8-K

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (date of earliest event reported): April 4, 2005

Friedman, Billings, Ramsey Group, Inc.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Virginia	54-1873198	000-50230
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)	(Commission File Number)

1001 Nineteenth Street

North Arlington, VA 22209

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

(703) 312-9500

(Registrant’s telephone number including area code)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 5.02 (b).   Departure of Directors or Principal Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Principal Officers.

On April 4, 2005,  Friedman, Billings, Ramsey Group, Inc.  ("FBR")  issued a press release stating that Emanuel J. Friedman has announced that he will retire from his roles as as Co-Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer of FBR,  member of the firm's Office of the Chief Executive,  and Director,  effective June 9, 2005,  the date of the firm's annual meeting of shareholders. Eric F. Billings, currently Co-Chairman and Co-CEO with Mr. Friedman, will become Chairman and CEO of FBR. A copy of the press release is furnished herewith and attached as Exhibit 99.1.

Item 9.01.  Financial Statements and Exhibits

EXHIBITS

 99.1      Friedman, Billings, Ramsey Group, Inc. Press Release dated April 4, 2005.

  

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Company has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	FRIEDMAN, BILLINGS, RAMSEY GROUP, INC.
Date: April 5, 2005	By:	/s/ Eric F. Billings
		Eric F. Billings      Co-Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer

EX-99.1

Contact:
Bill Dixon at 703-469-1092 or bdixon@fbr.com

FBR Says Emanuel J. Friedman Announces
Plans to Retire at June Annual Meeting

Eric Billings, Co-Chairman and Co-CEO, Will Become Chairman and CEO

ARLINGTON, Va., April 4, 2005 – Friedman, Billings, Ramsey Group, Inc. (NYSE: FBR), a leading national investment bank, today said that Emanuel J. Friedman, 58, has announced he will retire from his roles as Co-Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer of FBR, member of the firm’s Office of the Chief Executive, and director, effective June 9, 2005, the date of the firm’s annual meeting of shareholders. Mr. Friedman co-founded FBR in 1989 with Eric Billings and Russell Ramsey.

Eric F. Billings, currently Co-Chairman and Co-CEO with Mr. Friedman, will become Chairman and CEO of FBR. In April of 2004, FBR established the Office of the Chief Executive, which included Mr. Friedman, and Mr. Billings, Richard J. Hendrix as President and Chief Operating Officer, and J. Rock Tonkel, Jr. as President and Head of Investment Banking. As Co-Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Billings has had executive responsibility for substantially all of the company’s operations since the merger of Friedman, Billings, Ramsey Group, Inc. and FBR Asset Investment Corporation in 2003.

Mr.  Friedman said, “I have great confidence in FBR’s future. Eric Billings’ proven leadership, together with Rick Hendrix as President and Chief Operating Officer and Rock Tonkel as President and Head of Investment Banking, gives FBR an extremely strong and deep top management team.”

“All of us at FBR owe Manny a tremendous debt of gratitude. Along with the rest of the Board and all the employees of FBR, I thank Manny for his countless contributions, dedication and tremendous leadership over the past fifteen years. We wish him the very best in his future endeavors,” Mr. Billings said.

Friedman, Billings, Ramsey Group, Inc. provides investment banking*, institutional brokerage*, asset management, and private client services through its operating subsidiaries and invests in mortgage-backed securities, mortgage loans and merchant banking opportunities. FBR focuses capital and financial expertise on eight industry sectors: consumer, diversified industrials, energy, financial institutions, healthcare, insurance, real estate, and technology, media and telecommunications. FBR, headquartered in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, with offices in Arlington, Va. and Bethesda, Md., also has offices in Boston, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Irvine, London, New York, Phoenix, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, and Vienna. For more information, see http://www.fbr.com.

*Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co., Inc.

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