content: <PAGE>
       As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 9, 2002
                                                         Registration No. 333-
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  
                                    UNITED STATES
                         SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                               Washington, D.C. 20549
                      ----------------------------------------
  
                                      FORM S-8
               REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
  
                          FLEETBOSTON FINANCIAL CORPORATION
               (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
  
        --------------------------------------------------------------------
  
           RHODE ISLAND                                       05-0341324
  (State or other jurisdiction of                         (I.R.S. Employer
  incorporation or organization)                          Identification No.)
  
  100 FEDERAL STREET, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS                      02110
  (Address of Principal Executive Offices)                     (Zip Code)
  
  
                          FLEETBOSTON FINANCIAL CORPORATION
                            EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
                              (Full title of the plan)
  
                      ----------------------------------------
  
  
            GARY A. SPIESS, ESQ.                      JANICE B. LIVA, ESQ.
  Executive Vice President, General Counsel          Deputy General Counsel and
               and Secretary                            Assistant Secretary
     FLEETBOSTON FINANCIAL CORPORATION           FLEETBOSTON FINANCIAL CORPORATION
            100 FEDERAL STREET                           100 FEDERAL STREET
       BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02110                   BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02110
              617-434-2870                                  617-434-8630
  
  
         (Names, addresses and telephone numbers, including area codes, of
                                agents for service)
                     -------------------------------------------
  
  <TABLE>
  <CAPTION>
                                    CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
  
  =======================================================================================================
                                 Amount        Proposed Maximum     Proposed Maximum      Amount of
  Title of Securities            to be        Offering Price Per   Aggregate Offering   Registration Fee
  to be Registered             Registered         Share (1)            Price (1)             (1)
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  <S>                        <C>               <C>                  <C>                  <C>
  Common Stock, par value
    $.01 per share (2)       4,000,000 shares      $18.27            $73,080,000.00        $6,724.00
                                      (3)
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Participation Interests             (4)           (4)                  (4)                  (4)
  =======================================================================================================
  </TABLE>
  
  (1)  Computed pursuant to Rule 457(h) solely for the purpose of determining the
       registration fee, based on the average of the high and low prices of the
       Registrant's Common Stock as reported by the New York Stock Exchange on
       October 7, 2002.
  
  (2)  Including preferred share purchase rights.
  
  (3)  This Registration Statement also covers such indeterminate amount of
       securities as may be offered or sold pursuant to the plan to prevent
       dilution, pursuant to Rule 416(a).
  
  (4)  Pursuant to Rule 416(c), this Registration Statement also covers an
       indeterminate amount of interests to be offered or sold pursuant to the
       plan. Pursuant to Rule 457(h)(2), no additional fee is required.
  
  <PAGE>
  
                                  EXPLANATORY NOTE
  
       This registration statement is being filed solely to register the issuance
  of (i) up to 4,000,000 additional shares of common stock, par value $.01 per
  share ("Common Stock"), of FleetBoston Financial Corporation, a Rhode Island
  corporation (the "Company") and (ii) an indeterminate amount of interests, to be
  offered and sold pursuant to the FleetBoston Financial Corporation Employee
  Stock Purchase Plan (the "Plan"). The Company previously filed a registration
  statement on Form S-8 (File No. 333-44517) on January 20, 1998, as amended by
  Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 thereto filed on September 24, 2002, relating to
  the Plan (the "Prior Registration Statement"). Pursuant to General Instruction E
  to Form S-8, the contents of the Prior Registration Statement are incorporated
  herein by reference.
  
                                       PART II
                 INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
  
  Item 8.   Exhibits.
  
            A list of the exhibits included as part of this Registration Statement
  is set forth in the Exhibit Index which immediately precedes such exhibits and
  is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
  
  
                                        II-1
  <PAGE>
                                     SIGNATURES
  
       Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant
  certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe it meets all 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 Boston, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, on the
  9th day of October, 2002.
  
                                     FLEETBOSTON FINANCIAL CORPORATION
  
                                     By: /s/ CHARLES K. GIFFORD
                                         -----------------------------------------
                                         Charles K. Gifford
                                         President and Chief Executive Officer
  
       Each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints
  the Chairman, the President, the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Accounting
  Officer or the Secretary, or any of them, acting alone, as his true and lawful
  attorney-in-fact, with full power and authority to execute in the name, place
  and stead of each such person in any and all capacities and to file, an
  amendment or amendments to the Registration Statement (and all exhibits thereto)
  and any documents relating thereto, which amendments may make such changes in
  the Registration Statement as said officer or officers so acting deem(s)
  advisable.
  
       Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
  Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
  capacities and on the 9th day of October, 2002.
  
                SIGNATURE                                    TITLE
                ---------                                    -----
  
           /s/ TERRENCE MURRAY                 Chairman of the Board and Director
  --------------------------------------
             Terrence Murray
  
          /s/ CHARLES K. GIFFORD               President, Chief Executive Officer
  --------------------------------------                 and Director
            Charles K. Gifford
  
          /s/ EUGENE M. MCQUADE                Vice Chairman and Chief Financial
  --------------------------------------                    Officer
            Eugene M. McQuade
  
         /s/ ERNEST L. PUSCHAVER                   Chief Accounting Officer
  --------------------------------------
           Ernest L. Puschaver
  
            /s/ JOEL B. ALVORD                              Director
  --------------------------------------
              Joel B. Alvord
  
  
                                        II-2
  <PAGE>
  '
                SIGNATURE                               TITLE
                ---------                               -----
  
                                                       Director
  --------------------------------------
           William Barnet, III
  
            /DANIEL P. BURNHAM                         Director
  --------------------------------------
            Daniel P. Burnham
  
               KIM B. CLARK                            Director
  --------------------------------------
               Kim B. Clark
  
        /s/ PAUL J. CHOQUETTE, JR.                     Director
  --------------------------------------
          Paul J. Choquette, Jr.
  
           /s/ JOHN T. COLLINS                         Director
  --------------------------------------
             John T. Collins
  
          /s/ GARY L. COUNTRYMAN                       Director
  --------------------------------------
            Gary L. Countryman
  
                                                       Director
  --------------------------------------
           T. J. Dermot Dunphy
  
           /s/ MARION L. HEARD                         Director
  --------------------------------------
             Marian L. Heard
  
                                                       Director
  --------------------------------------
             Robert M. Kavner
  
           /s/ THOMAS J. MAY                           Director
  --------------------------------------
              Thomas J. May
  
          /s/ DONALD F. MCHENRY                        Director
  --------------------------------------
            Donald F. McHenry
  
                                                       Director
  --------------------------------------
            Michael B. Picotte
  
        /s/ FRANCENE S. RODGERS                        Director
  --------------------------------------
           Francene S. Rodgers
  
                                                       Director
  --------------------------------------
              Thomas M. Ryan
  
                                                       Director
  --------------------------------------
             T. Joseph Semrod
  
                                                       Director
  --------------------------------------
            Paul R. Tregurtha
  
  
                                        II-3
  
  <PAGE>
  
       Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the trustees
  (or other persons who administer the Plan) have duly caused this Registration
  Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
  authorized, in the City of Boston, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, on the
  9th day of October, 2002.
  
                                          FLEETBOSTON FINANCIAL CORPORATION
                                          EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
  
                                          By: /s/ PATRICIA CALLAHAN FAY
                                             -------------------------------------
                                             Patricia Callahan Fay
                                             Director of Benefits Planning
  
  
                                        II-4
  
  <PAGE>
  
                                    EXHIBIT INDEX
  
  Exhibit
  Number         Exhibit
  -------        -------
  
    4            FleetBoston Financial Corporation Employee Stock Purchase Plan
                 (July 1, 2000 Restatement), incorporated by reference to Exhibit
                 4 to the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File No.
                 333-44517).
  
    5            Opinion of Edwards & Angell LLP
  
   23.1          Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (the Company)
  
