FT 240
487, 1998-02-26
Previous: FT 239, 497J, 1998-02-26
Next: EVERGREEN SELECT EQUITY TRUST, NSAR-A, 1998-02-26




                                
                                      Registration No.  333-45075
                                           1940 Act No. 811-05903
                                
               SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                     Washington, D.C.  20549

                   Amendment No. 2 to Form S-6
                                
 FOR REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 OF SECURITIES
       OF UNIT INVESTMENT TRUSTS REGISTERED ON FORM N-8B-2

A.   Exact name of trust:

                             FT 240

B.   Name of depositor:

                      NIKE SECURITIES L.P.

C.   Complete address of depositor's principal executive offices:

                      1001 Warrenville Road
                     Lisle, Illinois  60532

D.        Name and complete address of agents for service:

                                        Copy to:
     JAMES A. BOWEN                     ERIC F. FESS
     c/o Nike Securities L.P.           c/o Chapman and Cutler
     1001 Warrenville Road              111 West Monroe Street
     Lisle, Illinois  60532             Chicago, Illinois 60603

E.   Title of Securities Being Registered:

     An indefinite number of Units pursuant to Rule 24f-2
     promulgated under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
     amended


F.   Approximate date of proposed sale to public:

     As soon as practicable after the effective date of the
     Registration Statement.

|XXX|Check  box  if it is proposed that this filing  will  become
     effective on February 26, 1998 at 2:00 p.m. pursuant to Rule
     487.
                ________________________________
                                

                             FT 240

                      Cross-Reference Sheet

         (Form N-8B-2 Items required by Instructions as
                 to the Prospectus in Form S-6)

 Form N-8B-2 Item Number              Form S-6 Heading in Prospectus
                                
                                
            I.  ORGANIZATION AND GENERAL INFORMATION

1.   (a)  Name of trust                    Prospectus front cover
     (b)  Title of securities issued       Summary of Essential
                                           Information

2.   Name and address of each depositor    Information as to
                                           Sponsor, Trustee and
                                           Evaluator

3.   Name and address of trustee           Information as to
                                           Sponsor, Trustee and
                                           Evaluator

4.   Name and address of principal         Information as to
     underwriters                          Sponsor, Trustee and
                                           Evaluator

5.   State of organization of trust        The FT Series

6.   Execution and termination of          Other Information
     trust agreement

7.   Changes of name                          *

8.   Fiscal year                              *

9.   Litigation                               *
                                
                                
II.  GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND SECURITIES OF THE TRUST

10.  (a)  Registered or bearer             Public Offering
          securities

     (b)  Cumulative or distributive       The FT Series
          securities

     (c)  Redemption                       Rights of Unitholders

     (d)  Conversion, transfer, etc.       Rights of Unitholders

     (e)  Periodic payment plan               *

     (f)  Voting rights                    Rights of Unitholders

     (g)  Notice of certificateholders     Other Information

     (h)  Consents required                Rights of Unitholders;
                                           Other Information

     (i)  Other provisions                 The FT Series

11.  Types of securities comprising        The FT Series
     units                                 Schedule of
                                           Investments

12.  Certain information regarding
     periodic payment certificates            *

13.  (a)  Load, fees, expenses, etc.       Summary of Essential
                                           Information; Public
                                           Offering; The FT
                                           Series
     (b)  Certain information regarding
          periodic payment certificates       *

     (c)  Certain percentages              Summary of Essential
                                           Information; The FT
                                           Series; Public
                                           Offering

     (d)  Certain other fees, etc.
          payable  by holders              Rights of Units
                                           Holders

     (e)  Certain profits receivable
          by depositor, principal,
          underwriters, trustee or         The FT Series
          affiliated persons

     (f)  Ratio of annual charges             *
          to income

14.  Issuance of trust's securities        Rights of Unit Holders

15.  Receipt and handling of payments
     from purchasers                          *

16.  Acquisition and disposition of
     underlying securities                 The FT Series; Rights
                                           of Unit Holders;

17.  Withdrawal or redemption              The FT Series; Public
                                           Offering; Rights of
                                           Unit Holders

18.  (a)  Receipt, custody and             Rights of Unit Holders
          disposition  of income

     (b)  Reinvestment of distributions    Rights of Unit Holders

     (c)  Reserves or special funds        Information as to
                                           Sponsor, Trustee and
                                           Evaluator

     (d)  Schedule of distributions           *

19.  Records, accounts and reports         Rights of Unit Holders

20.  Certain miscellaneous provisions
     of trust agreement

     (a)  Amendment                        Other Information

     (b)  Termination                      Other Information

     (c)  and (d) Trustee, removal         Information as
          and successor                    to Sponsor, Trustee
                                           and Evaluator

     (e)  and (f) Depositor, removal       Information as
          and successor                    to Sponsor, Trustee
                                           and Evaluator

21.  Loans to security holders                *

22.  Limitations on liability              The FT Series;
                                            Information as to
                                           Sponsor, Trustee
                                           and Evaluator

23.  Bonding arrangements                  Contents of
                                           Registration
                                           Statement

24.  Other material provisions             *
     of trust agreement


III.  ORGANIZATION, PERSONNEL AND AFFILIATED PERSONS OF DEPOSITOR

25.  Organization of depositor             Information as to
                                           Sponsor, Trustee and
                                           Evaluator

26.  Fees received by depositor               *

27.  Business of depositor                 Information as to
                                           Sponsor, Trustee and
                                           Evaluator

28.  Certain information as to
     officials and affiliated                 *
     persons of depositor

29.  Voting securities of depositor           *

30.  Persons controlling depositor            *

31.  Payment by depositor for certain
     services rendered to trust               *

32.  Payment by depositor for certain
     other services rendered to trust         *

33.  Remuneration of employees of
     depositor for certain services
     rendered to trust                        *

34.  Remuneration of other persons
     for certain services rendered            *
     to trust
                                
                                
                IV.  DISTRIBUTION AND REDEMPTION

35.  Distribution of trust's               Public Offering
     securities by states

36.  Suspension of sales of trust's
     securities                               *

37.  Revocation of authority to               *
     distribute

38.  (a)  Method of distribution           Public Offering

     (b)  Underwriting agreements          Public Offering

     (c)  Selling agreements               Public Offering

39.  (a)  Organization of principal        Information as
          underwriters                     to Sponsor, Trustee
                                           and Evaluator

     (b)  N.A.S.D. membership of
          principal underwriters           Information as to
                                           Sponsor, Trustee and
                                           Evaluator


40.  Certain fees received by              See Items 13(a) and
     principal underwriters                13(e)

41.  (a)  Business of principal            Information as to
          underwriters                     Sponsor, Trustee and
                                           Evaluator

     (b)  Branch offices of
          principal underwriters              *

     (c)  Salesmen of principal               *
          underwriters

42.  Ownership of trust's securities
     by certain persons                       *

43.  Certain brokerage commissions
     received by principal                    *
     underwriters

44.  (a)  Method of valuation              Summary of Essential
                                           Information; The FT
                                           Series, Public
                                           Offering

     (b)  Schedule as to offering             *
          price

     (c)  Variation in offering            Public Offering
          price to certain persons

45.  Suspension of redemption rights          *

46.  (a)  Redemption valuation             Rights of Unit Holders

     (b)  Schedule as to redemption           *
          price

47.  Maintenance of position in            Public Offering;
     underlying securities                 Rights
                                           of Unit Holders
                                
                                
       V.  INFORMATION CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE OR CUSTODIAN

48.  Organization and regulation of        Information as
     trustee                               to Sponsor, Trustee
                                           and Evaluator

49.  Fees and expenses of trustee          The FT Series

50.  Trustee's lien                        The FT Series
                                
                                
     VI.  INFORMATION CONCERNING THE INSURANCE OF HOLDERS OF
                           SECURITIES

51.  Insurance of holders of
     trust's securities                       *
                                
                                
                   VII.  POLICY OF REGISTRANT

52.  (a)  Provisions of trust              The FT Series;
          agreement with respect to        Rights of Unit Holders
          selection or elimination of
          underlying securities


     (b)  Transactions involving
          elimination of underlying           *
          securities

     (c)  Policy regarding substitution    The FT Series;
          or elimination of underlying     Rights of Unit Holders
          securities


     (d)  Fundamental policy not
          otherwise covered                   *

53.  Tax status of Trust                   The FT Series
                                
                                
          VIII.  FINANCIAL AND STATISTICAL INFORMATION

54.  Trust's securities during                *
     last ten years

55.

56.

57.  Certain information regarding
      periodic payment certificates           *

58.

59.  Financial statements                  Report of Independent
     (Instruction 1(c) to Form S-6)        Auditors
                                           Statement of Net
                                           Assets





* Inapplicable, answer negative or not required.
                                
              Midwest Financial Institutions Trust, Series 3

   
The Trust. FT 240 (the "Trust") is a unit investment trust consisting of
a portfolio of common stocks (the "Common Stocks") issued by financial
institutions having operations located primarily in the Midwest.
However, up to 20% of the portfolio may consist of Common Stocks issued
by financial institutions having operations located primarily outside of
the Midwest region, shares of real estate investment trusts (the "REIT
Shares") and warrants on certain REIT Shares (the "Warrants").
Collectively, the Common Stocks, REIT Shares and Warrants shall be
referred to herein as the "Equity Securities."
    

The objective of the Trust is to provide for above-average capital
appreciation potential by investing the Equity Securities. See "Schedule
of Investments." The Trust has a mandatory termination date ("Mandatory
Termination Date" or "Trust Ending Date") as set forth under "Summary of
Essential Information." There is, of course, no guarantee that the
objective of the Trust will be achieved.

Each Unit of the Trust represents an undivided fractional interest in
all the Equity Securities deposited in the Trust. The Equity Securities
deposited in the Trust's portfolio have no fixed maturity date and the
value of these underlying Equity Securities will fluctuate with changes
in the values of stocks in general. See "Portfolio."

The Sponsor may, from time to time during a period of up to
approximately 360 days after the Initial Date of Deposit, deposit
additional Equity Securities or cash (including a letter of credit) with
instructions to purchase additional Equity Securities in the Trust. Such
deposits of additional Equity Securities or cash will be done in such a
manner that the original proportionate relationship amongst the
individual issues of the Equity Securities shall be maintained. Any
deposit by the Sponsor of additional Equity Securities, or the purchase
of additional Equity Securities pursuant to a cash deposit, will
duplicate, as nearly as is practicable, the original proportionate
relationship established on the Initial Date of Deposit, not the actual
proportionate relationship on the subsequent date of deposit, since the
two may differ. Any such difference may be due to the sale, redemption
or liquidation of any Equity Securities deposited in the Trust on the
Initial, or any subsequent, Date of Deposit. See "What is the FT
Series?" and "Rights of Unit Holders-How May Equity Securities be
Removed from the Trust?"

   
Public Offering Price. The Public Offering Price per Unit of the Trust
during the initial offering period is equal to the aggregate underlying
value of the Equity Securities in the Trust (generally determined by the
closing sale prices of listed Equity Securities and the ask prices of
over-the-counter traded Equity Securities) plus or minus a pro rata
share of cash, if any, in the Capital and Income Accounts of the Trust,
plus an initial sales charge equal to the difference between the maximum
sales charge of 4.50% of the Public Offering Price and the maximum
remaining deferred sales charge, initially $.350 per Unit. Commencing on
May 20, 1998, and on the twentieth day of each month thereafter (or if
such date is not a business day, on the preceding business day) through
November 20, 1998, a deferred sales charge of $.050 will be assessed per
Unit per month. Units purchased subsequent to the initial deferred sales
charge payment but still during the initial offering period will be
subject to the initial sales charge and the remaining deferred sales
charge payments not yet collected. The deferred sales charge will be
paid from funds in the Income and/or Capital Accounts, if sufficient, or
from the periodic sale of Equity Securities. The total maximum sales
charge assessed to Unit holders on a per Unit basis will be 4.50% of the
Public Offering Price
    

THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION NOR HAS THE COMMISSION PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY
OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A
CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

                Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated

   
            The date of this Prospectus is February 26, 1998
    


Page 1                                                                   

   
equivalent to 4.545% of the net amount invested, exclusive of the deferred
sales charge). A pro rata share of accumulated dividends, if any, in the 
Income Account is included in the Public Offering Price. Upon completion of 
the deferred sales charge period, the secondary market Public Offering Price 
per Unit for the Trust will not include deferred payments, but will instead
include only a one-time initial sales charge of 4.50% of the Public
Offering Price (equivalent to 4.712% of the net amount invested), which
will be reduced by 1/2 of 1% on each March 1, commencing March 1, 1999
to a minimum sales charge of 3.0%. The minimum amount which an investor
may purchase of the Trust is 150 Units or $1,500. The sales charge is
reduced on a graduated scale for sales involving at least 10,000 Units.
See "Public Offering-How is the Public Offering Price Determined?"
    

UNITS OF THE TRUST ARE NOT DEPOSITS OR OBLIGATIONS OF, OR GUARANTEED BY,
ANY BANK, AND UNITS ARE NOT FEDERALLY INSURED OR OTHERWISE PROTECTED BY
THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION AND INVOLVE INVESTMENT RISK
INCLUDING LOSS OF PRINCIPAL.

   
Estimated Net Annual Distributions. The estimated net annual dividend
distributions to Unit holders (based on the most recent quarterly or
semi-annual ordinary dividend declared with respect to the Equity
Securities in the Trust) on the Initial Date of Deposit was $.1299 per
Unit. The actual net annual dividend distributions per Unit will vary
with changes in fees and expenses of the Trust, with changes in
dividends received and with the sale or liquidation of Equity
Securities; therefore, there is no assurance that the net annual
dividend distributions will be realized in the future.
    

Dividend and Capital Distributions. Distributions of dividends and
capital, if any, received by the Trust will be paid on the Distribution
Date to Unit holders of record on the Record Date as set forth in the
"Summary of Essential Information." Distributions of funds in the
Capital Account, if any, will be made at least annually in December of
each year. Any distribution of income and/or capital will be net of the
expenses of the Trust. See "What is the Federal Tax Status of Unit
Holders?" Additionally, upon termination of the Trust, the Trustee will
distribute, upon surrender of Units, to each Unit holder his or her pro
rata share of the Trust's assets, less expenses, in the manner set forth
under "Rights of Unit Holders-How are Income and Capital Distributed?"

   
Secondary Market for Units. After the initial offering period, while
under no obligation to do so, both the Sponsor and the Underwriter
intend to maintain a market for Units of the Trust and offer to
repurchase such Units at prices which are based on the aggregate
underlying value of Equity Securities in the Trust (generally determined
by the closing sale prices of listed Equity Securities and the bid
prices of over-the-counter traded Equity Securities) plus or minus cash,
if any, in the Capital and Income Accounts of the Trust. If a secondary
market is maintained during the initial offering period, the prices at
which Units will be repurchased will also be based upon the aggregate
underlying value of the Equity Securities in the Trust (generally
determined by the closing sale prices of listed Equity Securities and
the ask prices of over-the-counter traded Equity Securities) plus or
minus cash, if any, in the Capital and Income Accounts of the Trust. If
a secondary market is not maintained, a Unit holder may redeem Units
through redemption at prices based upon the aggregate underlying value
of the Equity Securities in the Trust (generally determined by the
closing sale prices of listed Equity Securities and either the ask
prices (during the initial offering period) or the bid prices
(subsequent to the initial offering period) of over-the-counter traded
Equity Securities) plus or minus a pro rata share of cash, if any, in
the Capital and Income Accounts of the Trust. A Unit holder tendering
2,500 Units or more for redemption may request a distribution of shares
of Equity Securities (reduced by customary transfer and registration
charges) (an "In-Kind Distribution") in lieu of payment in cash. Any
deferred sales charge remaining on Units at the time of their sale or
redemption will be collected at that time. See "Rights of Unit Holders-
How May Units be Redeemed?"
    

   
Termination. Commencing no later than the Mandatory Termination Date,
Equity Securities will begin to be sold as prescribed by the Sponsor.
The Trustee shall provide written notice of any termination of the Trust


Page 2                                                                   


to Unit holders which will specify when Unit holders may surrender their
certificates for cancellation and will include a form to enable Unit
holders to elect an In-Kind Distribution if such Unit holder owns at
least 2,500 Units of the Trust, rather than to receive payment in cash
for such Unit holder's pro rata share of the amounts realized upon the
disposition by the Trustee of Equity Securities. To be effective, the
election form, together with surrendered certificates and other
documentation required by the Trustee, must be returned to the Trustee
at least ten business days prior to the Mandatory Termination Date. Unit
holders not electing a distribution of shares of Equity Securities will
receive a cash distribution within a reasonable time after the Trust is
terminated. See "Rights of Unit Holders-How are Income and Capital
Distributed?" and "Other Information-How May the Indenture be Amended or
Terminated?"
    

Risk Factors. An investment in the Trust should be made with an
understanding of the risks associated therewith, including, among other
factors, the possible deterioration of either the financial condition of
the issuers of the Equity Securities or the general condition of the
stock market, volatile interest rates, economic recession or increased
regulation on financial institutions. The Trust's portfolio is not managed 
and Equity Securities will not be sold by the Trust regardless of market
fluctuations, although some Equity Securities may be sold under certain
limited circumstances. See "What are the Equity Securities?-Risk Factors."

Page 3 
                                         Summary of Essential Information

   
                At the Opening of Business on the Initial Date of Deposit
                               of the Equity Securities-February 26, 1998
    

               Underwriter:   Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated
                   Sponsor:   Nike Securities L.P.
                   Trustee:   The Chase Manhattan Bank
                 Evaluator:   First Trust Advisors L.P.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
General Information                                                                                                          
<S>                                                                                                           <C>            
Initial Number of Units (1)                                                                                     100,013        
Fractional Undivided Interest in the Trust per Unit (1)                                                                      
                                                                                                              1/100,013      
Public Offering Price:                                                                                                       
    Aggregate Offering Price Evaluation of Equity Securities in Portfolio (2)                                 $ 990,138       
    Aggregate Offering Price Evaluation of Equity Securities per Unit                                         $   9.900        
    Maximum Sales Charge of 4.50% of the Public Offering Price per Unit                                                      
        (4.545% of the net amount invested, exclusive of the deferred sales charge) (3)                       $    .450        
    Less Deferred Sales Charge per Unit                                                                       $   (.350)       
    Public Offering Price per Unit (3)                                                                        $  10.000        
Sponsor's Initial Repurchase Price per Unit                                                                   $   9.550        
Redemption Price per Unit (based on aggregate underlying value of Equity Securities) (4)                      $   9.550        
</TABLE>

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S>                                             <C>                                                                          
CUSIP Number                                    30264N 784                                                                   
Security Code                                   55160                                                                        
First Settlement Date                           March 3, 1998                                                                
Mandatory Termination Date                      February 28, 2002                                                            
Discretionary Liquidation Amount                The Trust may be terminated if the value thereof is less than the lower of   
                                                $2,000,000 or 20% of the total value of Equity Securities deposited in the   
                                                Trust during the initial offering period.                                    
Trustee's Annual Fee                            $.0096 per Unit outstanding.                                                 
Evaluator's Annual Fee                          $.0030 per Unit outstanding, payable to an affiliate of the Sponsor.         
                                                Evaluations for purposes of sale, purchase or redemption of Units are made   
                                                as of the close of trading (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on the New     
                                                York Stock Exchange on each day on which it is open.                         
Supervisory Fee (5)                             Maximum of $.0035 per Unit outstanding annually payable to an affiliate of   
                                                the Sponsor.                                                                 
Estimated Annual Amortization of                                                                                             
    Organizational and Offering Costs (6)       $.0040 per Unit.                                                             
Income Distribution Record Date                 Fifteenth day of each June and December commencing June 15, 1998.            
Income Distribution Date (7)                    Last day of each June and December commencing June 30, 1998.                 

____________
<FN>
(1) As of the close of business on the Initial Date of Deposit, the
number of Units of the Trust may be adjusted so that the Public Offering
Price per Unit will equal approximately $10.00. Therefore, to the extent
of any such adjustment, the fractional undivided interest per Unit will
increase or decrease accordingly, from the amounts indicated above.

(2) Each Equity Security listed on a national securities exchange or The
Nasdaq Stock Market is valued at the last closing sale price, or if no
such price exists or if the Equity Security is not so listed, at the
closing ask price thereof.

(3) The maximum sales charge consists of an initial sales charge and a
deferred sales charge.  See "Fee Table" and "Public Offering" for
additional information regarding these charges. On the Initial Date of
Deposit there will be no accumulated dividends in the Income Account.
Anyone ordering Units after such date will pay a pro rata share of any
accumulated dividends in such Income Account. The Public Offering Price
as shown reflects the value of the Equity Securities at the opening of
business on the Initial Date of Deposit and establishes the original
proportionate relationship amongst the individual securities. No sales
to investors will be executed at this price. Additional Equity
Securities will be deposited during the day of the Initial Date of
Deposit which will be valued as of 4:00 p.m. Eastern time and sold to
investors at a Public Offering Price per Unit based on this valuation.

(4) See "Rights of Unit Holders-How May Units be Redeemed?"

(5) In addition, the Sponsor will be reimbursed for bookkeeping and other
administrative expenses currently at a maximum annual rate of $.0028 per
Unit.

(6) The Trust (and therefore Unit holders) will bear all or a portion of
its organizational and offering costs (including costs of preparing the
registration statement, the trust indenture and other closing documents,
registering Units with the Securities and Exchange Commission and
states, the initial audit of the Trust portfolio, legal fees and the
initial fees and expenses of the Trustee but not including the expenses
incurred in the printing of preliminary and final prospectuses, and
expenses incurred in the preparation and printing of brochures and other
advertising materials and any other selling expenses) as is common for
mutual funds. Total organizational and offering expenses will be charged
off over a period not to exceed the life of the Trust (approximately
four years). See "What are the Expenses and Charges?" and "Statement of
Net Assets." Historically, the sponsors of unit investment trusts have
paid all the costs of establishing such trusts.

(7) Distributions from the Capital Account will be made monthly payable
on the last day of the month to Unit holders of record on the fifteenth
day of such month if the amount available for distribution equals at
least $0.01 per Unit. Notwithstanding, distributions of funds in the
Capital Account, if any, will be made in December of each year.
</FN>
</TABLE>

Page 4
                                FEE TABLE

This Fee Table is intended to help you to understand the costs and
expenses that you will bear directly or indirectly. See "Public
Offering" and "What are the Expenses and Charges?" Although the Trust
has a term of approximately four years and is a unit investment trust
rather than a mutual fund, this information is presented to permit a
comparison of fees.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                                             Amount            
                                                                                                             per Unit          
                                                                                                             ________          
<S>                                                                                        <C>               <C>               
Unit Holder Transaction Expenses                                                                                               
                                                                                                                               
Initial sales charge imposed on purchase                                                                                       
   (as a percentage of public offering price)                                               1.00%(a)         $.100             
Deferred sales charge                                                                                                          
   (as a percentage of public offering price)                                               3.50%(b)          .350             
                                                                                           ________          ________          
                                                                                            4.50%            $.450          
                                                                                           ========          ========          
                                                                                                                               
Estimated Annual Fund Operating Expenses                                                                                       
     (as a percentage of average net assets)                                                                                   
                                                                                                                               
Trustee's fee                                                                              .098%             $.0096            
Portfolio supervision, bookkeeping, administrative, amortization                                                               
    of organizational and offering costs and evaluation fees                               .136%              .0133             
Other operating expenses                                                                   .055%              .0054             
                                                                                           ________          ________          
   Total                                                                                   .289%             $.0283           
                                                                                           ========          ========          

</TABLE>

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                          Example                                                            
                                                          _______                                                          
                                                                         Cumulative Expenses Paid for Period:                
                                                                       1 Year            3 Years           5 Years           
                                                                       ________          ________          ________          
<S>                                                                    <C>               <C>               <C>               
An investor would pay the following expenses on a $1,000 investment, 
assuming the Midwest Financial Institutions, Series 3 has an                                                                 
estimated operating expense ratio of .289% and a 5% annual return on                                                         
the investment throughout the periods                                  $ 48              $ 54              $ 60     
___________
<FN>
(a) The Initial Sales Charge is actually the difference between the
maximum total sales charge of 4.50% and the maximum remaining deferred
sales charge (initially $.350 per Unit) and would exceed 1.0% if the
Public Offering Price exceeds $10.00 per Unit.

(b) The actual fee is $.050 per month per Unit, irrespective of purchase
or redemption price deducted monthly commencing May 20, 1998 through
November 20, 1998. If a Unit holder sells or redeems Units before all of
these deductions have been made, the balance of the deferred sales
charge payments remaining will be deducted from the sales or redemption
proceeds. If the Unit price is less than $10.00 per Unit, the deferred
sales charge will exceed 3.5%. Units purchased subsequent to the initial
deferred sales charge payment will be subject to the previously
collected deferred sales charge payments at the time of purchase and any
remaining deferred sales charge payments not yet collected.
</FN>
</TABLE>

The example assumes reinvestment of all dividends and distributions and
utilizes a 5% annual rate of return as mandated by Securities and
Exchange Commission regulations applicable to mutual funds. For purposes
of the example, the deferred sales charge imposed on reinvestment of
dividends is not reflected until the year following payment of the
dividend; the cumulative expenses would be higher if sales charges on
reinvested dividends were reflected in the year of reinvestment. The
example should not be considered a representation of past or future
expenses or annual rate of return; the actual expenses and annual rate
of return may be more or less than those assumed for purposes of the
example. In addition, while the Trust only has a term of approximately
four years, investors may be able to reinvest their proceeds into a
subsequently offered trust, subject to additional sales charges. In this
scenario the actual expenses incurred by an investor would exceed those
set forth above.


