause in
employment agreements for employees of a savings association.

             4.4 Company Breach. In the event of (a) the breach of any material
provision of this Agreement by the Company, (b) the assignment to Executive of
duties materially inconsistent with his status as Executive Vice President of
the Company or an adverse alteration in the nature of Executive's
responsibilities or (c) a reduction by the Company in the Executive's Base
Salary or bonus or a failure by the Company to pay any such amounts when due,
the


                                       3
<PAGE>

Executive shall be entitled to terminate the Term upon 60 days' prior written
notice to the Company. Upon such termination, or in the event the Company
terminates the Term or this Agreement other than pursuant to the provisions of
Section 4.2 or 4.3, the Company shall continue to provide the Executive (I)
payments of Base Salary in the manner and amounts specified in section 3.1 and
(ii) fringe benefits and additional benefits in the manner and amounts specified
in Sections 3.4 and 3.5, until the end of the Term (the "Damage Period"). The
Company's obligations pursuant to this Section 4.4 are subject to the
Executive's duty to mitigate damages by seeking other employment provided,
however, that the Executive shall not be required to accept a position of lesser
importance or of substantially different character than the position held with
the Company immediately prior to the effective date of termination or in a
location outside of the Dallas, Texas metropolitan area. To the extent that the
Executive shall earn compensation during the Damage Period (without regard to
when such compensation is paid), the Base Salary payments to be made by the
Company pursuant to this Section 4.4 shall be correspondingly reduced.

Notwithstanding anything in this Section 4.4 to the contrary, the total of all
post-termination Base Salary payments to be made under this Section 4.4 shall
not be less than the Executive's annual Base Salary at the date of termination.
At the end of the Term the Company shall pay to Executive, subject to applicable
withholding requirements, the amount due under the preceding sentence in a lump
sum payment.

             4.5     Termination Under Banking Laws.

             4.5.1 If the Executive is suspended or temporarily prohibited from
participating in the conduct of the Company's affairs by a notice served under
Section 8(e)(3) or (g)(1) of Federal Deposit Insurance Act (the "FDIA") (12
U.S.C. 1818(e)(3) and (g)(1)) the Company's obligations under this Agreement
shall be suspended as of the date of service unless stayed by appropriate
proceedings. If the charges in the notice are dismissed, the Company may in its
discretion (I) pay the Executive all or part of the compensation withheld while
its obligations hereunder were suspended, and (ii) reinstate (in whole or in
part) any of its obligations which were suspended.

             4.5.2 If the Executive is removed or permanently prohibited from
participating in the conduct of the Company's affairs by an order issued under
Section 8(e)(4) or (g)(1) of the FDIA (12 U.S.C. 1818(e)(4) or (g)(1)), all
obligations of the Company under this Agreement shall terminate as of the
effective date of the order, but vested rights of the contracting parties shall
not be affected.

             4.5.3 If the Company is in default (as defined in Section 3(x)(1)
of the FDIA), all obligations under this Agreement shall terminate as of the
date of default, but this Section 4.5.3 shall not affect any vested rights of
the Company or of the Executive.

                                       4
<PAGE>

             4.5.4 All obligations of the Company under this Agreement may be
terminated, except to the extent determined that continuation of this Agreement
is necessary for the continued operation of the Company, (i) by the Director of
the Office of Thrift Supervision (the "Director") or his or her designee, at the
time Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or Resolution Trust Corporation
enters into an agreement to provide assistance to or on behalf of the Company
under the authority contained in Section 13(c) of the FDIA; or (ii) by the
Director or his or her designee, at the time the Director or his or her designee
approves a supervisory merger to resolve problems related to operations of the
Company or when the Company is determined by the Director to be in an unsafe or
unsound condition. Any rights of the parties that have already vested, however,
shall not be affected by such action.

             4.6 Litigation Expenses. Except as provided for in Section 5.7. if
the Company and the Executive become involved in any action, suit or proceeding
relating to the alleged breach of this Agreement by the Company or the
Executive, and if a judgment in such action, suit or proceeding is rendered in
favor of the Executive, the Company shall reimburse the Executive for all
expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) incurred by the Executive in
connection with such action, suit or proceeding. Such costs shall be paid to the
Executive promptly upon presentation of expense statements or other supporting
information evidencing the incurrence of such expenses.