   23.2          Consent of Ernst & Young LLP (the Plan)
  
   23.3          Consent of Edwards & Angell LLP (included in opinion filed as
                 Exhibit 5)
  
   24            Power of Attorney (included on the signature pages hereto).
metadata_documents: [{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "filename": "b44406s8sv8.txt", "description": "FLEETBOSTON FINANCIAL CORPORATION", "secsgml_size_bytes": 11600}]
metadata_filer: {"company-data": {"conformed-name": "FLEETBOSTON FINANCIAL CORP", "cik": "0000050341", "assigned-sic": "6021", "irs-number": "050341324", "state-of-incorporation": "RI", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-100433", "film-number": "02784763"}, "business-address": {"street1": "ONE FEDERAL STREET", "city": "BOSTON", "state": "MA", "zip": "02110", "phone": "6173464000"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "100 FEDERAL STREET", "city": "BOSTON", "state": "MA", "zip": "02210"}, "former-company": [{"former-conformed-name": "FLEET FINANCIAL GROUP INC", "date-changed": "19880110"}, {"former-conformed-name": "FLEET NORSTAR FINANCIAL GROUP INC", "date-changed": "19920525"}, {"former-conformed-name": "FLEET BOSTON CORP", "date-changed": "19991001"}]}
text: As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 9, 2002
                                                         Registration No. 333-
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  
                                    UNITED STATES
                         SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                               Washington, D.C. 20549
                      ----------------------------------------
  
                                      FORM S-8
               REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
  
                          FLEETBOSTON FINANCIAL CORPORATION
               (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
  
        --------------------------------------------------------------------
  
           RHODE ISLAND                                       05-0341324
  (State or other jurisdiction of                         (I.R.S. Employer
  incorporation or organization)                          Identification No.)
  
  100 FEDERAL STREET, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS                      02110
  (Address of Principal Executive Offices)                     (Zip Code)
  
                          FLEETBOSTON FINANCIAL CORPORATION
                            EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
                              (Full title of the plan)
  
                      ----------------------------------------
  
            GARY A. SPIESS, ESQ.                      JANICE B. LIVA, ESQ.
  Executive Vice President, General Counsel          Deputy General Counsel and
               and Secretary                            Assistant Secretary
     FLEETBOSTON FINANCIAL CORPORATION           FLEETBOSTON FINANCIAL CORPORATION
            100 FEDERAL STREET                           100 FEDERAL STREET
       BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02110                   BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02110
              617-434-2870                                  617-434-8630
  
         (Names, addresses and telephone numbers, including area codes, of
                                agents for service)
                     -------------------------------------------
  CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
  
  =======================================================================================================
                                 Amount        Proposed Maximum     Proposed Maximum      Amount of
  Title of Securities            to be        Offering Price Per   Aggregate Offering   Registration Fee
  to be Registered             Registered         Share (1)            Price (1)             (1)
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Common Stock, par value
    $.01 per share (2)       4,000,000 shares      $18.27            $73,080,000.00        $6,724.00
                                      (3)
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Participation Interests             (4)           (4)                  (4)                  (4)
  =======================================================================================================
  (1)  Computed pursuant to Rule 457(h) solely for the purpose of determining the
       registration fee, based on the average of the high and low prices of the
       Registrant's Common Stock as reported by the New York Stock Exchange on
       October 7, 2002.
  
  (2)  Including preferred share purchase rights.
  
  (3)  This Registration Statement also covers such indeterminate amount of
       securities as may be offered or sold pursuant to the plan to prevent
       dilution, pursuant to Rule 416(a).
  
  (4)  Pursuant to Rule 416(c), this Registration Statement also covers an
       indeterminate amount of interests to be offered or sold pursuant to the
       plan. Pursuant to Rule 457(h)(2), no additional fee is required.
  EXPLANATORY NOTE
  
       This registration statement is being filed solely to register the issuance
  of (i) up to 4,000,000 additional shares of common stock, par value $.01 per
  share ("Common Stock"), of FleetBoston Financial Corporation, a Rhode Island
  corporation (the "Company") and (ii) an indeterminate amount of interests, to be
  offered and sold pursuant to the FleetBoston Financial Corporation Employee
  Stock Purchase Plan (the "Plan"). The Company previously filed a registration
  statement on Form S-8 (File No. 333-44517) on January 20, 1998, as amended by
  Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 thereto filed on September 24, 2002, relating to
  the Plan (the "Prior Registration Statement"). Pursuant to General Instruction E
  to Form S-8, the contents of the Prior Registration Statement are incorporated
  herein by reference.
  
                                       PART II
                 INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
  
  Item 8.   Exhibits.
  
            A list of the exhibits included as part of this Registration Statement
  is set forth in the Exhibit Index which immediately precedes such exhibits and
  is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
  
                                        II-1
  SIGNATURES
  
       Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant
  certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe it meets all 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 Boston, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, on the
  9th day of October, 2002.
  