Page 5
             MIDWEST FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS TRUST, SERIES 3
                                 FT 240 

What is the FT Series?

FT 240 is one of a series of investment companies created by the Sponsor
under the name of the FT Series, all of which are generally similar but
each of which is separate and is designated by a different series number
(the "Trust"). The FT Series was previously known as The First Trust
Special Situations Trust Series. This Series consists of an underlying
separate unit investment trust designated as: Midwest Financial
Institutions Trust, Series 3. The Trust was created under the laws of
the State of New York pursuant to a Trust Agreement (the "Indenture"),
dated the Initial Date of Deposit, with Nike Securities L.P. as Sponsor,
The Chase Manhattan Bank as Trustee and First Trust Advisors L.P. as
Portfolio Supervisor and Evaluator.

On the Initial Date of Deposit, the Sponsor deposited with the Trustee
confirmations of contracts for the purchase of the Equity Securities,
together with an irrevocable letter or letters of credit of a financial
institution in an amount at least equal to the purchase price of such
securities. In exchange for the deposit of securities or contracts to
purchase securities in the Trust, the Trustee delivered to the Sponsor
documents evidencing the entire ownership of the Trust.

   
The objective of the Trust is to provide for above-average capital
appreciation potential through an investment in common stocks (the
"Common Stocks") issued by regional financial institutions, which have
operations located primarily in the Midwest. However, up to 20% of the
portfolio may consist of Common Stocks issued by financial institutions
having operations located primarily outside of the Midwest region,
shares of real estate investment trusts (the "REIT Shares") and warrants
on certain REIT Shares (the "Warrants"). Collectively, the Common
Stocks, REIT Shares and Warrants shall be referred to herein as the
"Equity Securities." The Trust will be comprised primarily of common stocks 
of regional banks, thrift institutions and financial services companies.
Thrift institutions are primarily depository organizations for consumer
savings. These organizations are commonly known as savings & loan
associations and savings banks. Financial service companies include a
broad array of institutions engaged in various activities such as
consumer lending, mortgage lending/investment, credit cards and auto
loans, etc. In the Underwriter's opinion, the financial institution
stocks selected for deposit in the Trust have the potential to achieve
above average capital appreciation over the life of the Trust, due to
the following factors: the Midwest's relatively stable economic
environment, low relative stock valuations of the issuing financial
institutions, a strong industry earnings outlook and continued
consolidation activity in the financial institutions industry. The
Underwriter believes the Trust presents investors with an opportunity to
purchase stocks of companies in the financial institutions industry that
appear attractive. In the opinion of the Underwriter, the attractive
valuations of the stocks in this sector should provide the Trust with
above average capital appreciation potential. Because of this capital
appreciation factor, the Underwriter suggests that investors may want to
consider this investment for their retirement planning and educational
funding needs, or to diversify their investment portfolio. As the
financial institutions industry is currently undergoing a large amount
of consolidation, the Underwriter believes investors should profit from
financial institutions becoming more efficient and from takeover
premiums paid to acquired companies. The financial industry is, however,
subject to the adverse effects of volatile interest rates, economic
recession, the potential for increased regulation and increased
competition from new entrants in the field. The Equity Securities were
chosen by the Underwriter based on factors including, but not limited to
asset quality, earnings momentum, management expertise, franchise value
and relative valuation.
    

There is, of course, no guarantee that the objective of the Trust will
be achieved. See "Schedule of Investments" and "What are the Equity
Securities?-Risk Factors" for the Trust.

With the deposit of the Equity Securities on the Initial Date of
Deposit, the Sponsor established a percentage relationship between the
amounts of individual Equity Securities in the Trust's portfolio. From
time to time following the Initial Date of Deposit, the Sponsor,
pursuant to the Indenture, may create additional Units in the Trust by
depositing additional Equity Securities or cash (including a letter of
credit) with instructions to purchase additional Equity Securities in


Page 6                                       


the Trust. Units may be continuously offered for sale to the public by
means of this Prospectus, resulting in a potential increase in the
outstanding number of Units of the Trust. Any deposit by the Sponsor of
additional Equity Securities or cash will duplicate, as nearly as is
practicable, the original proportionate relationship and not the actual
proportionate relationship on the subsequent date of deposit, since the
two may differ. Any such difference may be due to the sale, redemption
or liquidation of any of the Equity Securities deposited in the Trust on
the Initial, or any subsequent, Date of Deposit. See "Rights of Unit
Holders-How May Equity Securities be Removed from the Trust?" The
original percentage relationship of each Equity Security to the Trust is
set forth herein under "Schedule of Investments." Since the prices of
the underlying Equity Securities will fluctuate daily, the ratio, on a
market value basis, will also change daily. The portion of Equity
Securities represented by each Unit will not change as a result of the
deposit of additional Equity Securities in the Trust. If the Sponsor
deposits cash, however, existing and new investors may experience a
dilution of their investment and a reduction in their anticipated income
because of fluctuations in the price of the Equity Securities and
because the Trust will pay the associated brokerage fees. To minimize
this effect, the Trust will try to purchase the Equity Securities as
close to the evaluation time or as close to the evaluation price as
possible. The Trustee may from time to time retain and pay compensation
to the Sponsor (or an affiliate of the Sponsor) to act as agent for the
Trust with respect to acquiring Equity Securities for the Trust. In
acting in such capacity, the Sponsor or its affiliate will be held
subject to the restrictions under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended.

On the Initial Date of Deposit, each Unit of the Trust represented the
undivided fractional interest in the Equity Securities as set forth
under "Summary of Essential Information." To the extent that Units of
the Trust are redeemed, the aggregate value of the Equity Securities in
the Trust will be reduced and the undivided fractional interest
represented by each outstanding Unit of the Trust will increase.
However, if additional Units are issued by the Trust in connection with
the deposit of additional Equity Securities or cash by the Sponsor, the
aggregate value of the Equity Securities in the Trust will be increased
by amounts allocable to additional Units, and the fractional undivided
interest represented by each Unit of the Trust will be decreased
proportionately. See "Rights of Unit Holders-How May Units be Redeemed?"

What are the Expenses and Charges?

With the exception of the brokerage fees discussed above and bookkeeping
and other administrative services provided to the Trust, for which the
Sponsor will be reimbursed in amounts as set forth under "Summary of
Essential Information," the Sponsor will not receive any fees in
connection with its activities relating to the Trust.

   
First Trust Advisors L.P., an affiliate of the Sponsor, will receive an
annual supervisory fee, which is not to exceed the amount set forth
under "Summary of Essential Information," for providing portfolio
supervisory services for the Trust. Such fee is based on the number of
Units outstanding in the Trust on January 1 of each year, except for the
year or years in which an initial offering period occurs, in which case
the fee for a month is based on the number of Units outstanding at the
end of such month. In providing such supervisory services, the Portfolio
Supervisor will purchase research services from the Underwriter's
research department for a fee of $.002 per Unit sold.
    

Subsequent to the initial offering period, First Trust Advisors L.P., in
its capacity as Evaluator for the Trust, will receive a fee as indicated
in the "Summary of Essential Information."

The Trustee pays certain expenses of the Trust for which it is
reimbursed by the Trust. The Trustee will receive for its ordinary
recurring services to the Trust an annual fee as set forth in "Summary
of Essential Information." Such fee will be based upon the largest
aggregate number of Units of the Trust outstanding at any time during
the year. For a discussion of the services performed by the Trustee
pursuant to its obligations under the Indenture, reference is made to
the material set forth under "Rights of Unit Holders."

The Trustee's and above described fees are payable from the Income
Account of the Trust to the extent funds are available, and then from
the Capital Account of the Trust. Since the Trustee has the use of the
funds being held in the Capital and Income Accounts for payment of
expenses and redemptions and since such Accounts are noninterest-bearing
to Unit holders, the Trustee benefits thereby. Part of the Trustee's
compensation for its services to the Trust is expected to result from
the use of these funds. However, the Trustee may bear from its own
resources certain expenses relating to the Trust, including organization
costs and brokerage commissions.

Page 7                                             


Each of the above mentioned fees may be increased without approval of
the Unit holders by amounts not exceeding proportionate increases under
the category "All Services Less Rent of Shelter" in the Consumer Price
Index published by the United States Department of Labor. In addition,
with respect to the fees payable to the Sponsor or an affiliate of the
Sponsor for providing bookkeeping and other administrative services,
supervisory services and evaluation services, such individual fees may
exceed the actual costs of providing such services for the Trust, but at
no time will the total amount received for such services rendered to all
unit investment trusts of which Nike Securities L.P. is the Sponsor in
any calendar year exceed the actual cost to the Sponsor or its affiliate
of supplying such services in such year.

Certain or all of the expenses incurred in establishing the Trust,
including costs of preparing the registration statement, the trust
indenture and other closing documents, registering Units with the
Securities and Exchange Commission and registering or qualifying the
Units with the states, the initial audit of the Trust's portfolio, legal
fees, the initial fees and expenses of the Trustee and any other out-of-
pocket expenses, will be paid by the Trust and charged off over a period
not to exceed the life of the Trust (approximately four years). The
following additional charges are or may be incurred by the Trust: all
legal and annual auditing expenses of the Trustee incurred by or in
connection with its responsibilities under the Indenture; the expenses
and costs of any action undertaken by the Trustee to protect the Trust
and the rights and interests of the Unit holders; fees of the Trustee
for any extraordinary services performed under the Indenture;
indemnification of the Trustee for any loss, liability or expense
incurred by it without negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on
its part, arising out of or in connection with its acceptance or
administration of the Trust; indemnification of the Sponsor for any
loss, liability or expense incurred without gross negligence, bad faith
or willful misconduct in acting as Depositor of the Trust; all taxes and
other government charges imposed upon the Equity Securities or any part
of the Trust (no such taxes or charges are being levied or made or, to
the knowledge of the Sponsor, contemplated). The above expenses and the
Trustee's annual fee, when paid or owing to the Trustee, are secured by
a lien on the Trust. In addition, the Trustee is empowered to sell
Equity Securities in the Trust in order to make funds available to pay
all these amounts if funds are not otherwise available in the Income and
Capital Accounts of the Trust. Since the Equity Securities are all
common stocks and the income stream produced by dividend payments is
unpredictable, the Sponsor cannot provide any assurance that dividends
will be sufficient to meet any or all expenses of the Trust. As
described above, if dividends are insufficient to cover expenses, it is
likely that Equity Securities will have to be sold to meet Trust
expenses. These sales may result in capital gains or losses to Unit
holders. See "What is the Federal Tax Status of Unit Holders?"

The Indenture requires the Trust to be audited on an annual basis at the
expense of the Trust by independent auditors selected by the Sponsor. So
long as the Sponsor is making a secondary market for the Units, the
Sponsor is required to bear the cost of such annual audits to the extent
such cost exceeds $0.0050 per Unit. Unit holders of the Trust covered by
an audit may obtain a copy of the audited financial statements upon
request.

What is the Federal Tax Status of Unit Holders?

   
This is a general discussion of certain of the Federal income tax
consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of the Units.
The summary is limited to investors who hold the Units as "capital
assets" (generally, property held for investment) within the meaning of
Section 1221 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the "Code"). Unit
holders should consult their tax advisers in determining the Federal,
state, local and any other tax consequences of the purchase, ownership
and disposition of Units in the Trust. For purposes of the following
discussion and opinion, it is assumed that each Equity Security is
equity for Federal income tax purposes and that each REIT Share
represents a share in an entity treated as a real estate investment
trust for Federal income tax purposes.
    

In the opinion of Chapman and Cutler, special counsel for the Sponsor,
under existing law:

1.      The Trust is not an association taxable as a corporation for
Federal income tax purposes; each Unit holder will be treated as the
owner of a pro rata portion of each of the assets of the Trust under the


Page 8                                         


Code; and the income of the Trust will be treated as income of the Unit
holders thereof under the Code. Each Unit holder will be considered to
have received his pro rata share of the income derived from each Equity
Security when such income is considered to be received by the Trust.

2.      Each Unit holder will be considered to have received all of the
dividends paid on his or her pro rata portion of each Equity Security
when such dividends are received by the Trust regardless of whether such
dividends are used to pay a portion of the deferred sales charge. Unit
holders will be taxed in this manner regardless of whether distributions
from the Trust are actually received by the Unit holder or are
automatically reinvested.

   
3.      Each Unit holder will have a taxable event when the Trust
disposes of an Equity Security (whether by sale, taxable exchange,
liquidation, redemption, or otherwise) or upon the sale or redemption of
Units by such Unit holder (except to the extent an In-Kind distribution
of stocks is received by such Unit holder as described below). The price
a Unit holder pays for his or her Units is allocated among his or her
pro rata portion of each Equity Security held by the Trust (in
proportion to the fair market values thereof on the valuation date
closest to the date the Unit holder purchases his or her Units) in order
to determine his or her tax basis for his or her pro rata portion of
each Equity Security held by such Trust. For Federal income tax
purposes, a Unit holder's pro rata portion of dividends, as defined by
Section 316 of the Code, paid with respect to an Equity Security held by
the Trust is taxable as ordinary income to the extent of such
corporation's current and accumulated "earnings and profits." A Unit
holder's pro rata portion of dividends paid on such Equity Security
which exceed such current and accumulated earnings and profits will
first reduce a Unit holder's tax basis in such Equity Security, and to
the extent that such dividends exceed a Unit holder's tax basis in such
Equity Security shall generally be treated as capital gain. In general,
the holding period for such capital gain will be determined by the
period of time a Unit holder has held his or her Units. Certain of the
issuers of the Equity Securities intend to qualify under special Federal
income tax rules as "real estate investment trusts." Because Unit
holders are deemed to directly own a pro rata portion of the REIT Shares
as discussed above, Unit holders are advised to consult their tax
advisers for information relating to the tax consequences of owning the
REIT Shares. Provided an issuer qualifies as a REIT, certain
distributions by such issuers on the REIT Shares may qualify as "capital
gain dividends," taxable to shareholders (and, accordingly, to the Unit
holders as owners of a pro rata portion of the REIT Shares) as long-term
capital gains, regardless of how long a shareholder has owned such
shares. In addition, distributions of income or capital gains declared
on REIT Shares in October, November or December will be deemed to have
been paid to shareholders (and, accordingly, to the Unit holders as
owners of a pro rata portion of the REIT Shares) on December 31 of the
year they are declared, even when paid by the REIT during the following
January and received by shareholders or Unit holders in such following
year.
    

   
4.      A Unit holder's portion of gain, if any, upon the sale or
redemption of Units or the disposition of Equity Securities held by the
Trust will generally be considered a capital gain except in the case of
a dealer or a financial institution and will be long-term if the Unit
holder has held his or her Units for more than one year (the date on
which the Units are acquired (i.e., the trade date) is excluded for
purposes of determining whether the Units have been held for more than
one year). A Unit holder's portion of loss, if any, upon the sale or
redemption of Units or the disposition of Equity Securities held by the
Trust will generally be considered a capital loss (except in the case of
a dealer or a financial institution) and, in general, will be long-term
if the Unit holder has held his or her Units for more than one year.
Unit holders should consult their tax advisers regarding the recognition
of such capital gains and losses for Federal income tax purposes. In
addition, special rules, as described below, apply to a Unit holder's
pro rata portion of the REIT Shares.
    

Deferred Sales Charge. Generally, the tax basis of a Unit holder
includes sales charges, and such charges are not deductible. A portion
of the sales charge for the Trust is deferred. It is possible that for
Federal income tax purposes a portion of the deferred sales charge may
be treated as interest which would be deductible by a Unit holder
subject to limitations on the deduction of investment interest. In such
a case, the non-interest portion of the deferred sales charge should be
added to the Unit holder's tax basis in his or her Units. The deferred
sales charge could cause the Unit holder's Units to be considered to be


Page 9                                                                   


debt-financed under Section 246A of the Code which would result in a
small reduction of the dividends-received deduction. In any case, the
income (or proceeds from redemption) a Unit holder must take into
account for Federal income tax purposes is not reduced by amounts
deducted to pay the deferred sales charge. Unit holders should consult
their own tax advisers as to the income tax consequences of the deferred
sales charge.

   
Dividends Received Deduction. It should be noted that various
legislative proposals that would affect the dividends received deduction
have been introduced. Unit holders should consult with their tax
advisers with respect to the limitations on and possible modifications
to the dividends received deduction.
    

   
A corporation that owns Units will generally be entitled to a 70%
dividends received deduction with respect to such Unit holder's pro rata
portion of dividends received by the Trust (to the extent such dividends
are taxable as ordinary income, as discussed above, and are attributable
to domestic corporations) in the same manner as if such corporation
directly owned the Equity Securities paying such dividends (other than
corporate Unit holders, such as "S" corporations, which are not eligible
for the deduction because of their special characteristics and other
than for purposes of special taxes such as the accumulated earnings tax
and the personal holding corporation tax). However, a corporation owning
Units should be aware that Sections 246 and 246A of the Code impose
additional limitations on the eligibility of dividends for the 70%
dividends received deduction. These limitations include a requirement
that stock (and therefore Units) must generally be held at least 46 days
(as determined under Section 246(c) of the Code). Final regulations have
recently been issued which address special rules that must be considered
in determining whether the 46-day holding period requirement is met.
Moreover, the allowable percentage of the deduction will be reduced from
70% if a corporate Unit holder owns certain stock (or Units) the
financing of which is directly attributable to indebtedness incurred by
such corporation. DIVIDENDS RECEIVED ON THE REIT SHARES ARE NOT ELIGIBLE
FOR THE DIVIDENDS RECEIVED DEDUCTION. 
    

Limitations on Deductibility of the Trust's Expenses by Unit Holders.
Each Unit holder's pro rata share of each expense paid by the Trust is
deductible by the Unit holder to the same extent as though the expense
had been paid directly by such Unit holder. It should be noted that as a
result of the Tax Reform Act of 1986, certain miscellaneous itemized
deductions, such as investment expenses, tax return preparation fees and
employee business expenses will be deductible by an individual only to
the extent they exceed 2% of such individual's adjusted gross income.
Unit holders may be required to treat some or all of the expenses of the
Trust as miscellaneous itemized deductions subject to this limitation.

   
Recognition of Taxable Gain or Loss Upon Disposition of Securities by
the Trust or Disposition of Units. As discussed above, a Unit holder may
recognize taxable gain (or loss) when an Equity Security is disposed of
by the Trust or if the Unit holder disposes of a Unit. In particular,
please note that the mandatory sale of the Warrants prior to their
expiration may result in such a recognition. However, any loss realized
by a Unit holder with respect to the disposition of his or her pro rata
portion of the REIT Shares, to the extent such Unit holder has owned his
Units for less than six months or the Trust has held the REIT Shares for
less than six months, will be treated as long-term capital loss to the
extent of such Unit holder's pro rata portion of any capital gain
dividends received (or deemed to have been received) with respect to the
REIT Shares. The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 (the "1997 Tax Act") for
taxpayers other than corporations, net capital gain (which is defined as
net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss for the
taxable year) is subject to a maximum marginal stated tax rate of either
28% or 20%, depending upon the holding periods of the capital assets.
Capital gain or loss is long-term if the holding period for the asset is
more than one year, and is short-term if the holding period for the
asset is one year or less. Generally, capital gains realized from assets
held for more than one year but not more than 18 months are taxed at a
maximum marginal stated tax rate of 28% and capital gains realized from
assets (with certain exclusions) held for more than 18 months are taxed
at a maximum marginal stated tax rate of 20% (10% in the case of certain
taxpayers in the lowest tax bracket). Further, capital gains realized
from assets held for one year or less are taxed at the same rates as
ordinary income. Legislation is currently pending that provides the
appropriate methodology that should be applied in netting the realized
capital gains and losses. Such legislation is proposed to be effective
retroactively for tax years ending after May 6, 1997. Note, however,
that the 1997 Tax Act provides that the application of the rules


Page 10                                                     


described above in the case of pass-through entities such as the REITs
will be prescribed in future Treasury Regulations. The Internal Revenue
Service has released preliminary guidance which provides that, in
general, pass-through entities such as the REITs may designate their
capital gain dividends as either a 20% rate gain distribution or a 28%
rate gain distribution, depending on the nature of the gain received by
the pass-through entity. Unit holders should consult their own tax
advisers as to the tax rate applicable to capital gain dividends.
    

   
In addition, please note that capital gains may be recharacterized as
ordinary income in the case of certain financial transactions that are
considered "conversion transactions" effective for transactions entered
into after April 30, 1993. Unit holders and prospective investors should
consult with their tax advisers regarding the potential effect of this
provision on their investment in Units.
    

   
If the Unit holder disposes of a Unit, he or she is deemed thereby to
have disposed of his or her entire pro rata interest in all assets of
the Trust involved including his or her pro rata portion of all the
Equity Securities represented by the Unit. The 1997 Tax Act includes
provisions that treat certain transactions designed to reduce or
eliminate risk of loss and opportunities for gain (e.g., short sales,
offsetting notional principal contracts, futures or forward contracts,
or similar transactions) as constructive sales for purposes of
recognition of gain (but not loss) and for purposes of determining the
holding period. Unit holders should consult their own tax advisors with
regard to any such constructive sales rules.
    

Special Tax Consequences of In-Kind Distributions Upon Redemption of
Units or Termination of the Trust. As discussed in "Rights of Unit
Holders-How are Income and Capital Distributed?", under certain
circumstances a Unit holder who owns at least 2,500 Units of the Trust
may request an In-Kind Distribution upon the redemption of Units or the
termination of the Trust. The Unit holder requesting an In-Kind
Distribution will be liable for expenses related thereto (the
"Distribution Expenses") and the amount of such In-Kind Distribution
will be reduced by the amount of the Distribution Expenses. See "Rights
of Unit Holders-How are Income and Capital Distributed?" As previously
discussed, prior to the redemption of Units or the termination of the
Trust, a Unit holder is considered as owning a pro rata portion of each
of the Trust's assets for Federal income tax purposes. The receipt of an
In-Kind Distribution will result in a Unit holder receiving an undivided
interest in whole shares of stock plus, possibly, cash.

   
The potential tax consequences that may occur under an In-Kind
Distribution will depend on whether or not a Unit holder receives cash
in addition to Equity Securities. An "Equity Security" for this purpose
is a particular class of stock issued by a particular corporation or a
REIT. A Unit holder will not recognize gain or loss if a Unit holder
only receives Equity Securities in exchange for his or her pro rata
portion in the Equity Securities held by the Trust. However, if a Unit
holder also receives cash in exchange for a fractional share of an
Equity Security held by the Trust, such Unit holder will generally
recognize gain or loss based upon the difference between the amount of
cash received by the Unit holder and his tax basis in such fractional
share of an Equity Security held by the Trust.
    

   
Because the Trust will own many Equity Securities, a Unit holder who
requests an In-Kind Distribution will have to analyze the tax
consequences with respect to each Equity Security owned by the Trust.
The amount of taxable gain (or loss) recognized upon such exchange will
generally equal the sum of the gain (or loss) recognized under the rules
described above by such Unit holder with respect to each Equity Security
owned by the Trust. Unit holders who request an In-Kind Distribution are
advised to consult their tax advisers in this regard.
    

Computation of the Unit Holder's Tax Basis. Initially, a Unit holder's
tax basis in his or her Units will generally equal the price paid by
such Unit holder for his or her Units. The cost of the Units is
allocated among the Equity Securities held in the Trust in accordance
with the proportion of the fair market values of such Equity Securities
on the valuation date nearest the date the Units are purchased in order
to determine such Unit holder's tax basis for his or her pro rata
portion of each Equity Security.

A Unit holder's tax basis in his or her Units and his or her pro rata
portion of an Equity Security held by the Trust will be reduced to the
extent dividends paid with respect to such Equity Security are received
by the Trust which are not taxable as ordinary income as described above.

General. Each Unit holder will be requested to provide the Unit holder's
taxpayer identification number to the Trustee and to certify that the
Unit holder has not been notified that payments to the Unit holder are
subject to back-up withholding. If the proper taxpayer identification
number and appropriate certification are not provided when requested,
distributions by the Trust to such Unit holder (including amounts
received upon the redemption of Units) will be subject to back-up
withholding. Distributions by the Trust will generally be subject to
U.S. income taxation and withholding in the case of Units held by non-


Page 11                                         


resident alien individuals, foreign corporations or other non-U.S.
persons. Such persons should consult their tax advisers.

Unit holders will be notified annually of the amounts of dividends
includable in the Unit holder's gross income and amounts of Trust
expenses which may be claimed as itemized deductions.

Unit holders desiring to purchase Units for tax-deferred plans and IRAs
should consult their broker for details on establishing such accounts.
Units may also be purchased by persons who already have self-directed
plans established. See "Are Investments in the Trust Eligible for
Retirement Plans?"

The foregoing discussion relates only to the tax treatment of United
States Unit holders with regard to United States Federal income taxes;
Unit holders may be subject to foreign, state and local taxation. Unit
holders should consult their tax advisers regarding potential state or
local taxation with respect to the Units.

In the opinion of Carter, Ledyard & Milburn, Special Counsel to the
Trust for New York tax matters, under the existing income tax laws of
the State of New York, the Trust is not an association taxable as a
corporation and the income of the Trust will be treated as the income of
the Unit holders thereof.

Are Investments in the Trust Eligible for Retirement Plans?

Units of the Trust are eligible for purchase by Individual Retirement
Accounts, Keogh Plans, pension funds and other tax-deferred retirement
plans. Generally, the Federal income tax relating to capital gains and
income received in each of the foregoing plans is deferred until
distributions are received. Distributions from such plans are generally
treated as ordinary income but may, in some cases, be eligible for
special averaging or tax-deferred rollover treatment. Investors
considering participation in any such plan should review specific tax
laws related thereto and should consult their attorneys or tax advisers
with respect to the establishment and maintenance of any such plan. Such
plans are offered by brokerage firms and other financial institutions.
Fees and charges with respect to such plans may vary.