      5.     Protection of Confidential Information; Non-Competition.

             5.1 In view of the fact that the Executive's work for the Company
will bring the Executive into close contact with many confidential affairs of
the Company not readily available to the public, and plans for future
developments, the Executive agrees:

             5.1.1 To keep and retain in the strictest confidence all
confidential matters of the Company, including, without limitation, "know how,"
trade secrets, customer lists, pricing policies, operational methods, technical
processes, formulae, inventions and research projects, other business affairs of
the Company, and any information whatsoever concerning any director, officer,
employee or agent of the Company or their respective family members learned by
the Executive heretofore or hereafter, and not to disclose them to anyone
outside of the Company, either during or after the Executive's employment with
the Company, except in the course of performing the Executive's duties hereunder
or with the Company's express written consent. The foregoing prohibitions shall
include, without limitation, directly or indirectly publishing (or causing,
participating in, assisting or providing any statement, opinion or information
in connection with the publication of) any diary, memoir, letter, story,
photograph, interview, article, essay, account or description (whether
fictionalized or not) concerning any of the foregoing, publication being deemed
to include any presentation or reproduction of any written, verbal or visual
material in any communication medium, including any book, magazine, newspaper,
theatrical production or movie, or television or radio programming or
commercial; and



                                       5
<PAGE>

             5.1.2 To deliver promptly to the Company on termination of the
Executive's employment by the Company, or at any time the Company may so
request, all memoranda, notes, records, reports, manuals, drawings, blueprints
and other documents (and all copies thereof) relating to the Company's business
and all property associated therewith, which the Executive may then possess or
have under the Executive's control.

             5.2 During the Term, the Executive shall not, directly or
indirectly, enter the employ of, or render any services to, any person, firm or
corporation engaged in any business competitive with the business of the Company
or of any of its subsidiaries or affiliates; the Executive shall not engage in
such business on the Executive's own account; and the Executive shall not become
interested in any such business, directly or indirectly, as an individual,
partner, shareholder, director, officer, principal, agent, employee, trustee,
consultant, or in any other relationship or capacity provided, however, that
nothing contained in this Section 5.2 shall be deemed to prohibit the Executive
from acquiring, solely as an investment, up to five percent (5%) of the
outstanding shares of capital stock of any public corporation.

             5.3 If the Executive commits a breach, or threatens to commit a
breach, of any of the provisions of Sections 5.1 or 5.2 hereof, the Company
shall have the following rights and remedies:

             5.3.1 The right and remedy to have the provisions of this Agreement
specifically enforced by any court having equity jurisdiction, it being
acknowledged and agreed that any such breach or threatened breach will cause
irreparable injury to the Company and that money damages will not provide an
adequate remedy to the Company; and

             5.3.2 The right and remedy to require the Executive to account for
and pay over to the Company all compensation, profits, monies, accruals,
increments or other benefits (collectively "Benefits") derived or received by
the Executive as the result of any transactions constituting a breach of any of
the provisions of the preceding paragraph, and the Executive hereby agrees to
account for and pay over such Benefits to the Company.

Each of the rights and remedies enumerated above shall be independent of the
other, and shall be severally enforceable, and all of such rights and remedies
shall be in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other rights and remedies
available to the Company under law or in equity.

             5.4 If any of the covenants contained in Sections 5.1 or 5.2, or
any part thereof, hereafter are construed to be invalid or unenforceable, the
same shall not affect the remainder of the covenant or covenants, which shall be
given full effect, without regard to the invalid portions.

             5.5 If any of the covenants contained in Sections 5.1 or 5.2, or
any part thereof, are held to be unenforceable because of the duration of such
provision or the area covered thereby, the parties agree that the court making
such determination shall have the power to


                                       6
<PAGE>

reduce the duration and/or area of such provision and in its reduced form, said
provision shall then be enforceable.

             5.6 The parties hereto intend to and hereby confer jurisdiction to
enforce the covenants contained in Sections 5.1 and 5.2 upon the courts of any
state within the geographical scope of such covenants. In the event that the
courts of any one or more of such states shall hold such covenants wholly
unenforceable by reason of the breadth of such covenants or otherwise, it is the
intention of the parties hereto that such determination not bar or in any way
affect the Company's right to the relief provided above in the courts of any
other states within the geographical scope of such covenants as to breaches of
such covenants in such other respective jurisdictions, the above covenants as
they relate to each state being for this purpose severable into diverse and
independent covenants.