                                     FLEETBOSTON FINANCIAL CORPORATION
  
                                     By: /s/ CHARLES K. GIFFORD
                                         -----------------------------------------
                                         Charles K. Gifford
                                         President and Chief Executive Officer
  
       Each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints
  the Chairman, the President, the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Accounting
  Officer or the Secretary, or any of them, acting alone, as his true and lawful
  attorney-in-fact, with full power and authority to execute in the name, place
  and stead of each such person in any and all capacities and to file, an
  amendment or amendments to the Registration Statement (and all exhibits thereto)
  and any documents relating thereto, which amendments may make such changes in
  the Registration Statement as said officer or officers so acting deem(s)
  advisable.
  
       Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
  Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
  capacities and on the 9th day of October, 2002.
  
                SIGNATURE                                    TITLE
                ---------                                    -----
  
           /s/ TERRENCE MURRAY                 Chairman of the Board and Director
  --------------------------------------
             Terrence Murray
  
          /s/ CHARLES K. GIFFORD               President, Chief Executive Officer
  --------------------------------------                 and Director
            Charles K. Gifford
  
          /s/ EUGENE M. MCQUADE                Vice Chairman and Chief Financial
  --------------------------------------                    Officer
            Eugene M. McQuade
  
         /s/ ERNEST L. PUSCHAVER                   Chief Accounting Officer
  --------------------------------------
           Ernest L. Puschaver
  
            /s/ JOEL B. ALVORD                              Director
  --------------------------------------
              Joel B. Alvord
  
                                        II-2
  '
                SIGNATURE                               TITLE
                ---------                               -----
  
                                                       Director
  --------------------------------------
           William Barnet, III
  
            /DANIEL P. BURNHAM                         Director
  --------------------------------------
            Daniel P. Burnham
  
               KIM B. CLARK                            Director
  --------------------------------------
               Kim B. Clark
  
        /s/ PAUL J. CHOQUETTE, JR.                     Director
  --------------------------------------
          Paul J. Choquette, Jr.
  
           /s/ JOHN T. COLLINS                         Director
  --------------------------------------
             John T. Collins
  
          /s/ GARY L. COUNTRYMAN                       Director
  --------------------------------------
            Gary L. Countryman
  
                                                       Director
  --------------------------------------
           T. J. Dermot Dunphy
  
           /s/ MARION L. HEARD                         Director
  --------------------------------------
             Marian L. Heard
  
                                                       Director
  --------------------------------------
             Robert M. Kavner
  
           /s/ THOMAS J. MAY                           Director
  --------------------------------------
              Thomas J. May
  
          /s/ DONALD F. MCHENRY                        Director
  --------------------------------------
            Donald F. McHenry
  
                                                       Director
  --------------------------------------
            Michael B. Picotte
  
        /s/ FRANCENE S. RODGERS                        Director
  --------------------------------------
           Francene S. Rodgers
  
                                                       Director
  --------------------------------------
              Thomas M. Ryan
  
                                                       Director
  --------------------------------------
             T. Joseph Semrod
  
                                                       Director
  --------------------------------------
            Paul R. Tregurtha
  
                                        II-3
  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the trustees
  (or other persons who administer the Plan) have duly caused this Registration
  Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
  authorized, in the City of Boston, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, on the
  9th day of October, 2002.
  
                                          FLEETBOSTON FINANCIAL CORPORATION
                                          EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
  
                                          By: /s/ PATRICIA CALLAHAN FAY
                                             -------------------------------------
                                             Patricia Callahan Fay
                                             Director of Benefits Planning
  
                                        II-4
  EXHIBIT INDEX
  
  Exhibit
  Number         Exhibit
  -------        -------
  
    4            FleetBoston Financial Corporation Employee Stock Purchase Plan
                 (July 1, 2000 Restatement), incorporated by reference to Exhibit
                 4 to the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File No.
                 333-44517).
  
    5            Opinion of Edwards & Angell LLP
  
   23.1          Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (the Company)
  
   23.2          Consent of Ernst & Young LLP (the Plan)
  
   23.3          Consent of Edwards & Angell LLP (included in opinion filed as
                 Exhibit 5)
  
   24            Power of Attorney (included on the signature pages hereto).