                                PORTFOLIO

What are the Equity Securities?

The Trust consists of different issues of Equity Securities issued primarily
by financial institutions and are listed on a national securities exchange
or The Nasdaq Stock Market or traded in the over-the-counter market. See
"What are the Equity Securities Selected for the Midwest Financial
Institutions Trust, Series 3?" for a general description of the companies.

Risk Factors. An investment in Units of the Trust should be made with an
understanding of the problems and risks inherent in the financial
institutions industry in general. Banks, thrifts and their holding
companies are especially subject to the adverse effects of economic
recession, volatile interest rates, portfolio concentrations in
geographic markets and in commercial and residential real estate loans,
and competition from new entrants in their fields of business. Banks and
thrifts are highly dependent on net interest income. Recent profits have
benefitted from the relatively high yield on earning assets and
relatively low cost of funds. There is no certainty that such conditions
will continue, especially in a rising interest rate environment.
Commercial loan demand for banks has not been robust and an increasing
number of commercial loans have been securitized, which may have a
potentially adverse effect on the market share of the commercial banking
system. Bank and thrift institutions have received significant consumer
mortgage fee income as a result of activity in mortgage and refinance
markets. As initial home purchasing and refinancing activity subsides,
this income is expected to diminish to a lower level. Economic
conditions in the real estate markets, which have been weak in the
recent past, can have a substantial effect upon banks and thrifts
because they generally have a portion of their assets invested in loans
secured by real estate, as has recently been the case for a number of
banks and thrifts with respect to commercial real estate in the
northeastern and southwestern regions of the United States. Banks,
thrifts and their holding companies are subject to extensive federal
regulation and, when such institutions are state-chartered, to state
regulation as well. Such regulations impose strict capital requirements
and limitations on the nature and extent of business activities that
banks and thrifts may pursue. Furthermore, bank regulators have a wide
range of discretion in connection with their supervisory and enforcement
authority and may substantially restrict the permissible activities of a
particular institution if deemed to pose significant risks to the
soundness of such institution or the safety of the federal deposit
insurance fund. Regulatory actions, such as increases in the minimum


Page 12                                    


capital requirements applicable to banks and thrifts and increases in
deposit insurance premiums required to be paid by banks and thrifts to
the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC"), can negatively
impact earnings and the ability of a company to pay dividends. Neither
federal insurance of deposits nor governmental regulations, however,
insures the solvency or profitability of banks or their holding
companies, or insures against any risk of investment in the securities
issued by such institutions.

The statutory requirements applicable to and regulatory supervision of
banks, thrifts and their holding companies have increased significantly
and have undergone substantial change in recent years. To a great
extent, these changes are embodied in the Financial Institutions Reform,
Recovery and Enforcement Act; enacted in August 1989, the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act of 1991, the Resolution
Trust Corporation Refinancing, Restructuring, and Improvement Act of
1991 and the regulations promulgated under these laws. Many of the
regulations promulgated pursuant to these laws have only recently been
finalized and their impact on the business, financial condition and
prospects of the Equity Securities in the Trust's portfolio cannot be
predicted with certainty. Periodic efforts by recent Administrations to
introduce legislation broadening the ability of banks to compete with
new products have not been successful, but if enacted could lead to more
failures as a result of increased competition and added risks. Failure
to enact such legislation, on the other hand, may lead to declining
earnings and an inability to compete with unregulated financial
institutions. Efforts to expand the ability of federal thrifts to branch
on an interstate basis have been initially successful through
promulgation of regulations, and legislation to liberalize interstate
banking has recently been signed into law. Under the legislation, banks
will be able to purchase or establish subsidiary banks in any state, one
year after the legislation's enactment. Starting in mid-1997, banks
would be allowed to turn existing banks into branches.
Consolidation is likely to continue in both cases. The Securities and
Exchange Commission and the Financial Accounting Standards Board require
the expanded use of market value accounting by banks and have imposed
rules requiring market accounting for investment securities held in
trading accounts or available for sale. Adoption of additional such
rules may result in increased volatility in the reported health of the
industry, and mandated regulatory intervention to correct such problems.
Additional legislative and regulatory changes may be forthcoming. For
example, the bank regulatory authorities have proposed substantial
changes to the Community Reinvestment Act and fair lending laws, rules
and regulations, and there can be no certainty as to the effect, if any,
that such changes would have on the Equity Securities in the Trust's
portfolio. In addition, from time to time the deposit insurance system
is reviewed by Congress and federal regulators, and proposed reforms of
that system could, among other things, further restrict the ways in
which deposited monies can be used by banks or reduce the dollar amount
or number of deposits insured for any depositor. Such reforms could
reduce profitability as investment opportunities available to bank
institutions become more limited and as consumers look for savings
vehicles other than bank deposits. Banks and thrifts face significant
competition from other financial institutions such as mutual funds,
credit unions, mortgage banking companies and insurance companies, and
increased competition may result from legislative broadening of regional
and national interstate banking powers as has been recently enacted.
Among other benefits, the legislation allows banks and bank holding
companies to acquire across previously prohibited state lines and to
consolidate their various bank subsidiaries into one unit. The Sponsor
makes no prediction as to what, if any, manner of bank and thrift
regulatory actions might ultimately be adopted or what ultimate effect
such actions might have on the Trust's portfolio.

The Federal Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 generally prohibits a bank
holding company from (1) acquiring, directly or indirectly, more than 5%
of the outstanding shares of any class of voting securities of a bank or
bank holding company, (2) acquiring control of a bank or another bank
holding company, (3) acquiring all or substantially all the assets of a
bank, or (4) merging or consolidating with another bank holding company,
without first obtaining Federal Reserve Board ("FRB") approval. In
considering an application with respect to any such transaction, the FRB
is required to consider a variety of factors, including the potential
anti-competitive effects of the transaction, the financial condition and


Page 13                                     


future prospects of the combining and resulting institutions, the
managerial resources of the resulting institution, the convenience and
needs of the communities the combined organization would serve, the
record of performance of each combining organization under the Community
Reinvestment Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, and the
prospective availability to the FRB of information appropriate to
determine ongoing regulatory compliance with applicable banking laws. In
addition, the federal Change In Bank Control Act and various state laws
impose limitations on the ability of one or more individuals or other
entities to acquire control of banks or bank holding companies.

The FRB has issued a policy statement on the payment of cash dividends
by bank holding companies. In the policy statement, the FRB expressed
its view that a bank holding company experiencing earnings weaknesses
should not pay cash dividends which exceed its net income or which could
only be funded in ways that would weaken its financial health, such as
by borrowing. The FRB also may impose limitations on the payment of
dividends as a condition to its approval of certain applications,
including applications for approval of mergers and acquisitions. The
Sponsor makes no prediction as to the effect, if any, such laws will
have on the Equity Securities or whether such approvals, if necessary,
will be obtained.

The Trust consists of such of the Equity Securities listed under
"Schedule of Investments" as may continue to be held from time to time
in the Trust and any additional Equity Securities acquired and held by
the Trust pursuant to the provisions of the Indenture, together with
cash held in the Income and Capital Accounts. Neither the Sponsor nor
the Trustee shall be liable in any way for any failure in any of the
Equity Securities. However, should any contract for the purchase of any
of the Equity Securities initially deposited hereunder fail, the Sponsor
will, unless substantially all of the moneys held in the Trust to cover
such purchase are reinvested in substitute Equity Securities in
accordance with the Indenture, refund the cash and sales charge
attributable to such failed contract to all Unit holders on the next
distribution date.

Because certain of the Equity Securities from time to time may be sold
under certain circumstances described herein, and because the proceeds
from such events will be distributed to Unit holders and will not be
reinvested, no assurance can be given that the Trust will retain for any
length of time its present size and composition. Although the Portfolio
is not managed, the Sponsor may instruct the Trustee to sell Equity
Securities under certain limited circumstances. Pursuant to the
Indenture and with limited exceptions, the Trustee may sell or keep any
securities or other property acquired in exchange for Equity Securities
such as those acquired in connection with a merger or other transaction.
See "Rights of Unit Holders-How May Equity Securities be Removed from
the Trust?" Equity Securities, however, will not be sold by the Trust to
take advantage of market fluctuations or changes in anticipated rates of
appreciation or depreciation.

Whether or not the Equity Securities are listed on a national securities
exchange, the principal trading market for the Equity Securities may be
in the over-the-counter market. As a result, the existence of a liquid
trading market for the Equity Securities may depend on whether dealers
will make a market in the Equity Securities. There can be no assurance
that a market will be made for any of the Equity Securities, that any
market for the Equity Securities will be maintained or of the liquidity
of the Equity Securities in any markets made. In addition, the Trust may
be restricted under the Investment Company Act of 1940 from selling
Equity Securities to the Sponsor. The price at which the Equity
Securities may be sold to meet redemptions and the value of the Trust
will be adversely affected if trading markets for the Equity Securities
are limited or absent.

An investment in Units should be made with an understanding of the risks
which an investment in common stocks entails, including the risk that
the financial condition of the issuers of the Equity Securities or the
general condition of the common stock market may worsen, and the value
of the Equity Securities and therefore the value of the Units may
decline. Common stocks are especially susceptible to general stock
market movements and to volatile increases and decreases of value as
market confidence in and perceptions of the issuers change. These
perceptions are based on unpredictable factors, including expectations
regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies, inflation
and interest rates, economic expansion or contraction, and global or
regional political, economic or banking crises. Shareholders of common
stocks have rights to receive payments from the issuers of those common
stocks that are generally subordinate to those of creditors of, or
holders of debt obligations or preferred stocks of, such issuers.
Shareholders of common stocks of the type held by the Trust have a right


Page 14                                               


to receive dividends only when and if and in the amounts declared by the
issuer's board of directors, and they have a right to participate in
amounts available for distribution by the issuer only after all other
claims on the issuer have been paid or provided for. Common stocks do
not represent an obligation of the issuer and, therefore, do not offer
any assurance of income or provide the same degree of protection of
capital as do debt securities. The issuance of additional debt
securities or preferred stock will create prior claims for payment of
principal, interest and dividends which could adversely affect the
ability and inclination of the issuer to declare or pay dividends on its
common stock or the rights of holders of common stock with respect to
assets of the issuer upon liquidation or bankruptcy. The value of common
stocks is subject to market fluctuations for as long as the common
stocks remain outstanding, and thus the value of the Equity Securities
in the Portfolio may be expected to fluctuate over the life of the Trust
to values higher or lower than those prevailing on the Initial Date of
Deposit. 

Holders of common stocks incur more risk than holders of preferred
stocks and debt obligations because common stockholders, as owners of
the entity, have generally inferior rights to receive payments from the
issuer in comparison with the rights of creditors of, or holders of debt
obligations or preferred stocks issued by, the issuer. Cumulative
preferred stock dividends must be paid before common stock dividends,
and any cumulative preferred stock dividend omitted is added to future
dividends payable to the holders of cumulative preferred stock.
Preferred stockholders are also generally entitled to rights on
liquidation which are senior to those of common stockholders.

Unit holders will be unable to dispose of any of the Equity Securities
in the Portfolio, as such, and will not be able to vote the Equity
Securities. As the holder of the Equity Securities, the Trustee will
have the right to vote all of the voting stocks in the Trust and will
vote such stocks in accordance with the instructions of the Sponsor.

Investors should note that because the Underwriter uses the list of
Equity Securities which comprises the portfolio in its independent
capacity as an investment advisor to individuals, mutual funds, employee
benefit plans and other institutions and persons and distributes this
information to various individuals and entities, the Underwriter may
recommend or effect from time to time the purchase or sale of one or
more of the Equity Securities. This may have an effect on the prices of
the Equity Securities which is adverse to the interests of the
purchasers of Units of the Trust. Additionally, this may have an impact
on the price paid by the Trust for the Equity Securities as well as the
price received upon redemption of the Units or upon the termination of
the Trust. Investors should also note that Equity Securities will not be
removed from the Trust and additional Units of the Trust may be created
even if the Underwriter no longer believes certain or all of the Equity
Securities have the potential to provide capital appreciation and
increasing dividend income over the life of the Trust or issues a sell
recommendation regarding any of the Equity Securities included in the
Trust.

The Underwriter has acquired or may acquire the Equity Securities for
the Sponsor and thereby may benefit. The Underwriter in its general
securities business acts as agent or principal in connection with the
purchase and sale of equity securities, including the Equity Securities
in the Trust, and may act as a market maker in certain of the Equity
Securities. The Underwriter also from time to time may issue reports on
and make recommendations relating to equity securities, which may
include the Equity Securities. The Underwriter has performed investment
banking services for certain of the issuers of the Equity Securities.

What are the Equity Securities Selected for the Midwest Financial
Institutions Trust, Series 3?

THRIFTS

   
Alliance Bancorp, headquartered in Hinsdale, Illinois, through
subsidiaries, operates a consumer banking business through 15 retail
banking facilities in the Chicago area and also originates mortgage loans.
    

   
Anchor Bancorp, Inc., headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, through
wholly-owned AnchorBank, S.S.B., conducts a savings and loan business
through 35 full-service offices and two lending-only offices in southern
and western Wisconsin. Anchor Bancorp Wisconsin also sells insurance
products and annuities and invests in limited partnerships.
    

   
Calumet Bancorp, Inc., headquartered in Dolton, Illinois, through wholly-
owned Calumet Federal Savings and Loan Association of Chicago, conducts

Page 15

a savings and loan business through five full-service offices in the
Chicago area.
    

   
Charter One Financial, Inc., headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, through
wholly-owned Charter One Bank, F.S.B., operates a banking business
through 172 full-service banking offices in Ohio and Michigan and nine
loan production offices in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio.
    

   
Citizens First Financial Corporation, headquartered in Bloomington,
Illinois, is a holding company for Citizens Savings Bank. The bank,
through its six offices, provides depository services, residential
mortgage, commercial real estate, construction, commercial and consumer
loans. 
    

   
Commercial Federal Corporation, headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska,
through subsidiaries, conducts a general banking business through 107
branch offices in five states. The company also provides insurance and
securities brokerage and other retail financial services.
    

   
FFY Financial Corporation, headquartered in Youngstown, Ohio, through
wholly-owned First Federal Savings Bank of Youngstown, conducts a
savings bank business through 10 offices and two limited banking
facilities in Ohio.
    

   
Fidelity Bancorp, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, through
wholly-owned Fidelity Federal Savings Bank, conducts a general banking
business in Illinois, concentrated in the northwest Chicago and suburban
areas, including western Cook County and adjacent areas in DuPage, Kane
and Lake Counties, and to a lesser extent McHenry County and the
remainder of Cook County.
    

   
First Federal Capital Corporation, headquartered in LaCrosse, Wisconsin,
through subsidiaries, conducts a savings bank business through 48
offices in Wisconsin and engages in real estate development and other
activities.
    

   
First Indiana Corporation, headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana,
through First Indiana Bank, A Federal Savings Bank, operates a savings
bank business from 28 offices throughout metropolitan Indianapolis,
Evansville, Franklin, Mooresville, Pendleton, Rushville and Westfield,
Indiana.
    

   
Home Federal Bancorp, headquartered in Seymour, Indiana, through wholly-
owned subsidiaries, conducts a savings bank business through 16 banking
branches and other service locations in south central Indiana; develops
real estate; sells life insurance products; and provides brokerage
services.
    

   
Jefferson Savings Bancorp, Inc., headquartered in Ballwin, Missouri,
through subsidiaries, conducts a savings and loan business through 10
offices in Missouri and a savings bank business through 22 offices in
Texas.
    

   
MAF Bancorp, Inc., headquartered in Clarendon Hills, Illinois, through
subsidiaries, operates a general banking business through 20 retail
offices, located mainly in the western suburbs of Chicago. The company
also engages in real estate development and insurance and securities
sales.
    

   
North Central Bancshares, Inc., headquartered in Fort Dodge, Iowa,
conducts a general savings banking business through its main office and
three branch offices located in Ames and Fort Dodge, Iowa and Nevada.
    

   
St. Francis Capital Corporation, headquartered in Brookfield, Wisconsin,
through St. Francis Bank, F.S.B. (Bank) and Bank Wisconsin, conducts a
general banking business through 15 full service offices, two part-time
limited service offices and two loan production offices in Milwaukee and
Waukesha counties and parts of Ozaukee, Washington and Walworth counties
in Wisconsin.
    

   
St. Paul Bancorp, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, through
subsidiaries, conducts a savings bank business through 52 banking
offices in the Chicago metropolitan area, including 17 full-service
offices in OMNI and Cub grocery superstores.
    

   
Security First Corporation, headquartered in Mayfield Heights, Ohio,
through subsidiaries, operates a savings and loan and banking business
through 13 offices in Ohio. The company also provides real estate
activities.
    

   
Southwest Bancshares, Inc., headquartered in Hometown, Illinois, through
wholly-owned Southwest Federal Savings & Loan Association of Chicago,
operates a savings and loan business through six branches in the Chicago
area. The company also acquires and develops real estate.
    

   
SuburbFed Financial Corporation, headquartered in Flossmoor, Illinois,
through wholly-owned Suburban Federal Savings, A Federal Savings Bank,
conducts a savings bank business through 12 offices located throughout
Chicago, Illinois. Five of these offices are full-service, in-store


Page 16                                     


banking facilities located in the Walt's Food Centers. The company also
offers insurance, financial services and appraisal and inspection
services. On December 29, 1997 SuburbFed entered into an agreement with
Citizens Financial Services, FSB of Munster, Indiana. Upon completion of
Citizens' conversion to a stock company, SuburbFed will be merged into
Citizens. At the assumed initial public offering price of $10.00, 3.6
shares of Citizens will be exchanged for each share of SuburbFed. The
conversion and merger are subject to regulatory approvals, as well as
subject to approval by Citizens' members and SuburbFed's shareholders.
The process is expected to be complete in the third quarter of 1998. 
    

   
Teche Holding Company, headquartered in Franklin, Louisiana, through
wholly-owned Teche Federal Savings Bank, conducts a community-oriented
savings bank business through nine offices located in Bayou Vista,
Breaux Bridge, Franklin, Houma, Lafayette, Morgan City and New Iberia,
Louisiana and operates a loan production office in Lafayette, Louisiana.
    

   
Texarkana First Financial Corporation, headquartered in Texarkana,
Arkansas, is a unitary savings and loan holding company for First
Federal Savings and Loan Association of Texarkana. The bank, a federally
chartered stock savings and loan association, attracts deposits from the
general public and originates a variety of loans. First Federal conducts
business through its main office and four full-service branch offices in
Arkansas.
    

   
Westco Bancorp, Inc., headquartered in Westchester, Illinois, through
its First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Westchester
subsidiary, conducts a general savings and loan business out of its home
office and a limited service office, both in Westchester, Illinois.
    

BANKS

   
1st Source Corporation, headquartered in South Bend, Indiana, through
subsidiaries, conducts a general commercial and personal banking and
trust business through 42 banking offices in the northern Indiana and
southwestern Michigan market area.
    

   
Associated Banc Corporation, headquartered in Green Bay, Wisconsin,
through subsidiaries, conducts a general banking business through 96
offices in Illinois and Wisconsin. The company also provides fiduciary,
investment advisory, corporate agency and mortgage banking services.
    

   
Banc One Corporation, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, through
subsidiaries, conducts a general banking business through 1,500 offices
in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Ohio,
Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
    

   
BancFirst Corporation, headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is a
holding company for its wholly-owned subsidiary, BancFirst. The bank
provides a full range of commercial banking services to retail customers
and small- to medium-sized businesses. BancFirst has 60 banking
locations operating in 28 communities across central and eastern Oklahoma.
    

   
Brenton Banks, Inc., headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, through
subsidiaries, conducts a banking business through 45 offices in Iowa;
provides retail investment brokerage services; and operates a mortgage
banking business.
    

   
CNB Bancshares, Inc., headquartered in Evansville, Indiana, through
subsidiaries, provides commercial and retail banking, consumer lending,
mortgage lending and servicing, trust services and cash management
services for corporate accounts and other banks through 127 offices in
Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee. On October 15, 1997, CNB
Bancshares announced a merger with Pinnacle Financial Services, Inc.,
headquartered in St. Joseph, Michigan. The merger will create a $6.6
billion company with markets in Illinois, Indiana Kentucky and Michigan.
The merger is expected to be completed early in the second quarter of 1998.
    

   
Comerica, Inc., headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, is a diversified
financial services provider that operates banking subsidiaries in
California, Florida, Michigan and Texas.
    

   
Commerce Bancshares, Inc., headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri,
conducts a banking business through 164 traditional branches and 96 non-
branch automated teller machines. The bank underwrites credit life and
credit accident and health insurance, sells property and casualty
insurance, and provides mortgage banking and real estate services.
    

   
CoVest Bancshares, Inc., headquartered in Des Plaines, Illinois, through
wholly-owned CoVest Banc, N.A. conducts a banking business through three
offices in Illinois.
    

Page 17

   
First American Corporation, headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee,
through subsidiaries, conducts a general commercial banking business
through 168 banking offices and 302 ATMs in Kentucky, Tennessee and
Virginia. The company also provides trust and investment advisory
services and underwrites credit life and accident and health insurance.
    

   
First Chicago NBD Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois,
through subsidiaries, provides banking and financial services in the
midwest, particularly in Illinois, Indiana and Michigan, and throughout
the United States and the world, to customers, including individuals,
corporations, governments, and other institutions.
    

   
First Midwest Bancorp, Inc., headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, through
subsidiaries, conducts a retail and commercial banking business mainly
through 50 offices in northern Illinois. The company also provides
fiduciary, investment advisory and credit related insurance services.
    

   
First Tennessee National Corporation, headquartered in Memphis,
Tennessee, is a nationwide, diversified financial services institution
and is one of the 50 largest bank holding companies in the United States
in asset size and market capitalization. Banking and other financial
services are provided through the regional banking group and three
national lines of business: FT Mortgage Companies, First Tennessee
Capital Markets, and transaction processing. Transaction processing
includes credit card merchant processing, MONEYBELT (an automated teller
machine network), First Express (national check clearing operation), and
other transaction-oriented cash management products.
    

   
First United Bancshares, Inc., headquartered in El Dorado, Arkansas, is
a multi-bank holding company that conducts commercial banking operations
throughout Arkansas and offers interest-bearing and non-interest-bearing
deposit accounts, commercial, real estate and personal loans, trust
services, correspondent banking services and safe deposit box activities.
    

   
Independent Bank Corporation, headquartered in Ionia, Michigan, a bank
holding company, had assets totaling $984 million at December 31, 1997,
and its four subsidiary banks operate 65 office across Michigan's lower
peninsula.
    

   
Irwin Financial Corporation, headquartered in Columbus, Indiana, through
subsidiaries, operates a commercial banking business through 15 offices
in Indiana; originates and services residential mortgages; provides
credit life insurance and securities brokerage services; and leases
medical equipment.
    

   
MAGNA Group, Inc., headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, through
subsidiaries, operates a banking business through 137 offices in 88
communities in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri. The company also provides
trust services, including administration of decedent's estates, trusts
under wills, trusts under agreements, escrow agencies, guardianships and
investment services. MAGNA Group, Inc. and Union Planters Corporation
announced the signing of a definitive agreement under which MAGNA Group,
Inc. will be merged into Union Planters Corporation. The agreement has
been approved by the boards of directors of both companies. The merger
is subject to the approval of shareholders and appropriate regulatory
agencies and is expected to close in the second or third quarter of
1998. It is anticipated that the transaction will be accounted for as a
pooling of interests and provides for a tax-free exchange of 0.9686
shares of UPC common stock for each common share of MAGNA Group, Inc.
    

   
Mercantile Bancorporation, Inc., headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri,
through subsidiaries, conducts a general banking and trust business in
Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri.
    

   
National City Corporation, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, operates a
full service commercial banking business through 885 offices in Indiana,
Kentucky, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
    

   
Norwest Corporation, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, through
subsidiaries, operates a general banking business through 829 locations
in 16 states and operates 754 mortgage banking offices in all 50 states.
The company provides consumer finance services through over 1,200
offices in 48 states, Guam, Canada, the Caribbean, Central America and
also provides various other financial services.
    

   
Pinnacle Financial Services, Inc., headquartered in St. Joseph,
Michigan, operates a general banking business from 47 offices located in
southwestern Michigan and northwestern Indiana. On October 15, 1997,
Pinnacle announced a merger with CNB Bancshares headquartered in
Evansville, Indiana. Pinnacle shareholders will receive 1.0365 shares of
CNB stock for each share of Pinnacle stock. The merger will create a
$6.6 billion company with markets in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and
Michigan. It is expected to close early in the second quarter of 1998.
    

Page 18


   
Republic Bancorp, Inc., headquartered in Owosso, Michigan, operates a
banking business through 96 banking and mortgage banking offices in 20
states. The company's flagship operations are conducted through Republic
Bank (Ann Arbor, Michigan), with 25 offices in Michigan, and Republic
Savings Bank with 11 offices mainly in the Cleveland, Ohio area. The
company's bank subsidiaries conduct full service banking operations,
excluding trust services.
    

   
Southwest Bancorp, Inc., headquartered in Stillwater, Oklahoma, through
wholly-owned Stillwater National Bank & Trust Co., conducts a general
commercial banking business through six offices in Oklahoma.
    

   
TCF Financial Corporation, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota,
through subsidiaries, operates a national banking business through 196
offices in five states. The company also originates, sells and services
residential mortgage loans; sells annuities and mutual fund products;
provides insurance (mainly credit-related); and makes consumer finance
loans.
    