             5.7 In the event that any action, suit or other proceeding in law
or in equity is brought to enforce the covenants contained in sections 5.1 and
5.2 or to obtain money damages for the breach thereof, and such action results
in the award of a judgment for money damages or in the granting of any
injunction in favor of the Company, all expenses (including reasonable
attorneys' fees) of the Company in such action, suit or other proceeding shall
(on demand of the Company) be paid by the Executive. In the event the Company
fails to obtain a judgment for money damages or an injunction in favor of the
Company, all expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) of the Executive in
such action, suit or other proceeding shall (on demand of the Executive) be paid
by the Company.


      6.     Inventions and Patents.

             6.1 The Executive agrees that all processes, technologies and
inventions (collectively, "Inventions"), including new contributions,
improvements, ideas and discoveries, whether patentable or not, conceived,
developed, invented or made by him during the Term shall belong to the Company,
provided that such Inventions grew out of the Executive's work with the Company
or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates, are related in any manner to the
business (commercial or experimental) of the Company or any of its subsidiaries
or affiliates or are conceived or made on the Company's time or with the use of
the Company's facilities or materials. The Executive shall further: (a) promptly
disclose such Inventions to the Company; (b) assign to the Company, without
additional compensation, all patent and other rights to such Inventions for the
United States and foreign countries; (c) sign all papers necessary to carry out
the foregoing; and (d) give testimony in support of the Executive's
inventorship.

             6.2 If any Invention is described in a patent application or is
disclosed to third parties, directly or indirectly, by the Executive within two
years after the termination of the Executive's employment by the Company, it is
to be presumed that the Invention was conceived or made during the Term.



                                       7
<PAGE>

             6.3 The Executive agrees that the Executive will not assert any
rights to any Invention as having been made or acquired by the Executive prior
to the date of this Agreement, except for Inventions, if any, disclosed to the
company in writing prior to the date hereof.


      7.  Intellectual Property.

             The Company shall be the sole owner of all the products and
proceeds of the Executive's services hereunder, including, but not limited to,
all materials, ideas, concepts, formats, suggestions, developments,
arrangements, packages, programs and other intellectual properties that the
Executive may acquire, obtain, develop or create in connection with and during
the Term, free and clear of any claims by the Executive (or anyone claiming
under the Executive) of any kind or character whatsoever (other than the
Executive's right to receive payments hereunder). The Executive shall, at the
request of the Company, execute such assignments, certificates or other
instruments as the Company may from time to time deem necessary or desirable to
evidence, establish, maintain, perfect, protect, enforce or defend its right,
title or interest in or to any such properties.


      8.  Indemnification.

             The Company will indemnify the Executive, to the maximum extent
permitted by applicable law, against all costs, charges and expenses incurred or
sustained by the Executive in connection with any action, suit or proceeding to
which the Executive may be made a party by reason of the Executive being an
officer, director or employee of the Company or of any subsidiary or affiliate
of the Company.


      9.  Notices.

             All notices, requests, consents and other communications required
or permitted to be given hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to
have been duly given if delivered personally, sent by overnight courier or
mailed first class, postage prepaid, by registered or certified mail (notices
mailed shall be deemed to have been given on the date mailed), as follows (or to
such other address as either party shall designate by notice in writing to the
other in accordance herewith):

             If to the Company, to:

                     California Federal Bank, A Federal Savings Bank
                     200 Crescent Court: Suite 1350
                     Dallas, Texas 75201
                     Attention: Gerald J. Ford



                                       8
<PAGE>

             with a copy to:

                     MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings Inc.
                     35 East 62nd Street
                     New York, New York 10021
                     Attention: General Counsel

             If to the Executive, to:

                     Richard P. Hodge
                     3348 Remington Drive
                     Plano, Texas 75023



      10. General.

             10.1 This Agreement shall be governed by and construed and enforced
in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements
made and to be performed entirely in New York.

             10.2 The section headings contained herein are for reference
purposes only and shall not in any way affect the meaning or interpretation of
this Agreement.