   
Trans Financial Corporation, headquartered in Bowling Green, Kentucky,
through subsidiaries, conducts commercial banking and savings bank
businesses through 49 offices in Kentucky and Tennessee. The company
offers investment products and services, operates a mortgage banking
business and offers travel services.
    

   
UMB Financial Corporation, headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri,
through subsidiaries, conducts a general commercial banking business
through 136 offices in Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri and
Oklahoma. The company also provides credit card related services;
acquires, holds and leases real estate; reinsures credit life and
disability insurance; and provides discount brokerage services.
    

   
Union Planters Corporation, headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, through
subsidiaries, conducts a general banking and trust business through 438
full-service banking offices in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana,
Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. The company also has 544 automated
teller locations. Union Planters Corporation and MAGNA Group, Inc.
announced the signing of a definitive agreement under which MAGNA Group,
Inc. will be merged into Union Planters Corporation. The agreement has
been approved by the boards of directors of both companies. The merger
is subject to the approval of shareholders and appropriate regulatory
agencies and is expected to close in the second or third quarter of
1998. It is expected that the transaction will be accounted for as a
pooling of interest and provides for a tax-free exchange of 0.9686
shares of UPC common stock for each common share of MAGNA Group, Inc. 
    

REITs

   
Hanover Capital Mortgage Holdings, Inc., headquartered in New York, New
York, a self-managed real estate concern, acquires mainly single-family
mortgage loans; originates and services multi-family and commercial
mortgage loans; securitizes mortgage loans and retains an interest
therein; purchases mortgage assets in the secondary market; and offers
due diligence services in connection with mortgage loans.
    

   
NovaStar Financial, Inc., headquartered in Westwood, Kansas, operates as
a self-advised and self-managed specialty finance company.
    

   
The Sponsor has obtained the foregoing company descriptions from sources
it deems reliable. The Sponsor has not independently verified the
provided information either in terms of accuracy or completeness.
    

What are Some Additional Considerations for Investors?

Investors should be aware of certain other considerations before making
a decision to invest in the Trust.

The value of the Equity Securities will fluctuate over the life of the
Trust and may be more or less than the price at which they were
deposited in the Trust. The Equity Securities may appreciate or
depreciate in value (or pay dividends), depending on the full range of
economic and market influences affecting these securities.

The Sponsor and the Trustee shall not be liable in any way for any
default, failure or defect in any Security. In the event of a notice
that any Equity Security will not be delivered ("Failed Contract


Page 19                                          


Obligations") to the Trust, the Sponsor is authorized under the
Indenture to direct the Trustee to acquire other Equity Securities
("Replacement Securities"). Any Replacement Security will be identical
to those which were the subject of the Failed Contract Obligation. The
Replacement Securities must be purchased within 20 days after delivery
of the notice of a failed contract, and the purchase price may not
exceed the amount of funds reserved for the purchase of the Failed
Contract Obligations.

If the right of limited substitution described in the preceding
paragraphs is not utilized to acquire Replacement Securities in the
event of a failed contract, the Sponsor will refund the sales charge
attributable to such Failed Contract Obligations to all Unit holders of
the Trust, and the Trustee will distribute the principal attributable to
such Failed Contract Obligations not more than 120 days after the date
on which the Trustee received a notice from the Sponsor that a
Replacement Security would not be deposited in the Trust. In addition,
Unit holders should be aware that, at the time of receipt of such
principal, they may not be able to reinvest such proceeds in other
securities at a yield equal to or in excess of the yield which such
proceeds would have earned for Unit holders of the Trust.

The Indenture also authorizes the Sponsor to increase the size of the
Trust and the number of Units thereof by the deposit of additional
Equity Securities or cash (including a letter of credit) with
instructions to purchase additional Equity Securities in the Trust and
the issuance of a corresponding number of additional Units. If the
Sponsor deposits cash, however, existing and new investors may
experience a dilution of their investment and a reduction in their
anticipated income because of fluctuations in the prices of the Equity
Securities between the time of the cash deposit and the purchase of the
Equity Securities and because the Trust will pay the associated
brokerage fees.

The Trust consists of the Equity Securities listed under "Schedule of
Investments" (or contracts to purchase such Securities) as may continue
to be held from time to time in the Trust and any additional Equity
Securities acquired and held by the Trust pursuant to the provisions of
the Indenture (including provisions with respect to deposits into the
Trust of Equity Securities or cash in connection with the issuance of
additional Units).

Once all of the Equity Securities in the Trust are acquired, the Trustee
will have no power to vary the investments of the Trust, i.e., the
Trustee will have no managerial power to take advantage of market
variations to improve a Unit holder's investment, and may dispose of
Equity Securities only under limited circumstances. See "Rights of Unit
Holders-How May Equity Securities be Removed from the Trust?"

   
Like other investment companies, financial and business organizations
and individuals around the world, the Trust could be adversely affected
if the computer systems used by the Sponsor, Evaluator, Portfolio
Supervisor or Trustee or other service providers to the Trust do not
properly process and calculate date-related information and data
involving dates of January 1, 2000 and thereafter. This is commonly
known as the "Year 2000 Problem." The Sponsor, Evaluator, Portfolio
Supervisor and Trustee are taking steps that they believe are reasonably
designed to address the Year 2000 Problem with respect to computer
systems that they use and to obtain reasonable assurances that
comparable steps are being taken by the Trust's other service providers.
At this time, however, there can be no assurance that these steps will
be sufficient to avoid any adverse impact to the Trust.
    

   
The Year 2000 Problem is expected to impact corporations, which may
include issuers of the Equity Securities contained in the Trust, to varying
degrees based upon various factors, including, but not limited to, their
industry sector and degree of technological sophistication. The Sponsor
is unable to predict what impact, if any, the Year 2000 Problem will
have on issuers of the Equity Securities contained in the Trust.
    

To the best of the Sponsor's knowledge, there is no litigation pending
as of the Initial Date of Deposit in respect of any Equity Security
which might reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on
the Trust. At any time after the Initial Date of Deposit, litigation may
be instituted on a variety of grounds with respect to the Equity
Securities. The Sponsor is unable to predict whether any such litigation
will be instituted, or if instituted, whether such litigation might have
a material adverse effect on the Trust.

   
Legislation. From time to time Congress considers proposals to reduce
the rate of the dividends-received deductions. Enactment into law of a
proposal to reduce the rate would adversely affect the after-tax return
to investors who can take advantage of the deduction. Unit holders are
urged to consult their own tax advisers. Further, at any time after the
Initial Date of Deposit, legislation may be enacted that could
negatively affect the Equity Securities in the Trust or the issuers of
the Equity Securities. Changing approaches to regulation, particularly

Page 20

with respect to the environment or with respect to the petroleum
industry, may have a negative impact on certain companies represented in
the Trust. There can be no assurance that future legislation, regulation
or deregulation will not have a material adverse effect on the Trust or
will not impair the ability of the issuers of the Equity Securities to
achieve their business goals.
    
                             PUBLIC OFFERING

How is the Public Offering Price Determined?

   
Units are offered at the Public Offering Price. During the initial
offering period, the Public Offering Price is based on the aggregate
underlying value of the Equity Securities in the Trust (generally
determined by the closing sale prices of listed Equity Securities and
the ask prices of over-the-counter traded Equity Securities), plus or
minus cash, if any, in the Income and Capital Accounts of the Trust,
plus an initial sales charge equal to the difference between the maximum
sales charge of 4.50% of the Public Offering Price and the maximum
remaining deferred sales charge, initially $.350 per Unit. Commencing on
May 20, 1998, and on the twentieth day of each month thereafter (or if
such date is not a business day, on the preceding business day) through
November 20, 1998, a deferred sales charge of $.050 will be assessed per
Unit per month. Units purchased subsequent to the initial deferred sales
charge payment but still during the initial offering period will be
subject to the initial sales charge and the remaining deferred sales
charge payments not yet collected. The deferred sales charge will be
paid from funds in the Income and/or Capital Accounts, if sufficient, or
from the periodic sale of Equity Securities. The total maximum sales
charge assessed to Unit holders on a per Unit basis will be 4.50% of the
Public Offering Price (equivalent to 4.545% of the net amount invested,
exclusive of the deferred sales charge). Upon completion of the deferred
sales charge period, the secondary market Public Offering Price per Unit
for the Trust will not include deferred payments, but will instead
include only a one-time initial sales charge of 4.50% of the Public
Offering Price (equivalent to 4.712% of the net amount invested), which
will be reduced by 1/2 of 1% on each March 1, commencing March 1, 1999
to a minimum sales charge of 3.0%.
    

During the initial offering period, the Sponsor's Repurchase Price is
based on the aggregate underlying value of the Equity Securities in the
Trust (generally determined by the closing sale prices of listed Equity
Securities and the ask prices of over-the-counter traded Equity
Securities), plus or minus cash, if any, in the Income and Capital
Accounts of the Trust divided by the number of Units of the Trust
outstanding, reduced by the deferred sales charge not yet paid. For
secondary market sales after the completion of the initial offering
period, the Sponsor's Repurchase Price is also based on the aggregate
underlying value of the Equity Securities in the Trust (generally
determined by the closing sale prices of listed Equity Securities and
the bid prices of over-the-counter traded Equity Securities), plus or
minus cash, if any, in the Income and Capital Accounts of the Trust
divided by the number of outstanding Units of the Trust. Unit holders
will also be subject to any remaining deferred sales charge payments.

   
The minimum amount which an investor may purchase of the Trust is 150
Units or $1,500. The applicable sales charge for both primary and
secondary market sales is reduced by a discount as indicated below for
volume purchases as a percentage of the Public Offering Price (except
for sales made pursuant to a "wrap fee account" or similar arrangements
as set forth below) as a percentage of the Public Offering Price (except
for sales made pursuant to a "wrap fee account" or similar arrangements
as set forth below):
    

Number of Units*                           Discount        
_________________                          ________      
10,000 to 24,999                           0.50%          
25,000 to 49,999                           1.00%          
50,000 or more                             1.50%          

*The breakpoint sales charges are also applied on a dollar basis
utilizing a breakpoint equivalent in the above table of $10 per Unit and
will be applied on whichever basis is more favorable to the investor.
The breakpoints will be adjusted to take into consideration purchase
orders stated in dollars which cannot be completely fulfilled due to the
requirement that only whole Units be issued.

Any such reduced sales charge shall be the responsibility of the selling
Underwriter, broker/dealer, bank or other selling agent. The reduced
sales charge structure will apply on all purchases of Units in the Trust
by the same person on any one day from the Underwriter or any one
broker/dealer, bank or other selling agent. Additionally, Units
purchased in the name of the spouse of a purchaser or in the name of a
child of such purchaser under 21 years of age will be deemed, for the


Page 21                                      


purposes of calculating the applicable sales charge, to be additional
purchases by the purchaser. The reduced sales charges will also be
applicable to a trustee or other fiduciary purchasing securities for a
single trust estate or single fiduciary account. The purchaser must
inform the Underwriter, broker/dealer, bank or other selling agent of
any such combined purchase prior to the sale, in order to obtain the
indicated discount. In addition, with respect to employees, officers and
directors (including their immediate family members, defined as spouses,
children, grandchildren, parents, grandparents, siblings, mothers-in-
law, fathers-in-law, sons-in-law and daughters-in-law, and trustees,
custodians or fiduciaries for the benefit of such persons) of the
Sponsor, Underwriter and broker/dealers, banks or other selling agents
and their subsidiaries, the sales charge is reduced by 1.5% of the
Public Offering Price for purchases of Units during the primary and
secondary public offering periods.

Investors who purchase Units through registered broker/dealers who
charge periodic fees for financial planning, investment advisory or
asset management services or provide such services in connection with
the establishment of an investment account for which a comprehensive
"wrap fee" charge is imposed may purchase Units in the primary or
secondary market at the Public Offering Price, less the concession the
Sponsor typically would allow such broker/dealer. See "Public Offering-
How are Units Distributed?"

Had the Units of the Trust been available for sale on the business day
prior to the Initial Date of Deposit, the Public Offering Price would
have been as indicated in "Summary of Essential Information." The Public
Offering Price of Units on the date of the prospectus or during the
initial offering period may vary from the amount stated under "Summary
of Essential Information" in accordance with fluctuations in the prices
of the underlying Equity Securities. During the initial offering period,
the aggregate value of the Units of the Trust shall be determined on the
basis of the aggregate underlying value of the Equity Securities therein
plus or minus cash, if any, in the Income and Capital Accounts of the
Trust. The aggregate underlying value of the Equity Securities will be
determined in the following manner: if the Equity Securities are listed
on a national securities exchange or the NASDAQ National Market System,
this evaluation is generally based on the closing sale prices on that
exchange or that system (unless it is determined that these prices are
inappropriate as a basis for valuation) or, if there is no closing sale
price on that exchange or system, at the closing ask prices. If the
Equity Securities are not so listed or, if so listed and the principal
market therefor is other than on the exchange, the evaluation shall
generally be based on the current ask prices on the over-the-counter
market (unless it is determined that these prices are inappropriate as a
basis for evaluation). If current ask prices are unavailable, the
evaluation is generally determined (a) on the basis of current ask
prices for comparable securities, (b) by appraising the value of the
Equity Securities on the ask side of the market or (c) by any
combination of the above.

After the completion of the initial offering period, the secondary
market Public Offering Price will be equal to the aggregate underlying
value of the Equity Securities therein, plus or minus cash, if any, in
the Income and Capital Accounts of the Trust plus the applicable sales
charge. The aggregate underlying value of the Equity Securities for
secondary market sales is calculated in the same manner as described
above for sales made during the initial offering period with the
exception that bid prices are used instead of ask prices.

Although payment is normally made three business days following the
order for purchase (the "date of settlement"), payment may be made prior
thereto. A person will become owner of Units on the date of settlement
provided payment has been received. Cash, if any, made available to the
Sponsor prior to the date of settlement for the purchase of Units may be
used in the Sponsor's business and may be deemed to be a benefit to the
Sponsor, subject to the limitations of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934. Delivery of Certificates representing Units so ordered will be
made three business days following such order or shortly thereafter. See
"Rights of Unit Holders-How May Units be Redeemed?" for information
regarding the ability to redeem Units ordered for purchase.

How are Units Distributed?

During the initial offering period (i) for Units issued on the Initial
Date of Deposit and (ii) for additional Units issued after such date as
additional Equity Securities are deposited by the Sponsor, Units will be
distributed to the public at the then current Public Offering Price. The
initial offering period may be up to approximately 360 days. During such
period, the Sponsor may deposit additional Equity Securities in the
Trust and create additional Units. Units reacquired by the Sponsor
during the initial offering period (at prices based upon the aggregate


Page 22        


underlying value of the Equity Securities in the Trust plus or minus a
pro rata share of cash, if any in the Income and Capital Accounts of the
Trust) may be resold at the then current Public Offering Price. Upon the
termination of the initial offering period, unsold Units created or
reacquired during the initial offering period will be sold or resold at
the then current Public Offering Price.

Upon completion of the initial offering, Units repurchased in the
secondary market (see "Public Offering-Will There be a Secondary
Market?") may be offered by this prospectus at the secondary market
public offering price determined in the manner described above.

   
It is the intention of the Sponsor to qualify Units of the Trust for
sale in a number of states. Sales initially will be made to dealers and
other selling agents at prices which represent a concession or agency
commission of 2.9% of the Public Offering Price, and, for secondary
market sales, 2.9% of the Public Offering Price (or 65% of the then
current maximum sales charge after March 1, 1999). Effective on each
March 1, commencing March 1, 1999, such sales charge will be reduced by
1/2 of 1% to a minimum sales charge of 3.0%. However, resales of Units
of the Trust by such dealers and other selling agents to the public will
be made at the Public Offering Price described in the prospectus. The
Sponsor reserves the right to change the amount of the concession or
agency commission from time to time. Certain commercial banks may be
making Units of the Trust available to their customers on an agency
basis. A portion of the sales charge paid by these customers is retained
by or remitted to the banks in the amounts indicated above. Under the
Glass-Steagall Act, banks are prohibited from underwriting Trust Units;
however, the Glass-Steagall Act does permit certain agency transactions
and the banking regulators have not indicated that these particular
agency transactions are not permitted under such Act. In Texas and in
certain other states, any banks making Units available must be
registered as broker/dealers under state law.
    

What are the Sponsor's and Underwriter's Profits?

   
The Underwriter of the Trust will receive a gross sales commission equal
to 4.50% of the Public Offering Price of the Units (equivalent to 4.545%
of the net amount invested, exclusive of the deferred sales charge),
less any reduced sales charge as described under "Public Offering-How is
the Public Offering Price Determined?" See "Underwriting" for
information regarding the receipt of the excess gross sales commissions
by the Sponsor from the Underwriter and additional concessions available
to the Underwriter, dealers and others. In addition, the Sponsor may be
considered to have realized a profit or to have sustained a loss, as the
case may be, in the amount of any difference between the cost of the
Equity Securities to the Trust (which is based on the Evaluator's
determination of the aggregate offering price of the underlying Equity
Securities of such Trust on the Initial Date of Deposit as well as
subsequent deposits) and the cost of such Equity Securities to the
Sponsor. See "Underwriting" and Note (2) of "Schedule of Investments."
During the initial offering period, the Sponsor, Underwriter, dealers
and other selling agents also may realize profits or sustain losses as a
result of fluctuations after the Initial Date of Deposit in the Public
Offering Price received by the Sponsor,  Underwriter, dealers and other
selling agents upon the sale of Units.
    

   
In maintaining a market for the Units, the Sponsor and Underwriter will
also realize profits or sustain losses in the amount of any difference
between the price at which Units are purchased and the price at which
Units are resold (which price includes a sales charge of 4.50% subject
to reduction beginning March 1, 1999) or redeemed. The secondary market
public offering price of Units may be greater or less than the cost of
such Units to the Sponsor or the Underwriter.
    

Will There be a Secondary Market?

After the initial offering period, although not obligated to do so, both
the Sponsor and the Underwriter intend to maintain a market for the
Units and continuously offer to purchase Units at prices, subject to
change at any time, based upon the aggregate underlying value of the
Equity Securities in the Trust plus or minus cash, if any, in the Income
and Capital Accounts of the Trust. All expenses incurred in maintaining
a secondary market, other than the fees of the Evaluator and the costs
of the Trustee in transferring and recording the ownership of Units,
will be borne by the Sponsor. If the supply of Units exceeds demand, or
for some other business reason, the Sponsor or Underwriter may
discontinue purchases of Units at such prices. IF A UNIT HOLDER WISHES
TO DISPOSE OF HIS OR HER UNITS, HE OR SHE SHOULD INQUIRE OF THE


Page 23


UNDERWRITER OR SPONSOR AS TO CURRENT MARKET PRICES PRIOR TO MAKING A
TENDER FOR REDEMPTION TO THE TRUSTEE. Units subject to a deferred sales
charge which are sold or tendered for redemption prior to such time as
the entire deferred sales charge on such Units has been collected will
be assessed the amount of the remaining deferred sales charge at the
time of sale or redemption.

                         RIGHTS OF UNIT HOLDERS

How is Evidence of Ownership Issued and Transferred?

The Trustee is authorized to treat as the record owner of Units that
person who is registered as such owner on the books of the Trustee.
Ownership of Units may be evidenced by registered certificates executed
by the Trustee and the Sponsor. Delivery of certificates representing
Units ordered for purchase is normally made three business days
following such order or shortly thereafter. Certificates are
transferable by presentation and surrender to the Trustee properly
endorsed or accompanied by a written instrument or instruments of
transfer. Certificates to be redeemed must be properly endorsed or
accompanied by a written instrument or instruments of transfer. A Unit
holder must sign exactly as his or her name appears on the face of the
certificate with the signature guaranteed by a participant in the
Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program ("STAMP") or such other
signature guaranty program in addition to, or in substitution for,
STAMP, as may be accepted by the Trustee. In certain instances, the
Trustee may require additional documents such as, but not limited to,
trust instruments, certificates of death, appointments as executor or
administrator or certificates of corporate authority. Record ownership
may occur before settlement.

Certificates will be issued in fully registered form, transferable only
on the books of the Trustee in denominations of one Unit or any multiple
thereof, numbered serially for purposes of identification.

Unit holders may elect to hold their Units in uncertificated form. The
Trustee will maintain an account for each such Unit holder and will
credit each such account with the number of Units purchased by that Unit
holder. Within two business days of the issuance or transfer of Units
held in uncertificated form, the Trustee will send to the registered
owner of Units a written initial transaction statement containing a
description of the Trust; the number of Units issued or transferred; the
name, address and taxpayer identification number, if any, of the new
registered owner; a notation of any liens and restrictions of the issuer
and any adverse claims to which such Units are or may be subject or a
statement that there are no such liens, restrictions or adverse claims;
and the date the transfer was registered. Uncertificated Units are
transferable through the same procedures applicable to Units evidenced
by certificates (described above), except that no certificate need be
presented to the Trustee and no certificate will be issued upon the
transfer unless requested by the Unit holder. A Unit holder may at any
time request the Trustee to issue certificates for Units.

Although no such charge is now made or contemplated, a Unit holder may
be required to pay $2.00 to the Trustee per certificate reissued or
transferred and to pay any governmental charge that may be imposed in
connection with each such transfer or exchange. For new certificates
issued to replace destroyed, stolen or lost certificates, the Unit
holder may be required to furnish indemnity satisfactory to the Trustee
and pay such expenses as the Trustee may incur. Mutilated certificates
must be surrendered to the Trustee for replacement.

How are Income and Capital Distributed?

The Trustee will distribute any net income received with respect to any
of the securities in the Trust on or about the Income Distribution Dates
to Unit holders of record on the preceding Income Record Date. See
"Summary of Essential Information." Persons who purchase Units will
commence receiving distributions only after such person becomes a record
owner. Notification to the Trustee of the transfer of Units is the
responsibility of the purchaser, but in the normal course of business
such notice is provided by the selling broker/dealer. The pro rata share
of cash in the Capital Account of the Trust will be computed as of the
fifteenth day of each month. Proceeds received on the sale of any Equity
Securities in the Trust, to the extent not used to meet redemptions of
Units or pay expenses, will, however, be distributed on the last day of
each month to Unit holders of record on the fifteenth day of such month
if the amount available for distribution equals at least $0.01 per Unit.


Page 24                                     

The Trustee is not required to pay interest on funds held in the Capital
Account of the Trust (but may itself earn interest thereon and therefore
benefit from the use of such funds). Notwithstanding, distributions of
funds in the Capital Account, if any, will be made on the last day of
each December to Unit holders of record as of December 15. See "What is
the Federal Tax Status of Unit Holders?"

It is anticipated that the deferred sales charge will be collected from
the Capital Account and that amounts in the Capital Account will be
sufficient to cover the cost of the deferred sales charge. However, to
the extent that amounts in the Capital Account are insufficient to
satisfy the then current deferred sales charge obligation, Equity
Securities may be sold to meet such shortfall. Distributions of amounts
necessary to pay the deferred portion of the sales charge will be made
to an account designated by the Sponsor for purposes of satisfying Unit
holders' deferred sales charge obligations.

Under regulations issued by the Internal Revenue Service, the Trustee is
required to withhold a specified percentage of any distribution made by
the Trust if the Trustee has not been furnished the Unit holder's tax
identification number in the manner required by such regulations. Any
amount so withheld is transmitted to the Internal Revenue Service and
may be recovered by the Unit holder only when filing a tax return. Under
normal circumstances the Trustee obtains the Unit holder's tax
identification number from the selling broker. However, a Unit holder
should examine his or her statements from the Trustee to make sure that
the Trustee has been provided a certified tax identification number in
order to avoid this possible "back-up withholding." In the event the
Trustee has not been previously provided such number, one should be
provided as soon as possible.

   
Within a reasonable time after the Trust is terminated, each Unit holder
will, upon surrender of his or her Units for redemption, receive: (i)
the pro rata share of the amounts realized upon the disposition of
Equity Securities, unless he or she elects an In-Kind Distribution as
described under "Other Information-How May the Indenture be Amended or
Terminated?" and (ii) a pro rata share of any other assets of the Trust,
less expenses of the Trust. 
    

The Trustee will credit to the Income Account of the Trust any dividends
received on the Equity Securities therein. All other receipts (e.g.
return of capital, etc.) are credited to the Capital Account of the Trust.

The Trustee may establish reserves (the "Reserve Account") within the
Trust for state and local taxes, if any, and any governmental charges
payable out of the Trust.

What Reports will Unit Holders Receive?

The Trustee shall furnish Unit holders in connection with each
distribution a statement of the amount of income, if any, and the amount
of other receipts, if any, which are being distributed, expressed in
each case as a dollar amount per Unit. Within a reasonable period of
time after the end of each calendar year, the Trustee shall furnish to
each person who at any time during the calendar year was a Unit holder
of the Trust the following information in reasonable detail: (1) a
summary of transactions in the Trust for such year; (2) any Equity
Securities sold during the year and the Equity Securities held at the
end of such year by the Trust; (3) the redemption price per Unit based
upon a computation thereof on the 31st day of December of such year (or
the last business day prior thereto); and (4) amounts of income and
capital distributed during such year.

In order to comply with Federal and state tax reporting requirements,
Unit holders will be furnished, upon request to the Trustee, evaluations
of the Securities in the Trust furnished to it by the Evaluator.

How May Units be Redeemed?

A Unit holder may redeem all or a portion of his or her Units by
tendering to the Trustee, at its corporate trust office in the City of
New York, the certificates representing the Units to be redeemed, or in
the case of uncertificated Units, delivery of a request for redemption,
duly endorsed or accompanied by proper instruments of transfer with
signature guaranteed as explained above (or by providing satisfactory
indemnity, as in connection with lost, stolen or destroyed
certificates), and payment of applicable governmental charges, if any.
No redemption fee will be charged. On the third business day following
such tender, the Unit holder will be entitled to receive in cash an
amount for each Unit equal to the Redemption Price per Unit next
computed after receipt by the Trustee of such tender of Units. The "date
of tender" is deemed to be the date on which Units are received by the
Trustee (if such day is a day in which the New York Stock Exchange is
open for trading), except that as regards Units received after 4:00 p.m.


Page 25                                


Eastern time (or as of any earlier closing time on a day on which the
New York Stock Exchange is scheduled in advance to close at such earlier
time), the date of tender is the next day on which the New York Stock
Exchange is open for trading and such Units will be deemed to have been
tendered to the Trustee on such day for redemption at the redemption
price computed on that day. Units so redeemed shall be cancelled. Units
tendered for redemption prior to such time as the entire deferred sales
charge on such Units has been collected will be assessed the amount of
remaining deferred sales charge at the time of redemption.

   
Any Unit holder tendering 2,500 Units or more for redemption may request
by written notice submitted at the time of tender from the Trustee, in
lieu of a cash redemption, a distribution of shares of Equity Securities
in an amount and value of Equity Securities per Unit equal to the
Redemption Price Per Unit as determined as of the evaluation next
following tender. However, no In-Kind Distribution requests submitted
during the nine business days prior to the Mandatory Termination Date
will be honored.  To the extent possible, In-Kind Distributions shall be
made by the Trustee through the distribution of each of the Equity
Securities in book-entry form to the account of the Unit holder's bank
or broker/dealer at the Depository Trust Company. An In-Kind
Distribution will be reduced by customary transfer and registration
charges. The tendering Unit holder will receive his or her pro rata
number of whole shares of each of the Equity Securities comprising the
portfolio and cash from the Capital Account equal to the fractional
shares to which the tendering Unit holder is entitled. The Trustee may
adjust the number of shares of any issue of Equity Securities included
in a Unit holder's In-Kind Distribution to facilitate the distribution
of whole shares, such adjustment to be made on the basis of the value of
Equity Securities on the date of tender. If funds in the Capital Account
are insufficient to cover the required cash distribution to the
tendering Unit holder, the Trustee may sell Equity Securities in the
manner described above.
    

Under regulations issued by the Internal Revenue Service, the Trustee is
required to withhold a specified percentage of the principal amount of a
Unit redemption if the Trustee has not been furnished the redeeming Unit
holder's tax identification number in the manner required by such
regulations. For further information regarding this withholding, see
"Rights of Unit Holders-How are Income and Capital Distributed?" In the
event the Trustee has not been previously provided such number, one must
be provided at the time redemption is requested.

Any amounts paid on redemption representing income shall be withdrawn
from the Income Account of the Trust to the extent that funds are
available for such purpose, or from the Capital Account. All other
amounts paid on redemption shall be withdrawn from the Capital Account
of the Trust.

The Trustee is empowered to sell Equity Securities of the Trust in order
to make funds available for redemption. To the extent that Equity
Securities are sold, the size and diversity of the Trust will be
reduced. Such sales may be required at a time when Equity Securities
would not otherwise be sold and might result in lower prices than might
otherwise be realized.

The Redemption Price per Unit will be determined on the basis of the
aggregate underlying value of the Equity Securities in the Trust
(generally determined by the closing sale prices of the listed Equity
Securities and either the ask prices (during the initial offering
period) or the bid prices (subsequent to the initial offering period) of
the over-the-counter traded Equity Securities) plus or minus cash, if
any, in the Income and Capital Accounts of the Trust. The Redemption
Price per Unit is the pro rata share of each Unit determined by the
Trustee by adding: (1) the cash on hand in the Trust other than cash
deposited in the Trust to purchase Equity Securities not applied to the
purchase of such Equity Securities; (2) the aggregate value of the
Equity Securities held in the Trust, as determined by the Evaluator on
the basis of the aggregate underlying value of the Equity Securities in
the Trust next computed; and (3) dividends receivable on the Equity
Securities trading ex-dividend as of the date of computation; and
deducting therefrom: (1) amounts representing any applicable taxes or
governmental charges payable out of the Trust; (2) any amounts owing to
the Trustee for its advances; (3) an amount representing estimated
accrued expenses of the Trust, including but not limited to fees and
expenses of the Trustee (including legal and auditing fees), the
Evaluator and supervisory fees, if any; (4) cash held for distribution
to Unit holders of record of the Trust as of the business day prior to
the evaluation being made; and (5) other liabilities incurred by the
Trust; and finally dividing the results of such computation by the
number of Units of the Trust outstanding as of the date thereof.

The aggregate value of the Equity Securities will be determined in the
following manner: if the Equity Securities are listed on a national
securities exchange or the NASDAQ National Market System, this


Page 26                               


evaluation is generally based on the closing sale prices on that
exchange or that system (unless it is determined that these prices are
inappropriate as a basis for valuation) or, if there is no closing sale
price on that exchange or system, at the closing bid prices. If the
Equity Securities are not so listed or, if so listed and the principal
market therefor is other than on the exchange, the evaluation shall
generally be based on the current bid prices on the over-the-counter
market (unless these prices are inappropriate as a basis for
evaluation). If current bid prices are unavailable, the evaluation is
generally determined (a) on the basis of current bid prices for
comparable securities, (b) by appraising the value of the Equity
Securities on the bid side of the market or (c) by any combination of
the above.

The right of redemption may be suspended and payment postponed for any
period during which the New York Stock Exchange is closed, other than
for customary weekend and holiday closings, or during which the
Securities and Exchange Commission determines that trading on the New
York Stock Exchange is restricted or any emergency exists, as a result
of which disposal or evaluation of the Securities is not reasonably
practicable, or for such other periods as the Securities and Exchange
Commission may by order permit. Under certain extreme circumstances, the
Sponsor may apply to the Securities and Exchange Commission for an order
permitting a full or partial suspension of the right of Unit holders to
redeem their Units. The Trustee is not liable to any person in any way
for any loss or damage which may result from any such suspension or
postponement.

How May Units be Purchased by the Sponsor?

The Trustee shall notify the Sponsor of any tender of Units for
redemption. If the Sponsor's bid in the secondary market at that time
equals or exceeds the Redemption Price per Unit, it may purchase such
Units by notifying the Trustee before 1:00 p.m. Eastern time on the same
business day and by making payment therefor to the Unit holder not later
than the day on which the Units would otherwise have been redeemed by
the Trustee. Units held by the Sponsor may be tendered to the Trustee
for redemption as any other Units. In the event the Sponsor does not
purchase Units, the Trustee may sell Units tendered for redemption in
the over-the-counter market, if any, as long as the amount to be
received by the Unit holder is equal to the amount he or she would have
received on redemption of the Units.

The offering price of any Units acquired by the Sponsor will be in
accord with the Public Offering Price described in the then effective
prospectus describing such Units. Any profit or loss resulting from the
resale or redemption of such Units will belong to the Sponsor.

How May Equity Securities be Removed from the Trust?

The Portfolio of the Trust is not "managed" by the Sponsor or the
Trustee; their activities described herein are governed solely by the
provisions of the Indenture. The Indenture provides that the Sponsor may
(but need not) direct the Trustee to dispose of an Equity Security in
the event that an issuer defaults in the payment of a dividend that has
been declared, that any action or proceeding has been instituted
restraining the payment of dividends or there exists any legal question
or impediment affecting such Equity Security, that the issuer of the
Equity Security has breached a covenant which would affect the payments
of dividends, the credit standing of the issuer or otherwise impair the
sound investment character of the Equity Security, that the issuer has
defaulted on the payment on any other of its outstanding obligations, or
that the price of the Equity Security has declined to such an extent or
other such credit factors exist so that in the opinion of the Sponsor,
the retention of such Equity Securities would be detrimental to the
Trust. Except as stated under "Portfolio-What are Some Additional
Considerations for Investors?" for Failed Contract Obligations, the
acquisition by the Trust of any securities or other property other than
the Equity Securities is prohibited. Pursuant to the Indenture and with
limited exceptions, the Trustee may sell any securities or other
property acquired in exchange for Equity Securities such as those
acquired in connection with a merger or other transaction. If offered
such new or exchanged securities or property, the Trustee shall reject
the offer. However, in the event such securities or property are
nonetheless acquired by the Trust, they may be accepted for deposit in


Page 27                                   


the Trust and either sold by the Trustee or held in the Trust pursuant
to the direction of the Sponsor (who may rely on the advice of the
Portfolio Supervisor). Proceeds from the sale of Equity Securities (or
any securities or other property received by the Trust in exchange for
Equity Securities) by the Trustee are credited to the Capital Account of
the Trust for distribution to Unit holders or to meet redemptions. The
Trustee may from time to time retain and pay compensation to the Sponsor
(or an affiliate of the Sponsor) to act as agent for the Trust with
respect to selling Equity Securities from the Trust. In acting in such
capacity the Sponsor or its affiliate will be held subject to the
restrictions under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

The Trustee may also sell Equity Securities designated by the Sponsor,
or if not so directed, in its own discretion, for the purpose of
redeeming Units of the Trust tendered for redemption and the payment of
expenses.

The Sponsor, in designating Equity Securities to be sold by the Trustee,
will generally make selections in order to maintain, to the extent
practicable, the proportionate relationship among the number of shares
of individual issues of Equity Securities. To the extent this is not
practicable, the composition and diversity of the Equity Securities may
be altered. In order to obtain the best price for the Trust, it may be
necessary for the Sponsor to specify minimum amounts (generally 100
shares) in which blocks of Equity Securities are to be sold.

      INFORMATION AS TO UNDERWRITER, SPONSOR, TRUSTEE AND EVALUATOR

Who is the Underwriter?

Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated ("Stifel, Nicolaus"), the
largest subsidiary of Stifel Financial Corp. (a holding company publicly
traded on the New York Stock Exchange and headquartered in St. Louis,
Missouri), provides brokerage, trading, investment advisory, and other
related financial services to individual and institutional investors
through a network of 41 offices in 12 states.

With over 100 years of service in the financial services industry,
Stifel, Nicolaus has created a tradition of enhancing customer knowledge
of investment products and their application in meeting financial
objectives.

The Financial Institutions Group at Stifel, Nicolaus includes eight
senior professionals providing specialized services to the bank and
thrift industry. Their expertise focuses on research, consulting,
valuations, merger and acquisition activities, public and private
financing, and investment services.

The research team for the Midwest Financial Institutions Trust, Series 3
is led by Joseph A. Stieven, Senior Vice President and Director of the
Financial Institutions Research Group. Mr. Stieven is nationally
recognized as a leading regional bank and thrift analyst, and is widely
quoted throughout numerous national and regional business publications.
Prior to joining Stifel, Nicolaus in 1985, Mr. Stieven was a financial
analyst/examiner in the Banking Supervisory and Regulations Department
with The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. This is the sixth unit
investment trust led by Mr. Stieven since January 1993.

Who is the Sponsor?

Nike Securities L.P., the Sponsor, specializes in the underwriting,
trading and distribution of unit investment trusts and other securities.
Nike Securities L.P., an Illinois limited partnership formed in 1991,
acts as Sponsor for successive series of The First Trust Combined
Series, the FT Series (formerly known as The First Trust Special
Situations Trust), The First Trust Insured Corporate Trust, The First
Trust of Insured Municipal Bonds and The First Trust GNMA. First Trust
introduced the first insured unit investment trust in 1974 and to date
more than $9 billion in First Trust unit investment trusts have been
deposited. The Sponsor's employees include a team of professionals with
many years of experience in the unit investment trust industry. The
Sponsor is a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers,
Inc. and Securities Investor Protection Corporation and has its
principal offices at 1001 Warrenville Road, Lisle, Illinois 60532;
telephone number (630) 241-4141. As of December 31, 1996, the total
partners' capital of Nike Securities L.P. was $9,005,203 (audited).
(This paragraph relates only to the Sponsor and not to the Trust or to
any series thereof or to the Underwriter. The information is included
herein only for the purpose of informing investors as to the financial
responsibility of the Sponsor and its ability to carry out its
contractual obligations. More detailed financial information will be
made available by the Sponsor upon request.)


Page 28                       


Who is the Trustee?

The Trustee is The Chase Manhattan Bank, with its principal executive
office located at 270 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10017 and its unit
investment trust office at 4 New York Plaza, 6th floor, New York, New
York 10004-2413. Unit holders who have questions regarding the Trust may
call the Customer Service Help Line at 1-800-682-7520. The Trustee is
subject to supervision by the Superintendent of Banks of the State of
New York, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Board of
Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

The Trustee, whose duties are ministerial in nature, has not
participated in the selection of the Equity Securities. For information
relating to the responsibilities of the Trustee under the Indenture,
reference is made to the material set forth under "Rights of Unit
Holders."

The Trustee and any successor trustee may resign by executing an
instrument in writing and filing the same with the Sponsor and mailing a
copy of a notice of resignation to all Unit holders. Upon receipt of
such notice, the Sponsor is obligated to appoint a successor trustee
promptly. If the Trustee becomes incapable of acting or becomes bankrupt
or its affairs are taken over by public authorities, the Sponsor may
remove the Trustee and appoint a successor as provided in the Indenture.
If upon resignation of a trustee no successor has accepted the
appointment within 30 days after notification, the retiring trustee may
apply to a court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a
successor. The resignation or removal of a trustee becomes effective
only when the successor trustee accepts its appointment as such or when
a court of competent jurisdiction appoints a successor trustee.

Any corporation into which a Trustee may be merged or with which it may
be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger or
consolidation to which a Trustee shall be a party, shall be the
successor Trustee. The Trustee must be a banking corporation organized
under the laws of the United States or any State and having at all times
an aggregate capital, surplus and undivided profits of not less than
$5,000,000.

Limitations on Liabilities of Sponsor and Trustee

The Sponsor and the Trustee shall be under no liability to Unit holders
for taking any action or for refraining from taking any action in good
faith pursuant to the Indenture, or for errors in judgment, but shall be
liable only for their own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross
negligence (ordinary negligence in the case of the Trustee) or reckless
disregard of their obligations and duties. The Trustee shall not be
liable for depreciation or loss incurred by reason of the sale by the
Trustee of any of the Equity Securities. In the event of the failure of
the Sponsor to act under the Indenture, the Trustee may act thereunder
and shall not be liable for any action taken by it in good faith under
the Indenture.

The Trustee shall not be liable for any taxes or other governmental
charges imposed upon or in respect of the Equity Securities or upon the
interest thereon or upon it as Trustee under the Indenture or upon or in
respect of the Trust which the Trustee may be required to pay under any
present or future law of the United States of America or of any other
taxing authority having jurisdiction. In addition, the Indenture
contains other customary provisions limiting the liability of the Trustee.

If the Sponsor shall fail to perform any of its duties under the
Indenture or becomes incapable of acting or becomes bankrupt or its
affairs are taken over by public authorities, then the Trustee may (a)
appoint a successor Sponsor at rates of compensation deemed by the
Trustee to be reasonable and not exceeding amounts prescribed by the
Securities and Exchange Commission, or (b) terminate the Indenture and
liquidate the Trust as provided herein, or (c) continue to act as
Trustee without terminating the Indenture.

Who is the Evaluator?

The Evaluator is First Trust Advisors L.P., an Illinois limited
partnership formed in 1991 and an affiliate of the Sponsor. The
Evaluator's address is 1001 Warrenville Road, Lisle, Illinois 60532. The
Evaluator may resign or may be removed by the Sponsor or the Trustee, in
which event the Sponsor and the Trustee are to use their best efforts to
appoint a satisfactory successor. Such resignation or removal shall
become effective upon the acceptance of appointment by the successor
Evaluator. If upon resignation of the Evaluator no successor has
accepted appointment within 30 days after notice of resignation, the
Evaluator may apply to a court of competent jurisdiction for the
appointment of a successor.


Page 29                                                


The Trustee, Sponsor and Unit holders may rely on any evaluation
furnished by the Evaluator and shall have no responsibility for the
accuracy thereof. Determinations by the Evaluator under the Indenture
shall be made in good faith upon the basis of the best information
available to it, provided, however, that the Evaluator shall be under no
liability to the Trustee, Sponsor or Unit holders for errors in
judgment. This provision shall not protect the Evaluator in any case of
willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard
of its obligations and duties.

                            OTHER INFORMATION

How May the Indenture be Amended or Terminated?

The Sponsor and the Trustee have the power to amend the Indenture
without the consent of any of the Unit holders when such an amendment is
(1) to cure any ambiguity or to correct or supplement any provision of
the Indenture which may be defective or inconsistent with any other
provision contained therein, or (2) to make such other provisions as
shall not adversely affect the interest of the Unit holders (as
determined in good faith by the Sponsor and the Trustee).

The Indenture provides that the Trust shall terminate upon the Mandatory
Termination Date indicated herein under "Summary of Essential
Information." The Trust may be liquidated at any time by consent of 100%
of the Unit holders of the Trust or by the Trustee when the value of the
Equity Securities owned by the Trust as shown by any evaluation, is less
than the lower of $2,000,000 or 20% of the total value of Equity
Securities deposited in such Trust during the initial offering period,
or in the event that Units of the Trust not yet sold aggregating more
than 60% of the Units of the Trust are tendered for redemption by the
Underwriter, including the Sponsor. If the Trust is liquidated because
of the redemption of unsold Units of the Trust by the Underwriter, the
Sponsor will refund to each purchaser of Units of the Trust the entire
sales charge and the transaction fees paid by such purchaser. In the
event of termination, written notice thereof will be sent by the Trustee
to all Unit holders of the Trust. Within a reasonable period after
termination, the Trustee will follow the procedures set forth under
"Rights of Unit Holders-How are Income and Capital Distributed?"

   
Commencing during the period beginning nine business days prior to and
no later than the Mandatory Termination Date, Equity Securities will
begin to be sold in connection with the termination of the Trust. The
Sponsor will determine the manner, timing and execution of the sale of
the Equity Securities. Written notice of any termination of the Trust
specifying the time or times at which Unit holders may surrender their
certificates for cancellation shall be given by the Trustee to each Unit
holder at his or her address appearing on the registration books of the
Trust maintained by the Trustee. At least 60 days prior to the Maturity
Date of the Trust, the Trustee will provide written notice thereof to
all Unit holders and will include with such notice a form to enable Unit
holders to elect a distribution of shares of Equity Securities (reduced
by customary transfer and registration charges), if such Unit holder
owns at least 2,500 Units of the Trust, rather than to receive payment
in cash for such Unit holder's pro rata share of the amounts realized
upon the disposition by the Trustee of Equity Securities. To be
effective, the election form, together with surrendered certificates and
other documentation required by the Trustee, must be returned to the
Trustee at least ten business days prior to the Mandatory Termination
Date of the Trust. Unit holders not electing a distribution of shares of
Equity Securities will receive a cash distribution from the sale of the
remaining Equity Securities within a reasonable time after the Trust is
terminated. Regardless of the distribution involved, the Trustee will
deduct from the funds of the Trust any accrued costs, expenses, advances
or indemnities provided by the Trust Agreement, including estimated
compensation of the Trustee and costs of liquidation and any amounts
required as a reserve to provide for payment of any applicable taxes or
other governmental charges. Any sale of Equity Securities in the Trust
upon termination may result in a lower amount than might otherwise be
realized if such sale were not required at such time. In addition, to
the extent that Equity Securities are sold prior to the Mandatory
Termination Date, Unit holders will not benefit from any stock
appreciation they would have received had the Equity Securities not been
sold at such time. The Trustee will then distribute to each Unit holder
his or her pro rata share of the balance of the Income and Capital
Accounts.
    


Page 30                                              


Legal Opinions

The legality of the Units offered hereby and certain matters relating to
Federal tax law have been passed upon by Chapman and Cutler, 111 West
Monroe Street, Chicago, Illinois 60603, as counsel for the Sponsor.
Carter, Ledyard & Milburn, will act as counsel for the Trustee and as
special New York tax counsel for the Trust.

Experts

The statement of net assets, including the schedule of investments, of
the Trust at the opening of business on the Initial Date of Deposit
appearing in this Prospectus and Registration Statement has been audited
by Ernst & Young LLP, independent auditors, as set forth in their report
thereon appearing elsewhere herein and in the Registration Statement,
and is included in reliance upon such report given upon the authority of
such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

                              UNDERWRITING

The Underwriter named below has purchased Units in the following amount:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                                                                                              Number         
Name                                       Address                                                            of Units       
______                                     _________                                                          ________       
<S>                                        <C>                                                                <C>            
Stifel, Nicolaus & Company,                500 North Broadway, 16th Floor, St. Louis, MO 63102                100,013        
     Incorporated                                                                                             ========       

</TABLE>

On the Initial Date of Deposit, the Underwriter of the Trust became the
owner of the Units of the Trust and entitled to the benefits thereof, as
well as the risks inherent therein.

The Underwriter Agreement provides that a public offering of the Units
of the Trust will be made at the Public Offering Price described in the
prospectus. Units may also be sold to or through dealers and other
selling agents during the initial offering period and in the secondary
market at prices representing a concession or agency commission as
described in "Public Offering-How are Units Distributed?"

The Underwriter has agreed to underwrite additional Units of the Trust
as they become available. The Sponsor will receive from the Underwriter
the difference between the gross sales commission and 3.5% of the Public
Offering Price on sales of Units by the Underwriter of less than $20
million, 3.65% of the Public Offering Price on sales of Units by the
Underwriter of $20 million but less than $40 million or 3.70% of the
Public Offering Price on sales of Units by the Undewriter of $40 million
or more.

From time to time the Sponsor may implement programs under which
Underwriters and dealers of the Trust may receive nominal awards from
the Sponsor for each of their registered representatives who have sold a
minimum number of UIT Units during a specified time period. In addition,
at various times the Sponsor may implement other programs under which
the sales force of an Underwriter or dealer may be eligible to win other
nominal awards for certain sales efforts, or under which the Sponsor
will reallow to any such Underwriter or dealer that sponsors sales
contests or recognition programs conforming to criteria established by
the Sponsor, or participates in sales programs sponsored by the Sponsor,
an amount not exceeding the total applicable sales charges on the sales
generated by such person at the public offering price during such
programs. Also, the Sponsor in its discretion may from time to time
pursuant to objective criteria established by the Sponsor pay fees to
qualifying Underwriters or dealers for certain services or activities
which are primarily intended to result in sales of Units of the Trust.
Such payments are made by the Sponsor out of its own assets, and not out
of the assets of the Trust. These programs will not change the price
Unit holders pay for their Units or the amount that the Trust will
receive from the Units sold.

The Sponsor may from time to time in its advertising and sales materials
compare the then current estimated returns on the Trust and returns over
specified periods on other similar Trusts sponsored by Nike Securities
L.P. with returns on other taxable investments such as corporate or U.S.
Government bonds, bank CDs and money market accounts or money market
funds, each of which has investment characteristics that may differ from
those of the Trust. U.S. Government bonds, for example, are backed by
the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government and bank CDs and money


Page 31

market accounts are insured by an agency of the federal government.
Money market accounts and money market funds provide stability of
principal, but pay interest at rates that vary with the condition of the
short-term debt market. The investment characteristics of the Trust are
described more fully elsewhere in this Prospectus. 

Trust performance may be compared to performance on a total return basis
with the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the S&P 500 Composite Stock Price
Index, or performance data from Lipper Analytical Services, Inc. and
Morningstar Publications, Inc. or from publications such as Money, The
New York Times, U.S. News and World Report, Business Week, Forbes or
Fortune. As with other performance data, performance comparisons should
not be considered representative of the Trust's relative performance for
any future period.

Page 32

                     REPORT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS

The Sponsor, Nike Securities L.P., and Unit Holders
FT 240

   
We have audited the accompanying statement of net assets, including the
schedule of investments, of FT 240, comprised of Midwest Financial
Institutions Trust, Series 3, as of the opening of business on February
26, 1998. This statement of net assets is the responsibility of the
Trust's Sponsor. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on this
statement of net assets based on our audit.
    

   
We conducted our audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to
obtain reasonable assurance about whether the statement of net assets is
free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test
basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the statement
of net assets. Our procedures included confirmation of the letter of
credit held by the Trustee and deposited in the Trust on February 26,
1998. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used
and significant estimates made by the Sponsor, as well as evaluating the
overall presentation of the statement of net assets. We believe that our
audit of the statement of net assets provides a reasonable basis for our
opinion.
    

   

In our opinion, the statement of net assets referred to above presents
fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of FT 240,
comprised of Midwest Financial Institutions Trust, Series 3, at the
opening of business on February 26, 1998 in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles.
    

                                        ERNST & YOUNG LLP

   
Chicago, Illinois
February 26, 1998
    

Page 33
                                                  Statement of Net Assets

   
                           MIDWEST FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS TRUST, SERIES 3
                                                                   FT 240

                                        At the Opening of Business on the
                                Initial Date of Deposit-February 26, 1998
    

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                                         NET ASSETS                                                          
<S>                                                                                                           <C>            
Investment in Equity Securities represented by purchase contracts (1) (2)                                     $  990,138    
Organizational and offering costs (3)                                                                            120,000        
                                                                                                              __________   
                                                                                                               1,110,138    
Less accrued organizational and offering costs (3)                                                              (120,000)      
Less liability for deferred sales charge (4)                                                                     (35,005)       
                                                                                                              __________  
Net assets                                                                                                    $  955,133    
                                                                                                              ==========  
Units outstanding                                                                                                100,013        

                                                   ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS                                                    
Cost to investors (5)                                                                                         $1,000,139     
Less sales charge (5)                                                                                            (45,006)       
                                                                                                              __________  
Net Assets                                                                                                    $  955,133    
                                                                                                              ==========   
</TABLE>
                    NOTES TO STATEMENT OF NET ASSETS

(1) Aggregate cost of the Equity Securities listed under "Schedule of
Investments" is based on their aggregate underlying value.