             10.3 This Agreement sets forth the entire agreement and
understanding of the parties relating to the subject matter hereof, and
supersedes all prior agreements, arrangements and understandings, written or
oral, relating to the subject matter hereof, including, but not limited to, that
employment agreement between the Executive and the Company dated February 1,
1995. No representation, promise or inducement has been made by either party
that is not embodied in this Agreement, and neither party shall be bound by or
liable for any alleged representation promise or inducement not so set forth.

             10.4 This Agreement, and the Executive's rights and obligations
hereunder, may not be assigned by the Executive. The Company may assign its
rights, together with its obligations, hereunder (i) to any affiliate which has
the financial resources to meet the Company's obligations hereunder or (ii) to
third parties in connection with any sale, transfer or other disposition of all
or substantially all of its business or assets; in any event the obligations of
the Company hereunder shall be binding on its successors or assigns, whether by
merger, consolidation or acquisition of all or substantially all of its business
or assets.

             10.5 This Agreement may be amended, modified, superseded, canceled,
renewed or extended and the terms or covenants hereof may be waived, only by a
written instrument executed by both of the parties hereto, or in the case of a
waiver, by the party waiving


                                       9
<PAGE>

compliance. The failure of either party at any time or times to require
performance of any provision hereof shall in no manner affect the right at a
later time to enforce the same. No waiver by either party of the breach of any
term or covenant contained in this Agreement, whether by conduct or otherwise,
in any one or more instances, shall be deemed to be, or construed as, a further
or continuing waiver of any such breach, or a waiver of the breach of any other
term or covenant contained in this Agreement.


      11.    Subsidiaries and Affiliates.

             11.1 As used herein, the term "subsidiary" shall mean any
corporation or other business entity controlled directly or indirectly by the
corporation or other business entity in question, and the term "affiliate" shall
mean and include any corporation or other business entity directly or indirectly
controlling, controlled by or under common control with the corporation or other
business entity in question.

             IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of
the date first above written.

                                            CALIFORNIA FEDERAL BANK,
                                            A Federal Savings Bank


                                            By:  /s/ Gerald J. Ford
                                                ------------------------
                                                Gerald J. Ford
                                                Chairman of the Board

                                                 /s/ Richard P. Hodge
                                                ------------------------
                                                Richard P. Hodge



                                       10
<PAGE>

                                   APPENDIX I

Additional Benefits:

             1. Medical Examination. The Executive shall be reimbursed by the
Company for the reasonable cost of one annual medical examination upon
presentation of an expense statement.

             2. Automobile. The Company shall afford the Executive the right to
use an automobile on a continuing basis and shall provide garaging near the
Executive's office, all on the following basis. The Company shall pay, upon
presentation of an expense statement, all reasonable expenses associated with
the operation of such automobile and the rental of such garage space in the same
manner as is, from time to time, in effect with respect to executive officers of
the Company generally, including, without limitation, all reasonable maintenance
and insurance expenses. The automobile furnished by the Company shall be a late
model top-of-the-line luxury automobile to be reasonably selected by the
Executive. Upon the expiration of the Term, the Executive promptly shall return
the automobile to the Company.

             3. Insurance. The Company agrees to provide the Executive with
additional term life insurance coverage with a face amount of two (2) times the
then current Base Salary, on the following basis. The Executive may select a
plan of his choice and may designate the beneficiary of such plan. The Company
shall pay, upon presentation of an expense statement, the periodic premiums
relating to such additional term life insurance payable during the Term.

             4. Club Membership. The company shall reimburse the Executive, upon
presentation of an expense statement, for all reasonable initiation fees and
periodic dues for membership in a golf or social club of the Executive's choice.

             5. Disability. If the Company elects to terminate the Term pursuant
to Section 4.2 of the Agreement, in addition to the amounts payable under such
Section, for the shorter of the period the Executive remains disabled or until
the Executive has attained the age of 65, the Company shall continue to provide
benefits for the Executive under the corporate group life insurance plan and for
the Executive, his spouse and children under the corporate group medical
(including the executive medical plan) insurance plan, to the extent permitted
by such plans and to the extent such benefits continue to be provided to the
Company's employees or officers, as applicable, generally.


                                       11