   
(2) An irrevocable letter of credit totaling $1,100,000 issued by The
Chase Manhattan Bank has been deposited with the Trustee as collateral,
which is sufficient to cover the monies necessary for the purchase of
the Equity Securities pursuant to contracts for the purchase of such
Equity Securities.
    

   
(3) The Trust will bear all or a portion of its estimated organizational
and offering costs which will be deferred and charged off over a period
not to exceed the life of the Trust (approximately four years). The
estimated organizational and offering costs are based on 7,500,000 Units
of the Trust expected to be issued. To the extent the number of Units
issued is larger or smaller, the estimate will vary.
    

   
(4) Represents the amount of mandatory distributions from the Trust
($.350 per Unit), payable to the Sponsor in seven equal monthly
installments beginning on May 20, 1998, and on the twentieth day of each
month thereafter (or if such date is not a business day, on the
preceding business day) through November 20, 1998. If Units are redeemed
prior to November 20, 1998, the remaining amount of the deferred sales
charge applicable to such Units will be payable at the time of redemption.
    

   
(5) The aggregate cost to investors includes a sales charge computed at
the rate of 4.50% of the Public Offering Price (equivalent to 4.545% of
the net amount invested, exclusive of the deferred sales charge),
assuming no reduction of sales charge as set forth under "Public
Offering-How is the Public Offering Price Determined?"
    

Page 34                                                                 

                                                  Schedule of Investments
   
                           MIDWEST FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS TRUST, SERIES 3
                                                                   FT 240

                                        At the Opening of Business on the
                                Initial Date of Deposit-February 26, 1998
    

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                                                                 Percentage      Market       Cost of         
                                                                                 of Aggregate    Value        Equity          
Number           Ticker Symbol and                                               Offering        per          Securities      
of Shares        Name of Issuer of Equity Securities (1)                         Price           Share        to Trust (2)    
__________       _______________________________________                         ____________     ______      ___________     
<C>               <S>                                                            <C>             <C>          <C>             
                 THRIFTS                                                                                                       
                 _______                                                                                                       
1,208            ABCL      Alliance Bancorp                                       3.33%          $27.250      $ 32,918         
  266            ABCW      Anchor Bancorp, Inc.                                   1.10%           41.000        10,906         
  545            CBCI      Calumet Bancorp, Inc.                                  2.09%           38.000        20,710         
  656            COFI      Charter One Financial, Inc.                            4.03%           60.750        39,852         
  367            CBK       Citizens First Financial Corporation                   0.80%           21.500         7,891         
  859            CFB       Commercial Federal Corporation                         3.04%           35.063        30,119         
  164            FFYF      FFY Financial Corporation                              0.58%           34.750         5,699         
  639            FBCI      Fidelity Bancorp, Inc.                                 1.61%           25.000        15,975         
  718            FTFC      First Federal Capital Corporation                      2.39%           33.000        23,694         
  161            FISB      First Indiana Corporation                              0.47%           29.000         4,669         
  140            HOMF      Home Federal Bancorp                                   0.45%           32.000         4,480         
  256            JSBA      Jefferson Savings Bancorp, Inc.                        0.66%           25.500         6,528         
1,479            MAFB      MAF Bancorp, Inc.                                      5.69%           38.125        56,387         
1,193            FFFD      North Central Bancshares, Inc.                         2.56%           21.250        25,351         
  660            STFR      St. Francis Capital Corporation                        2.91%           43.625        28,793         
2,317            SPBC      St. Paul Bancorp, Inc.                                 6.17%           26.375        61,111         
  180            SFSL      Security First Corporation                             0.40%           22.000         3,960         
  732            SWBI      Southwest Bancshares, Inc.                             2.26%           30.625        22,418         
  693            SFSB      SuburbFed Financial Corporation (3)                    3.41%           48.750        33,784         
  796            TSH       Teche Holding Company                                  1.71%           21.250        16,915         
  185            FTF       Texarkana First Financial Corporation                  0.52%           28.000         5,180         
  258            WCBI      Westco Bancorp, Inc.                                   0.76%           29.125         7,514         
                                                                                                                               
                 BANKS                                                                                                         
                 _____                                                                                                         
1,020            SRCE      1st Source Corporation                                 3.32%           32.250        32,895         
  457            ASBC      Associated Banc Corporation                            2.44%           52.750        24,107         
   51            ONE       Banc One Corporation                                   0.29%           56.625         2,888         
  260            BANF      BancFirst Corporation                                  1.00%           38.250         9,945         
  361            BRBK      Brenton Banks, Inc.                                    0.80%           21.875         7,897         
  191            BNK       CNB Bancshares, Inc. (4)                               0.90%           46.688         8,917         
   26            CMA       Comerica, Inc.                                         0.26%           98.563         2,563         
  510            CBSH      Commerce Bancshares, Inc.                              3.71%           72.063        36,752         
  296            COVB      CoVest Bancshares, Inc.                                0.53%           17.750         5,254         
  577            FATN      First American Corporation                             2.80%           48.000        27,696         
   31            FCN       First Chicago NBD Corporation                          0.26%           81.625         2,530         
1,270            FMBI      First Midwest Bancorp, Inc.                            5.48%           42.750        54,292         
  172            FTEN      First Tennessee National Corporation                   0.56%           32.063         5,515         
  326            UNTD      First United Bancshares, Inc.                          1.53%           46.500        15,159         
  109            IBCP      Independent Bank Corporation                           0.47%           43.000         4,687         
  129            IRWN      Irwin Financial Corporation                            0.63%           47.938         6,184         
  545            MGR       MAGNA Group, Inc. (5)                                  3.14%           57.063        31,099         
  273            MTL       Mercantile Bancorporation, Inc.                        1.54%           55.813        15,237         

</TABLE>

Page 35
                                          Schedule of Investments (cont.)
   
                           MIDWEST FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS TRUST, SERIES 3
                                                                   FT 240
                                        At the Opening of Business on the
                                Initial Date of Deposit-February 26, 1998
    

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                                                                 Percentage      Market       Cost of         
                                                                                 of Aggregate    Value        Equity          
Number           Ticker Symbol and                                               Offering        per          Securities      
of Shares        Name of Issuer of Equity Securities (1)                         Price           Share        to Trust (2)    
__________       _______________________________________                         ____________    ______       ___________     
<C>               <S>                                                            <C>             <C>          <C>             
                 BANKS (cont.)                                                                                         
                 _____                                                                                                       
   41            NCC       National City Corporation                              0.27%          $65.063      $  2,668         
   68            NOB       Norwest Corporation                                    0.28%           40.250         2,737         
  830            PNFI      Pinnacle Financial Services, Inc. (4)                  3.99%           47.625        39,529         
1,660            RBNC      Republic Bancorp, Inc.                                 3.29%           19.625        32,577         
 341             OKSB      Southwest Bancorp, Inc.                                0.95%           27.500         9,377         
1,002            TCB       TCF Financial Corporation                              3.38%           33.375        33,442         
  934            TRFI      Trans Financial Corporation                            3.85%           40.813        38,119         
  153            UMBF      UMB Financial Corporation                              0.89%           57.500         8,797         
  409            UPC       Union Planters Corporation (5)                         2.50%           60.625        24,796         
                                                                                                                               
                 REITs                                                                                                         
                 _____                                                                                                         
  932            HCM/U     Hanover Capital Mortgage Holdings, Inc. (6)            1.82%           19.375        18,058         
1,194            NFI       NovaStar Financial, Inc.                               2.18%           18.063        21,567         
                                                                                 ________                     ________       
                           Total Investments                                       100%                       $990,138      
                                                                                 ========                     ========       

____________
<FN>

(1) All Equity Securities are represented by regular way contracts to
purchase such Equity Securities for the performance of which an
irrevocable letter of credit has been deposited with the Trustee. The
contracts to purchase Equity Securities were entered into by the Sponsor
on February 26, 1998.

(2) The cost of the Equity Securities to the Trust represents the
aggregate underlying value with respect to the Equity Securities
acquired (generally determined by the last sale prices of the listed
Equity Securities and the ask prices of the over-the-counter traded
Equity Securities on the business day preceding the Initial Date of
Deposit). The valuation of the Equity Securities has been determined by
the Evaluator, an affiliate of the Sponsor. The aggregate underlying
value of the Equity Securities on the Initial Date of Deposit was
$990,138. Cost and profit to Sponsor relating to the Equity Securities
sold to the Trust were $986,536 and $3,602, respectively.

(3) SuburbFed Financial Corporation ("SuburbFed") has recently agreed to
be acquired by Citizens Financial Services, FSB ("Citizens") in a
transaction expected to be completed in the third quarter of 1998. As a
result of this expected transaction, it is anticipated that Citizens
will convert to a stock company and that the Trust will receive shares
of common stock of Citizens in exchange for the shares of SuburbFed
which it holds.

(4) Pinnacle Financial Services, Inc. ("Pinnacle") has recently agreed to
be acquired by CNB Bancshares, Inc. ("CNB") in a transaction expected to
be completed in the second quarter of 1998. As a result of this expected
transaction, it is anticipated that the Trust will receive additional
shares of common stock of CNB in exchange for the shares of Pinnacle
which it holds.

(5) MAGNA Group, Inc. ("MAGNA") has recently agreed to be acquired by
Union Planters Corporation ("Union Planters") in a transaction expected
to be completed in the second or third quarter of 1998. As a result of
this expected transaction, it is anticipated that the Trust will receive
additional shares of common stock of Union Planters in exchange for the
shares of MAGNA which it holds.

(6) Each share of this security represents a unit which consists of one
share of Hanover Capital Mortgage Holdings, Inc. ("Hanover") Common
Stock and one Warrant to purchase one share of Hanover Common Stock at
the price of $15 per share at any time on or after March 15, 1998
through September 15, 2000 (the "Expiration Date"). The Trust intends to
sell the Warrants to meet redemption requests; remaining Warrants will
be sold by the Trust as soon as is practicable within 30 days prior to
the Expiration Date. See "Rights of Unit Holders-How May Units be
Redeemed?" for information about In-Kind Distributions.
</FN>
</TABLE>

Page 36
                 This page is intentionally left blank.

Page 37
                 This page is intentionally left blank.

Page 38
                 This page is intentionally left blank.

Page 39

CONTENTS:

Summary of Essential Information                          4 
Midwest Financial Institutions Trust, Series 3              
FT 240:                                                     
    What is the FT Series?                                6 
    What are the Expenses and Charges?                    7 
    What is the Federal Tax Status of Unit Holders?       8 
    Are Investments in the Trust Eligible for               
        Retirement Plans?                                12 
Portfolio:                                                  
    What are the Equity Securities?                      12 
        Risk Factors                                     12 
    What are the Equity Securities Selected for             
        Midwest Financial Institutions Trust, Series 3?  15 
    What are Some Additional Considerations                 
        for Investors?                                   19 
Public Offering:                                            
    How is the Public Offering Price Determined?         21 
    How are Units Distributed?                           22 
    What are the Sponsor's and Underwriter's Profits?    23 
    Will There be a Secondary Market?                    23 
Rights of Unit Holders:                                     
    How is Evidence of Ownership Issued                     
        and Transferred?                                 24 
    How are Income and Capital Distributed?              24 
    What Reports will Unit Holders Receive?              25 
    How May Units be Redeemed?                           25 
    How May Units be Purchased by the Sponsor?           27 
    How May Equity Securities be Removed                    
        from the Trust?                                  27 
Information as to Underwriter, Sponsor, Trustee             
and Evaluator:                                              
    Who is the Underwriter?                              28 
    Who is the Sponsor?                                  28 
    Who is the Trustee?                                  29 
    Limitations on Liabilities of Sponsor  and Trustee   29 
    Who is the Evaluator?                                29 
Other Information:                                          
    How May the Indenture be Amended or Terminated?      30 
    Legal Opinions                                       31 
    Experts                                              31 
Underwriting                                             31 
Report of Independent Auditors                           33 
Statement of Net Assets                                  34 
Notes to Statement of Net Assets                         34 
Schedule of Investments                                  35 

                         ____________

THIS PROSPECTUS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL, OR A SOLICITATION
OF AN OFFER TO BUY, SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION TO ANY PERSON TO WHOM
IT IS NOT LAWFUL TO MAKE SUCH OFFER IN SUCH JURISDICTION.

THIS PROSPECTUS DOES NOT CONTAIN ALL THE INFORMATION SET FORTH IN THE
REGISTRATION STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS RELATING THERETO, WHICH THE FUND
HAS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, WASHINGTON, D.C.
UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 AND THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940,
AND TO WHICH REFERENCE IS HEREBY MADE.

                            Stifel, Nicolaus
                         & Company, Incorporated

                  MIDWEST FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS TRUST
                                SERIES 3

                Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated
                     500 North Broadway, 16th Floor
                           St. Louis, MO 63102

                                Trustee:

                        The Chase Manhattan Bank
                       4 New York Plaza, 6th floor
                      New York, New York 10004-2413
                             1-800-682-7520

   
                            February 26, 1998
    

                      PLEASE RETAIN THIS PROSPECTUS
                          FOR FUTURE REFERENCE

Page 40

                                
               CONTENTS OF REGISTRATION STATEMENT

A.   Bonding Arrangements of Depositor:

     Nike Securities L.P. is covered by a Brokers' Fidelity Bond,
     in  the  total  amount  of  $1,000,000,  the  insurer  being
     National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh.

B.   This Registration Statement on Form S-6 comprises the
     following papers and documents:

     The facing sheet
     
     The Cross-Reference Sheet
     
     The Prospectus
     
     The signatures
     
     Exhibits
     
     Financial Data Schedule
     
  
     
                               S-1
                           SIGNATURES
     
     The  Registrant, FT 240, hereby identifies The  First  Trust
Special  Situations  Trust,  Series  4  Great  Lakes  Growth  and
Treasury  Trust,  Series  1; The First Trust  Special  Situations
Trust,  Series 18 Wisconsin Growth and Treasury Securities Trust,
Series  1;  The First Trust Special Situations Trust,  Series  69
Target  Equity  Trust Value Ten Series; The First  Trust  Special
Situations  Trust, Series 108; The First Trust Special Situations
Trust,  Series 119 Target 5 Trust, Series 2 and Target 10  Trust,
Series  8;  and The First Trust Special Situations Trust,  Series
190  Biotechnology  Growth Trust, Series 3 for  purposes  of  the
representations   required  by  Rule  487  and   represents   the
following:
     
     (1)   that the portfolio securities deposited in the  series
as  to  the  securities of which this Registration  Statement  is
being  filed  do  not differ materially in type or  quality  from
those deposited in such previous series;
     
     (2)   that,  except to the extent necessary to identify  the
specific  portfolio  securities  deposited  in,  and  to  provide
essential  financial information for, the series with respect  to
the  securities  of  which this Registration Statement  is  being
filed,  this  Registration Statement does not contain disclosures
that  differ in any material respect from those contained in  the
registration statements for such previous series as to which  the
effective date was determined by the Commission or the staff; and
     
     (3)  that it has complied with Rule 460 under the Securities
Act of 1933.
     
     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of  1933,
the  Registrant,  FT  240,  has duly  caused  this  Amendment  to
Registration  Statement  to  be  signed  on  its  behalf  by  the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the Village  of  Lisle
and State of Illinois on February 26, 1998.

                              FT 240

                              By   NIKE SECURITIES L.P.
                                        Depositor
                              
                              
                              
                              
                              By   Robert M. Porcellino
                                      Vice President

                               S-2
     
     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of  1933,
this  Amendment  to the Registration Statement  has  been  signed
below  by  the following person in the capacity and on  the  date
indicated:

       NAME                TITLE*                 DATE

Robert D. Van Kampen Director of         )
                     Nike Securities     )
                     Corporation, the    )   February 26, 1998
                     General Partner of  )
                     Nike Securities L.P.)
                                         )
                                         )
David J. Allen       Director of         )  Robert M. Porcellino
                     Nike Securities     )   Attorney-in-Fact**
                     Corporation, the    )
                     General Partner of  )
                     Nike Securities L.P.




       *     The title of the person named herein represents  his
       capacity  in  and  relationship to Nike  Securities  L.P.,
       Depositor.

       **    An  executed copy of the related power  of  attorney
       was  filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission  in
       connection  with the Amendment No. 1 to Form  S-6  of  The
       First  Trust  Combined Series 258 (File No. 33-63483)  and
       the same is hereby incorporated herein by this reference.

                               S-3
                 CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS
     
     We  consent  to the reference to our firm under the  caption
"Experts" and to the use of our report dated February 26, 1998 in
Amendment  No. 2 to the Registration Statement (Form  S-6)  (File
No. 333-45075) and related Prospectus of FT 240.



                                               ERNST & YOUNG LLP


Chicago, Illinois
February 26, 1998
                                
                                
                       CONSENTS OF COUNSEL
     
     The  consents  of counsel to the use of their names  in  the
Prospectus  included  in  this  Registration  Statement  will  be
contained  in their respective opinions to be filed  as  Exhibits
3.1, 3.2, 3.3 and 3.4 of the Registration Statement.
                                
                                
              CONSENT OF FIRST TRUST ADVISORS L.P.
     
     The  consent of First Trust Advisors L.P. to the use of  its
name  in  the  Prospectus included in the Registration  Statement
will be filed as Exhibit 4.1 to the Registration Statement.
     
     
   
                                
                               S-4
                          EXHIBIT INDEX

1.1      Form  of Standard Terms and Conditions of Trust for  The
         First  Trust  Special Situations Trust,  Series  22  and
         certain  subsequent Series, effective November 20,  1991
         among  Nike Securities L.P., as Depositor, United States
         Trust   Company  of  New  York  as  Trustee,  Securities
         Evaluation Service, Inc., as Evaluator, and First  Trust
         Advisors  L.P. as Portfolio Supervisor (incorporated  by
         reference to Amendment No. 1 to Form S-6 [File  No.  33-
         43693]  filed  on  behalf  of The  First  Trust  Special
         Situations Trust, Series 22).

1.1.1    Form  of  Trust  Agreement for  Series  240  among  Nike
         Securities L.P., as Depositor, The Chase Manhattan Bank,
         as Trustee, First Trust Advisors L.P., as Evaluator, and
         First Trust Advisors L.P., as Portfolio Supervisor.

1.2      Copy  of  Certificate  of Limited  Partnership  of  Nike
         Securities L.P. (incorporated by reference to  Amendment
         No. 1 to Form S-6 [File No. 33-42683] filed on behalf of
         The First Trust Special Situations Trust, Series 18).

1.3      Copy   of   Amended  and  Restated  Limited  Partnership
         Agreement  of  Nike  Securities  L.P.  (incorporated  by
         reference to Amendment No. 1 to Form S-6 [File  No.  33-
         42683]  filed  on  behalf  of The  First  Trust  Special
         Situations Trust, Series 18).

1.4      Copy  of  Articles of Incorporation of  Nike  Securities
         Corporation,  the  general partner  of  Nike  Securities
         L.P.,  Depositor (incorporated by reference to Amendment
         No. 1 to Form S-6 [File No. 33-42683] filed on behalf of
         The First Trust Special Situations Trust, Series 18).

1.5      Copy  of  By-Laws  of Nike Securities  Corporation,  the
         general  partner  of  Nike  Securities  L.P.,  Depositor
         (incorporated by reference to Amendment No. 1 to Form S-
         6 [File No. 33-42683] filed on behalf of The First Trust
         Special Situations Trust, Series 18).

1.6      Underwriter  Agreement  (incorporated  by  reference  to
         Amendment No. 1 to Form S-6 [File No. 33-42755] filed on
         behalf  of  The  First Trust Special  Situations  Trust,
         Series 19).

2.1      Copy  of  Certificate of Ownership (included in  Exhibit
         1.1 filed herewith on page 2 and incorporated herein  by
         reference).

                               S-5

3.1      Opinion  of  counsel as to legality of securities  being
         registered.

3.2      Opinion  of counsel as to Federal income tax  status  of
         securities being registered.

3.3      Opinion  of counsel as to New York income tax status  of
         securities being registered.

3.4      Opinion  of  counsel  as  to  advancement  of  funds  by
         Trustee.

4.1      Consent of First Trust Advisors L.P.

6.1      List  of  Directors and Officers of Depositor and  other
         related   information  (incorporated  by  reference   to
         Amendment No. 1 to Form S-6 [File No. 33-42683] filed on
         behalf  of  The  First Trust Special  Situations  Trust,
         Series 18).

7.1      Power  of  Attorney executed by the Director  listed  on
         page S-3 of this Registration Statement (incorporated by
         reference to Amendment No. 1 to Form S-6 [File  No.  33-
         63483]  filed  on  behalf of The  First  Trust  Combined
         Series 258).




                               
                                
                               S-6
                                




                                
                             FT 240
                                
                         TRUST AGREEMENT
                                
                    Dated:  February 26, 1998

The Trust Agreement among Nike Securities L.P., as Depositor, The
Chase  Manhattan Bank, as Trustee and First Trust Advisors  L.P.,
as   Evaluator  and  Portfolio  Supervisor,  sets  forth  certain
provisions in full and incorporates other provisions by reference
to  the document entitled "Standard Terms and Conditions of Trust
for  The  First  Trust Special Situations Trust,  Series  22  and
certain  subsequent Series, Effective November 20, 1991"  (herein
called  the "Standard Terms and Conditions of Trust"),  and  such
provisions as are incorporated by reference constitute  a  single
instrument.   All references herein to Articles and Sections  are
to  Articles and Sections of the Standard Terms and Conditions of
Trust.
                                
                                
                        WITNESSETH THAT:
     
     In   consideration  of  the  premises  and  of  the   mutual
agreements  herein  contained, the Depositor,  the  Trustee,  the
Evaluator and the Portfolio Supervisor agree as follows:
                                
                                
                             PART I
                                
                                
             STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF TRUST
     
     Subject  to  the provisions of Part II and Part III  hereof,
all the provisions contained in the Standard Terms and Conditions
of  Trust  are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety
and  shall be deemed to be a part of this instrument as fully and
to  the same extent as though said provisions had been set  forth
in full in this instrument.
                                
                                
                             PART II
                                
                                
              SPECIAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF TRUST
                                
                                
       FOR MIDWEST FINANICAL INSITIUTIONS TRUST, SERIES 3
     
     The following special terms and conditions are hereby agreed
to:
     
     A.     The  Securities  initially  deposited  in  the  Trust
pursuant to Section 2.01 of the Standard Terms and Conditions  of
Trust are set forth in the Schedules hereto.
     
     B.    (1) The aggregate number of Units outstanding for  the
Trust  on  the Initial Date of Deposit and the initial fractional
undivided  interest in and ownership of the Trust represented  by
each  Unit thereof are set forth in the Prospectus in the section
"Summary of Essential Information."
     
     Documents  representing this number of Units for  the  Trust
are  being delivered by the Trustee to the Depositor pursuant  to
Section 2.03 of the Standard Terms and Conditions of Trust.
     
     C.    The Percentage Ratio on the Initial Date of Deposit is
as set forth in the Prospectus under "Schedule of Investments."
     
     D.   The Record Date shall be as set forth in the prospectus
for  the  sale  of Units dated the date hereof (the "Prospectus")
under "Summary of Essential Information."
     
     E.    The  Distribution Date shall be as set  forth  in  the
Prospectus under "Summary of Essential Information."
     
     F.    The Mandatory Termination Date for the Trust shall  be
as  set  forth  in  the  Prospectus under "Summary  of  Essential
Information."
     
     G.     The  Evaluator's  compensation  as  referred  to   in
Section 4.03 of the Standard Terms and Conditions of Trust  shall
be an annual fee as set forth in the Prospectus under "Summary of
Essential Information," calculated based on the largest number of
Units  outstanding  during each period  in  respect  of  which  a
payment  is  made  pursuant  to  Section  3.05,  payable   on   a
Distribution  Date.   Such  fee may exceed  the  actual  cost  of
providing such evaluation services for the Trust, but at no  time
will  the  total amount received for evaluation services rendered
to  unit investment trusts of which Nike Securities L.P.  is  the
sponsor  in  any calendar year exceed the aggregate cost  to  the
Evaluator of supplying such services in such year.
     
     H.     The   Trustee's   Compensation   Rate   pursuant   to
Section 6.04 of the Standard Terms and Conditions of Trust  shall
be an annual fee as set forth in the Prospectus under "Summary of
Essential Information," calculated based on the largest number of
Units  outstanding  during the calendar year  except  during  the
initial  offering period as determined in Section  4.01  of  this
Indenture,  in  which  case the fee is calculated  based  on  the
number  of  units  outstanding during the period  for  which  the
compensation  is paid (such annual fee to be pro  rated  for  any
calendar year in which the Trustee provides services during  less
than  the  whole of such year).  However, in no event, except  as
may otherwise be provided in the Standard Terms and Conditions of
Trust,  shall  the Trustee receive compensation in any  one  year
from any Trust of less than $2,000 for such annual compensation.
     
     I.    The  Initial Date of Deposit for the Trust is February
26, 1998.
     
     J.    The minimum amount of Equity Securities to be sold  by
the  Trustee  pursuant to Section 5.02 of the Indenture  for  the
redemption of Units shall be 100 shares.
                                
                                
                            PART III
     
     A.     Notwithstanding  anything  to  the  contrary  in  the
Standard  Terms and Conditions of Trust, references to subsequent
Series  established after the date of effectiveness of the  First
Trust Special Situations Trust, Series 24 shall include FT 240.
     
     B.    The  term  "Principal Account" as  set  forth  in  the
Standard Terms and Conditions of Trust shall be replaced with the
term "Capital Account."
     
     C.   Section 1.01(2) shall be amended to read as follows:
     
           "(2) "Trustee" shall mean The Chase Manhattan Bank, or
any successor trustee appointed as hereinafter provided."
     
     All references to United States Trust Company of New York in
the  Standard Terms and Conditions of Trust shall be  amended  to
refer to The Chase Manhattan Bank.
     
     D.   Section 1.01(3) shall be amended to read as follows:
          
          "(3)  "Evaluator" shall mean First Trust Advisors  L.P.
     and  its  successors in interest, or any successor evaluator
     appointed as hereinafter provided."
     
     E.   Section 1.01(4) shall be amended to read as follows:
          
          "(4)  "Portfolio  Supervisor" shall  mean  First  Trust
     Advisors  L.P.  and  its  successors  in  interest,  or  any
     successor  portfolio  supervisor  appointed  as  hereinafter
     provided."
     
     F.   Section 1.01(29) shall be added to read as follows:
          
          "(29)  The term "Distribution Agent" shall refer to the
     Trustee  acting  in  its  capacity  as  distribution   agent
     pursuant to Section 5.02 herein."
     
     G.    Paragraph (b) of Section 2.01 shall be restated in its
entirety as follows:
     
          (b)(1)From time to time following the Initial  Date  of
     Deposit,  the  Depositor  is  hereby  authorized,   in   its
     discretion,  to  assign,  convey to  and  deposit  with  the
     Trustee (i) additional Securities, duly endorsed in blank or
     accompanied  by all necessary instruments of assignment  and
     transfer  in proper form, (ii) Contract Obligations relating
     to  such  additional Securities, accompanied by cash  and/or
     Letter(s)  of Credit as specified in paragraph (c)  of  this
     Section  2.01, or (iii) cash (or a Letter of Credit in  lieu
     of   cash)   with   instructions  to   purchase   additional
     Securities,  in an amount equal to the portion of  the  Unit
     Value  of the Units created by such deposit attributable  to
     the   Securities   to   be  purchased   pursuant   to   such
     instructions.    Except  as  provided   in   the   following
     subparagraphs (2), (3) and (4) the Depositor, in each  case,
     shall  ensure  that  each deposit of  additional  Securities
     pursuant  to  this  Section shall  maintain,  as  nearly  as
     practicable,  the Percentage Ratio.  Each  such  deposit  of
     additional Securities shall be made pursuant to a Notice  of
     Deposit  of Additional Securities delivered by the Depositor
     to   the   Trustee.   Instructions  to  purchase  additional
     Securities shall be in writing, and shall specify  the  name
     of  the  Security,  CUSIP number, if any, aggregate  amount,
     price  or  price  range  and date  to  be  purchased.   When
     requested by the Trustee, the Depositor shall act as  broker
     to  execute  purchases in accordance with such instructions;
     the Depositor shall be entitled to compensation therefor  in
     accordance with applicable law and regulations.  The Trustee
     shall  have  no  liability  for  any  loss  or  depreciation
     resulting from any purchase made pursuant to the Depositor's
     instructions or made by the Depositor as broker.
          
          (2)   Additional  Securities (or  Contract  Obligations
     therefor)  may, at the Depositor's discretion, be  deposited
     or  purchase in round lots.  If the amount of the deposit is
     insufficient  to acquire round lots of each Security  to  be
     acquired,  the additional Securities shall be  deposited  or
     purchased  in  the order of the Security in the  Trust  most
     under-represented  immediately  before  the   deposit   with
     respect to the Percentage Ratio.
          
          (3)   If  at  the  time  of  a  deposit  of  additional
     Securities, Securities of an issue deposited on the  Initial
     Date  of  Deposit (or of an issue of Replacement  Securities
     acquired  to replace an issue deposited on the Initial  Date
     of   Deposit)  are  unavailable,  cannot  be  purchased   at
     reasonable  prices  or  their  purchase  is  prohibited   or
     restricted  by  applicable law, regulation or policies,  the
     Depositor  may  (i)  deposit, or  instruct  the  Trustee  to
     purchase,  in  lieu thereof, another issue of Securities  or
     Replacement Securities or (ii) deposit cash or a  letter  of
     credit  in an amount equal to the valuation of the issue  of
     Securities   whose   acquisition  is   not   feasible   with
     instructions to acquire such Securities of such  issue  when
     they become available.
          
          (4)    Any  contrary  authorization  in  the  preceding
     subparagraphs (1) through (3) notwithstanding,  deposits  of
     additional   Securities  made  after   the   90-day   period
     immediately  following the Initial Date of  Deposit  (except
     for deposits made to replace Failed Contract Obligations  if
     such  deposits  occur within 20 days  from  the  date  of  a
     failure  occurring within such initial 90-day period)  shall
     maintain  exactly the Percentage Ratio existing  immediately
     prior to such deposit.
          
          (5)   In connection with and at the time of any deposit
     of  additional Securities pursuant to this Section  2.01(b),
     the  Depositor  shall  exactly replicate  Cash  (as  defined
     below) received or receivable by the Trust as of the date of
     such deposit.  For purposes of this paragraph, "Cash" means,
     as  to  the  Capital Account, cash or other property  (other
     than   Securities)  on  hand  in  the  Capital  Account   or
     receivable and to be credited to the Capital Account  as  of
     the   date  of  the  deposit  (other  than  amounts  to   be
     distributed  solely to persons other than holders  of  Units
     created by the deposit) and, as to the Income Account,  cash
     or  other property (other than Securities) received  by  the
     Trust  as  of the date of the deposit or receivable  by  the
     Trust  in  respect  of a record date  for  a  payment  on  a
     Security  which has occurred or will occur before the  Trust
     will  be the holder of record of a Security, reduced by  the
     amount  of any cash or other property received or receivable
     on  any Security allocable (in accordance with the Trustee's
     calculations  of  distributions  from  the  Income   Account
     pursuant  to Section 3.05) to a distribution made or  to  be
     made  in  respect of a Record Date occurring  prior  to  the
     deposit.   Such replication will be made on the basis  of  a
     fraction,  the  numerator of which is the  number  of  Units
     created by the deposit and the denominator of which  is  the
     number  of Units which are outstanding immediately prior  to
     the deposit.
     
     H.    The following shall be added immediately following the
first sentence of paragraph (c) of Section 2.01:
     
     "The  Trustee may allow the Depositor to substitute for  any
Letter(s) of Credit deposited with the Trustee in connection with
the  deposits  described in Section 2.01(a) and (b)  cash  in  an
amount  sufficient  to  satisfy  the  obligations  to  which  the
Letter(s) of Credit relates.  Any substituted Letter(s) of Credit
shall be released by the Trustee."
     
     I.   Section 2.03(a) of the Standard Terms and Conditions of
Trust shall be amended by adding the following sentence after the
first sentence of such section:
          
          "The  number of Units may be increased through a  split
     of  the  Units or decreased through a reverse split thereof,
     as  directed in writing by the Depositor, at any  time  when
     the  Depositor is the only beneficial holder of Units, which
     revised number of Units shall be recorded by the Trustee  on
     its  books.   The Trustee shall be entitled to rely  on  the
     Depositor's direction as certification that no person  other
     than  the  Depositor has a beneficial interest in the  Units
     and  the  Trustee shall have no liability to any person  for
     action taken pursuant to such direction."
     
     J.    Section  3.01 of the Standard Terms and Conditions  of
Trust shall be replaced in its entirety with the following:
          
          "Section 3.01.  Initial Cost.  The expenses incurred in
     establishing a Trust, including the cost of the  preparation
     and  typesetting of the registration statement, prospectuses
     (including  preliminary  prospectuses),  the  indenture  and
     other   documents  relating  to  the  Trust,   printing   of
     Certificates, Securities and Exchange Commission  and  state
     blue  sky  registration  fees,  the  costs  of  the  initial
     valuation  of  the  portfolio and audit of  the  Trust,  the
     initial  fees  and expenses of the Trustee,  and  legal  and
     other  out-of-pocket  expenses  related  thereto,  but   not
     including   the  expenses  incurred  in  the   printing   of
     preliminary prospectuses and prospectuses, expenses incurred
     in  the  preparation  and printing of  brochures  and  other
     advertising materials and any other selling expenses, to the
     extent  not  borne by the Depositor, shall be borne  by  the
     Trust.   To  the extent the funds in the Income and  Capital
     Accounts  of  the  Trust shall be insufficient  to  pay  the
     expenses borne by the Trust specified in this Section  3.01,
     the Trustee shall advance out of its own funds and cause  to
     be  deposited and credited to the Income Account such amount
     as  may be required to permit payment of such expenses.  The
     Trustee shall be reimbursed for such advance on each  Record
     Date  from  funds on hand in the Income Account or,  to  the
     extent  funds  are not available in such Account,  from  the
     Capital Account, in the amount deemed to have accrued as  of
     such Record Date as provided in the following sentence (less
     prior payments on account of such advances, if any), and the
     provisions of Section 6.04 with respect to the reimbursement
     of  disbursements  for  Trust expenses,  including,  without
     limitation,  the lien in favor of the Trustee  therefor  and
     the  authority  to sell Securities as needed  to  fund  such
     reimbursement,  shall apply to the payment of  expenses  and
     the  amounts  advanced pursuant to this  Section.   For  the
     purposes of the preceding sentence and the addition provided
     in  clause  (4) of the first sentence of Section  5.01,  the
     expenses  borne by the Trust pursuant to this Section  shall
     be  deemed  to  have  been paid on the  date  of  the  Trust
     Agreement and to accrue at a daily rate over the time period
     specified for their amortization provided in the Prospectus;
     provided,  however, that nothing herein shall be  deemed  to
     prevent,  and  the  Trustee  shall  be  entitled  to,   full
     reimbursement for any advances made pursuant to this Section
     no later than the termination of the Trust.  For purposes of
       calculating  the accrual of organizational expenses  under
     this  Section  3.01, the Trustee shall rely on  the  written
     estimates   of  such  expenses  provided  by  the  Depositor
     pursuant to Section 5.01."

     K.   The second paragraph of Section 3.02 of the Standard
Terms and Conditions is hereby deleted and replaced with the
following sentence:
          
          "Any  non-cash distributions (other than a  non-taxable
     distribution  of the shares of the distributing  corporation
     which  shall  be retained by a Trust) received  by  a  Trust
     shall be dealt with in the manner described at Section 3.11,
     herein,  and shall be retained or disposed of by such  Trust
     according  to  those  provisions.   The  proceeds   of   any
     disposition  shall be credited to the Income  Account  of  a
     Trust.   Neither  the  Trustee nor the  Depositor  shall  be
     liable  or responsible in any way for depreciation  or  loss
     incurred by reason of any such sale."

     L.   Section 3.05.II(a) of the Standard Terms and Conditions
of Trust is hereby amended to read in its entirety as follows:
          
          "II.  (a) On each Distribution Date, the Trustee  shall
     distribute  to each Unit holder of record at  the  close  of
     business  on  the  Record  Date immediately  preceding  such
     Distribution  Date  an amount per Unit equal  to  such  Unit
     holder's  Income Distribution (as defined below), plus  such
     Unit  holder's pro rata share of the balance of the  Capital
     Account  (except for monies on deposit therein  required  to
     purchase  Contract Obligations) computed as of the close  of
     business on such Record Date after deduction of any  amounts
     provided  in  Subsection  I,  provided,  however,  that  the
     Trustee  shall  not be required to make a distribution  from
     the   Capital  Account  unless  the  amount  available   for
     distribution shall equal $1.00 per 100 Units.
          
          Each  Trust  shall  provide the following  distribution
     elections:  (1) distributions to be made by check mailed  to
     the post office address of the Unit holder as it appears  on
     the  registration books of the Trustee, or (2)  if  provided
     for in the Prospectus, the following reinvestment option:
               
               The Trustee will, for any Unit holder who provides
          the  Trustee written instruction, properly executed and
          in  form satisfactory to the Trustee, received  by  the
          Trustee no later than its close of business 10 business
          days  prior to a Record Date (the "Reinvestment  Notice
          Date"),  reinvest such Unit holder's distribution  from
          the  Income and Capital Accounts in Units of the Trust,
          purchased  from  the  Depositor,  to  the  extent   the
          Depositor shall make Units available for such purchase,
          at  the  Depositor's offering price  as  of  the  third
          business day prior to the following Distribution  Date,
          and at such reduced sales charge as may be described in
          the prospectus for the Trusts.  If, for any reason, the
          Depositor  does  not have Units of the Trust  available
          for  purchase, the Trustee shall distribute  such  Unit
          holder's  distribution  from  the  Income  and  Capital
          Accounts  in the manner provided in clause (1)  of  the
          preceding paragraph.  The Trustee shall be entitled  to
          rely  on  a  written  instruction received  as  of  the
          Reinvestment Notice Date and shall not be  affected  by
          any  subsequent  notice to the contrary.   The  Trustee
          shall   have   no  responsibility  for  any   loss   or
          depreciation  resulting from any reinvestment  made  in
          accordance  with this paragraph, or for any failure  to
          make  such reinvestment in the event the Depositor does
          not make Units available for purchase.
          
          Any   Unit  holder  who  does  not  effectively   elect
     reinvestment in Units of their respective Trust pursuant  to
     the preceding paragraph shall receive a cash distribution in
     the  manner  provided in clause (1) of the second  preceding
     paragraph."

     M.   Section 3.05.II(b) of the Standard Terms and Conditions
of Trust is hereby amended to read in its entirety as follows:
          
          "II.  (b)  For purposes of this Section 3.05, the  Unit
     holder's  Income Distribution shall be equal  to  such  Unit
     holder's  pro rata share of the cash balance in  the  Income
     Account  computed as of the close of business on the  Record
     Date  immediately  preceding such Income Distribution  after
     deduction  of  (i)  the  fees and expenses  then  deductible
     pursuant  to Section 3.05.I. and (ii) the Trustee's estimate
     of  other expenses properly chargeable to the Income Account
     pursuant  to the Indenture which have accrued,  as  of  such
     Record  Date, or are otherwise properly attributable to  the
     period to which such Income Distribution relates."

      N.    Paragraph (c) of Subsection II of Section 3.05 of the
Standard Terms and Conditions of Trust is hereby amended to  read
as follows:
          
          "On each Distribution Date the Trustee shall distribute
     to  each  Unit holder of record at the close of business  on
     the Record Date immediately preceding such Distribution Date
     an  amount  per  Unit equal to such Unit holder's  pro  rata
     share  of  the  balance of the Capital Account  (except  for
     monies  on  deposit  therein required to  purchase  Contract
     Obligations)  computed as of the close of business  on  such
     Record  Date  after  deduction of any  amounts  provided  in
     Subsection I."
     
     O.    Section 3.05 of Article III of the Standard Terms  and
Conditions  of  Trust is hereby amended to include the  following
subsection:
          
          "Section  3.05.I.(e) deduct from the  Interest  Account
     or,  to  the extent funds are not available in such Account,
     from the Capital Account and pay to the Depositor the amount
     that it is entitled to receive pursuant to Section 3.14.

      P.    Section 3.11 of the Standard Terms and Conditions  of
Trust  is  hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced  with  the
following language:
          
          "Section 3.11. Notice to Depositor.
          
          In  the event that the Trustee shall have been notified
     at  any  time  of any action to be taken or proposed  to  be
     taken  by  at least a legally required number of holders  of
     any  Securities deposited in a Trust, the Trustee shall take
     such  action or omit from taking any action, as appropriate,
     so  as to insure that the Securities are voted as closely as
     possible  in the same manner and the same general proportion
     as are the Securities held by owners other than such Trust.
          
          In  the event that an offer by the issuer of any of the
     Securities  or any other party shall be made  to  issue  new
     securities, or to exchange securities, for Trust Securities,
     the  Trustee shall reject such offer.  However,  should  any
     issuance,    exchange    or   substitution    be    effected
     notwithstanding such rejection or without an initial  offer,
     any  securities,  cash  and/or property  received  shall  be
     deposited   hereunder  and  shall  be  promptly   sold,   if
     securities  or  property,  by the Trustee  pursuant  to  the
     Depositor's  direction,  unless the  Depositor  advises  the
     Trustee  to keep such securities or property.  The Depositor
     may  rely  on  the Portfolio Supervisor in so  advising  the
     Trustee.   The  cash  received in  such  exchange  and  cash
     proceeds  of  any  such sales shall be distributed  to  Unit
     holders  on  the  next distribution date in the  manner  set
     forth  in  Section  3.05  regarding distributions  from  the
     Capital  Account.   The  Trustee  shall  not  be  liable  or
     responsible in any way for depreciation or loss incurred  by
     reason of any such sale.
          
          Neither  the Depositor nor the Trustee shall be  liable
     to  any  person  for any action or failure  to  take  action
     pursuant to the terms of this Section 3.11.
          
          Whenever  new  securities or property is  received  and
     retained  by  a  Trust pursuant to this  Section  3.11,  the
     Trustee shall, within five days thereafter, mail to all Unit
     holders  of  such  Trust notices of such acquisition  unless
     legal counsel for such Trust determines that such notice  is
     not  required  by  The Investment Company Act  of  1940,  as
     amended."
     
     Q.   The first sentence of Section 3.13. shall be amended to
read as follows:
          
          "As  compensation  for providing supervisory  portfolio
     services  under  this  Indenture, the  Portfolio  Supervisor
     shall receive, in arrears, against a statement or statements
     therefor  submitted to the Trustee monthly  or  annually  an
     aggregate  annual  fee in an amount which shall  not  exceed
     $0.0035  per Unit outstanding as of January 1 of  such  year
     except  for  a Trust during the year or years  in  which  an
     initial  offering period as determined in  Section  4.01  of
     this Indenture occurs, in which case the fee for a month  is
     based on the number of Units outstanding at the end of  such
     month (such annual fee to be pro rated for any calendar year
     in  which the Portfolio Supervisor provides services  during
     less  than  the whole of such year), but in no  event  shall
     such   compensation  when  combined  with  all  compensation
     received  from other series of the Trust for providing  such
     supervisory  services  in  any  calendar  year  exceed   the
     aggregate cost to the Portfolio Supervisor for the  cost  of
     providing such services."
     
     R.    Article  III of the Standard Terms and  Conditions  of
Trust  is  hereby  amended by inserting the following  paragraphs
which shall be entitled Section 3.14.:
          
          "Section 3.14. Bookkeeping and Administrative Expenses.
     As   compensation  for  providing  bookkeeping   and   other
     administrative services of a character described in  Section
     26(a)(2)(C)  of the Investment Company Act of  1940  to  the
     extent  such  services  are  in  addition  to,  and  do  not
     duplicate,  the  services to be provided  hereunder  by  the
     Trustee  or  the  Portfolio Supervisor, the Depositor  shall
     receive against a statement or statements therefor submitted
     to  the Trustee monthly or annually an aggregate annual  fee
     in an amount as set forth in the Prospectus times the number
     of Units outstanding as of January 1 of such year except for
     a  year  or  years  in which an initial offering  period  as
     determined  by  Section 4.01 of this  Indenture  occurs,  in
     which  case  the fee for a month is based on the  number  of
     Units outstanding at the end of such month (such annual  fee
     to be pro rated for any calendar year in which the Depositor
     provides  service during less than the whole of such  year),
     but  in no event shall such compensation when combined  with
     all  compensation received from other unit investment trusts
     for which the Depositor hereunder is acting as Depositor for
     providing  such bookkeeping and administrative  services  in
     any calendar year exceed the aggregate cost to the Depositor
     providing  services  to such unit investment  trusts.   Such
     compensation  may,  from time to time, be adjusted  provided
     that  the total adjustment upward does not, at the  time  of
     such   adjustment,  exceed  the  percentage  of  the   total
     increase,  after  the  date hereof, in consumer  prices  for
     services  as  measured  by the United States  Department  of
     Labor Consumer Price Index entitled "All Services Less  Rent
     of Shelter" or similar index, if such index should no longer
     be published.  The consent or concurrence of any Unit holder
     hereunder  shall not be required for any such adjustment  or
     increase.   Such compensation shall be paid by the  Trustee,
     upon receipt of an invoice therefor from the Depositor, upon
     which, as to the cost incurred by the Depositor of providing
     services  hereunder  the  Trustee may  rely,  and  shall  be
     charged against the Income and Capital Accounts on or before
     the  Distribution Date following the Monthly Record Date  on
     which  such  period terminates.  The Trustee shall  have  no
     liability to any Certificateholder or other person  for  any
     payment made in good faith pursuant to this Section.
          
          If  the cash balance in the Income and Capital Accounts
     shall   be  insufficient  to  provide  for  amounts  payable
     pursuant  to this Section 3.14, the Trustee shall  have  the
     power  to  sell  (i)  Securities from the  current  list  of
     Securities  designated to be sold pursuant to  Section  5.02
     hereof,  or  (ii)  if  no  such  Securities  have  been   so
     designated, such Securities as the Trustee may  see  fit  to
     sell in its own discretion, and to apply the proceeds of any
     such sale in payment of the amounts payable pursuant to this
     Section 3.14.
          
          Any  moneys payable to the Depositor pursuant  to  this
     Section  3.14 shall be secured by a prior lien on the  Trust
     Fund except that no such lien shall be prior to any lien  in
     favor  of  the Trustee under the provisions of Section  6.04
     herein.
     
     S.    Article  III of the Standard Terms and  Conditions  of
Trust  is  hereby  amended by inserting the  following  paragraph
which shall be entitled Section 3.15:
          
          "Section   3.15.   Deferred  Sales  Charge.    If   the
     prospectus  related to the Trust specifies a deferred  sales
     charge, the Trustee shall, on the dates specified in and  as
     permitted  by  such Prospectus (the "Deferred  Sales  Charge
     Payment  Dates"),  withdraw from  the  Capital  Account,  an
     amount per Unit specified in such Prospectus and credit such
     amount  to  a  special non-Trust account designated  by  the
     Depositor  out  of which the deferred sales charge  will  be
     distributed  to  or  on the order of the Depositor  on  such
     Deferred  Sales  Charge Payment Dates (the  "Deferred  Sales
     Charge Account").  If the balance in the Capital Account  is
     insufficient to make such withdrawal, the Trustee shall,  as
     directed  by  the  Depositor, advance  funds  in  an  amount
     required to fund the proposed withdrawal and be entitled  to
     reimbursement of such advance upon the deposit of additional
     monies  in  the Capital Account, and/or sell Securities  and
     credit  the  proceeds thereof to the Deferred  Sales  Charge
     Account,  provided,  however,  that  the  aggregate   amount
     advanced  by  the  Trustee at any time for  payment  of  the
     deferred  sales  charge  shall  not  exceed  $15,000.   Such
     direction  shall,  if  the Trustee is  directed  to  sell  a
     Security,  identify  the Security to  be  sold  and  include
     instructions as to the execution of such sale.   If  a  Unit
     holder  redeems Units prior to full payment of the  deferred
     sales  charge,  the  Trustee shall, if so  provided  in  the
     related  Prospectus, on the Redemption Date,  withhold  from
     the  Redemption Price payable to such Unit holder an  amount
     equal to the unpaid portion of the deferred sales charge and
     distribute such amount to the Deferred Sales Charge Account.
     If  pursuant  to  Section 5.02 hereof, the  Depositor  shall
     purchase a Unit tendered for redemption prior to the payment
     in  full  of  the deferred sales charge due on the  tendered
     Unit,  the Depositor shall pay to the Unit holder the amount
     specified under Section 5.02 less the unpaid portion of  the
     deferred  sales  charge.  All advances made by  the  Trustee
     pursuant to this Section shall be secured by a lien  on  the
     Trust prior to the interest of the Unit holders."
     
     T.    Notwithstanding anything to the contrary  in  Sections
3.15  and 4.05 of the Standard Terms and Conditions of Trust,  so
long  as Nike Securities L.P. is acting as Depositor, the Trustee
shall have no power to remove the Portfolio Supervisor.
     
     U.    Section  5.01 of the Standard Terms and Conditions  of
Trust shall be amended as follows:
          
          (i)   The  first  sentence of the  first  paragraph  of
     Section  5.01  shall  be  amended  by  deleting  the  phrase
     "together with all other assets of the Trust" at the end  of
     such  sentence  and adding the following at  the  conclusion
     thereof:   ",  plus (4) amounts representing  organizational
     expenses  paid  from  the  Trust less  amounts  representing
     accrued  organizational expenses of the Trust, plus (5)  all
     other assets of the Trust."
          
          (ii)  The  following shall be added at the end  of  the
     first paragraph of Section 5.01:
               
               Until the Depositor has informed the Trustee  that
          there   will  be  no  further  deposits  of  Additional
          Securities  pursuant to section 2.01(b), the  Depositor
          shall provide the Trustee with written estimates of (i)
          the  total organizational expenses to be borne  by  the
          Trust  pursuant  to  Section 3.01 and  (ii)  the  total
          number  of  Units to be issued in connection  with  the
          initial   deposit  and  all  anticipated  deposits   of
          additional Securities.  For purposes of calculating the
          Trust Fund Evaluation and Unit Value, the Trustee shall
          treat all such anticipated expenses as having been paid
          and  all  liabilities therefor as having been incurred,
          and  all  Units as having been issued, in each case  on
          the  date  of  the Trust Agreement, and, in  connection
          with  each such calculation, shall take into account  a
          pro rata portion of such expense and liability based on
          the  actual  number of Units issued as of the  date  of
          such calculation.  In the event the Trustee is informed
          by the Depositor of a revision in its estimate of total
          expenses or total Units and upon the conclusion of  the
          deposit  of  additional Securities, the  Trustee  shall
          base  calculations  made  thereafter  on  such  revised
          estimates  or actual expenses, respectively,  but  such
          adjustment  shall  not affect calculations  made  prior
          thereto  and  no  adjustment shall be made  in  respect
          thereof.

      V.    Section 5.02 of the Standard Terms and Conditions  of
Trust  is  amended  by  adding  the following  after  the  second
paragraph of such section:
          
          "Notwithstanding  anything herein to the  contrary,  in
     the  event that any tender of Units pursuant to this Section
     5.02  would result in the disposition by the Trustee of less
     than a whole Security, the Trustee shall distribute cash  in
     lieu  thereof  and sell such Securities as directed  by  the
     Sponsors as required to make such cash available.
          
          Subject   to   the  restrictions  set  forth   in   the
     Prospectus, Unit holders may redeem 2,500 Units or more of a
     Trust  and  request a distribution in kind of (i) such  Unit
     holder's pro rata portion of each of the Securities in  such
     Trust,  in  whole shares, and (ii) cash equal to  such  Unit
     holder's pro rata portion of the Income and Capital Accounts
     as  follows:  (x) a pro rata portion of the net proceeds  of
     sale  of  the Securities representing any fractional  shares
     included  in  such  Unit  holder's pro  rata  share  of  the
     Securities  and  (y)  such other cash  as  may  properly  be
     included in such Unit holder's pro rata share of the sum  of
     the  cash balances of the Income and Capital Accounts in  an
     amount equal to the Unit Value determined on the basis of  a
     Trust  Fund Evaluation made in accordance with Section  5.01
     determined by the Trustee on the date of tender less amounts
     determined  in  clauses  (i) and (ii)(x)  of  this  Section.
     Subject  to  Section  5.05  with respect  to  Rollover  Unit
     holders,    if   applicable,   to   the   extent   possible,
     distributions  of  Securities  pursuant  to   an   in   kind
     redemption of Units shall be made by the Trustee through the
     distribution of each of the Securities in book-entry form to
     the  account  of the Unit holder's bank or broker-dealer  at
     the Depository Trust Company.  Any distribution in kind will
     be reduced by customary transfer and registration charges."

     W.   Paragraph (g) of Section 6.01 of the Standard Terms and
Conditions of Trust is hereby amended by inserting the  following
after the first word thereof:
          
          "(i)  the  value of any Trust as shown by an evaluation
     by the Trustee pursuant to Section 5.01 hereof shall be less
     than  the  lower of $2,000,000 or 20% of the total value  of
     Securities  deposited  in  such  Trust  during  the  initial
     offering period, or (ii)"
     
     X.    Section  8.02 of the Standard Terms and Conditions  of
Trust shall be amended as follows:
          
          (i)   The fourth sentence of the second paragraph shall
     be deleted and replaced with the following:
          
          "The Trustee will honor duly executed requests for  in-
     kind  distributions received (accompanied  by  the  electing
     Unit  holder's  Certificate, if  issued)  by  the  close  of
     business   ten   business  days  prior  to   the   Mandatory
     Termination Date."
          
          (ii)   The first sentence of the fourth paragraph shall
     be deleted and replaced with the following:
          
          "Commencing no earlier than the business day  following
     that  date on which Unit holders must submit to the  Trustee
     notice  of  their request to receive an in-kind distribution
     of Securities at termination, the Trustee will liquidate the
     Securities  not segregated for in-kind distributions  during
     such period and in such daily amounts as the Depositor shall
     direct."
     
     IN   WITNESS  WHEREOF,  Nike  Securities  L.P.,  The   Chase
Manhattan  Bank  and First Trust Advisors L.P. have  each  caused
this  Trust Agreement to be executed and the respective corporate
seal  to  be  hereto  affixed  and attested  (if  applicable)  by
authorized  officers;  all as of the day, month  and  year  first
above written.
                                    
                                    NIKE SECURITIES L.P.,
                                       Depositor
                                    
                                    
                                    By Robert M. Porcellino
                                       Vice President
                                
                                    
                                    
                                    THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK,
                                       Trustee
                                    
                                    
                                    By Rosalia A. Raviele
                                       Vice President
[SEAL]

ATTEST:

Joan Currie
Assistant Treasurer
                                    
                                    
                                    FIRST TRUST ADVISORS L.P.,
                                       Evaluator
                                    
                                    
                                    By Robert M. Porcellino
                                       Vice President

                                    
                                    
                                    FIRST TRUST ADVISORS L.P.,
                                       Portfolio Supervisor
                                    
                                    
                                    By Robert M. Porcellino
                                       Vice President

                  SCHEDULE A TO TRUST AGREEMENT

                 Securities Initially Deposited
                             FT 240
     
     (Note:   Incorporated herein and made a part hereof for  the
Trust is the "Schedule of Investments" for the Trust as set forth
in the Prospectus.)







                       CHAPMAN AND CUTLER
                     111 WEST MONROE STREET
                    CHICAGO, ILLINOIS  60603
                                
                                
                                
                        February 26, 1998
                                
                                
                                
                                
Nike Securities L.P.
1001 Warrenville Road
Lisle, Illinois  60532
     
     
     Re:                         FT 240

Gentlemen:
     
     We  have  served  as  counsel for Nike Securities  L.P.,  as
Sponsor   and  Depositor  of  FT  240  in  connection  with   the
preparation,  execution and delivery of a Trust Agreement   dated
February  26, 1998 among Nike Securities L.P., as Depositor,  The
Chase Manhattan Bank, as Trustee and First Trust Advisors L.P. as
Evaluator  and  Portfolio  Supervisor,  pursuant  to  which   the
Depositor has delivered to and deposited the Securities listed in
Schedule  A to the Trust Agreement with the Trustee and  pursuant
to  which  the  Trustee has issued to or  on  the  order  of  the
Depositor  a  certificate or certificates representing  units  of
fractional  undivided  interest in  and  ownership  of  the  Fund
created under said Trust Agreement.
     
     In  connection  therewith, we have examined  such  pertinent
records  and  documents  and matters of law  as  we  have  deemed
necessary  in  order  to  enable  us  to  express  the   opinions
hereinafter set forth.
     
     Based upon the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:
     
     1.   the  execution and delivery of the Trust Agreement  and
the  execution and issuance of certificates evidencing the  Units
in the Fund have been duly authorized; and
     
     2.   the certificates evidencing the Units in the Fund  when
duly  executed and delivered by the Depositor and the Trustee  in
accordance   with   the  aforementioned  Trust  Agreement,   will
constitute  valid  and binding obligations of the  Fund  and  the
Depositor in accordance with the terms thereof.
     
     We  hereby  consent  to the filing of  this  opinion  as  an
exhibit  to  the  Registration  Statement  (File  No.  333-45075)
relating  to the Units referred to above, to the use of our  name
and  to  the reference to our firm in said Registration Statement
and in the related Prospectus.
                                  Respectfully submitted,


                                  CHAPMAN AND CUTLER
EFF:erg




                        CHAPMAN AND CUTLER
                     111 WEST MONROE STREET
                    CHICAGO, ILLINOIS  60603
                                
                                
                                
                        February 26, 1998
                                
                                
                                
Nike Securities L.P.
1001 Warrenville Road
Lisle, Illinois  60532

The Chase Manhattan Bank
4 New York Plaza, 6th Floor
New York, New York  10004-2413
     
     
     Re:                         FT 240

Gentlemen:
     
     We have acted as counsel for Nike Securities L.P., Depositor
of  FT 240 (the "Fund"), in connection with the issuance of units
of  fractional undivided interests in the Trust of said Fund (the
"Trust"),  under a Trust Agreement, dated February 26, 1998  (the
"Indenture"), among Nike Securities L.P., as Depositor, The Chase
Manhattan  Bank,  as Trustee and First Trust  Advisors  L.P.,  as
Evaluator and Portfolio Supervisor.
     
     In  this  connection,  we  have  examined  the  Registration
Statement, the form of Prospectus proposed to be filed  with  the
Securities and Exchange Commission, the Indenture and such  other
instruments and documents we have deemed pertinent.  The opinions
expressed herein assume that the Trust will be administered,  and
investments by the Trust from proceeds of subsequent deposits, if
any, will be made, in accordance with the terms of the Indenture.
The   Trust  holds  Common  Stocks,  REIT  Shares  and   Warrants
(collectively the "Equity Securities") as such terms are  defined
in  the Prospectus.  For purposes of the following discussion and
opinion,  it is assumed that each Equity Security is  equity  for
Federal income tax purposes and that each REIT share represents a
share in an entity treated as a real estate investment trust  for
Federal income tax purposes.
     
     Based  upon the foregoing and upon an investigation of  such
matters  of  law as we consider to be applicable, we are  of  the
opinion  that,  under existing United States federal  income  tax
law:

       I.    The  Trust  is  not  an  association  taxable  as  a
corporation for Federal income tax purposes, but will be governed
by the provisions of subchapter J (relating to trusts) of Chapter
1,  Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the "Code"); each Unit  holder
will be treated as the owner of a pro rata portion of each of the
assets  of the Trust, in the proportion that the number of  Units
held by him bears to the total number of Units outstanding; under
Subpart E, Subchapter J of Chapter 1 of the Code, income  of  the
Trust  will  be  treated as income of the  Unit  holders  in  the
proportion described above; and an item of Trust income will have
the same character in the hands of a Unit holder as it would have
in the hands of the Trustee.  Each Unit holder will be considered
to  have  received his pro rata share of income derived from  the
Trust asset when such income is considered to be received by  the
Trust.

     II.    The price a Unit holder pays for his Units, generally
including sales charges, is allocated among his pro rata  portion
of  each Equity Security held by the Trust (in proportion to  the
fair  market values thereof on the valuation date closest to  the
date  the  Unit holder purchases his Units) in order to determine
his  tax  basis for his pro rata portion of each Equity  Security
held  by  the  Trust.  For Federal income tax  purposes,  a  Unit
holder's pro rata portion of distributions of cash or property by
a  corporation with respect to an Equity Security ("dividends" as
defined by Section 316 of the Code) is taxable as ordinary income
to  the  extent  of  such corporation's current  and  accumulated
"earnings  and  profits."  A Unit holder's pro  rata  portion  of
dividends paid on such Equity Security which exceeds such current
and  accumulated earnings and profits will first  reduce  a  Unit
holder's  tax  basis in such Equity Security, and to  the  extent
that  such  dividends exceed a Unit holder's tax  basis  in  such
Equity  Security  shall  be treated as  gain  from  the  sale  or
exchange  of property.  In general, any such gain will  be  short
term  unless a Unit holder has held his Units for more  than  one
year.  Certain of the issuers of the Equity Securities intent  to
qualify  under special Federal income tax rules as  "real  estate
investment trusts" (a "REIT," shares of such issuer held  by  the
Trust  shall be referred to as the "REIT Shares").  Because  Unit
holders  are deemed directly own a pro rata portion of  the  REIT
Shares  as  discussed above, Unit holders are advised to  consult
their   tax  advisers  for  information  relating  to   the   tax
consequences  of  owning the REIT Shares.  Provided  such  issuer
qualifies as a REIT, certain distributions by such issuer on  the
REIT  Shares may qualify as "capital gain dividends," taxable  to
shareholders (and, accordingly, to the Unit holders as owners  of
a pro rata portion of the REIT Shares) as long-term capital gain,
regardless  of how long a shareholder has owned such shares.   In
addition,  distributions of income or capital gains  declared  on
REIT  Shares in October, November, or December will be deemed  to
have been paid to the shareholders (and, accordingly, to the Unit
holders  as  owners of a pro rata portion of the REIT Shares)  on
December 31 of the year they are declared, even when paid by  the
REIT during the following January and received by shareholders or
Unit holders in such following year.
     
           III.  Gain or loss will be recognized to a Unit holder
(subject  to  various nonrecognition provisions under  the  Code)
upon redemption or sale of his Units, except to the extent an  in
kind  distribution of stock is received by such Unit holder  from
the  Trust as discussed below.  Such gain or loss is measured  by
comparing  the  proceeds  of such redemption  or  sale  with  the
adjusted basis of his Units.  Before adjustment, such basis would
normally  be  cost if the Unit holder had acquired his  Units  by
purchase.  Such basis will be reduced, but not below zero, by the
Unit  holder's pro rata portion of dividends with respect to each
Equity   Security  which  is  not  taxable  as  ordinary  income.
However, any loss realized by a Unit holder with respect  to  the
disposition  of his pro rata portion of the REIT Shares,  to  the
extent  such  Unit holder has owned his Units for less  than  six
months  or the Trust has held the REIT Shares for less  than  six
months,  will be treated as long-term capital loss to the  extent
of  the  Unit  holder's  pro rata portion  of  any  capital  gain
dividends received (or deemed to have been received) with respect
to the REIT Shares.

     IV.    If the Trustee disposes of a Trust asset (whether  by
sale,  exchange, liquidation, redemption, payment on maturity  or
otherwise)  gain  or loss will be recognized  to  a  Unit  holder
(subject to various nonrecognition provisions under the Code) and
the  amount  thereof  will  be measured  by  comparing  the  Unit
holder's aliquot share of the total proceeds from the transaction
with  his basis for his fractional interest in the asset disposed
of.   Such basis is ascertained by apportioning the tax basis for
his Units (as of the date on which the Units were acquired) among
each  of  the Trust's assets (as of the date on which  his  Units
were  acquired)  ratably  according to their  values  as  of  the
valuation date nearest the date on which he purchased the  Units.
A Unit holder's basis in his Units and his fractional interest in
each of the Trust assets must be reduced, but not below zero,  by
the  Unit holder's pro rata portion of dividends with respect  to
each Equity Security which are not taxable as ordinary income.

      V.    Under  the indenture, under certain circumstances,  a
Unit holder tendering Units for redemption may request an in kind
distribution of Equity Securities upon the redemption of Units or
upon  the  termination  of the Trust.  As  previously  discussed,
prior to the redemption of Units or the termination of the Trust,
a  Unit holder is considered as owning a pro rata portion of each
of  the  Trust's assets.  The receipt of an in kind  distribution
will  result in a Unit holder receiving an undivided interest  in
whole  shares of stock and possibly cash.  The potential  federal
income  tax  consequences  which  may  occur  under  an  in  kind
distribution  with respect to each Equity Security owned  by  the
Trust will depend upon whether or not a Unit holder receives cash
in  addition to Equity Securities.  An "Equity Security" for this
purpose  is  a  particular class of stock issued by a  particular
corporation.  A Unit holder will not recognize gain or loss if  a
Unit  holder only receives Equity Securities in exchange for  his
or  her  pro  rata portion in the Equity Securities held  by  the
Trust.   However, if a Unit holder also receives cash in exchange
for  a  fractional share of an Equity Security held by the Trust,
such Unit holder will generally recognize gain or loss based upon
the  difference between the amount of cash received by  the  Unit
holder  and his tax basis in such fractional share of  an  Equity
Security  held  by the Trust.  The total amount of taxable  gains
(or  losses) recognized upon such redemption will generally equal
the  sum  of  the  gain  (or  loss) recognized  under  the  rules
described above by the redeeming Unit holder with respect to each
Equity Security owned by the Trust.
     
     A  domestic  corporation owning Units in the  Trust  may  be
eligible  for  the 70% dividends received deduction  pursuant  to
Section 243(a) of the Code with respect to such Unit holders' pro
rata  portion of dividends received by the Trust (to  the  extent
such  dividends  are  taxable as ordinary  income,  as  discussed
above, and are attributable to domestic corporations), subject to
the  limitations imposed by Sections 246 and 246A  of  the  Code.
However,  dividend received on the REIT Shares are  not  eligible
for the dividends received deduction.
     
     Section  67  of the Code provides that certain miscellaneous
itemized  deductions,  such as investment  expenses,  tax  return
preparation   fees  and  employee  business  expenses   will   be
deductible by an individual only to the extent they exceed 2%  of
such  individual's adjusted gross income.  Unit  holders  may  be
required  to  treat some or all of the expenses of the  Trust  as
miscellaneous itemized deductions subject to this limitation.
     
     A  Unit holder will recognize taxable gain (or loss)when all
or  part of the pro rata interest in an Equity Security is either
sold  by the Trust or redeemed or when a Unit holder disposes  of
his  Units  in a taxable transaction, in each case for an  amount
greater (or less) than his tax basis therefor, subject to various
non-recognition provisions of the Code.
     
     Any  gain  or  loss recognized on a sale or  exchange  will,
under current law, generally be capital gain or loss.
     
     The  scope  of  this  opinion is expressly  limited  to  the
matters  set  forth  herein, and, except as expressly  set  forth
above,  we  express no opinion with respect to any  other  taxes,
including  foreign,  state  or  local  taxes  or  collateral  tax
consequences   with  respect  to  the  purchase,  ownership   and
disposition of Units.
     
     We  hereby  consent  to the filing of  this  opinion  as  an
exhibit  to  the  Registration  Statement  (File  No.  333-45075)
relating  to the Units referred to above and to the  use  of  our
name  and  to  the  reference to our firm  in  said  Registration
Statement and in the related Prospectus.
                                  Very truly yours,



                                  CHAPMAN AND CUTLER

EFF/erg





                    CARTER, LEDYARD & MILBURN
                       COUNSELLORS AT LAW
                          2 WALL STREET
                    NEW YORK, NEW YORK  10005
                                
                                
                        February 26, 1998
                                
                                
                                
The Chase Manhattan Bank, as Trustee of
FT 240
4 New York Plaza, 6th Floor
New York, New York  10004-2413

Attention:     Mr. Thomas Porrazzo
               Vice President
     
     
     Re:                         FT 240

Dear Sirs:
     
     We  are  acting as special counsel with respect to New  York
tax matters for the unit investment trust or trusts contained  in
FT 240 (each, a "Trust"), which will be established under certain
Standard  Terms and Conditions of Trust dated November 20,  1991,
and  a  related  Trust Agreement dated as of today (collectively,
the  "Indenture") among Nike Securities L.P., as  Depositor  (the
"Depositor"),  First  Trust Advisors L.P.,  as  Evaluator,  First
Trust  Advisors  L.P.,  as Portfolio Supervisor,  and  The  Chase
Manhattan  Bank,  as Trustee (the "Trustee").   Pursuant  to  the
terms of the Indenture, units of fractional undivided interest in
the  Trust  (the "Units") will be issued in the aggregate  number
set forth in the Indenture.
     
     We   have  examined  and  are  familiar  with  originals  or
certified   copies,  or  copies  otherwise  identified   to   our
satisfaction,  of such documents as we have deemed  necessary  or
appropriate  for  the purpose of this opinion.   In  giving  this
opinion,  we have relied upon the two opinions, each dated  today
and  addressed to the Trustee, of Chapman and Cutler, counsel for
the  Depositor,  with respect to the matters  of  law  set  forth
therein.
     
     Based upon the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:
     
     1.   The Trust will not constitute an association taxable as
a  corporation under New York law, and accordingly  will  not  be
subject to the New York State franchise tax or the New York  City
general corporation tax.
     
     2.    Under the income tax laws of the State and City of New
York,  the  income of the Trust will be considered the income  of
the holders of the Units.
     
     We  consent  to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit  to
the   Registration  Statement  (No.  333-45075)  filed  with  the
Securities   and   Exchange  Commission  with  respect   to   the
registration  of the sale of the Units and to the  references  to
our  name  under the captions "What is the Federal Tax Status  of
Unit-holders?"   and  "Legal  Opinions"  in   such   Registration
Statement and the preliminary prospectus included therein.
                                    
                                    Very truly yours,
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    CARTER, LEDYARD & MILBURN
                                    




                    CARTER, LEDYARD & MILBURN
                       COUNSELLORS AT LAW
                          2 WALL STREET
                    NEW YORK, NEW YORK  10005
                                
                                
                        February 26, 1998
                                
                                
                                
The Chase Manhattan Bank, as Trustee of
  FT 240
4 New York Plaza, 6th Floor
New York, New York 10004-2413

Attention:     Mr. Thomas Porrazzo
               Vice President


Re:                              FT 240

Dear Sirs:
     
     We  are  acting  as  counsel for The  Chase  Manhattan  Bank
("Chase")  in  connection with the execution and  delivery  of  a
Trust Agreement ("the Trust Agreement") dated today's date (which
Trust  Agreement incorporates by reference certain Standard Terms
and Conditions of Trust dated November 20, 1991, and the same are
collectively  referred to herein as the "Indenture")  among  Nike
Securities  L.P.,  as  Depositor (the "Depositor"),  First  Trust
Advisors  L.P.,  as  Evaluator; First  Trust  Advisors  L.P.,  as
Portfolio  Supervisor;  and Chase, as  Trustee  (the  "Trustee"),
establishing the unit investment trust or trusts included  in  FT
240  (each, a "Trust"), and the confirmation by Chase, as Trustee
under  the  Indenture, that it has registered on the registration
books of the Trust the ownership by the Depositor of a number  of
units  constituting  the  entire  interest  in  the  Trust  (such
aggregate  units  being  herein called "Units"),  each  of  which
represents  an undivided interest in the respective  Trust  which
consists  of common stocks (including, confirmations of contracts
for  the purchase of certain stocks not delivered and cash,  cash
equivalents  or an irrevocable letter of credit or a  combination
thereof,  in  the  amount  required for such  purchase  upon  the
receipt  of  such  stocks),  such stocks  being  defined  in  the
Indenture  as  Securities and referenced in the Schedule  to  the
Indenture.
     
     We   have  examined  the  Indenture,  a  specimen   of   the
certificates  to  be  issued hereunder (the "Certificates"),  the
Closing  Memorandum dated todays date, and such other  documents
as  we  have  deemed necessary in order to render  this  opinion.
Based on the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:
     
     1.    Chase  is  a  duly organized and existing  corporation
having the powers of a Trust Company under the laws of the  State
of New York.
    
    2.     The  Trust  Agreement  has  been  duly  executed   and
delivered  by Chase and, assuming due execution and  delivery  by
the  other  parties  thereto, constitutes the valid  and  legally
binding obligation of Chase.
    
    3.    The  Certificates are in proper form for execution  and
delivery by Chase, as Trustee.
    
    4.    Chase,  as  Trustee, has registered on the registration
books  of  the Trust the ownership of the Units by the Depositor.
Upon  receipt  of  confirmation  of  the  effectiveness  of   the
registration statement for the sale of the Units filed  with  the
Securities  and Exchange Commission under the Securities  Act  of
1933,  the  Trustee may deliver Certificates for such  Units,  in
such names and denominations as the Depositor may request, to  or
upon  the  order  of  the Depositor as provided  in  the  Closing
Memorandum.
    
    5.    Chase,  as Trustee, may lawfully advance to  the  Trust
amounts   as  may  be  necessary  to  provide  periodic  interest
distributions of approximately equal amounts, and be  reimbursed,
without  interest,  for  any  such advances  from  funds  in  the
interest account, as provided in the Indenture.
    
    In  rendering the foregoing opinion, we have not  considered,
among  other  things,  whether  the  Securities  have  been  duly
authorized and delivered.

                                       Very truly yours,


                                       CARTER, LEDYARD & MILBURN





First Trust Advisors L.P.
1001 Warrenville Road
Lisle, Illinois  60532




February 26, 1998


Nike Securities L.P.
1001 Warrenville Road
Lisle, IL  60532

Re:  FT 240

Gentlemen:
     
     We   have  examined  the  Registration  Statement  File  No.
333-45075 for the above captioned fund.  We hereby consent to the
use  in  the  Registration Statement of the references  to  First
Trust Advisors L.P. as evaluator.
     
     You are hereby authorized to file a copy of this letter with
the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Sincerely,

First Trust Advisors L.P.



Robert M. Porcellino
Vice President



<TABLE> <S> <C>



<ARTICLE>  6
<LEGEND> This schedule contains summary financial information extracted
from Amendment number 1 to form S-6 and is qualified in its entirety by
reference to such Amendment number 1 to form S-6.
</LEGEND>                        
<SERIES>                         
<NUMBER>                         3
<NAME>                           Midwest Financial Institutions Trust
<MULTIPLIER>                     1
                                                                    
<S>                                             <C>                 
<PERIOD-TYPE>                                   Other               
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                               FEB-26-1998         
<PERIOD-START>                                  FEB-26-1998         
<PERIOD-END>                                    FEB-26-1998         
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST>                           990,138             
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE>                          990,138             
<RECEIVABLES>                                   0                   
<ASSETS-OTHER>                                  0                   
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS>                            0                   
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                  990,138             
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES>                        0                   
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT>                         0                   
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES>                       0                   
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES>                             0                   
<SENIOR-EQUITY>                                 0                   
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON>                        990,138             
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK>                            100,013            
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR>                            100,013            
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT>                       0                   
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII>                          0                   
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS>                         0                   
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS>                        0                   
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC>                        0                   
<NET-ASSETS>                                    990,138             
<DIVIDEND-INCOME>                               0                   
<INTEREST-INCOME>                               0                   
<OTHER-INCOME>                                  0                   
<EXPENSES-NET>                                  0                   
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME>                         0                   
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT>                        0                   
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT>                       0                   
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS>                           0                   
<EQUALIZATION>                                  0                   
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME>                       0                   
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS>                        0                   
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER>                           0                   
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD>                         0                   
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED>                     0                   
<SHARES-REINVESTED>                             0                   
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS>                          0                   
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR>                         0                   
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR>                       0                   
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR>                         0                   
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR>                      0                   
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES>                           0                   
<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                              0                   
<GROSS-EXPENSE>                                 0                   
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS>                            0                   
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN>                           0                   
<PER-SHARE-NII>                                 0                   
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC>                         0                   
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND>                            0                   
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS>                       0                   
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL>                            0                   
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END>                             0                   
<EXPENSE-RATIO>                                 0                   
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING>                          0                   
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE>                            0                   
                                            


</TABLE>


© 2022 IncJournal is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission