NUVEEN INSURED TAX FREE BOND FUND INC
497, 1995-06-13
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<PAGE>
 
NUVEEN INSURED TAX-FREE BOND FUND, INC.
Prospectus
June 13, 1995
NUVEEN INSURED MUNICIPAL BOND FUND
NUVEEN MASSACHUSETTS INSURED TAX-FREE VALUE FUND
NUVEEN NEW YORK INSURED TAX-FREE VALUE FUND
Nuveen Insured Tax-Free Bond Fund, Inc. is an open-end investment company con-
sisting of the three tax-free mutual funds named above (the "Funds"). Each Fund
represents a separate portfolio, which is designed to provide as high a level
of current interest income exempt from both regular federal income tax and ap-
plicable state personal income tax as is consistent, in the view of the Fund's
management, with preservation of capital. Each Fund invests in long-term Munic-
ipal Obligations which are either covered by insurance guaranteeing the timely
payment of principal and interest or backed by an escrow or trust account con-
taining sufficient U.S. Government or U.S. Government agency securities to en-
sure timely payment of principal and interest. SEE PAGE 19 FOR FURTHER INFORMA-
TION ABOUT MUNICIPAL BOND INSURANCE. Each Fund invests in Municipal Obligations
judged by the Fund's investment adviser to offer the best values among Munici-
pal Obligations of similar credit quality. Nuveen Insured Municipal Bond Fund
(the "National Fund") purchases Municipal Obligations issued within the 50
states and certain U.S. possessions or territories, while Nuveen Massachusetts
Insured Tax-Free Value Fund (the "Massachusetts Fund") and Nuveen New York In-
sured Tax-Free Value Fund (the "New York Fund") purchase Municipal Obligations
issued within their respective states.
 Each Fund has adopted a Flexible Sales Charge Program which provides you with
alternative ways of purchasing Fund shares based upon your individual invest-
ment needs and preferences. You may purchase Class A Shares at a price equal to
their net asset value plus an up-front sales charge. You may purchase Class C
Shares without any up-front sales charge at a price equal to their net asset
value, but subject to an annual distribution fee designed to compensate securi-
ties dealers over time for the sale of Fund shares. Class C Shares issued on or
after June 13, 1995 are subject to a 1% contingent deferred sales charge
("CDSC") for redemptions within 12 months of purchase. Class C Shares automati-
cally convert to Class A Shares six years after purchase. Both Class A Shares
and Class C Shares are also subject to annual service fees, which are used to
compensate securities dealers for providing you with ongoing account services.
Under the Flexible Sales Charge Program, all Fund shares outstanding as of Sep-
tember 6, 1994, have been designated as Class R Shares. Class R Shares are
available for purchase at a price equal to their net asset value only under
certain limited circumstances, or by specified investors, as described herein.
See "How to Buy Fund Shares."
 This Prospectus contains information you should know before investing in the
Funds. Please retain it for future reference. You can find more detailed infor-
mation about the Funds in the "Statement of Additional Information" dated June
13, 1995. For a free copy of this Statement, write to the Funds, c/o John
Nuveen & Co. Incorporated, 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606, or call
Nuveen toll-free at 800-621-7227. The Statement has been filed with the Securi-
ties and Exchange Commission and is incorporated by reference into this Pro-
spectus.
Shares of the Funds are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed or en-
dorsed by, any bank and are not federally insured by the Federal Deposit Insur-
ance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board, or any other agency. Shares of the
Funds involve investment risks, including the possible loss of principal.
THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SECURITIES AND
EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION NOR HAS THE SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION PASSED UPON THE AC-
CURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A
CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
JOHN NUVEEN & CO. INCORPORATED
FOR INFORMATION, CALL TOLL-FREE 800-621-7227
<PAGE>
 
                    CONTENTS
 
                 3  Summary of Fund Expenses
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                 5  How to Determine if One of the Funds Is Right for You
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                10  Financial Highlights
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                16  Who Is Responsible for the Operation of the Funds?
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                17  What are the Funds' Investment Objectives and Policies?
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                25  Flexible Sales Charge Program
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                27  How to Buy Fund Shares
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                39  Distribution and Service Plans
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                40  How to Redeem Fund Shares
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                43  Management of the Funds
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                46  How the Funds Show Performance
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                49  Distributions and Taxes
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                53  Net Asset Value
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                53  General Information
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                    Appendix A--Special State Factors and State Tax Treatment
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                    Appendix B--Taxable Equivalent Yield Tables
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                    Application
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
2
<PAGE>
 
                    SUMMARY OF FUND EXPENSES
 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                             EACH FUND
  SHAREHOLDER TRANSACTION EXPENSES                    -----------------------
  (AS A PERCENT OF OFFERING PRICE)                    CLASS A CLASS C CLASS R
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  <S>                                                 <C>     <C>     <C>
  Maximum Sales Load Imposed on Purchases               4.50%    None    None
  Maximum Sales Load Imposed on Reinvested Dividends     None    None    None
  Deferred Sales Charge (for redemptions within 12
   months of purchase)                                   None   1.00%    None
  Redemption Fees                                        None    None    None
  Exchange Fees                                          None    None    None
</TABLE>
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
  ANNUAL OPERATING
  EXPENSES, AFTER
  FEE WAIVERS AND                                                     TOTAL
  EXPENSE                                                         EXPENSES,
  REIMBURSEMENTS (AS                                            WITHOUT FEE
  A PERCENT OF                                OTHER             WAIVERS AND
  AVERAGE DAILY NET    MANAGEMENT   12B-1 OPERATING    TOTAL        EXPENSE
  ASSETS)(1)                 FEES FEES(2)  EXPENSES EXPENSES REIMBURSEMENTS
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
  <S>                  <C>        <C>     <C>       <C>      <C>
  NATIONAL FUND
   Class A                .21%      .25%    .54%     1.00%       1.27%
   Class C                .48%     1.00%    .27%     1.75%       1.75%
   Class R                .48%      None    .16%      .64%        .64%
  MASSACHUSETTS FUND
   Class A                .34%      .25%    .56%     1.15%       1.36%
   Class C                .37%     1.00%    .53%     1.90%       2.08%
   Class R                .55%      None    .24%      .79%        .79%
  NEW YORK FUND
   Class A                .46%      .25%    .34%     1.05%       1.13%
   Class C                .02%     1.00%    .78%     1.80%       2.32%
   Class R                .54%      None    .11%      .65%        .65%
</TABLE>
                    --------
                    (1) In order to prevent total operating expenses (ex-
                        cluding any distribution or service fees) from ex-
                        ceeding .975 of 1% of the average daily net asset
                        value of any class of shares of a Fund, Nuveen Ad-
                        visory has agreed to waive all or a portion of its
                        management fees or reimburse certain expenses of
                        each Fund. Nuveen Advisory may also voluntarily
                        agree to reimburse additional expenses from time to
                        time, which voluntary reimbursements, may be termi-
                        nated at any time in its discretion.
 
                    (2) Class C Shares are subject to an annual distribu-
                        tion fee of .75 of 1% of average daily net assets
                        to compensate Authorized Dealers over time for the
                        sale of Fund shares. Both Class A Shares and Class
                        C Shares of each Fund are subject to an annual
                        service fee of .25 of 1% of average daily net as-
                        sets to compensate Authorized Dealers for ongoing
                        account services. See "Distribution and Service
                        Plans." Long-term holders of Class C Shares may pay
                        more in Rule 12b-1 fees than the economic equiva-
                        lent of the maximum front-end sales charge permit-
                        ted under the National Association of Securities
                        Dealers Rules of Fair Practice.
 
                    The purpose of the tables above is to help you under-
                    stand all expenses and fees that you would bear di-
                    rectly or indirectly as a Fund shareholder. The ex-
                    penses and fees shown are for the fiscal year ended
                    February 28, 1995.
 
                                                                               3
<PAGE>
 
                    SUMMARY OF FUND EXPENSES (CONTINUED)
 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                    EXAMPLE*
 
                    You would pay the following expenses on a $1,000 in-
                    vestment over various time periods, assuming (1) a 5%
                    annual rate of return and (2) redemption at the end of
                    each time period:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                1 YEAR   3 YEARS 5 YEARS 10 YEARS
                    ---------------------------------------------
            <S>                 <C>      <C>     <C>     <C>
            NATIONAL FUND
             Class A               $55       $75    $ 98     $162
             Class C               $28**     $55    $ 95     $168
             Class R               $ 7       $20    $ 36     $ 80
            MASSACHUSETTS FUND
             Class A               $56       $80    $105     $178
             Class C               $29**     $60    $103     $185
             Class R               $ 8       $25    $ 44     $ 98
            NEW YORK FUND
             Class A               $55       $77    $100     $167
             Class C               $28**     $57    $ 97     $174
             Class R               $ 7       $21    $ 36     $ 81
</TABLE>
                    --------
                    *This example does not represent past or future ex-
                    penses. Actual expenses may be greater or less than
                    those shown. Moreover, a Fund's actual rate of return
                    may be greater or less than the hypothetical 5% return
                    shown in this example. This example assumes that the
                    percentage amounts listed under Annual Operating Ex-
                    penses remain the same in each of the periods. The ten-
                    year figure for Class C Shares reflects the automatic
                    conversion of Class C Shares into Class A Shares six
                    years after purchase. Based on the foregoing assump-
                    tions, the expenses incurred on an investment in Class
                    C Shares will exceed the expenses incurred on an in-
                    vestment in Class A Shares sometime in the sixth year
                    after purchase. You should also note that Class R
                    Shares are available for purchase only under certain
                    limited circumstances, or by specified investors. For
                    additional information about each Fund's fees and ex-
                    penses, see "Distribution and Service Plans" and "Man-
                    agement of the Funds."
 
                    **If shares were purchased before June 13, 1995 or held
                    longer than 12 months, so that no CDSC is imposed, ex-
                    penses in the first year would be $18 for the National
                    and New York Funds and $19 for the Massachusetts Fund.
 
4
<PAGE>
 
                    HOW TO DETERMINE IF ONE OF THE FUNDSIS RIGHT FOR YOU
 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    There are many reasons why you might invest in one of
                    the Funds.
                    These can include:
 
                    . lowering the tax burden on your investment income
 
                    . earning regular monthly dividends
 
                    . seeking to preserve your investment capital
 
                    . systematically setting money aside for retirement,
                      college funding or estate planning purposes
 
                    While there can be no assurance that the Funds will en-
                    able you to achieve your individual investment goals,
                    they have been designed for investors who have these
                    kinds of investment goals in mind.
 
                    In addition, each Fund incorporates the following fea-
                    tures and benefits. You should carefully review the
                    more detailed description of these features and bene-
                    fits elsewhere in the Prospectus to make sure they
                    serve your individual investment goals.
 
 MONTHLY, TAX-      Each Fund provides monthly dividends exempt from regu-
 FREE INCOME        lar federal income tax, and in the case of the
                    Massachussetts and New York Funds, from applicable
                    state personal income taxes for in-state residents.
 
 DIVERSIFIED,       Each Fund purchases Municipal Obligations which are ei-
 INSURED            ther covered by insurance guaranteeing the timely pay-
 PORTFOLIO          ment of principal and interest or backed by an escrow
                    or trust account containing sufficient U.S. Government
                    or U.S. Government agency securities to ensure timely
                    payment of principal and interest. The National Fund
                    purchases Municipal Obligations issued within the 50
                    states and certain U.S. possessions or territories. The
                    Massachusetts Fund and the New York Fund purchase Mu-
                    nicipal Obligations issued within their respective
                    states. Each Fund is diversified and maintains diver-
                    sity within its portfolio by selecting Municipal Obli-
                    gations of different issuers. Each Fund further en-
                    hances its portfolio mix by purchasing Municipal Obli-
                    gations of different types and purposes, and the Na-
                    tional Fund also purchases Municipal Obligations from
                    different geographic regions across the country.
 
                                                                               5
<PAGE>
 
 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 EXPERIENCED        Each Fund is managed by Nuveen Advisory Corp. ("Nuveen
 MANAGEMENT         Advisory"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of John Nuveen &
                    Co. Incorporated ("Nuveen"). Founded in 1898, Nuveen is
                    the oldest and largest investment banking firm in the
                    country devoted exclusively to tax-exempt securities.
                    Nuveen Advisory currently manages 76 different tax-free
                    portfolios representing approximately $30 billion in
                    assets.
 
 VALUE INVESTING    As a guiding policy, Nuveen Advisory's portfolio manag-
                    ers seek undervalued, insured Municipal Obligations
                    which offer the best values among Municipal Obligations
                    of similar credit quality. By selecting these Municipal
                    Obligations, Nuveen Advisory seeks to position each
                    Fund better to achieve its investment objective of as
                    high a level of current interest income exempt from
                    both regular federal income tax and applicable state
                    personal income tax as is consistent, in the view of
                    the Fund's management, with preservation of capital,
                    regardless of which direction the market may move. Each
                    Fund's policy of investing in insured Municipal Obliga-
                    tions may limit the extent to which it will achieve its
                    value investing strategy.
 
 NUVEEN RESEARCH    Nuveen Advisory's portfolio managers call upon the re-
                    sources of Nuveen's Research Department, the largest in
                    the investment banking industry devoted exclusively to
                    tax-exempt securities. Nuveen research analysts re-
                    viewed in 1994 more than $100 billion of tax-exempt se-
                    curities sold in new issue and secondary markets.
 
 LOW MINIMUMS       You can start earning tax-free income with a low ini-
                    tial investment of $1,000 in a particular class. See
                    "How to Buy Fund Shares."
 
 FLEXIBLE SALES     For many investors, working with a professional finan-
 CHARGE PROGRAM     cial adviser is an important part of their financial
                    strategy. Because Nuveen recognizes the value a finan-
                    cial adviser can provide in developing and implementing
                    a comprehensive plan for your financial future,
                    Nuveen's open-end long-term bond funds ("Nuveen Mutual
                    Funds") are sold with a sales charge, either at the
                    time of purchase or over time in the form of a distri-
                    bution fee. This provides your financial adviser with
                    compensation for the professional advice and service
                    you receive in financial planning and investment selec-
                    tion.
 
                    Each Fund has adopted a Flexible Sales Charge Program
                    which provides you with alternative ways of purchasing
                    Fund shares based upon your individual investment needs
                    and preferences. As described below, each
 
6
<PAGE>
 
 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    Fund offers Class A Shares, Class C Shares and, under
                    certain limited circumstances, Class R Shares. In de-
                    ciding which class of a Fund's shares to purchase, you
                    should consider all relevant factors, including the
                    dollar amount of your purchase, the length of time you
                    expect to hold the shares and whether a CDSC would ap-
                    ply, the amount of any applicable up-front sales
                    charge, the amount of any applicable distribution or
                    service fee that may be incurred while you own the
                    shares, and whether or not you will be reinvesting in-
                    come or capital gain distributions in additional
                    shares. For assistance with this decision, please refer
                    to the tables under "Summary of Fund Expenses" on page
                    3 of this Prospectus which set forth examples of the
                    expenses applicable to each class of shares, or consult
                    your financial adviser. The following summary describes
                    the three classes of shares offered by each Fund:
 
                    Class A Shares
                    . available at net asset value plus an up-front sales
                      charge
                    . certain purchasers qualify for a reduction or waiver
                      of the up-front sales charge
                    . annual service fee to compensate securities dealers
                      who have sales agreements with Nuveen ("Authorized
                      Dealers") for providing you with ongoing account
                      services
 
                    Class C Shares
                    . available at net asset value without any up-front
                      sales charge
                    . annual distribution fee to compensate Authorized
                      Dealers over time for the sale of Fund shares
                    . automatic tax-free conversion to Class A Shares six
                      years after purchase
                    . annual service fee to compensate Authorized Dealers
                      for providing you with ongoing account services
                    . 1% CDSC on shares purchased on or after June 13, 1995
                      and redeemed within 12 months of purchase
 
                    Class R Shares
                    . if you owned Fund shares as of September 6, 1994,
                      those shares have been designated as Class R Shares
                    . available for purchase under certain limited circum-
                      stances, or by specified investors, at net asset
                      value without any sales charge or annual distribution
                      or service fees
 
                    See "Flexible Sales Charge Program" and "How to Buy
                    Fund Shares" for additional information about the three
                    classes of shares offered by each Fund.
 
                                                                               7
<PAGE>
 
 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 AUTOMATIC          The Funds offer a number of investment options, includ-
 DEPOSIT PLANS      ing automatic deposit, direct deposit and payroll de-
                    duction, to help you add to your account on a regular
                    basis.
 
 AUTOMATIC          All monthly dividends or capital gains paid by your
 REINVESTMENT       Fund on each class of shares will be reinvested auto-
                    matically into additional shares of the same class
                    without a sales charge unless you elect to receive them
                    in cash. Separately, distributions from any Nuveen unit
                    investment trust (a "Nuveen UIT") may be used to buy
                    Class A Shares and, under certain circumstances, Class
                    R Shares of a Fund, in either case without a sales
                    charge at net asset value.
 
 EXCHANGE           Shares of a class may be quickly and easily exchanged
 PRIVILEGE          by telephone, without a sales charge, for shares of the
                    same or equivalent class of another Nuveen Mutual Fund
                    or for shares of certain Nuveen money market funds.
                    Class R Shares of a Fund may be exchanged for Class A
                    Shares of the same Fund at any time, provided that the
                    current net asset value of those Class R Shares is at
                    least $1,000 or you already own Class A Shares of that
                    Fund.
 
 LIQUIDITY          You may redeem all or a portion of your Fund shares on
                    any business day at the net asset value next computed
                    for the class of shares you are redeeming. An investor
                    purchasing Class C Shares on or after June 13, 1995
                    agrees to pay a CDSC of 1% if Class C Shares are re-
                    deemed within 12 months of purchase. Each Fund will re-
                    deem shares at net asset value and deduct any applica-
                    ble CDSC from the proceeds of the redemption. Remember
                    that share prices will fluctuate with market conditions
                    and upon redemption may be worth more or less than
                    their original cost. See "How to Redeem Fund Shares."
 
 AUTOMATIC          If you own shares totalling $10,000 or more, you can
 WITHDRAWAL         arrange to have $50 or more sent to you from your ac-
                    count either monthly or quarterly.
 
 TELEPHONE          You may establish free telephone redemption privileges
 REDEMPTIONS        for your account.
 
 
 NO REDEMPTION      There are no fees imposed by the Funds for selling
 FEES               shares when redeeming all or part of your holdings.
                    However, your financial adviser may charge you for
                    serving as agent in the redemption of shares.
 
 
8
<PAGE>
 
 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 RISKS AND          You should consider certain other factors about the
 SPECIAL            Funds before investing. As with other bond mutual funds
 CONSIDERATIONS     or any long-term, fixed income investment, the value of
                    a Fund's portfolio will tend to vary inversely with
                    changes in prevailing interest rates. Accordingly, each
                    Fund should be considered a long-term investment, de-
                    signed to provide the best results when held for a mul-
                    ti-year period. A Fund may not be suitable if you have
                    a short-term investment horizon. Additionally, the
                    portfolio of the Massachusetts Fund and the New York
                    Fund may each be susceptible to political, economic or
                    regulatory developments affecting issuers of Municipal
                    Obligations in its state. The Funds also have the abil-
                    ity to engage in certain investment practices, includ-
                    ing the purchase of Municipal Obligations that pay in-
                    terest subject to the federal alternative minimum tax,
                    the purchase or sale of securities on a when-issued or
                    delayed delivery basis, the purchase or sale of munici-
                    pal lease and installment purchase obligations, and the
                    purchase or sale of futures or options for hedging pur-
                    poses. The National Fund to date has not invested in
                    Municipal Obligations that pay interest subject to the
                    federal alternative minimum tax and has no present in-
                    tention of doing so. As described elsewhere in this
                    Prospectus, the Funds have no present intention of pur-
                    chasing or selling futures or options, and may engage
                    in the other investment practices listed above only un-
                    der strict limits.
 
                                                                               9
<PAGE>
 
                  FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
 
                  The following financial information has been de-
                  rived from Nuveen Insured Tax-Free Bond Fund,
                  Inc.'s financial statements, which have been au-
                  dited by Arthur Andersen LLP, independent public
                  accountants, as indicated in their report appearing
                  in the Annual Report to Shareholders, and should be
                  read in conjunction with the financial statements
                  and related notes appearing in the Annual Report. A
                  copy of the Annual Report to Shareholders which
                  contains additional unaudited performance informa-
                  tion can be obtained without charge by writing to
                  Nuveen Insured Tax-Free Bond Fund, Inc.
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                    Operating Performance            Distributions
                         --------------------------------------------------------------
                                                         Net
                                                    realized
                                                         and
                         Net asset                unrealized
                          value at          Net  gain (loss)           Net
                         beginning   investment         from    investment      Capital
                         of period       income  investments+++     income        gains
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                  <C>           <C>           <C>            <C>        <C>
 NATIONAL
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Class A
 9/7/94 to 2/28/95         $10.310        $.264*       $.115       $(.273)      $(.016)
 Class C
 9/8/94 to 2/28/95          10.290         .227*        .075        (.266)       (.016)
 Class R
 Year Ended,
 2/28/95                    10.810         .573        (.407)       (.580)       (.016)
 2/28/94                    10.850         .574         .012        (.565)       (.061)
 2/28/93                    10.030         .591         .880        (.589)       (.062)
 2/29/92                     9.690         .612         .425        (.617)       (.080)
 2/28/91                     9.520         .617         .198        (.611)       (.034)
 2/28/90                     9.350         .627         .262        (.630)       (.089)
 2/28/89                     9.300         .629         .050        (.629)           --
 2/29/88                     9.790         .637*       (.490)       (.637)           --
 12/10/86 to 2/28/87         9.600         .127*        .190        (.127)           --
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
See notes on page 14.
 
10
<PAGE>
 
                   On September 6, 1994, the Funds commenced selling
                   Class A and Class C Shares. All Fund shares out-
                   standing as of September 6, 1994, have been desig-
                   nated as Class R Shares.
 
                   Selected data for a Class A Share, Class C Share or
                   Class R Share outstanding throughout each period is
                   as follows:
 
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                           Ratios/Supplemental data
                            ------------------------------------------------------------
    Net
  asset
  value   Total return                                         Ratio of net
 at end             on     Net assets            Ratio of investment income    Portfolio
     of        net assetend of period expenses to average        to average     turnover
 period          value+(in thousands)+         net assets        net assets         rate
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>      <C>           <C>            <C>                 <C>               <C>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$10.400          3.84%        $14,097             1.00%*+           5.55%*+          25%
 10.310           3.09          3,979             1.75*+            4.83*+            25
 10.380           1.85        736,702              .64              5.67              25
 10.810           5.47        745,914              .65              5.21              11
 10.850          15.24        567,232              .72              5.68              20
 10.030          11.03        306,853              .73              6.12              45
  9.690           8.94        178,931              .80              6.45              53
  9.520           9.73        111,806              .83              6.49              78
  9.350           7.63         66,049              .87              6.83             106
  9.300           2.00         41,330              .60*             6.93*             88
  9.790           3.31         13,160                  --           4.00*+            --
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
 
                                                                              11
<PAGE>
 
                  FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS (CONTINUED)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                    Operating Performance            Distributions
                        ----------------------------------------------------------------
                                                         Net
                                                    realized
                                                         and
                         Net asset                unrealized
                          value at          Net  gain (loss)           Net
                         beginning   investment         from    investment       Capital
                         of period       income  investments+++     income         gains
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                  <C>           <C>           <C>            <C>         <C>
 MA
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Class A
 9/7/94 to 2/28/95         $10.030        $.249*      $ .039        $(.258)           --
 Class C
 9/15/94 to 2/28/95          9.910         .202*        .137         (.209)           --
 Class R
 Year ended,
 2/28/95                    10.450         .545        (.386)        (.549)           --
 2/28/94                    10.440         .537           --         (.527)           --
 2/28/93                     9.650         .551         .784         (.545)           --
 2/29/92                     9.360         .570         .301         (.581)           --
 2/28/91                     9.140         .568         .219         (.567)           --
 2/28/90                     8.960         .571*        .178         (.569)           --
 2/28/89                     9.030         .576*       (.070)        (.576)           --
 2/29/88                     9.540         .582*       (.510)        (.582)           --
 12/10/86 to 2/28/87         9.600         .131*       (.060)        (.131)           --
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
See notes on page 14.
 
12
<PAGE>
 
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                           Ratios/Supplemental data
                            ------------------------------------------------------------
    Net
  asset
  value   Total return                                         Ratio of net
 at end             on     Net assets            Ratio of investment income    Portfolio
     of        net assetend of period expenses to average        to average     turnover
 period          value+(in thousands)+         net assets        net assets         rate
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>      <C>           <C>            <C>                 <C>               <C>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$10.060          2.99%        $ 1,956             1.15%*+           5.34%*+          10%
 10.040           3.52            338             1.90*+            4.58*+            10
 10.060           1.77         57,137              .79              5.54              10
 10.450           5.22         58,255              .84              5.09               3
 10.440          14.28         47,098              .86              5.47               2
  9.650           9.57         28,189              .72              5.93               5
  9.360           8.95         15,625              .85              6.19               6
  9.140           8.52          8,649              .97*             6.17*             15
  8.960           5.84          5,404              .97*             6.44*             41
  9.030           1.14          4,895              .59*             6.53*             42
  9.540            .75          2,312                  --           5.82*+            --
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
 
                                                                              13
<PAGE>
 
                  FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS (CONTINUED)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                     Operating Performance           Distributions
                         ---------------------------------------------------------------
                                                Net realized
                                                         and
                        Net asset                 unrealized
                         value at           Net  gain (loss)            Net
                        beginning    investment         from     investment      Capital
                        of period        income  investments+++      income        gains
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                 <C>            <C>          <C>            <C>          <C>
 NY
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Class A
 9/7/94 to 2/28/95        $10.160        $.253*       $.037         $(.260)    $(.040)**
 Class C
 9/14/94 to 2/28/95        10.030         .207*        .133          (.210)     (.040)**
 Class R
 Year ended,
  2/28/95                  10.630         .555        (.440)         (.555)     (.040)**
  2/28/94                  10.620         .550         .035          (.543)     (.032)
  2/28/93                   9.780         .566         .849          (.562)     (.013)
  2/29/92                   9.320         .590         .467          (.597)       --
  2/28/91                   9.250         .598         .068          (.596)       --
  2/28/90                   9.060         .596         .190          (.596)       --
  2/28/89                   9.100         .593*       (.040)         (.593)       --
  2/29/88                   9.830         .606*       (.730)         (.606)       --
 12/10/86 to
 2/28/87                    9.600         .130*        .230          (.130)       --
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
  *Reflects the waiver of certain management fees and reimbursement of
  certain other expenses by Nuveen Advisory. For additional information
  about Nuveen Advisory's fee waivers and expense reimbursements, see
  note 7 of Notes to Financial Statements in the Annual Report to Share-
  holders.
 **The amounts shown include distributions in excess of capital gains of
  $.0015 per share.
  +Annualized.
 ++Total Return on Net Asset Value is the combination of reinvested div-
  idend income, reinvested capital gain distributions, if any, and
  changes in net asset value per share.
+++Net of taxes, if applicable. See note 1 of Notes to Financial State-
  ments in Annual Report to Shareholders.
 
14
<PAGE>
 
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                            Ratios/Supplemental data
                           ----------------------------------------------------------------
    Net
  asset
  value   Total return                                          Ratio of net
 at end             on     Net assets            Ratio of  investment income
     of        net assetend of period expenses to average         to average      Portfolio
 period          value+(in thousands)+         net assets         net assets  turnover rate
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>      <C>           <C>            <C>                  <C>                <C>
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$10.150          3.01%       $  7,258             1.05%*+            5.41%*+            11%
 10.120          3.53             285             1.80*+             4.65*+              11
 10.150          1.37         345,121              .65               5.57                11
 10.630          5.57         388,176              .68               5.11                 5
 10.620         14.96         314,877              .73               5.56                 6
  9.780         11.66         167,048              .69               6.08                 4
  9.320          7.61          80,484              .73               6.46                13
  9.250          8.75          40,372              .85               6.35                30
  9.060          6.37          20,206              .97*              6.58*               62
  9.100          (.85)         14,078              .61*              6.73*               36
  9.830          3.76           5,177              --                4.97*+              --
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
 
                                                                              15
<PAGE>
 
                    WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OPERATION OF THE FUNDS?
 
                    The following organizations work together to provide the
                    services and features offered by the Funds:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
            ORGANIZATION                   FUNCTION                 DUTIES
                    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
            <C>                            <C>                      <S>
            John Nuveen & Co. Incorporated Fund Sponsor and Princi- Sponsors and manages the
            ("Nuveen")                     pal                      offering of Fund shares;
                                           Underwriter              provides certain
                                                                    administrative services
            Nuveen Advisory Corp.          Investment Adviser       Manages the Funds'
            ("Nuveen Advisory")                                     investment portfolios
                                                                    and provides day-to-day
                                                                    administrative services
                                                                    to the Funds
            Shareholder Services, Inc.     Transfer Agent; Share-   Maintains shareholder
            ("SSI")                        holder                   accounts, handles share
                                           Services Agent; Dividend redemptions and
                                           Paying Agent             exchanges and dividend
                                                                    payments
            United States Trust Company    Custodian                Maintains custody of the
            of New York ("US Trust")                                Funds' investments and
                                                                    provides certain
                                                                    accounting services to
                                                                    the Funds
</TABLE>
 
                    The Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A., has agreed to become
                    successor to U.S. Trust, as Custodian and Fund Accoun-
                    tant. The succession is presently scheduled for July 1,
                    1995. No changes in the Fund's administration or in the
                    amount of fees and expenses paid by the Funds for these
                    services will result, and no action by shareholders will
                    be required.
 
16
<PAGE>
 
                    WHAT ARE THE FUNDS' INVESTMENT OBJECTIVESAND POLICIES?
INVESTMENT          The investment objective of each Fund is to provide you
OBJECTIVES          with as high a level of current interest income exempt
                    from both regular federal income tax and applicable
                    state personal income tax as is consistent, in the view
                    of the Fund's management, with preservation of capital.
                    This investment objective is a fundamental policy of
                    each Fund and may not be changed without the approval of
                    the holders of a majority of the shares of that Fund.
                    There can be no assurance that the investment objective
                    of any Fund will be achieved.
 
Each Fund is
designed to
provide income
free from federal
and applicable
state personal
income taxes.
 
HOW THE FUNDS       Value Investing. Nuveen Advisory believes that in any
PURSUE THEIR        market environment there are quality Municipal Obliga-
OBJECTIVES          tions whose current price, yield, credit quality and fu-
                    ture prospects make them seem underpriced or exception-
                    ally attractive when compared with other Municipal Obli-
                    gations in the market. Value investing for the Funds
                    will ordinarily involve purchases of undervalued or un-
                    derrated uninsured Municipal Obligations which would
                    then be covered by insurance, or undervalued insured Mu-
                    nicipal Obligations. In selecting investments for the
                    Funds, Nuveen Advisory will attempt to identify and pur-
                    chase those undervalued, insured Municipal Obligations
                    that offer the best values among Municipal Obligations
                    of similar credit quality. By selecting these Municipal
                    Obligations, each Fund will seek to provide attractive
                    current tax-free income and to protect the Fund's net
                    asset value in both rising and declining markets. In
                    this way, regardless of the direction the market may
                    move, value investing, if successful, will better posi-
                    tion each Fund to achieve its investment objective of as
                    high a level of current interest income exempt from both
                    regular federal income tax and applicable state personal
                    income tax as is consistent, in the view of the Fund's
                    management, with preservation of capital. Each Fund's
                    policy of investing in insured Municipal Obligations may
                    limit the extent to which it will achieve its value in-
                    vesting strategy. Any net capital appreciation realized
                    by a Fund will generally result in the distribution of
                    taxable capital gains to Fund shareholders. See "Distri-
                    butions and Taxes."
 
The Funds seek
insured Municipal
Obligations
considered to be
undervalued.
 
Thorough research   The Importance of Thorough Research. Successful value
can help identify   investing depends on identifying and purchasing under-
values.             valued securities before the rest of the marketplace
                    finds them. Nuveen Advisory believes the municipal mar-
                    ket provides these opportunities, in part because of the
                    relatively large number of issuers of tax-exempt securi-
                    ties and the relatively small number of full-time, pro-
                    fessional municipal market analysts. For example, there
                    are currently about 7,500 common stocks that are fol-
                    lowed by
 
                                                                              17
<PAGE>
 
                    about 23,000 analysts. By contrast, there are about
                    60,000 entities that issue tax-exempt securities and
                    less than 1,000 professional municipal market analysts.
 
                    Nuveen and Nuveen Advisory believe that together they
                    employ the largest number of research analysts in the
                    investment banking industry devoted exclusively to the
                    review and surveillance of tax-exempt securities. Their
                    team of more than 40 individuals has over 350 years of
                    combined municipal market experience. Nuveen and Nuveen
                    Advisory have access to information on approximately
                    60,000 municipal issuers, and review annually more than
                    $100 billion of tax-exempt securities sold in new issue
                    and secondary markets.
 
                    Which Municipal Obligations Are Selected As Invest-
                    ments?  The National Fund will invest primarily in Mu-
                    nicipal Obligations issued within the 50 states and cer-
                    tain U.S. possessions or territories so that the inter-
                    est income on the Municipal Obligations will be exempt
                    from regular federal income tax, although this income
                    may be subject to applicable state personal income tax-
                    es. The Massachusetts Fund and the New York Fund will
                    invest primarily in Municipal Obligations issued within
                    their respective states so that the interest income on
                    the Municipal Obligations will be exempt from both regu-
                    lar federal and applicable state personal income taxes.
                    Because of the different credit characteristics of gov-
                    ernmental authorities in a state and because of differ-
                    ing supply and demand factors for a state's Municipal
                    Obligations, there may be differences in the yields on
                    each Fund's classes of shares and in the degree of mar-
                    ket and financial risk to which each Fund is subject.
 
Each Fund will      Under ordinary circumstances, each Fund will invest (1)
seek to purchase    substantially all (at least 80%) of its net assets in
insured Municipal   Municipal Obligations which are either covered by insur-
Obligations.        ance guaranteeing the timely payment of principal and
                    interest or backed by an escrow or trust account con-
                    taining sufficient U.S. Government or U.S. Government
                    agency securities to ensure timely payment of principal
                    and interest, and (2) not more than 20% of its net as-
                    sets in "temporary investments," within the limitations
                    and for the purposes described below, provided that tem-
                    porary investments subject to regular federal income tax
                    and Municipal Obligations that pay interest subject to
                    the federal alternative minimum tax ("AMT Bonds") may
                    not comprise more than 20% of each Fund's net assets.
 
                    Each Fund may only invest in Municipal Obligations rated
                    investment-grade at the time of purchase (Baa or BBB or
                    better) by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's")
                    or Standard and Poor's Corporation ("S&P"), or in
                    unrated Municipal Obligations of investment grade qual-
                    ity in the
 
18
<PAGE>
 
                    opinion of Nuveen Advisory, with no fixed percentage
                    limitations on these unrated securities. Municipal Obli-
                    gations rated Baa are considered by Moody's to be medium
                    grade obligations which lack outstanding investment
                    characteristics and in fact have speculative character-
                    istics as well, while Municipal Obligations rated BBB
                    are regarded by S&P as having an adequate capacity to
                    pay principal and interest. The Funds may invest up to
                    20% of their net assets in AMT Bonds, although the Na-
                    tional Fund to date has not done so and has no present
                    intention of doing so. All of the Funds intend to empha-
                    size investments in Municipal Obligations with long-term
                    maturities in order to maintain an average portfolio ma-
                    turity of 20-30 years, but the average maturity may be
                    shortened from time to time depending on market condi-
                    tions in order to help limit each Fund's exposure to
                    market risk. As a result, each Fund's portfolio at any
                    given time may include both long-term and intermediate-
                    term Municipal Obligations.
 
                    The foregoing investment policies are fundamental poli-
                    cies of each Fund and may not be changed without the ap-
                    proval of the holders of a majority of the shares of
                    that Fund.
 
Municipal Obligations
can be insured in
one of three
ways.
                    Each insured Municipal Obligation held by a Fund will
                    either be (1) covered by an insurance policy applicable
                    to a specific security and obtained by the issuer of the
                    security or a third party at the time of original issu-
                    ance ("Original Issue Insurance"), (2) covered by an in-
                    surance policy applicable to a specific security and ob-
                    tained by the Fund or a third party subsequent to the
                    time of original issuance ("Secondary Market Insur-
                    ance"), or (3) covered by a master municipal insurance
                    policy purchased by the Fund ("Portfolio Insurance").
                    Each Fund currently maintains policies of Portfolio In-
                    surance with MBIA Insurance Corporation, AMBAC Indemnity
                    Corporation, Financial Security Assurance, Inc., and Fi-
                    nancial Guaranty Insurance Company, and may in the fu-
                    ture obtain other policies of Portfolio Insurance de-
                    pending on the availability of these policies on terms
                    favorable to the Fund. However, a Fund may determine not
                    to obtain these policies and to emphasize investments in
                    Municipal Obligations insured under Original Issue In-
                    surance or Secondary Market Insurance. In any event, a
                    Fund will only obtain policies of Portfolio Insurance
                    issued by mono-line insurers specializing in insuring
                    municipal debt, whose claims-paying ability is rated Aaa
                    by Moody's or AAA by S&P. In determining whether to in-
                    sure Municipal Obligations held by a Fund, an insurer
                    will apply its own standards, which correspond generally
                    to the standards it has established for determining the
                    insurability of new issues of Municipal Obligations. See
                    the Statement of Additional Information for further in-
                    formation about each type of insurance described above.
 
 
                                                                              19
<PAGE>
 
                    In addition to insured Municipal Obligations, a Fund may
                    invest in Municipal Obligations that are entitled to the
                    benefit of an escrow or trust account which contains se-
                    curities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or
                    U.S. Government agencies, backed by the full faith and
                    credit of the United States, and sufficient in amount to
                    ensure the payment of interest and principal on the
                    original interest payment and maturity dates ("collater-
                    alized obligations"). Collateralized obligations gener-
                    ally will not be insured and are regarded as having the
                    credit characteristics of the underlying U.S. Government
                    or U.S. Government agency securities. Uninsured collat-
                    eralized obligations will not constitute more than 20%
                    of each Fund's net assets.
 
The Funds may
insure
permanently
Municipal Obligations
covered by
Portfolio
Insurance.
                    One or more policies of Portfolio Insurance may provide
                    a Fund, pursuant to an irrevocable commitment of the in-
                    surer, with the option to exercise the right to obtain
                    permanent insurance ("Permanent Insurance") with respect
                    to a Municipal Obligation that is to be sold by the
                    Fund. A Fund would exercise the right to obtain Perma-
                    nent Insurance upon payment of a single, predetermined
                    insurance premium payable from the proceeds of the sale
                    of that Municipal Obligation. It is expected that a Fund
                    will exercise the right to obtain Permanent Insurance
                    for a Municipal Obligation only if, in the opinion of
                    Nuveen Advisory, upon exercise the net proceeds from the
                    sale by the Fund of that obligation, as insured, would
                    exceed the proceeds from the sale of that obligation
                    without insurance.
 
                    Premiums for a Portfolio Insurance policy are paid by
                    the Funds monthly, and are adjusted for purchases and
                    sales of Municipal Obligations covered by the policy
                    during the month. The yield on each of the Funds is re-
                    duced to the extent of the insurance premiums allocated
                    to it. Depending upon the characteristics of the Munici-
                    pal Obligations held by the Funds, the annual premium
                    rate for the policies of Portfolio Insurance is esti-
                    mated to range from .15% to .30% of the value of the Mu-
                    nicipal Obliga-
                    tions covered under the policies. Because the majority
                    of the Municipal Obligations in each Fund were not cov-
                    ered by policies of Portfolio Insurance during the fis-
                    cal year ended February 28, 1995, total premiums as a
                    percentage of the value of Municipal Obligations held by
                    each Fund (.00%, .01% and .00%) for the National Fund,
                    the Massachusetts Fund and the New York Fund, respec-
                    tively, were significantly less than the estimated rate.
 
 
20
<PAGE>
 
DESCRIPTION OF      Municipal Obligations. Municipal Obligations, as the
THE FUNDS'          term is used in this Prospectus, are federally tax-ex-
INVESTMENTS         empt debt obligations issued by states, cities and local
                    authorities and by certain U.S. possessions or ter-
 
Municipal           ritories to obtain funds for various public purposes,
Obligations are     such as the construction of public facilities, the pay-
issued by states,   ment of general operating expenses and the refunding of
cities and local    outstanding debts. They may also be issued to obtain
authorities to      funding for various private activities, including loans
support a variety   to finance the construction of housing, educational and
of public           medical facilities or privately owned industrial devel-
activities.         opment and pollution control projects.
 
                    The two principal classifications of Municipal Obliga-
                    tions are general obligation and revenue bonds. GENERAL
                    OBLIGATION bonds are secured by the issuer's pledge of
                    its full faith, credit and taxing power for the payment
                    of principal and interest. REVENUE bonds are payable
                    only from the revenues derived from a particular facil-
                    ity or class of facilities or, in some cases, from the
                    proceeds of a special excise or other specific revenue
                    source. Industrial development and pollution control
                    bonds are in most cases revenue bonds and do not gener-
                    ally constitute the pledge of the credit or taxing power
                    of the issuer of these bonds.
 
                    Municipal Obligations may also include participations in
                    lease obligations or installment purchase contract obli-
                    gations (collectively, "lease obligations") of municipal
                    authorities or entities. Certain "non-appropriation"
                    lease obligations may present special risks because the
                    municipality's obligation to make future lease or in-
                    stallment payments depends on money being appropriated
                    each year for this purpose. Each Fund will seek to mini-
                    mize these risks by not investing more than 10% of its
                    assets in non-appropriation lease obligations, and by
                    only investing in those non-appropriation lease obliga-
                    tions that meet certain criteria of the Fund. See the
                    Statement of Additional Information for further informa-
                    tion about lease obligations.
 
                    The yields on Municipal Obligations depend on a variety
                    of factors, including the condition of financial markets
                    in general and the municipal market in particular, as
                    well as the size of a particular offering, the maturity
                    of the obligation and the rating of the issue. Certain
                    Municipal Obligations may pay variable or floating rates
                    of interest based upon certain market rates or indexes
                    such as a bank prime rate or a tax-exempt money market
                    index. The ratings of Moody's and S&P represent their
                    opinions as to the quality of the Municipal Obligations
                    that they undertake to rate. It should be emphasized,
                    however, that ratings are general and are not absolute
                    standards of quality. Consequently, Municipal Obliga-
                    tions with the same maturity, coupon and rating may have
                    different yields, while
 
                                                                              21
<PAGE>
 
                    those having the same maturity and coupon with different
                    ratings may have the same yield. The market value of Mu-
                    nicipal Obligations will vary with changes in prevailing
                    interest rate levels and as a result of changing
                    evaluations of the ability of their issuers to meet in-
                    terest and principal payments. Similarly, the market
                    value and net asset value of shares of the Funds will
                    change in response to interest rate changes; they will
                    tend to decrease when interest rates rise and increase
                    when interest rates fall.
 
All temporary       Temporary Investments. Each Fund under ordinary circum-
investments will    stances may invest up to 20% of its net assets in "tem-
be U.S.             porary investments," but may invest without limit in
Government or       temporary investments during temporary defensive periods
high quality        in order to limit the exposure of its portfolio to mar-
securities.         ket risk from temporary imbalances of supply and demand
                    or other temporary circumstances affecting the municipal
                    market. Each Fund will seek to make temporary invest-
                    ments in short-term securities the interest on which is
                    exempt from regular federal income tax, but may be sub-
                    ject to state income tax in a Fund's respective state.
                    If suitable federally tax-exempt temporary investments
                    are not available at reasonable prices and yields, a
                    Fund may make temporary investments in taxable securi-
                    ties whose interest is subject to both state and federal
                    income taxes. A Fund will invest only in those taxable
                    temporary investments that are either U.S. Government
                    securities or are rated within the highest grade by
                    Moody's or S&P, and mature within one year from the date
                    of purchase or carry a variable or floating rate of in-
                    terest. A Fund will not be in a position to achieve its
                    investment objective of tax-exempt income to the extent
                    it invests in taxable temporary investments. See the
                    Statement of Additional Information for further informa-
                    tion about the temporary investments in which the Funds
                    may invest.
 
SPECIAL FACTORS     Because the Massachusetts Fund and the New York Fund
PERTAINING TO       will concentrate their investments in Municipal Obliga-
STATE FUNDS         tions issued within their respective states, they may be
                    affected by political, economic or regulatory factors
                    that may impair the ability of issuers in their states
                    to pay interest on or to repay the principal of their
                    debt obligations. These special factors for each state
                    are briefly described in Appendix A to this Prospectus.
                    See the Statement of Additional Information for further
                    information about these factors.
 
 
22
<PAGE>
 
CERTAIN             Portfolio Trading and Turnover. Each Fund will make
INVESTMENT          changes in its investment portfolio from time to time in
STRATEGIES AND      order to take advantage of opportunities in the munici-
LIMITATIONS         pal market and to limit exposure to market risk. A Fund
                    may engage to a limited extent in short-term trading
                    consistent with its investment objective, but a Fund
                    will not trade securities solely to realize a profit.
                    Changes in a Fund's investments are known as "portfolio
                    turnover." While each Fund's annual portfolio turnover
                    rate is not expected to exceed 50%, actual portfolio
                    turnover rates are impossible to predict, and may exceed
                    50% in particular years depending upon market condi-
                    tions.
 
Each Fund will
focus on long-
term investment
strategies, and
will engage in
short-term
trading only when
consistent with
its stated
investment
objective.
                    When-issued or Delayed Delivery Transactions. A Fund may
                    purchase and sell Municipal Obligations on a when-issued
                    or delayed delivery basis, which calls for the Fund to
                    make payment or take delivery at a future date, normally
                    15-45 days after the trade date. The commitment to pur-
                    chase securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery
                    basis may involve an element of risk because the value
                    of the securities is subject to market fluctuation, no
                    interest accrues to the purchaser prior to settlement of
                    the transaction, and at the time of delivery the market
                    value may be less than cost. A Fund commonly engages in
                    when-issued transactions in order to purchase or sell
                    newly-issued Municipal Obligations, and may engage in
                    delayed delivery transactions in order to manage its op-
                    erations more effectively. See the Statement of Addi-
                    tional Information for further information about when-
                    issued and delayed delivery transactions.
 
The Funds do not    Financial Futures and Options Transactions. Although the
presently intend    Funds have no present intent to do so, each Fund re-
to use futures or   serves the right to engage in certain hedging transac-
options.            tions involving the use of financial futures contracts,
                    options on financial futures or options based on either
                    an index of long-term tax-exempt securities or on debt
                    securities whose prices, in the opinion of Nuveen Advi-
                    sory, correlate with the prices of the Fund's invest-
                    ments. These hedging transactions are designed to limit
                    the risk of fluctuations in the prices of a Fund's in-
                    vestments. See the Statement of Additional Information
                    for further information on futures and options and asso-
                    ciated risks.
 
Each Fund will      Other Investment Policies and Restrictions. Each Fund
take steps to       has adopted certain fundamental policies intended to
ensure that its     limit the risk of its investment portfolio. In accor-
assets are not      dance with these policies, each Fund may not:
concentrated in
just a few
holdings.
 
                    . invest more than 5% of its total assets in securities
                      of any one issuer, except that this limitation shall
                      not apply to securities of the U.S. government, its
                      agencies and instrumentalities or to the investment of
                      25% of the Fund's assets;
 
                                                                              23
<PAGE>
 
                    . invest more than 5% of its total assets in securities
                      of unseasoned issuers which, together with their pred-
                      ecessors, have been in operation for less than three
                      years;
 
                    . invest more than 10% of its total assets in illiquid
                      municipal lease obligations and other securities that
                      are unmarketable, illiquid or not readily marketable
                      (securities that cannot reasonably be sold within
                      seven days, including repurchase agreements maturing
                      in more than seven days);
 
                    . invest more than 25% of its total assets in securities
                      of issuers in any one industry, provided, however,
                      that such limitation shall not be applicable to Munic-
                      ipal Obligations issued by governments or political
                      subdivisions of governments, and obligations issued or
                      guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or in-
                      strumentalities;
 
                    . borrow money, except from banks for temporary or emer-
                      gency purposes and then only in an amount not exceed-
                      ing (a) 10% of the value of its total assets at the
                      time of borrowing or (b) one-third of the value of its
                      total assets, including the amount borrowed, in order
                      to meet redemption requests which might otherwise re-
                      quire the untimely disposition of securities; or
 
                    . hold securities of a single bank, including securities
                      backed by a letter of credit of that bank, if these
                      holdings would exceed 10% of the total assets of the
                      Fund.
 
                    In applying these policies, the "issuer" of a security
                    is deemed to be the entity whose assets and revenues are
                    committed to the payment of principal and interest on
                    that security, provided that the guarantee of an instru-
                    ment will generally be considered a separate security.
 
                    See the Statement of Additional Information for a more
                    complete description of the fundamental investment poli-
                    cies summarized above and the Funds' other fundamental
                    investment policies. Each Fund's fundamental investment
                    policies may not be changed without the approval of the
                    Fund's shareholders.
 
24
<PAGE>
 
                    FLEXIBLE SALES CHARGE PROGRAM
 
Each Fund offers    For many investors, working with a professional finan-
various sales       cial adviser is an important part of their financial
charge options      strategy. Because Nuveen recognizes the value a finan-
designed to meet    cial adviser can provide in developing and implementing
your individual     a comprehensive plan for your financial future, Nuveen
investment needs    Mutual Funds are sold with a sales charge, either at the
and preferences.    time of purchase or at the time of redemption (in the
                    case of Class C Shares purchased on or after June 13,
                    1995 and redeemed within 12 months of purchase), or over
                    time in the form of a distribution fee. This provides
                    your financial adviser with compensation for the profes-
                    sional advice and service you receive in financial plan-
                    ning and investment selection.
 
                    Each Fund has adopted a Flexible Sales Charge Program
                    which provides you with alternative ways of purchasing
                    Fund shares based upon your individual investment needs
                    and preferences. You may purchase Class A Shares at a
                    price equal to their net asset value plus an up-front
                    sales charge. You may purchase Class C Shares without
                    any up-front sales charge at a price equal to their net
                    asset value, but subject to an annual distribution fee
                    designed to compensate Authorized Dealers over time for
                    the sale of Fund shares and a 1% CDSC if Class C Shares
                    are purchased on or after June 13, 1995 and redeemed
                    within 12 months of purchase. See "How to Buy Fund
                    Shares--Class C Shares" and "How to Redeem Funds
                    Shares." Class C Shares automatically convert to Class A
                    Shares six years after purchase. Both Class A Shares and
                    Class C Shares are also subject to annual service fees,
                    which are used to compensate Authorized Dealers for pro-
                    viding you with ongoing account services. Under the
                    Flexible Sales Charge Program, all Fund shares outstand-
                    ing as of September 6, 1994, have been designated as
                    Class R Shares. Class R Shares are available for pur-
                    chase at a price equal to their net asset value only un-
                    der certain limited circumstances, or by specified in-
                    vestors, as described herein. The price at which the
                    purchase of any Fund's shares is effected is based on
                    the next calculation of the Fund's net asset value after
                    the order is placed.
 
Which Option is     When you purchase Class A Shares of a Fund, you will pay
Right For You?      an up-front sales charge. As a result, you will have
                    less money invested initially and you will own fewer
                    Class A Shares than you would in the absence of an up-
                    front sales charge. Alternatively, when you purchase
                    Class C Shares of a Fund, you will not pay an up-front
                    sales charge and all of your monies will be fully in-
                    vested at the time of purchase. However, Class C Shares
                    are subject to an annual distribution fee to compensate
                    Authorized Dealers over time for the sale of Fund shares
                    and a CDSC of 1% if purchased on or after June 13, 1995
                    and redeemed within 12 months of purchase. Class C
                    Shares automatically convert to Class A Shares six years
                    after purchase.
 
                                                                              25
<PAGE>
 
                    This automatic conversion is designed to ensure that
                    holders of Class C Shares would pay over the six-year
                    period a distribution fee that is approximately the eco-
                    nomic equivalent of the one-time, up-front sales charge
                    paid by holders of Class A Shares on purchases of up to
                    $50,000. Class A Shares and Class C Shares are also sub-
                    ject to annual service fees which are identical in
                    amount and which are used to compensate Authorized Deal-
                    ers for providing you with ongoing account services. You
                    may qualify for a reduced sales charge or a sales charge
                    waiver on a purchase of Class A Shares, as described be-
                    low under "How the Sales Charge on Class A Shares May Be
                    Reduced or Waived." Under certain limited circumstances,
                    Class R Shares are available for purchase at a price
                    equal to their net asset value.
 
                    In deciding whether to purchase Class A Shares, Class C
                    Shares or Class R Shares of a Fund, you should consider
                    all relevant factors, including the dollar amount of
                    your purchase, the length of time you expect to hold the
                    shares, the amount of any applicable up-front sales
                    charge, the amount of any applicable distribution or
                    service fee that may be incurred while you own the
                    shares, and whether or not you will be reinvesting in-
                    come or capital gain distributions in additional shares.
                    For assistance with this decision, please refer to the
                    tables under "Summary of Fund Expenses" on page 3 of
                    this Prospectus which set forth examples of the expenses
                    applicable to each class of shares, or consult your fi-
                    nancial adviser.
 
Differences         Each class of shares of a Fund represents an interest in
Between the         the same portfolio of investments. Each class of shares
Classes of Shares   of a Fund is identical in all respects except that each
                    class bears its own class expenses, including adminis-
                    tration and distribution expenses, and each class has
                    exclusive voting rights with respect to any distribution
                    or service plan applicable to its shares. In addition,
                    the Class C Shares are subject to a conversion feature
                    and a CDSC of 1% if purchased on or after June 13, 1995
                    and redeemed within 12 months of purchase, as described
                    below. As a result of the differences in the expenses
                    borne by each class of shares, net income per share,
                    dividends per share and net asset value per share will
                    vary among each Fund's classes of shares.
 
Dealer Incentives   Upon notice to all Authorized Dealers, Nuveen may
                    reallow to Authorized Dealers electing to participate up
                    to the full applicable sales charge during periods and
                    for transactions specified in the notice. The
                    reallowances made during these periods may be based upon
                    attainment of minimum sales levels. Further, Nuveen may
                    from time to time make additional reallowances only to
                    certain Authorized Dealers who sell or are expected to
                    sell certain minimum amounts of the Funds or other
                    Nuveen Mutual Funds and Nuveen UITs during specified
                    time periods. The staff
 
26
<PAGE>
 
                    of the Securities and Exchange Commission takes the po-
                    sition that dealers who receive 90% or more of the ap-
                    plicable sales charge may be deemed underwriters under
                    the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
 
                    Nuveen may also from time to time provide additional
                    promotional support to certain Authorized Dealers who
                    sell or are expected to sell certain minimum amounts of
                    Nuveen Mutual Funds and Nuveen UITs during specified
                    time periods. Such promotional support may include pro-
                    viding sales literature to and holding informational or
                    educational programs for the benefit of such Authorized
                    Dealers' representatives, seminars for the public, and
                    advertising and sales campaigns. Any such support would
                    be provided by Nuveen out of its own assets, and not out
                    of the assets of the Funds, and will not change the
                    price an investor pays for sales or the amount that a
                    Fund will receive from such a sale.
 
                    HOW TO BUY FUND SHARES
 
CLASS A SHARES      You may purchase Class A Shares of any Fund at a public
                    offering price equal to the applicable net asset value
                    per share plus an up-front sales charge imposed at the
                    time of purchase as set forth below. You may qualify for
                    a reduced sales charge, or the sales charge may be
                    waived in its entirety, as described below under "How
                    the Sales Charge on Class A Shares May Be Reduced or
                    Waived." Class A Shares are also subject to an annual
                    service fee to compensate Authorized Dealers for provid-
                    ing you with ongoing account services. See "Distribution
                    and Service Plans."
 
Class A Shares
are offered at
their net asset
value plus an up-
front sales
charge.
 
                    The sales charges for each Fund's Class A Shares are as
                    follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                   SALES CHARGE    SALES CHARGE    REALLOWANCE
                                                 AS % OF PUBLIC     AS % OF NET AS % OF PUBLIC
            AMOUNT OF PURCHASE                   OFFERING PRICE AMOUNT INVESTED OFFERING PRICE
                    --------------------------------------------------------------------------
            <S>                                  <C>            <C>             <C>
            Less than $50,000                             4.50%           4.71%          4.00%
            $50,000 but less than $100,000                4.25%           4.44%          3.75%
            $100,000 but less than $250,000               3.50%           3.63%          3.25%
            $250,000 but less than $500,000               2.75%           2.83%          2.50%
            $500,000 but less than $1,000,000             2.00%           2.04%          1.75%
            $1,000,000 but less than $2,500,000           1.00%           1.01%          1.00%
            $2,500,000 but less than $5,000,000           0.75%           0.76%          0.75%
            $5,000,000 but less than $7,500,000           0.50%           0.50%          0.50%
            $7,500,000 and over                           0.00%           0.00%          0.00%
</TABLE>
 
                    The Funds receive the entire net asset value of all
                    Class A Shares that are sold. Nuveen retains the full
                    applicable sales charge from which it pays the uniform
                    reallowances shown above to Authorized Dealers. See
                    "Flexi-
 
                                                                              27
<PAGE>
 
                    ble Sales Charge Program--Dealer Incentives" above for
                    more information about reallowances and other compensa-
                    tion to Authorized Dealers.
 
                    Certain commercial banks may make Class A Shares of the
                    Funds available to their customers on an agency basis.
                    Pursuant to the agreements
                    between Nuveen and these banks, some or all of the sales
                    charge paid by a bank customer in connection with a pur-
                    chase of Class A Shares may be retained by or paid to
                    the bank. Certain banks and other financial institutions
                    may be required to register as securities dealers in
                    certain states.
 
HOW THE SALES       Summary. There are several ways to reduce or eliminate
CHARGE ON CLASS A   the sales charge:
SHARES MAY BE
REDUCED OR WAIVED
 
                    . cumulative discount;
 
                    . letter of intent;
 
                    . group purchase programs; and
 
 
                    . special sales charge waivers for certain categories of
There are several   investors.
ways to reduce or
eliminate the
sales charge.
 
                    Cumulative Discount. You may qualify for a reduced sales
                    charge as shown above on a purchase of Class A Shares of
                    any Fund if the amount of your purchase, when added to
                    the value that day of all of your prior purchases of
                    shares of any Fund or of another Nuveen Mutual Fund, or
                    units of a Nuveen UIT, on which an up-front sales charge
                    or ongoing distribution fee is imposed, falls within the
                    amounts stated in the table. You or your financial ad-
                    viser must notify Nuveen or SSI of any cumulative dis-
                    count whenever you plan to purchase Class A Shares of a
                    Fund that you wish to qualify for a reduced sales
                    charge.
 
                    Letter of Intent. You may qualify for a reduced sales
                    charge on a purchase of Class A Shares of any Fund if
                    you plan to purchase Class A Shares of Nuveen Mutual
                    Funds over the next 13 months and the total amount of
                    your purchases would, if purchased at one time, qualify
                    you for one of the reduced sales charges shown above. In
                    order to take advantage of this option, you must com-
                    plete the applicable section of the Application Form or
                    sign and deliver either to an Authorized Dealer or to
                    SSI a written Letter of Intent in a form acceptable to
                    Nuveen. A Letter of Intent states that you intend, but
                    are not obligated, over the next 13 months to purchase a
                    stated total amount of Class A Shares that would qualify
                    you for a reduced sales charge shown above. You may
                    count shares of a Nuveen Mutual Fund that you already
                    own on which you paid an up-front sales charge or an on-
                    going distribution fee and any Class C Shares of a
                    Nuveen Mutual Fund that you purchase over the next 13
                    months towards completion of your investment program,
                    but you will receive a
 
28
<PAGE>
 
                    reduced sales charge only on new Class A Shares you pur-
                    chase with a sales charge over the 13 months. You cannot
                    count towards completion of your investment program
                    Class A Shares that you purchase without a sales charge
                    through investment of distributions from a Nuveen Mutual
                    Fund or a Nuveen UIT, or otherwise.
 
                    By establishing a Letter of Intent, you agree that your
                    first purchase of Class A Shares of a Fund following ex-
                    ecution of the Letter of Intent will be at least 5% of
                    the total amount of your intended purchases. You further
                    agree that shares representing 5% of the total amount of
                    your intended purchases will be held in escrow pending
                    completion of these purchases. All dividends and capital
                    gains distributions on Class A Shares held in escrow
                    will be credited to your account. If total purchases,
                    less redemptions, prior to the expiration of the 13
                    month period equal or exceed the amount specified in
                    your Letter of Intent, the Class A Shares held in escrow
                    will be transferred to your account. If the total pur-
                    chases, less redemptions, exceed the amount specified in
                    your Letter of Intent and thereby qualify for a lower
                    sales charge than the sales charge specified in your
                    Letter of Intent, you will receive this lower sales
                    charge retroactively, and the difference between it and
                    the higher sales charge paid will be used to purchase
                    additional Class A Shares on your behalf. If the total
                    purchases, less redemptions, are less than the amount
                    specified, you must pay Nuveen an amount equal to the
                    difference between the amounts paid for these purchases
                    and the amounts which would have been paid if the higher
                    sales charge had been applied. If you do not pay the ad-
                    ditional amount within 20 days after written request by
                    Nuveen or your financial adviser, Nuveen will redeem an
                    appropriate number of your escrowed Class A Shares to
                    meet the required payment. By establishing a Letter of
                    Intent, you irrevocably appoint Nuveen as attorney to
                    give instructions to redeem any or all of your escrowed
                    shares, with full power of substitution in the premises.
 
                    You or your financial adviser must notify Nuveen or SSI
                    whenever you make a purchase of Fund shares that you
                    wish to be covered under the Letter of Intent option.
 
                    Group Purchase Programs. If you are a member of a quali-
                    fied group, you may purchase Class A Shares of any Fund
                    or of another Nuveen Mutual Fund at the reduced sales
                    charge applicable to the group's purchases taken as a
                    whole. A "qualified group" is one which has been in ex-
                    istence for more than six months, has a purpose other
                    than investment, has five or more participating members,
                    has agreed to include Fund sales publications in mail-
                    ings to members and has agreed to comply with certain
                    administrative requirements relating to its group pur-
                    chases.
 
                                                                              29
<PAGE>
 
                    Under any group purchase program, the minimum monthly
                    investment in Class A Shares of any particular Fund or
                    portfolio by each participant is $25, and the minimum
                    monthly investment in Class A Shares of any particular
                    Fund or portfolio for all participants in the program
                    combined is $1,000. No certificates will be issued for
                    any participant's account. All dividends and other dis-
                    tributions by a Fund will be reinvested in additional
                    Class A Shares of the same Fund. No participant may uti-
                    lize a systematic withdrawal program.
 
                    To establish a group purchase program, both the group
                    itself and each participant must fill out special appli-
                    cation materials, which the group administrator may ob-
                    tain from the group's financial adviser, by checking the
                    applicable box on the enclosed Application Form or by
                    calling Nuveen toll-free at 800-621-7227. See the State-
                    ment of Additional Information for more complete infor-
                    mation about "qualified groups" and group purchase pro-
                    grams.
 
                    Special Sales Charge Waivers. Class A Shares of any Fund
                    may be purchased at net asset value without a sales
                    charge and in any amount by the following categories of
                    investors:
 
                    . officers, directors and retired directors of the
                      Funds;
 
                    . bona fide, full-time and retired employees of Nuveen,
                      any parent company of Nuveen, and subsidiaries there-
                      of, or their immediate family members (as defined be-
                      low);
 
                    . any person who, for at least 90 days, has been an of-
                      ficer, director or bona fide employee of any Autho-
                      rized Dealer, or their immediate family members;
 
                    . officers and directors of bank holding companies that
                      make Fund shares available directly or through subsid-
                      iaries or bank affiliates;
 
                    . bank or broker-affiliated trust departments investing
                      funds over which they exercise exclusive discretionary
                      investment authority and that are held in a fiduciary,
                      agency, advisory, custodial or similar capacity; and
 
                    . registered investment advisers, certified financial
                      planners and registered broker-dealers who in each
                      case either charge periodic fees to their customers
                      for financial planning, investment advisory or asset
                      management services, or provide such services in con-
                      nection with the establishment of an investment ac-
                      count for which a comprehensive "wrap fee" charge is
                      imposed.
 
                    Any Class A Shares purchased pursuant to a special sales
                    charge waiver must be acquired for investment purposes
                    and on the condition that they
 
30
<PAGE>
 
                    will not be transferred or resold except through redemp-
                    tion by the Funds. You or your financial adviser must
                    notify Nuveen or SSI whenever you make a purchase of
                    Class A Shares of any Fund that you wish to be covered
                    under these special sales charge waivers. The above cat-
                    egories of investors are also eligible to purchase Class
                    R Shares of any Fund, as described below under "Class R
                    Shares."
 
                    You may also purchase Class A Shares of any Fund at net
                    asset value without a sales charge if the purchase takes
                    place through a broker-dealer and represents the rein-
                    vestment of the proceeds of the redemption of shares of
                    one or more registered investment companies not affili-
                    ated with Nuveen. You must provide appropriate documen-
                    tation that the redemption occurred not more than 60
                    days prior to the reinvestment of the proceeds in Class
                    A Shares, and that you either paid an up-front sales
                    charge or were subject to a contingent deferred sales
                    charge in respect of the redemption of such shares of
                    such other investment company. Finally, Class A Shares
                    of any Fund may be issued at net asset value without a
                    sales charge in connection with the acquisition by a
                    Fund of another investment company. All purchases under
                    the special sales charge waivers will be subject to min-
                    imum purchase requirements as established by the Funds.
 
                                 --------------------------------
 
                    In determining the amount of your purchases of Class A
                    Shares of any Fund that may qualify for a reduced sales
                    charge, the following purchases may be combined: (1) all
                    purchases by a trustee or other fiduciary for a single
                    trust estate or fiduciary account; (2) all purchases by
                    individuals and their immediate family members (i.e.,
                    their spouses and their children under 21 years of age);
                    or (3) all purchases made through a group purchase pro-
                    gram as described above.
 
                    The reduced sales charge programs may be modified or
                    discontinued by the Funds at any time upon prior written
                    notice to shareholders of the Funds.
 
                    FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PURCHASE OF CLASS A
                    SHARES OR REDUCED SALES CHARGE PROGRAMS, OR TO OBTAIN
                    THE REQUIRED APPLICATION FORMS, CALL NUVEEN TOLL-FREE AT
                    800-621-7227.
 
CLASS C SHARES      You may purchase Class C Shares of any Fund at a public
                    offering price equal to the applicable net asset value
                    per share without any up-front sales charge. Class C
                    Shares are subject to an annual distribution fee to com-
                    pensate Authorized Dealers over time for the sale of
                    Fund shares. See "Flexible Sales Charge--Dealer Incen-
                    tives" above for more information about compensation to
                    Authorized Dealers. Class C Shares are also subject
 
Class C Shares
may be purchased
at their net
asset value, and
are subject to an
annual
distribution fee.
 
                                                                              31
<PAGE>
 
                    to an annual service fee to compensate Authorized Deal-
                    ers for providing you with ongoing financial advice and
                    other services. See "Distribution and Service Plans."
 
                    An investor purchasing Class C Shares on or after June
                    13, 1995 agrees to pay a CDSC of 1% if Class C Shares
                    are redeemed within 12 months of purchase. Each Fund
                    will redeem shares at net asset value and deduct any ap-
                    plicable CDSC from the proceeds of the redemption.
 
                    The Class C shares of the applicable Fund will effec-
                    tively retain the CDSC; the Fund will pay the amount of
                    the CDSC to Nuveen, but will be reimbursed by Nuveen in
                    an equal amount by a reduction in the distribution fees
                    payable to Nuveen.
 
                    The CDSC will be the lower of (i) the net asset value of
                    Class C Shares at the time of purchase or (ii) the net
                    asset value of Class C Shares at the time of redemption
                    and will be charged for Class C Shares redeemed within
                    12 months of purchase. No CDSC will be charged on Class
                    C Shares purchased as a result of automatic reinvestment
                    of dividends or capital gains paid, or on exchanges for
                    Class C Shares of another Nuveen Mutual Fund or money
                    market fund. The CDSC will be calculated as if Class C
                    Shares not subject to a CDSC are redeemed first, except
                    if another order of redemption would result in a lower
                    charge. The CDSC will be waived for redemptions follow-
                    ing the disability (as determined by the Social Security
                    Administration) or death of the shareholder.
 
                    Class C Shares will automatically convert to Class A
                    Shares six years after purchase. All conversions will be
                    done at net asset value without the imposition of any
                    sales load, fee, or other charge, so that the value of
                    each shareholder's account immediately before conversion
                    will be the same as the value of the account immediately
                    after conversion. Class C Shares acquired through rein-
                    vestment of distributions will convert into Class A
                    Shares based on the date of the initial purchase to
                    which such shares relate. For this purpose, Class C
                    Shares acquired through reinvestment of distributions
                    will be attributed to particular purchases of Class C
                    Shares in accordance with such procedures as the Board
                    of Directors may determine from time to time. The auto-
                    matic conversion of Class C Shares to Class A Shares six
                    years after purchase was designed to ensure that holders
                    of Class C Shares would pay over the six-year period a
                    distribution fee that is approximately the economic
                    equivalent of the one-time, up-front sales charge paid
                    by holders of Class A Shares on purchases of up to
                    $50,000. Class C Shares that are converted to Class A
                    Shares will no longer be subject to an annual distribu-
                    tion fee, but they will remain subject to an annual
                    service fee which is identical in amount for both Class
                    C Shares and Class A Shares. Since net
 
32
<PAGE>
 
                    asset value per share of the Class C Shares and the
                    Class A Shares may differ at the time of conversion, a
                    shareholder may receive more or fewer Class A Shares
                    than the number of Class C Shares converted. Any conver-
                    sion of Class C Shares into Class A Shares will be sub-
                    ject to the continuing availability of an opinion of
                    counsel or a private letter ruling from the Internal
                    Revenue Service to the effect that the conversion of
                    shares would not constitute a taxable event under fed-
                    eral income tax law. Conversion of Class C Shares into
                    Class A Shares might be suspended if such an opinion or
                    ruling were no longer available.
 
CLASS R SHARES      If you own Fund shares as of September 6, 1994, those
                    shares have been designated as Class R Shares. Purchases
                    of additional Class R Shares of any Fund, which will not
                    be subject to any sales charge or any distribution or
                    service fee, will be limited to the following circum-
                    stances. You may purchase Class R Shares with monies
                    representing distributions from Nuveen-sponsored UITs
                    if, prior to September 6, 1994, you had purchased such
                    UITs and elected to reinvest distributions from such
                    UITs in shares of a Fund. You may also purchase Class R
                    Shares with monies representing dividends and capital
                    gain distributions on Class R Shares of a Fund. Finally,
                    you may purchase Class R Shares if you are within the
                    following specified categories of investors who are also
                    eligible to purchase Class A Shares at net asset value
                    without an up-front sales charge:
 
Class R Shares
are offered at
their net asset
value.
 
                    . officers, directors and retired directors of the
                      Funds;
 
                    . bona fide, full-time and retired employees of Nuveen,
                      any parent company of Nuveen, and subsidiaries there-
                      of, or their immediate family members;
 
                    . any person who, for at least 90 days, has been an of-
                      ficer, director or bona fide employee of any Autho-
                      rized Dealer, or their immediate family members;
 
                    . officers and directors of bank holding companies that
                      make Fund shares available directly or through subsid-
                      iaries or bank affiliates;
 
                    . bank or broker-affiliated trust departments investing
                      funds over which they exercise exclusive discretionary
                      investment authority and that are held in a fiduciary,
                      agency, custodial or similar capacity; and
 
                    . registered investment advisers, certified financial
                      planners and registered broker-dealers who in each
                      case either charge periodic fees for financial plan-
                      ning, investment advisory or asset management servic-
                      es, or provide such services in connection with the
                      establishment of an investment account for which a
                      comprehensive "wrap fee" charge is imposed.
 
 
                                                                              33
<PAGE>
 
                    Investors who are eligible to purchase either Class R
                    Shares or Class A Shares of a Fund without a sales
                    charge at net asset value should be aware
                    of the differences between these two classes of shares.
                    Class A Shares are subject to an annual service fee to
                    compensate Authorized Dealers for providing you with on-
                    going account services. Class R Shares are not subject
                    to a service fee and consequently holders of Class R
                    Shares may not receive the same types or levels of serv-
                    ices from Authorized Dealers. In choosing between Class
                    A Shares and Class R Shares, you should weigh the bene-
                    fits of the services to be provided by Authorized Deal-
                    ers against the annual service fee imposed upon the
                    Class A Shares.
 
INITIAL AND         You may buy Fund shares through Authorized Dealers or by
SUBSEQUENT          directing your financial adviser to call Nuveen toll-
PURCHASES OF        free at 800-843-6765. You may pay for your purchase by
SHARES              Federal Reserve draft or by check made payable to
                    "Nuveen                Fund, Class [A], [C], [R]," de-
                    livered to the financial adviser through whom the in-
                    vestment is to be made for forwarding to the Funds'
                    shareholder services agent, SSI. When making your ini-
                    tial investment, you must also furnish the information
                    necessary to establish your Fund account by completing
                    and enclosing with your payment the attached Application
                    Form. After your initial investment, you may make subse-
                    quent purchases at any time by forwarding to SSI a check
                    in the amount of your purchase made payable to "Nuveen
                                   Fund, Class [A], [C], [R]," and indicat-
                    ing on the check your account number. All payments must
                    be in U.S. dollars and should be sent directly to SSI at
                    its address listed on the back cover of this Prospectus.
                    A check drawn on a foreign bank or payable other than to
                    the order of a Fund generally will not be acceptable.
                    You may also wire Federal Funds directly to SSI, but you
                    may be charged a fee for this. For instructions on how
                    to make Fund purchases by wire transfer, call Nuveen
                    toll-free at 800-621-7227. Authorized Dealers and other
                    persons distributing the Funds' shares may receive dif-
                    ferent compensation for selling different classes of
                    shares.
 
The Funds offer a
number of
convenient ways
to purchase
shares.
 
MINIMUM             Generally, your first purchase of any class of a Fund's
INVESTMENT          shares must be for $1,000 or more. Additional purchases
REQUIREMENTS        may be in amounts of $100 or more. These minimums may be
                    changed at any time by the Funds. There are exceptions
                    to these minimums for shareholders who qualify under one
                    or more of the Funds' automatic deposit, group purchase
                    or reinvestment programs.
 
 
34
<PAGE>
 
SYSTEMATIC          The Funds offer you several opportunities to capture the
INVESTMENT          benefits of "dollar cost averaging" through systematic
PROGRAMS            investment programs. In a regularly followed dollar cost
                    averaging program, you would purchase more
                    shares when Fund share prices are lower and fewer shares
                    when Fund share prices are higher, so that the average
                    price paid for Fund shares is less than the average
                    price of Fund shares over the same time period. The
                    chart below shows the cumulative effect that compound
                    interest can have on a systematic investment program.
 
The Power of a
Systematic
Investment
Program.

[GRAPH APPEARS HERE]
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

YEAR       6%       5%       4%       0%
 <S>    <C>      <C>      <C>      <C>
  0      1,000    1,000    1,000    1,000
  1      2,184    2,170    2,156    2,100
  2      3,553    3,509    3,466    3,300
  3      5,005    4,916    4,829    4,500
  4      6,548    6,396    6,248    5,700
  5      8,185    7,951    7,725    6,900
  6      9,923    9,586    9,262    8,100
  7     11,769   11,304   10,862    9,300 
  8     13,728   13,110   12,526   10,500
  9     15,809   15,009   14,259   11,700
 10     18,017   17,004   16,062   12,900
 11     20,362   19,102   17,939   14,100
 12     22,852   21,307   19,892   15,300
 13     25,494   23,625   21,925   16,500
 14     28,300   26,062   24,040   17,700
 15     31,280   28,623   26,242   18,900
</TABLE>

- --- 6% Compound Interest
- --- 5% Compound Interest
- --- 4% Compound Interest
- --- No Interest

                    SOURCE: NUVEEN MARKETING RESEARCH DEPARTMENT
 
                                                                              35
<PAGE>
 
                    In the above example, it is assumed that $100 is added
                    to an investment account every month for 15 years. From
                    the same $1,000 beginning, the chart shows the amount
                    that would be in the account after 15 years, assuming
                    no interest and interest compounded annually at the
                    rates of 4%, 5% and 6%.
 
                    This chart is designed to illustrate the effects of
                    compound interest, and is not intended to predict the
                    results of an actual investment in a Fund. There are
                    several important differences between the Funds and the
                    hypothetical investment program shown. This example as-
                    sumes no gain or loss in the net asset value of the in-
                    vestment over the entire 15-year period, whereas the
                    net asset value of each of the Funds will rise and fall
                    due to market conditions or other factors, which could
                    have a significant impact on the total value of your
                    investment. Similarly, this example shows four steady
                    interest rates over the entire 15-year period, whereas
                    the dividend rates of the Funds can be expected to
                    fluctuate over time. The Funds may provide additional
                    information to investors and advisers illustrating the
                    benefits of systematic investment programs and dollar
                    cost averaging.
 
The Funds offer     The Funds offer two different types of systematic in-
automatic deposit   vestment programs:
and payroll
deposit plans.
 
                    Automatic Deposit Plan. Once you have established a
                    Class A Share account or Class C Share account, or if
                    you are eligible to purchase additional Class R Shares,
                    in one of the Funds, you may make regular investments
                    in an amount of $25 or more each month by authorizing
                    SSI to draw preauthorized checks on your bank account.
                    There is no obligation to continue payments and you may
                    terminate your participation at any time at your dis-
                    cretion. No charge in addition to the applicable sales
                    charge is made in connection with this Plan, and there
                    is no cost to the Funds. To obtain an application form
                    for the Automatic Deposit Plan, check the applicable
                    box on the enclosed Application Form or call Nuveen
                    toll-free at 800-621-7227.
 
                    Payroll Direct Deposit Plan. Once you have established
                    a Class A Share or Class C Share account in one of the
                    Funds, you may, with your employer's consent, make reg-
                    ular investments in Fund shares of $25 or more per pay
                    period by authorizing your employer to deduct this
                    amount automatically from your paycheck. There is no
                    obligation to continue payments and you may terminate
                    your participation at any time at your discretion. No
                    charge in addition to the applicable sales charge is
                    made for this Plan, and there is no cost to the Funds.
                    To obtain an application form for the Payroll Direct
                    Deposit Plan, check the applicable box on the enclosed
                    Application Form or call Nuveen toll-free at 800-621-
                    7227.
 
36
<PAGE>
 
OTHER SHAREHOLDER   Exchange Privilege. You may exchange shares of a class
PROGRAMS            of any Fund you own for shares of the same or equivalent
                    class of another Fund or for shares of another Nuveen
                    Mutual Fund with reciprocal exchange privileges by send-
                    ing a written request to the applicable Fund, c/o Share-
                    holder Services, Inc., P.O. Box 5330, Denver, CO 80217-
                    5330. The shares to be purchased must be offered in your
                    state of residence and you must have held the shares you
                    are exchanging for at least 15 days. For example, Class
                    A Shares of a Fund may be exchanged for Class A Shares
                    of another Nuveen Mutual Fund at net asset value without
                    a sales charge. Similarly, Class A Shares of another
                    Nuveen Mutual Fund purchased subject to a sales charge
                    may be exchanged for Class A Shares of any Fund at net
                    asset value without a sales charge. Shares of any Nuveen
                    Mutual Fund purchased through dividend reinvestment or
                    through investment of Nuveen UIT distributions may be
                    exchanged for shares of a Fund or any other Nuveen Mu-
                    tual Fund without a sales charge. Exchanges of shares
                    from any Nuveen money market fund will be made into
                    Class A Shares or Class C Shares of any Fund at the pub-
                    lic offering price, which includes an up-front sales
                    charge in the case of Class A Shares, and will be sub-
                    ject to an annual distribution fee in the case of Class
                    C Shares. If, however, a sales charge has previously
                    been paid on the investment represented by the exchanged
                    shares (i.e., the shares to be exchanged originally were
                    issued in exchange for shares on which a sales charge
                    was paid), the exchange of shares from a Nuveen money
                    market fund will be made into Class A Shares at net as-
                    set value without any up-front sales charge. Shares of
                    any class of a Fund may be exchanged for shares of any
                    Nuveen money market fund that does not impose a sales
                    charge or have any distribution or service plan fees.
 
The Funds offer
no charge
exchanges with
other Nuveen
Mutual Funds.
 
                    No CDSC will be charged on the exchange of Class C
                    Shares of a Fund for Class C Shares of any other Nuveen
                    Mutual Fund or shares of any Nuveen money market fund.
                    The 12 month holding period for purposes of the CDSC ap-
                    plicable to Class C Shares will continue to run during
                    any period in which Class C Shares of a Fund, Class C
                    Shares of any other Nuveen Mutual Fund or shares of a
                    Nuveen money market fund are held.
 
                    You must exchange shares whose total value at least
                    equals the minimum investment requirement of the Nuveen
                    Mutual Fund being purchased. For federal income tax pur-
                    poses, any exchange constitutes a sale and purchase of
                    shares and may result in capital gain or loss. Before
                    making any exchange, you should obtain the Prospectus
                    for the Nuveen Mutual Fund you are purchasing and read
                    it carefully. If the registration of the account for the
                    Fund you are purchasing is not exactly the same as that
                    of the fund account from which the exchange is made,
                    written instructions from all holders of the account
                    from which the exchange is being made must
 
                                                                              37
<PAGE>
 
                    be received, with signatures guaranteed by a member of
                    an approved Medallion Guarantee Program or in such other
                    manner as may be acceptable to the Fund. You may also
                    exchange shares by telephone if you authorize telephone
                    exchanges by checking the applicable box on the enclosed
                    Application Form or by calling Nuveen toll-free at 800-
                    621-7227 to obtain an authorization form. The exchange
                    privilege may be modified or discontinued by any Fund at
                    any time upon prior written notice to shareholders of
                    that Fund.
 
                    In addition, you may exchange Class R Shares of any Fund
                    for Class A Shares of the same Fund without a sales
                    charge if the current net asset value of those Class R
                    Shares is at least $1,000 or you already own Class A
                    Shares of that Fund.
 
                    Reinstatement Privilege. If you have redeemed Class A
                    Shares of a Fund or Class A Shares of any other Nuveen
                    Mutual Fund that were subject to a sales charge, you may
                    reinvest without any added sales charge up to the full
                    amount of the redemption in Class A Shares of a Fund at
                    net asset value at the time of reinvestment. This rein-
                    statement privilege can be exercised only once for all
                    or a portion of the Class A Shares you redeemed and must
                    be exercised within 90 days of the date of the redemp-
                    tion. As applied to Class C Shares of a Fund or of any
                    other Nuveen Mutual Fund, this reinstatement privilege,
                    if exercised within 90 days of the date of the redemp-
                    tion, will preserve the number of years credited to your
                    ownership of Class C Shares for purposes of the conver-
                    sion of these Class C Shares to Class A Shares. Any CDSC
                    charged if the shares were purchased on or after June
                    13, 1995 and redeemed within 12 months of purchase will
                    be refunded if ownership is reinstated within the 90 day
                    period. The tax consequences of any capital gain real-
                    ized on a redemption will not be affected by reinstate-
                    ment, but a capital loss may be disallowed in whole or
                    in part depending on the timing and amount of the rein-
                    vestment.
 
                    FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THESE PURCHASE OPTIONS AND TO
                    OBTAIN THE APPLICATION FORMS REQUIRED FOR SOME OF THEM,
                    CALL NUVEEN TOLL-FREE AT 800-621-7227.
 
ADDITIONAL          If you choose to invest in a Fund, an account will be
INFORMATION         opened and maintained for you by SSI, the Funds' share-
                    holder services agent. Share certificates will be issued
                    to you only upon written request to SSI, and no certifi-
                    cates will be issued for fractional shares. Each Fund
                    reserves the right to reject any purchase order and to
                    waive or increase minimum investment requirements. A
                    change in registration or transfer of shares
 
38
<PAGE>
 
                    held in the name of your financial adviser's firm can
                    only be made by an order in good form from the financial
                    adviser acting on your behalf.
 
                    Authorized Dealers are encouraged to open single master
                    accounts. However, some Authorized Dealers may wish to
                    use SSI's sub-accounting system to minimize their inter-
                    nal recordkeeping requirements. An Au- thorized Dealer
                    or other investor requesting shareholder servicing or
                    accounting other than the master account or sub-account-
                    ing service offered by SSI will be required to enter
                    into a separate agreement with another agent for these
                    services for a fee that will depend upon the level of
                    services to be provided.
 
                    Subject to the rules and regulations of the Securities
                    and Exchange Commission, Nuveen Insured Tax-Free Bond
                    Fund, Inc. reserves the right to suspend the continuous
                    offering of shares of any of its Funds at any time, but
                    no suspension shall affect your right of redemption as
                    described below.
 
                    DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE PLANS
 
                    Each Fund has adopted a plan (the "Plan") pursuant to
                    Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940,
                    which provides that Class C Shares will be subject to an
                    annual distribution fee, and that both Class A Shares
                    and Class C Shares will be subject to an annual service
                    fee. Class R Shares will not be subject to either dis-
                    tribution or service fees.
 
                    The distribution fee applicable to Class C Shares under
                    each Fund's Plan will be payable to reimburse Nuveen for
                    services and expenses incurred in connection with the
                    distribution of Class C Shares. These expenses include
                    payments to Authorized Dealers, including Nuveen, who
                    are brokers of record with respect to the Class C
                    Shares, as well as, without limitation, expenses of
                    printing and distributing prospectuses to persons other
                    than shareholders of the Fund, expenses of preparing,
                    printing and distributing advertising and sales litera-
                    ture and reports to shareholders used in connection with
                    the sale of Class C Shares, certain other expenses asso-
                    ciated with the distribution of Class C Shares, and any
                    distribution-related expenses that may be authorized
                    from time to time by the Board of Directors.
 
                    The service fee applicable to Class A Shares and Class C
                    Shares under each Fund's Plan will be payable to Autho-
                    rized Dealers in connection with the provision of ongo-
                    ing account services to shareholders. These serv-
 
                                                                              39
<PAGE>
 
                    ices may include establishing and maintaining share-
                    holder accounts, answering shareholder inquiries and
                    providing other personal services to shareholders.
 
                    Each Fund may spend up to .25 of 1% per year of the av-
                    erage daily net assets of Class A Shares as a service
                    fee under the Plan applicable to Class A Shares. Each
                    Fund may spend up to .75 of 1% per year of the average
                    daily net assets of Class C Shares less the amount of
                    any CDSC received by Nuveen as to which no reinstatement
                    privilege has been exercised, as a distribution fee and
                    up to .25 of 1% per year of the average daily net assets
                    of Class C Shares as a service fee under the Plan appli-
                    cable to Class C Shares.
 
                    HOW TO REDEEM FUND SHARES
 
                    You may require a Fund at any time to redeem for cash
                    your shares of that Fund at the net asset value next
                    computed after instructions and required documents and
                    certificates, if any, are received in proper form. There
                    is no charge for the redemption of Class A Shares or
                    Class R Shares. An investor purchasing Class C Shares on
                    or after June 13, 1995 agrees to pay a CDSC of 1% of the
                    lower of (i) the net asset value of Class C Shares at
                    the time of purchase or (ii) the net asset value of
                    Class C Shares at the time of redemption, if such Class
                    C Shares are redeemed within 12 months of purchase. Each
                    Fund will redeem shares at net asset value and deduct
                    any applicable CDSC from the proceeds of redemption. No
                    CDSC will be charged on Class C Shares purchased as a
                    result of automatic reinvestment of dividends or capital
                    gains paid. The CDSC will be calculated as if Class C
                    Shares not subject to a CDSC are redeemed first, except
                    if another order of redemption would result in a lower
                    charge. The CDSC will be waived for redemptions follow-
                    ing the disability (as determined by the Social Security
                    Administration) or death of the shareholder. There is no
                    CDSC on Class C Shares held more than 12 months.
 
The Funds offer a   By Written Request. You may redeem shares by sending a
variety of          written request for redemption directly to the applica-
redemption          ble Fund, c/o Shareholder Services, Inc., P.O. Box 5330,
options.            Denver, CO 80217-5330, accompanied by duly endorsed cer-
                    tificates, if issued. Requests for redemption and share
                    certificates, if issued, must be signed by each share-
                    holder and, if the redemption proceeds exceed $25,000 or
                    are payable other than to the shareholder of record at
                    the address of record (which address may not have been
                    changed in the preceding 60 days), the signature must be
                    guaranteed by a member of an approved Medallion Guaran-
                    tee Program or in such other
 
40
<PAGE>
 
                    manner as may be acceptable to the Fund. You will re-
                    ceive payment equal to the net asset value per share
                    next determined after receipt by the Fund of a properly
                    executed redemption request in proper form. A check for
                    the redemption proceeds will be mailed to you within
                    seven days after receipt of your redemption request.
                    However, if any shares to be redeemed were purchased by
                    check within 15 days prior to the date the redemption
                    request is received, a Fund will not mail the redemption
                    proceeds until the check received for the purchase of
                    shares has cleared, which may take up to 15 days.
 
                    By TEL-A-CHECK. If you have authorized telephone redemp-
                    tion and your account address has not changed within the
                    last 60 days, you can redeem shares that are held in non-
                    certificate form and that are worth $25,000 or less by
                    calling Nuveen at 800-621-7227. While you or anyone autho-
                    rized by you may make telephone redemption requests, re-
                    demption checks will be issued only in the name of the
                    shareholder of record and will be mailed to the address of
                    record. If your telephone request is received prior to
                    2:00 p.m. eastern time, the shares redeemed will earn in-
                    come through the day the request is made and the redemp-
                    tion check will be mailed the next business day. For re-
                    quests received after 2:00 p.m. eastern time, the shares
                    redeemed earn income through the next business day and the
                    check will be mailed on the second business day after the
                    request.
 
                    By TEL-A-WIRE. If you have authorized TEL-A-WIRE redemp-
                    tion, you can take advantage of the following expedited
                    redemption procedures to redeem shares held in non-certif-
                    icate form that are worth at least $1,000.
                    You may make TEL-A-WIRE redemption requests by calling
                    Nuveen at 800-621-7227. If a redemption request is re-
                    ceived by 4:00 p.m. eastern time, the redemption will be
                    made as of 4:00 p.m. that day. If the redemption request
                    is received after 4:00 p.m. eastern time, the redemption
                    will be made as of 4:00 p.m. the following business day.
                    Redemption proceeds will normally be wired on the second
                    business day following the redemption, but may be de-
                    layed one additional business day if the Federal Reserve
                    Bank of Boston or the Federal Reserve Bank of New York
                    is closed on the day redemption proceeds would ordinar-
                    ily be wired. The Funds reserve the right to charge a
                    fee for TEL-A-WIRE.
 
                    Before you may redeem shares by TEL-A-CHECK or TEL-A-
                    WIRE, you must complete the telephone redemption autho-
                    rization section of the enclosed Application Form and
                    return it to Nuveen or SSI. If you did not authorize
                    telephone redemption when you opened your account, you
                    may obtain a telephone redemption authorization form by
                    writing the Funds or by calling Nuveen toll-free at 800-
                    621-7227. Proceeds of share redemptions made by TEL-A-
                    WIRE will be transferred by Federal Reserve wire
 
                                                                              41
<PAGE>
 
                    only to the commercial bank account specified by the
                    shareholder on the application form. You must send a
                    written request to Nuveen or SSI in order to establish
                    multiple accounts, or to change the account or accounts
                    designated to receive redemption proceeds. These re-
                    quests must be signed by each account owner with signa-
                    tures guaranteed by a member of an approved Medallion
                    Guarantee Program or in such other manner as may be ac-
                    ceptable to the Funds. Further documentation may be re-
                    quired from corporations, executors, trustees or per-
                    sonal representatives.
 
                    For the convenience of shareholders, the Funds have au-
                    thorized Nuveen as their agent to accept orders from fi-
                    nancial advisers by wire or telephone for the redemption
                    of Fund shares. The redemption price is the first net
                    asset value determined following receipt of an order
                    placed by the financial adviser. A Fund makes payment
                    for the redeemed shares to the financial adviser who
                    placed the order promptly upon presentation of required
                    documents with signatures guaranteed as described above.
                    Neither the Funds nor Nuveen charges any redemption
                    fees. However, your financial adviser may charge you for
                    serving as agent in the redemption of shares.
 
                    The Funds reserve the right to refuse telephone redemp-
                    tions and, at their option, may limit the timing, amount
                    or frequency of these redemptions. This procedure may be
                    modified or terminated at any time, on 30 days' notice,
                    by the Funds. The Funds, SSI and Nuveen will not be lia-
                    ble for following telephone instructions reasonably be-
                    lieved to be genuine. The Funds employ procedures rea-
                    sonably designed to confirm that telephone instructions
                    are genuine. These procedures include recording all tel-
                    ephone instructions and requiring up to three forms of
                    identification prior to acting upon a caller's instruc-
                    tions. If a Fund does not follow reasonable procedures
                    for protecting shareholders against loss on telephone
                    transactions, it may be liable for any losses due to un-
                    authorized or fraudulent telephone instructions.
 
                    Automatic Withdrawal Plan. If you own Fund shares cur-
                    rently worth at least $10,000, you may establish an Au-
                    tomatic Withdrawal Plan by completing an application
                    form for the Plan. You may obtain an application form by
                    checking the applicable box on the enclosed Application
                    Form or by calling Nuveen toll-free at 800-621-7227.
 
                    The Plan permits you to request periodic withdrawals on
                    a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual basis in an
                    amount of $50 or more. Depending upon the size of the
                    withdrawals requested under the Plan and fluctuations in
                    the net asset value of Fund shares, these withdrawals
                    may reduce or even exhaust your account.
 
 
42
<PAGE>
 
                    The purchase of Class A Shares, other than through rein-
                    vestment, while you are participating in the Automatic
                    Withdrawal Plan with respect to Class A Shares will usu-
                    ally be disadvantageous because you will be paying a
                    sales charge on any Class A Shares you purchase at the
                    same time you are redeeming shares. Similarly, use of
                    the Automatic Withdrawal Plan for Class C Shares pur-
                    chased on or after June 13, 1995 and held 12 months or
                    less will result in imposition of the 1% CDSC. Purchase
                    of new Class C Shares, other than through reinvestment,
                    while participating in the Automatic Withdrawal Plan may
                    be disadvantageous because the newly-purchased Class C
                    Shares will be subject to the 1% CDSC until 12 months
                    after purchase.
 
                    General. Each Fund may suspend the right of redemption
                    of Fund shares or delay payment more than seven days (a)
                    during any period when the New York Stock Exchange is
                    closed (other than customary weekend and holiday
                    closings), (b) when trading in the markets the Fund nor-
                    mally utilizes is restricted, or an emergency exists as
                    determined by the Securities and Exchange Commission so
                    that trading of the Fund's investments or determination
                    of its net asset value is not reasonably practicable, or
                    (c) for any other periods that the Securities and Ex-
                    change Commission by order may permit for protection of
                    Fund shareholders.
 
                    Each Fund may, from time to time, establish a minimum
                    total investment for Fund shareholders, and each Fund
                    reserves the right to redeem your shares if your invest-
                    ment is less than the minimum after giving you at least
                    30 days' notice. If any minimum total investment is es-
                    tablished, and if your account is below the minimum, you
                    will be allowed 30 days following the notice in which to
                    purchase sufficient shares to meet the minimum. So long
                    as a Fund continues to offer shares at net asset value
                    to holders of Nuveen UITs who are investing their Nuveen
                    UIT distributions, no minimum total investment will be
                    established for that Fund.
 
                    MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS
 
Nuveen Advisory
has been managing
similar tax-free funds
since 1976, and
has approximately
$30 billion of
assets under
management.
                    Board of Directors. The management of Nuveen Insured
                    Tax-Free Bond Fund, Inc., including general supervision
                    of the duties performed for each Fund by Nuveen Advisory
                    under the Investment Management Agreement, is the re-
                    sponsibility of its Board of Directors.
 
                    Investment Adviser. Nuveen Advisory acts as the invest-
                    ment adviser for and manages the investment and rein-
                    vestment of the assets of each of the Funds. Its address
                    is Nuveen Advisory Corp., 333 West Wacker Drive,
 
                                                                              43
<PAGE>
 
                    Chicago, Illinois 60606. Nuveen Advisory also adminis-
                    ters the Funds' business affairs, provides office facil-
                    ities and equipment and certain clerical, bookkeeping
                    and administrative services, and permits any of its of-
                    ficers or employees to serve without compensation as di-
                    rectors or officers of Nuveen Insured Tax-Free Bond
                    Fund, Inc. if elected to such positions.
 
                    Nuveen Advisory was organized in 1976 and since then has
                    exclusively engaged in the management of municipal secu-
                    rities portfolios. It currently serves as investment ad-
                    viser to 21 open-end municipal securities portfolios
                    (the "Nuveen Mutual Funds") and 55 exchange-traded mu-
                    nicipal securities funds (the "Nuveen Exchange-Traded
                    Funds"). Each of these invests substantially all of its
                    assets in investment grade quality, tax-free municipal
                    securities, and except for money-market funds, adheres
                    to the value investing strategy described previously. As
                    of the date of this Prospectus, Nuveen Advisory manages
                    approximately $30 billion in assets held by the Nuveen
                    Mutual Funds and the Nuveen Exchange-Traded Funds.
 
                    Nuveen Advisory is a wholly-owned subsidiary of John
                    Nuveen & Co. Incorporated, 333 West Wacker Drive, Chica-
                    go, Illinois 60606, the oldest and largest investment
                    banking firm (based on number of employees) specializing
                    in the underwriting and distribution of tax-exempt secu-
                    rities. Nuveen, the principal underwriter of the Funds'
                    shares, is sponsor of the Nuveen Tax-Exempt Unit Trust,
                    a registered unit investment trust. It is also the prin-
                    cipal underwriter for the Nuveen Mutual Funds, and
                    served as co-managing underwriter for the shares of the
                    Nuveen Exchange-Traded Funds. Over 1,000,000 individuals
                    have invested to date in Nuveen's tax-exempt funds and
                    trusts. Founded in 1898, Nuveen is a subsidiary of The
                    John Nuveen Company which, in turn, is approximately 75%
                    owned by The St. Paul Companies, Inc. ("St. Paul"). St.
                    Paul is located in St. Paul, Minnesota, and is princi-
                    pally engaged in providing property-liability insurance
                    through subsidiaries.
 
                    For the services and facilities furnished by Nuveen Ad-
                    visory, the Funds have agreed to pay annual management
                    fees as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                       MANAGEMENT FEE
                                                              FOR THE
                                        MANAGEMENT FEE  MASSACHUSETTS
            AVERAGE DAILY NET ASSET            FOR THE   FUND AND THE
            VALUE                        NATIONAL FUND  NEW YORK FUND
                    -------------------------------------------------
            <S>                         <C>            <C>
            For the first $125 million   .5000 of 1%    .5500 of 1%
            For the next $125 million    .4875 of 1%    .5375 of 1%
            For the next $250 million    .4750 of 1%    .5250 of 1%
            For the next $500 million    .4625 of 1%    .5125 of 1%
            For the next $1 billion      .4500 of 1%    .5000 of 1%
            For assets over $2 billion   .4250 of 1%    .4750 of 1%
</TABLE>
 
44
<PAGE>
 
                    All fees and expenses are accrued daily and deducted be-
                    fore payment of dividends to investors. In addition to
                    the management fee of Nuveen Advisory, each Fund pays
                    all its other costs and expenses and a portion of Nuveen
                    Insured Tax-Free Bond Fund, Inc.'s general administra-
                    tive expenses allocated in proportion to the net assets
                    of each Fund. In order to prevent total operating ex-
                    penses (excluding any distribution or service fees) in
                    any fiscal year from exceeding .975 of 1% of the average
                    daily net asset value of any class of shares of each
                    Fund, Nuveen Advisory has agreed to waive all or a por-
                    tion of its management fees or reimburse certain ex-
                    penses of each Fund. Nuveen Advisory may also voluntar-
                    ily agree to reimburse additional expenses from time to
                    time, which voluntary reimbursements may be terminated
                    at any time in its discretion. For information regarding
                    the management fees and total operating expenses of each
                    class of shares of each of the Funds for the year ended
                    February 28, 1995, see the table under "Summary of Fund
                    Expenses" on page 3 of this Prospectus.
 
                    Portfolio Management. Overall portfolio management
                    strategy for the Funds is determined by Nuveen Advisory
                    under the general supervision and direction of Thomas C.
                    Spalding, Jr., a Vice President of the Nuveen Advisory
                    and of the Funds. Mr. Spalding has been employed by
                    Nuveen since 1976 and by Nuveen Advisory since 1978 and
                    has responsibility with respect to the portfolio manage-
                    ment of all Nuveen open-end and exchange-traded funds
                    managed by Nuveen Advisory. See the Statement of Addi-
                    tional Information for further information about Mr.
                    Spalding.
 
                    The day-to-day management of the National Fund is the
                    responsibility of Steven J. Krupa, a Vice President of
                    Nuveen Advisory since October 1990 and portfolio manager
                    for the National Fund since September 1994. Prior to
                    joining Nuveen Advisory, Mr. Krupa worked in Nuveen's
                    Municipal Trading Department as a Vice President. He
                    currently manages nine Nuveen-sponsored investment com-
                    panies.
 
                    The day-to-day management of the Massachusetts Fund is
                    the responsibility of Stephen S. Peterson, an Assistant
                    Portfolio Manager of Nuveen Advisory since October 1991
                    and portfolio manager of the Massachusetts Fund since
                    May 1993. Prior to joining Nuveen Advisory, he was an
                    analyst in Nuveen's Research Department. Mr. Peterson
                    currently manages eight Nuveen-sponsored investment com-
                    panies.
 
                    The day-to-day management of the New York Fund is the
                    responsibility of Daniel S. Solender, an Assistant Port-
                    folio Manager of Nuveen Advisory since January 1992 and
                    portfolio manager for the New York Fund since September
                    1994. Prior to joining Nuveen Advisory, Mr. Solender at-
                    tended the University of Chicago (from September 1990 to
                    June 1992)
 
                                                                              45
<PAGE>
 
                    where he received his M.B.A. and worked part time in the
                    Research Department of Nuveen. From June 1989 to August
                    1990, Mr. Solender worked for Citibank Investment Serv-
                    ices in the areas of investment research and product de-
                    velopment. He currently manages nine Nuveen-sponsored
                    companies.
 
                    Consistent with the Funds' investment objectives, the
                    day-to-day management of each Fund is characterized by
                    an emphasis on value investing, a process which involves
                    the search for Municipal Obligations with favorable
                    characteristics that, in Nuveen Advisory's judgment,
                    have not yet been recognized in the marketplace. The
                    process of searching for such undervalued or underrated
                    securities is an ongoing one that draws upon the re-
                    sources of the portfolio managers of the various Nuveen
                    funds and senior management of Nuveen Advisory. All
                    portfolio management decisions are subject to weekly re-
                    view by Nuveen Advisory's management and to quarterly
                    review by the Board of Directors of Nuveen Insured Tax-
                    Free Bond Fund, Inc.
 
                    HOW THE FUNDS SHOW PERFORMANCE
 
The Funds may       Each Fund from time to time may quote various perfor-
compare their       mance measures in order to illustrate the historical re-
performance with    turns available from an investment in the Fund. These
other tax-free      performance measures, which are determined for each
and taxable         class of shares of a Fund, include:
investments,
often on a
taxable
equivalent basis.
 
                    Yield Information. YIELD is a standardized measure of
                    the net investment income earned over a specified 30-day
                    period, expressed as a percentage of the offering price
                    per share at the end of the period. Yield is an
                    annualized figure, which means that it is assumed that
                    the same level of net investment income is generated
                    over a one-year period.
 
                    TAXABLE EQUIVALENT YIELD is the yield that a taxable in-
                    vestment would need to generate in order to equal the
                    yield on an after-tax basis for an investor in a stated
                    tax bracket. Taxable equivalent yield will consequently
                    be higher than its yield. See the chart below and Appen-
                    dix B for examples of taxable equivalent yields and how
                    you can use them to compare other investments with in-
                    vestments in the Funds.
 
46
<PAGE>
 
                    HISTORICAL YIELDS
 
          
                     [GRAPH APPEARS HERE]
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                             TAXABLE
                            EQUIVALENT   30 YEAR     6 MONTH      TAXABLE
                    DATE      BB 20      TREASURY       CD          MMF
                    <S>       <C>          <C>         <C>         <C>
                    1/86      12.63%       9.40%       7.54%       7.15%
                    1/87      10.41%       7.39%       5.60%       5.50%
                    1/88      12.08%       8.83%       6.75%       6.50%
                    1/89      11.48%       8.93%       8.12%       8.36%
                    1/90      11.09%       8.26%       7.62%       7.75%
                    1/91      11.06%       8.27%       6.75%       6.89%
                    1/92      10.18%       7.75%       3.72%       4.13%
                    1/93       9.62%       7.34%       2.87%       2.84%
                    1/94       8.29%       5.54%       2.72%       2.71%
                    1/95      10.21%       7.85%       5.43%       5.13%
</TABLE>
                    SOURCES: BOND BUYER, BANXQUOTE, IBC/DONOGHUE'S MONEY
                    FUND REPORT
 
                    As this chart shows, interest rates on various long-
                    and short-term investments will fluctuate over time,
                    and not always in the same direction or to the same de-
                    gree. For convenience, the taxable equivalent yield of
                    the Bond Buyer 20 Index shown here was calculated using
                    a 36% federal income tax rate. Other federal income tax
                    rates, both higher and lower, were in existence for all
                    or part of the period shown in the chart. This chart is
                    not intended to predict the future direction of inter-
                    est rates. See the discussion below under the
                    subcaption "General" for a description of the indices
                    and investments shown in the chart.
 
                    DISTRIBUTION RATE is determined based upon the latest
                    dividend, annualized, expressed as a percentage of the
                    offering price per share at the end of the measurement
                    period. Distribution rate may sometimes be different
                    from yield because it may not reflect amortization of
                    bond premiums to the extent such premiums arise after
                    the bonds were purchased.
 
                    Total Return Information. AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN
                    and CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN figures for a specified pe-
                    riod measure both the net investment income generated
                    by, and the effect of any realized and unrealized ap-
                    preciation or depreciation of, an investment in a Fund,
                    assuming the reinvestment of all dividends and capital
                    gain distributions. Average an-
 
                                                                              47
<PAGE>
 
                    nual total return figures generally are quoted for at
                    least one-, five- and ten-year (or life-of-fund, if
                    shorter) periods and represent the average annual per-
                    centage change over those periods. Cumulative total re-
                    turn figures are not annualized and represent the cumu-
                    lative percentage or dollar value change over the period
                    specified.
 
                    TAXABLE EQUIVALENT TOTAL RETURN represents the total re-
                    turn that would be generated by a taxable income fund
                    that produced the same amount of net asset value appre-
                    ciation or depreciation and after-tax income as a Fund
                    in each year, assuming a specified tax rate. The taxable
                    equivalent total return of a Fund will therefore be
                    higher than its total return over the same period.
 
                    From time to time, a Fund may compare its risk-adjusted
                    performance with other investments that may provide dif-
                    ferent levels of risk and return. For example, a Fund
                    may compare its risk level, as measured by the variabil-
                    ity of its periodic returns, or its RISK-ADJUSTED TOTAL
                    RETURN, with those of other funds or groups of funds.
                    Risk-adjusted total return would be calculated by ad-
                    justing each investment's total return to account for
                    the risk level of the investment.
 
                    A Fund may also compare its TAX-ADJUSTED TOTAL RETURN
                    with that of other funds or groups of funds. This meas-
                    ure would take into account the tax-exempt nature of ex-
                    empt-interest dividends and the payment of income taxes
                    on a Fund's distributions of net realized capital gains
                    and ordinary income.
 
                    General.  Any given performance quotation or performance
                    comparison for a Fund is based on historical earnings
                    and should not be considered as representative of the
                    performance of the Fund for any future period. See the
                    Statement of Additional Information for further informa-
                    tion concerning the Funds' performance. For information
                    as to current yield and other performance information
                    regarding the Funds, call Nuveen toll-free at 800-621-
                    7227.
 
                    A comparison of the current yield or historic perfor-
                    mance of a Fund to those of other investments is one el-
                    ement to consider in making an informed investment deci-
                    sion. Each Fund may from time to time in its advertising
                    and sales materials compare its current yield or total
                    return with the yield or total return on taxable invest-
                    ments such as corporate or U.S. Government bonds, bank
                    certificates of deposit (CDs) or money market funds.
                    These taxable investments have investment characteris-
                    tics that differ from those of the Funds. U.S. Govern-
                    ment bonds, for example, are long-term investments
                    backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S.
 
48
<PAGE>
 
                    Government, and bank CDs are generally short-term, FDIC-
                    insured investments, which pay fixed principal and in-
                    terest but are subject to fluctuating rollover rates.
                    Money market funds are short-term investments with sta-
                    ble net asset values, fluctuating yields and special
                    features enhancing liquidity. Additionally, each Fund
                    may compare its current yield or total return history
                    with a widely-followed, unmanaged municipal market index
                    such as the Bond Buyer 20 Index, the Merrill Lynch 500
                    Municipal Market Index or the Lehman Brothers Municipal
                    Bond Index. Comparative performance information may also
                    be used from time to time in advertising or marketing a
                    Fund's shares, including data from Lipper Analytical
                    Services, Inc., Morningstar, Inc. and other industry
                    publications.
 
                    DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
 
HOW THE FUNDS PAY   Each Fund will pay monthly dividends to shareholders at
DIVIDENDS           a level rate that reflects the past and projected net
                    income of the Fund and that results, over time, in the
                    distribution of substantially all of the Fund's net in-
                    come. Net income of each Fund consists of all interest
                    income accrued on its portfolio less all expenses of
                    Nuveen Insured Tax-Free Bond Fund, Inc. accrued daily
                    that are applicable to that Fund. To maintain a more
                    stable monthly distribution, each Fund may from time to
                    time distribute less than the entire amount of net in-
                    come earned in a particular period. This undistributed
                    net income would be available to supplement future
                    distributions, which might otherwise have been reduced
                    by a decrease in a Fund's monthly net income due to
                    fluctuations in investment income or expenses. As a re-
                    sult, the distributions paid by a Fund for any particu-
                    lar monthly period may be more or less than the amount
                    of net income actually earned by a Fund during such pe-
                    riod. Undistributed net income is included in a Fund's
                    net asset value and, correspondingly, distributions from
                    previously undistributed net income are deducted from a
                    Fund's net asset value. It is not expected that this
                    dividend policy will impact the management of the Fund's
                    portfolios.
 
Each Fund pays
monthly
dividends.
 
                    Dividends paid by a Fund with respect to each class of
                    shares will be calculated in the same manner and at the
                    same time, and will be paid in the same amount except
                    that different distribution and service fees and any
                    other expense relating to a specific class of shares
                    will be borne exclusively by that class. As a result,
                    dividends per share will vary among a Fund's classes of
                    shares.
 
                    Each Fund will declare dividends on the 9th of each
                    month (or if the 9th is not a business day, on the imme-
                    diately preceding business day), payable to shareholders
                    of record as of the close of business on that day. This
 
                                                                              49
<PAGE>
 
                    distribution policy is subject to change, however, by
                    the Board of Directors without prior notice to or ap-
                    proval by shareholders. Dividends will be paid on the
                    first business day of the following month and are rein-
                    vested in additional shares of a Fund at net asset value
                    unless you have elected that your dividends be paid in
                    cash. Net realized capital gains, if any, will be paid
                    not less frequently than annually and will be reinvested
                    at net asset value in additional shares of the Fund un-
                    less you have elected to receive capital gains distribu-
                    tions in cash.
 
TAX MATTERS         The following federal and state tax discussion, together
                    with the additional information on state taxes in Appen-
                    dix A, is intended to provide you with an overview of
                    the impact on the Funds or their shareholders of federal
                    as well as state and local income tax provisions. These
                    tax provisions are subject to change by legislative or
                    administrative action, and any changes may be applied
                    retroactively. Because the Funds' taxes are a complex
                    matter, you should consult your tax adviser for more de-
                    tailed information concerning the taxation of the Funds
                    and the federal, state and local tax consequences to
                    Fund shareholders.
 
Income dividends    Federal Income Tax. Each Fund intends to qualify, as it
are free from       has in prior years, under Subchapter M of the Internal
regular federal     Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code") for tax
income tax.         treatment as a regulated investment company. In order to
                    qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company,
                    a Fund must satisfy certain requirements relating to the
                    sources of its income, diversification of its assets and
                    distribution of its income to shareholders. As a regu-
                    lated investment company, a Fund will not be subject to
                    federal income tax on the portion of its net investment
                    income and net realized capital gains that is currently
                    distributed to shareholders. Each Fund also intends to
                    satisfy conditions that will enable it to pay "exempt-
                    interest dividends" to its shareholders. This means that
                    you will not be subject to regular federal income tax on
                    Fund dividends you receive from income on Municipal Ob-
                    ligations.
 
                    Your share of a Fund's taxable income, if any, from in-
                    come on taxable temporary investments and net short-term
                    capital gains, will be taxable to you as ordinary in-
                    come. If a Fund purchases a Municipal Obligation at a
                    market discount, any gain realized by the Fund upon sale
                    or redemption of the Municipal Obligation will be
                    treated as taxable ordinary income to the extent such
                    gain does not exceed the market discount, and any gain
                    realized in excess of the market discount will be
                    treated as capital gains. Distributions, if any, of net
                    long-term capital gains are taxable as long-term capital
                    gains, regardless of the length of time you have owned
                    shares of a Fund. You are required to pay tax on all
                    taxable distri-
 
50
<PAGE>
 
                    butions even if these distributions are automatically
                    reinvested in additional Fund shares. Certain distribu-
                    tions paid by a Fund in January of a given year may be
                    taxable to shareholders as if received the prior Decem-
                    ber 31. As long as a Fund qualifies as a regulated in-
                    vestment company under the Code, distributions will not
                    qualify for the dividends received deduction for corpo-
                    rate shareholders. Investors should consider the tax im-
                    plications of buying shares immediately prior to a dis-
                    tribution. Investors who purchase shares shortly before
                    the record date for a distribution will pay a per share
                    price that includes the value of the anticipated distri-
                    bution and will be taxed on the distribution (unless it
                    is exempt from tax) even though the distribution repre-
                    sents a return of a portion of the purchase price.
 
                    If in any year a Fund should fail to qualify under
                    Subchapter M for tax treatment as a regulated investment
                    company, the Fund would incur a regular corporate fed-
                    eral income tax upon its taxable income for that year,
                    and the entire amount of your distributions would be
                    taxable as ordinary income.
 
                    The Code does not permit you to deduct the interest on
                    borrowed monies used to purchase or carry tax-free in-
                    vestments, such as shares of a Fund. Under Internal Rev-
                    enue Service rules, the purchase of Fund shares may be
                    considered to have been made with borrowed monies even
                    though those monies are not directly traceable to the
                    purchase of those shares.
 
                    Because the net asset value of each Fund's shares in-
                    cludes net tax-exempt interest earned by the Fund but
                    not yet declared as an exempt-interest dividend, each
                    time an exempt-interest dividend is declared, the net
                    asset value of the Fund's shares will decrease in an
                    amount equal to the amount of the dividend. Accordingly,
                    if you redeem shares of a Fund immediately prior to or
                    on the record date of a monthly exempt-interest divi-
                    dend, you may realize a taxable gain even though a por-
                    tion of the redemption proceeds may represent your pro
                    rata share of undistributed tax-exempt interest earned
                    by the Fund.
 
                    The redemption or exchange of Fund shares normally will
                    result in capital gain or loss to shareholders. Any loss
                    you may realize on the redemption or exchange of shares
                    of a Fund held for six months or less will be disallowed
                    to the extent of any distribution of exempt-interest
                    dividends received on these shares and will be treated
                    as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any distri-
                    bution of long-term capital gain received on these
                    shares.
 
                                                                              51
<PAGE>
 
                    If you receive social security or railroad retirement
                    benefits you should note that tax-exempt income is taken
                    into account in calculating the amount of these benefits
                    that may be subject to federal income tax.
 
                    The Funds may invest in private activity bonds, the in-
                    terest on which is not exempt from federal income tax to
                    "substantial users" of the facilities financed by these
                    bonds or "related persons" of such substantial users.
                    Therefore, the Funds may not be appropriate investments
                    for you if you are considered either a substantial user
                    or a related person.
 
                    Each Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in AMT
                    Bonds, the interest on which is a specific tax prefer-
                    ence item for purposes of computing the alternative min-
                    imum tax on corporations and individuals. However, the
                    National Fund to date has not invested in AMT Bonds and
                    has no present intention of doing so. If your tax lia-
                    bility is determined under the alternative minimum tax,
                    you will be taxed on your share of a Fund's exempt-in-
                    terest dividends that were paid from income earned on
                    AMT Bonds. In addition, the alternative minimum taxable
                    income for corporations is increased by 75% of the dif-
                    ference between an alternative measure of income ("ad-
                    justed current earnings") and the amount otherwise de-
                    termined to be the alternative minimum taxable income.
                    Interest on all Municipal Obligations, and therefore all
                    distributions by the Fund that would otherwise be tax
                    exempt, is included in calculating a corporation's ad-
                    justed current earnings.
 
                    Each Fund is required in certain circumstances to with-
                    hold 31% of taxable dividends and certain other payments
                    paid to non-corporate holders of shares who have not
                    furnished to the Fund their correct taxpayer identifica-
                    tion number (in the case of individuals, their social
                    security number) and certain certifications, or who are
                    otherwise subject to back-up withholding.
 
                    Each January, your Fund will notify you of the amount
                    and tax status of Fund distributions for the preceding
                    year.
 
Dividends are       State Income Tax Matters. Under the laws of the respec-
free from           tive state of each Fund, exempt-interest dividends (as
applicable state    determined for federal income tax purposes) you receive
personal income     from income earned by the Massachusetts and New York
tax.                Funds on Municipal Obligations issued by their respec-
                    tive states or a political subdivision thereof generally
                    will be exempt from that state's (or political subdivi-
                    sion's) applicable personal income tax. The exemption
                    from state personal income tax applies whether you re-
                    ceive a Fund's dividends in cash or reinvest them in ad-
                    ditional shares of the Fund.
 
52
<PAGE>
 
                    Because other special tax rules may apply, you are en-
                    couraged to review Appendix A to this Prospectus and the
                    Statement of Additional Information for further informa-
                    tion concerning the effect of applicable state or local
                    taxes.
 
                    NET ASSET VALUE
 
Net asset value     Net asset value of the shares of a Fund will be deter-
is calculated       mined separately for each class of shares. The net asset
daily.              value per share of a class of shares will be computed by
                    dividing the value of the Fund's assets attributable to
                    the class, less the liabilities attributable to the
                    class, by the total number of shares of the class out-
                    standing. The net asset value per share is expected to
                    vary among a Fund's Class A Shares, Class C Shares and
                    Class R Shares, principally due to the differences in
                    sales charges, distribution and service fees and other
                    class expenses borne by each class.
 
                    Net asset value of the shares of each Fund will be de-
                    termined by United States Trust Company of New York, the
                    Funds' custodian, as of 4:00 p.m. eastern time on each
                    day the New York Stock Exchange is normally open for
                    trading. In determining the net asset value, the custo-
                    dian uses the valuations of portfolio securities fur-
                    nished by a pricing service approved by the Board of Di-
                    rectors. The pricing service values portfolio securities
                    at the mean between the quoted bid and asked prices or
                    the yield equivalent when quotations are readily avail-
                    able. Securities for which quotations are not readily
                    available (which are expected to constitute a majority
                    of the securities held by the Funds) are valued at fair
                    value as determined by the pricing service using methods
                    that include consideration of the following: yields or
                    prices of municipal bonds of comparable quality, type of
                    issue, coupon, maturity and rating; indications as to
                    value from securities dealers; and general market condi-
                    tions. The pricing service may employ electronic data
                    processing techniques and/or a matrix system to deter-
                    mine valuations. The procedures of the pricing service
                    and its valuations are reviewed by the officers of the
                    Nuveen Insured Tax-Free Bond Fund, Inc. under the gen-
                    eral supervision of its Board of Directors.
 
                    GENERAL INFORMATION
 
                    If you have any questions about the Funds or other
                    Nuveen Mutual Funds, call Nuveen toll-free at 800-621-
                    7227.
 
                                                                              53
<PAGE>
 
                    Custodian and Transfer and Shareholder Services
                    Agent. The Custodian of the assets of the Funds is
                    United States Trust Company of New York, 114 West 47th
                    Street, New York, NY 10036. The Chase Manhattan Bank,
                    N.A., 1 Chase Manhattan Plaza, New York, NY 10081, has
                    agreed to become successor to U.S. Trust, as Custodian
                    and Fund Accountant. The succession is presently sched-
                    uled for July 1, 1995. No changes in the Funds' adminis-
                    tration or in the amount of fees and expenses paid by
                    the Funds for these services will result, and no action
                    by shareholders will be required. The Funds' transfer,
                    shareholder services and dividend paying agent, Share-
                    holder Services, Inc., P.O. Box 5330, Denver, CO 80217-
                    5330, performs bookkeeping, data processing and adminis-
                    trative services for the maintenance of shareholder ac-
                    counts.
 
                    Organization. Nuveen Insured Tax-Free Bond Fund, Inc. is
                    an open-end diversified management series investment
                    company under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Each
                    Fund constitutes a separate series of Nuveen Insured
                    Tax-Free Bond Fund, Inc., and is itself an open-end
                    diversified management mutual fund. Nuveen Insured Tax-
                    Free Bond Fund, Inc. was incorporated in Minnesota on
                    July 14, 1986. Nuveen Insured Tax-Free Bond Fund, Inc.
                    is currently authorized to issue an aggregate of
                    2,500,000,000 shares of common stock, $.01 par value,
                    consisting of 500,000,000 shares of the Nuveen Massachu-
                    setts Insured Tax-Free Value Fund, 500,000,000 shares of
                    the Nuveen New York Insured Tax-Free Value Fund,
                    1,000,000,000 shares of the Nuveen Insured Municipal
                    Bond Fund and 500,000,000 shares to be issued in such
                    classes or series as the Board of Directors may deter-
                    mine. Each Fund's shares of common stock are divided
                    into three classes of shares designated as Class A
                    Shares, Class C Shares and Class R Shares. Each class of
                    shares represents an interest in the same portfolio of
                    investments and has equal rights as to voting, redemp-
                    tion, dividends and liquidation, except that each bears
                    different class expenses, including different distribu-
                    tion and service fees, and each has exclusive voting
                    rights with respect to any distribution or service plan
                    applicable to its shares. There are no conversion, pre-
                    emptive or other subscription rights, except that Class
                    C Shares of a Fund automatically convert into Class A
                    Shares of the same Fund, as described above. The Board
                    of Directors has the right to establish additional se-
                    ries and classes of shares in the future, to change the
                    series or classes and to determine the preferences, vot-
                    ing powers, rights and privileges thereof.
 
                    The Funds are not required and do not intend to hold an-
                    nual meetings of shareholders. Shareholders owning more
                    than 10% of the outstanding shares of a Fund have the
                    right to call a special meeting to remove directors or
                    for any other purpose.
 
54
<PAGE>
 
                    APPENDIX A--SPECIAL STATE FACTORS AND STATE TAX
                    TREATMENT
 
                    SPECIAL FACTORS PERTAINING TO EACH FUND
 
                    The following information is a brief summary of special
                    factors that affect the risk of investing in Municipal
                    Obligations issued within the states of Massachusetts
                    and New York. This information was obtained from offi-
                    cial statements of issuers located in these states as
                    well as from other publicly available official documents
                    and statements and is not intended to be a complete de-
                    scription. The Funds have not independently verified any
                    of the information contained in these statements and
                    documents. See the Statement of Additional Information
                    for further information relating to current political,
                    economic or regulatory risk factors as well as informa-
                    tion relating to legal proceedings which may adversely
                    affect a state's financial position.
 
MASSACHUSETTS       In recent years, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and
                    certain of its public bodies and municipalities, partic-
                    ularly the City of Boston, have faced serious financial
                    difficulties which have affected the credit standing and
                    borrowing abilities of Massachusetts and these respec-
                    tive entities and may have contributed to higher inter-
                    est rates on debt obligations. As a result of these dif-
                    ficulties, the rating agencies lowered the credit rat-
                    ings on Massachusetts general obligation bonds several
                    times during 1989 and 1990. Since then, both S&P and
                    Moody's have upgraded Massachusetts general obligation
                    bonds several times. As of the date of this Prospectus,
                    the uninsured general obligation bonds carry a rating of
                    A+ by S&P and A1 by Moody's. Since 1988, there has been
                    a significant slowdown in the Commonwealth's economy, as
                    indicated by a rise in unemployment, a slowing of its
                    per capita income growth and a trend in declining state
                    revenues. In fiscal 1991, the Commonwealth's expendi-
                    tures for state government programs exceeded current
                    revenues, and although fiscal 1992, 1993 and 1994 re-
                    sults indicate that revenues exceeded expenditures, no
                    assurance can be given that lower than expected tax rev-
                    enues will not resume and continue. The continuation of,
                    or an increase in, the financial difficulties of the
                    Commonwealth and its public bodies and municipalities,
                    or the development of a financial crisis relating to
                    these entities, could result in declines in the market
                    value of, or default on, existing obligations issued by
                    governmental authorities in the state of Massachusetts,
                    including Municipal Obligations held by the Massachu-
                    setts Fund. Many factors, in addition to those cited
                    above do or may have a bearing upon the financial condi-
                    tion of the Commonwealth, including social and economic
                    conditions, many of which are not within the control of
                    the Commonwealth.
<PAGE>
 
NEW YORK            New York State has historically been one of the wealthi-
                    est states in the nation. For decades, however, the
                    State's economy has grown more slowly than that of the
                    nation as a whole, gradually eroding the State's rela-
                    tive economic affluence. Statewide, urban centers have
                    experienced significant changes involving migration of
                    the more affluent to the suburbs and an influx of gener-
                    ally less affluent residents. Regionally, the older
                    Northeast cities have suffered because of the relative
                    success that the South and the West have had in at-
                    tracting people and business. New York City has faced
                    greater competition as other major cities have developed
                    financial and business resources which make them less
                    dependent on the specialized services traditionally
                    available almost exclusively in New York City, which has
                    had an additional negative impact on New York City's re-
                    covery. The State has for many years had a very high
                    State and local tax burden relative to other states. The
                    burden of State and local taxation, in combination with
                    the many other causes of regional economic dislocation,
                    has contributed to the decisions of some businesses and
                    individuals to relocate outside, or not locate within,
                    the State.
 
                    Economic recovery started considerably later in the
                    State than in the nation as a whole, due in part to a
                    significant retrenchment in the banking and financial
                    services industry, cutbacks in defense spending, and an
                    overbuilt real estate market. The State has projected
                    the rate of economic growth to slow within New York dur-
                    ing 1995 as the expansion of the national economy moder-
                    ates.
 
                    The State ended its 1993-94 fiscal year with an operat-
                    ing surplus of approximately $1.0 billion. The State
                    Legislature enacted the State's 1994-95 fiscal year bud-
                    get on June 7, 1994, more than two months after the
                    start of that fiscal year.
 
                    As of February 1, 1995, the updated 1994-95 State Finan-
                    cial Plan (the "Plan") projected total general fund re-
                    ceipts and disbursements of $33.3 billion and $33.5 bil-
                    lion, respectively, representing reductions in receipts
                    and disbursements of $1 billion and $743 million, re-
                    spectively, from the amounts set forth in the 1994-95
                    State budget, as adopted by the legislature. The Plan
                    projected a General Fund balance of approximately $157
                    million at the close of the 1994-95 fiscal year.
 
                    The Governor issued a proposed State budget for the
                    1995-96 fiscal year on February 1, 1995, which projected
                    a balanced general fund and receipts and disbursements
                    of $32.5 billion and $32.4 billion, respectively. As of
                    April 17, 1995, the State legislature had not yet en-
                    acted, nor had the Governor and the legislature reached
                    an agreement on, the budget for the 1995-96 fiscal year
                    commencing on April 1, 1995. The delay in the
 
A-2
<PAGE>
 
                    enactment of the budget may negatively affect certain
                    proposed actions and reduce projected savings.
 
                    Following enactment of the State's 1994-95 fiscal year
                    budget, New York City adopted a 1995 fiscal year budget
                    on June 21, 1994, which provided for $31.6 billion in
                    spending. However, following adoption of that New York
                    City budget, unexpected budget gaps totalling approxi-
                    mately $2.0 billion for the 1995 fiscal year were iden-
                    tified and the Mayor imposed additional spending cuts.
                    In January 1995, in response to the City's plan to bor-
                    row $120 million to refund debt due in February without
                    imposing additional cuts, S&P placed the City on nega-
                    tive credit watch and indicated that it would consider a
                    possible downgrade of the City's general obligation debt
                    in April 1995. On February 2, 1995, the Mayor outlined
                    his proposed $30.5 billion budget for the 1996 fiscal
                    year which included $2.7 billion of deficit reduction
                    measures, almost half of which are dependent upon State
                    actions in the 1996 fiscal year. The Governor and the
                    legislature have not agreed upon the level of State aid
                    to the City during the 1996 fiscal year and there can be
                    no assurances that further cuts will not be necessary to
                    close additional budget gaps once a State budget is
                    adopted. If State aid in later years is less than the
                    levels projected in the Mayor's proposal, projected sav-
                    ings may be negatively impacted and the Mayor may be re-
                    quired to propose significant additional spending reduc-
                    tions or tax increases to balance the City's budget for
                    the 1996 and later fiscal years. If the State, the State
                    agencies, New York City, other municipalities or school
                    districts were to suffer serious financial difficulties
                    jeopardizing their respective access to the public
                    credit markets, or increasing the risk of a default, the
                    market price of Municipal Obligations issued by such en-
                    tities could be adversely affected.
 
                    DESCRIPTION OF STATE TAX TREATMENT
 
                    The following state tax information applicable to a Fund
                    or its shareholders is based upon the advice of the
                    Fund's special state tax counsel, and represents a sum-
                    mary of certain provisions of each state's tax laws
                    presently in effect. These provisions are subject to
                    change by legislative or administrative action, which
                    may be applied retroactively to Fund transactions. The
                    state tax information below assumes that each Fund qual-
                    ifies as a regulated investment company for federal in-
                    come tax purposes under Subchapter M of the Internal
                    Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), and that
                    amounts so designated by each Fund to its shareholders
                    qualify as "exempt-interest dividends" under Section
                    852(b)(5) of the Code. You should consult your own tax
                    adviser for more detailed information concerning state
                    taxes to which you may be subject.
 
 
                                                                             A-3
<PAGE>
 
MASSACHUSETTS       Individual shareholders of the Massachusetts Fund who
                    are subject to Massachusetts income taxation will not be
                    required to include that portion of their federally tax-
                    exempt dividends in Massachusetts gross income which the
                    Massachusetts Fund clearly identifies as directly at-
                    tributable to interest earned on Municipal Obligations
                    issued by governmental authorities in Massachusetts
                    which are specifically exempted from income taxation in
                    Massachusetts, provided such dividends are identified in
                    a timely written notice mailed to shareholders of the
                    Massachusetts Fund, or interest earned on obligations of
                    certain U.S. territories or possessions. Similarly, such
                    shareholders will not be required to include in Massa-
                    chusetts gross income capital gain dividends designated
                    by the Massachusetts Fund to the extent such dividends
                    are attributable to gains derived from Municipal Obliga-
                    tions issued by Massachusetts governmental authorities
                    and are specifically exempted from income taxation in
                    Massachusetts, provided such dividends are identified in
                    a timely written notice mailed to shareholders of the
                    Massachusetts Fund. Lastly, any dividends of the Massa-
                    chusetts Fund attributable to interest on U.S. obliga-
                    tions exempt from state taxation and included in Federal
                    gross income will not be included in Massachusetts gross
                    income, provided such dividends are identified in a
                    timely written notice mailed to shareholders of the Mas-
                    sachusetts Fund. Individual shareholders of the Massa-
                    chusetts Fund will be required to include all remaining
                    dividends in their Massachusetts income.
 
                    With respect to corporate shareholders of the Massachu-
                    setts Fund that are subject to the Massachusetts excise
                    tax, dividends received from the Massachusetts Fund are
                    includable in gross income and generally may not be de-
                    ducted by corporate shareholders in computing their net
                    income, and the net worth base of an intangible property
                    corporation includes the corporate shareholders' shares
                    in the Massachusetts Fund.
 
NEW YORK            Individual shareholders of the New York Fund who are
                    subject to New York State or New York City personal in-
                    come taxation will not be required to include in their
                    New York adjusted gross income that portion of their ex-
                    empt-interest dividends (as determined for federal in-
                    come tax purposes) which the New York Fund clearly iden-
                    tifies as directly attributable to interest earned on
                    Municipal Obligations issued by governmental authorities
                    in New York ("New York Municipal Obligations") and which
                    are specifically exempted from personal income taxation
                    in New York State or New York City, or interest earned
                    on obligations of U.S. territories or possessions that
                    is exempt from taxation by the states pursuant to fed-
                    eral law. Distributions to individual shareholders of
                    dividends derived from interest that does not qualify as
                    exempt-interest dividends (as determined for federal in-
                    come tax purposes), distributions of exempt-interest
 
A-4
<PAGE>
 
                    dividends (as determined for federal income tax purpos-
                    es) which are derived from interest on Municipal Obliga-
                    tions issued by governmental authorities in states other
                    than New York State, and distributions derived from in-
                    terest earned on federal obligations will be included in
                    their New York adjusted gross income as ordinary income.
                    Distributions to individual shareholders of the New York
                    Fund of capital gain dividends (as determined for fed-
                    eral income tax purposes) will be included in their New
                    York adjusted gross income as long-term capital gains.
                    Distributions to individual shareholders of the New York
                    Fund of dividends derived from any net income received
                    from taxable temporary investments and any net short-
                    term capital gains realized by the New York Fund will be
                    included in their New York adjusted gross income as or-
                    dinary income.
 
                    For purposes of New York State franchise taxation (or
                    New York City general corporation taxation), entire in-
                    come will include dividends received from the New York
                    Fund (as determined for federal income tax purposes), as
                    well as any gain or loss recognized from an exchange or
                    redemption of shares of the New York Fund that is recog-
                    nized for federal income tax purposes, and investment
                    capital will include a corporate shareholder's shares of
                    the New York Fund. If a shareholder of the New York Fund
                    is subject to the New York City unincorporated business
                    tax,
                    income and gains derived from the New York Fund will be
                    subject to such tax, except for exempt-interest divi-
                    dends (as determined for federal income tax purposes)
                    which the New York Fund clearly identifies as
                    directly attributable to interest earned on New York Mu-
                    nicipal
                    Obligations.
 
                                                                             A-5
<PAGE>
 
                    APPENDIX B--TAXABLE EQUIVALENT YIELD TABLES
 
TAXABLE             The following tables show the effects for individuals of
EQUIVALENT YIELD    federal income taxes or the combined effects of federal,
TABLES AND THE      state, and local (if applicable) income taxes on:
EFFECT OF TAXES
AND INTEREST
RATES ON
INVESTMENTS
 
                    . what you would have to earn on a taxable investment to
                      equal a given tax-free yield; and
 
                    . the amount that those subject to a given combined tax
                      rate would have to put into a tax-free investment in
                      order to generate the same after-tax income as a tax-
                      able investment.
 
                    These tables are for illustrative purposes only and are
                    not intended to predict the actual return you might earn
                    on a Fund investment. The Funds occasionally may adver-
                    tise their performance in similar tables using other
                    current combined tax rates than those shown here. The
                    combined tax rates used in these tables have been
                    rounded to the nearest one-half of one percent. They are
                    based upon published 1995 marginal federal tax rates and
                    marginal state tax rates currently available and sched-
                    uled to be in effect, and do not take into account
                    changes in tax rates that are proposed from time to
                    time. They are calculated using the highest state tax
                    rate applicable within each federal bracket, and assume
                    taxpayers are not subject to any alternative minimum
                    taxes and deduct any state income taxes paid on their
                    federal income tax returns. They also reflect the cur-
                    rent federal tax limitations on itemized deductions and
                    personal exemptions, which may raise the effective tax
                    rate and taxable equivalent yield for taxpayers above
                    certain income levels. The combined tax rates shown here
                    may be higher or lower than your actual combined tax
                    rate. A higher combined tax rate would tend to make the
                    dollar amounts in the third table lower, while a lower
                    combined tax rate would make the amounts higher. You
                    should consult your tax adviser to determine your actual
                    combined tax rate.
 
 
 
<PAGE>
 
                    NUVEEN INSURED MUNICIPAL BOND FUND
 
MARGINAL FEDERAL
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                            Federal
               Federal     Adjusted
               Taxable       Gross             TAX-FREE YIELD
               Income       Income    Federal  3.50% 4.00% 4.50% 5.00% 5.50% 6.00% 6.50%
              (1,000's)    (1,000's)  Tax Rate TAXABLE EQUIVALENT YIELD
                    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
             <S>          <C>         <C>      <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>
             $   0-39.0   $   0-114.7   15.0%   4.12  4.71  5.29  5.88  6.47  7.06  7.65
                    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
              39.0-94.3       0-114.7   28.0    4.86  5.56  6.25  6.94  7.64  8.33  9.03
                    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          114.7-172.1   29.0    4.93  5.63  6.34  7.04  7.75  8.45  9.15
                    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
              94.3-143.7      0-114.7   31.0    5.07  5.80  6.52  7.25  7.97  8.70  9.42
                    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          114.7-172.1   32.0    5.15  5.88  6.62  7.35  8.09  8.82  9.56
                    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          172.1-290.2   34.5    5.34  6.11  6.87  7.63  8.40  9.16  9.92
                    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
             143.7-256.5  114.7-172.1   37.0    5.56  6.35  7.14  7.94  8.73  9.52 10.32
                    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          172.1-294.6   40.0    5.83  6.67  7.50  8.33  9.17 10.00 10.83
                    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                           Over 294.6   37.0    5.56  6.35  7.14  7.94  8.73  9.52 10.32
                    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Over 256.5  172.1-294.6   44.0    6.25  7.14  8.04  8.93  9.82 10.71 11.61
                    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                           Over 294.6   41.0    5.93  6.78  7.63  8.47  9.32 10.17 11.02
</TABLE>
TAX RATES FOR
JOINT TAXPAYERS
WITH FOUR
PERSONAL
EXEMPTIONS
 
MARGINAL FEDERAL
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                            Federal
               Federal     Adjusted
               Taxable       Gross             TAX-FREE YIELD
               Income       Income    Federal  3.50% 4.00% 4.50% 5.00% 5.50% 6.00% 6.50%
              (1,000's)    (1,000's)  Tax Rate TAXABLE EQUIVALENT YIELD
                    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
             <S>          <C>         <C>      <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>
             $    0-23.4  $   0-114.7   15.0%  4.12  4.71  5.29  5.88  6.47   7.06  7.65
                    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
               23.4-56.6      0-114.7   28.0   4.86  5.56  6.25  6.94  7.64   8.33  9.03
                    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
              56.6-118.0      0-114.7   31.0   5.07  5.80  6.52  7.25  7.97   8.70  9.42
                    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          114.7-237.2   32.5   5.19  5.93  6.67  7.41  8.15   8.89  9.63
                    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
             118.0-256.5  114.7-237.2   38.0   5.65  6.45  7.26  8.06  8.87   9.68 10.48
                    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                           Over 237.2   37.0   5.56  6.35  7.14  7.94  8.73   9.52 10.32
                    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Over 256.5   Over 237.2   41.0   5.93  6.78  7.63  8.47  9.32  10.17 11.02
</TABLE>
TAX RATES FOR
SINGLE TAXPAYERS
WITH ONE PERSONAL
EXEMPTION
 
                    -----------------------------------------------------------
FOR AN EQUAL<TABLE>
AFTER-      <CAPTION>
                           3.5%    4.0%    4.5%    5.0%    5.5%             6.5%
             $50,000       TAX-    TAX-    TAX-    TAX-    TAX-     6.0%    TAX-
             INVESTMENT    FREE    FREE    FREE    FREE    FREE   TAX-FREE  FREE
                    --------------------------------------------------------------
             <S>          <C>     <C>     <C>     <C>     <C>     <C>      <C>
             COMPARE
              4%
              TAXABLE     $39,429 $34,500 $30,667 $27,600 $25,091 $23,000  $21,231
                    --------------------------------------------------------------
             COMPARE
              5%
              TAXABLE     $49,286 $43,125 $38,333 $34,500 $31,364 $28,750  $26,538
                    --------------------------------------------------------------
             COMPARE
              6%
              TAXABLE     $59,143 $51,750 $46,000 $41,400 $37,636 $34,500  $31,846
                    --------------------------------------------------------------
             COMPARE
              7%
              TAXABLE     $69,000 $60,375 $53,667 $48,300 $43,909 $40,250  $37,154
                    --------------------------------------------------------------
             COMPARE
              8%
              TAXABLE     $78,857 $69,000 $61,333 $55,200 $50,182 $46,000  $42,462
            </TABLE>
TAX RETURN, YOUR
TAX-FREE INVESTMENT
MAY BE LESS*
 
For example,
$50,000 in a 6%
taxable
investment earns
the same after-
tax return as
$41,400 in a 5%
tax-free Nuveen
investment.
                    -----------------------------------------------------------
                    *The dollar amounts in the table reflect a 31.0% federal
                    tax rate.
 
B-2
<PAGE>
 
                    MASSACHUSETTS
 
COMBINED MARGINAL
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                            Federal   Combined
               Federal     Adjusted    State
               Taxable       Gross      and    TAX-FREE YIELD
               Income       Income    Federal  3.50% 4.00% 4.50% 5.00% 5.50% 6.00% 6.50%
              (1,000's)    (1,000's)  Tax Rate TAXABLE EQUIVALENT YIELD
                    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
             <S>          <C>         <C>      <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>
             $    0-39.0  $   0-114.7   25.0%  4.67  5.33  6.00   6.67  7.33  8.00  8.67
                    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
               39.0-94.3      0-114.7   36.5   5.51  6.30  7.09   7.87  8.66  9.45 10.24
                    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          114.7-172.1   37.5   5.60  6.40  7.20   8.00  8.80  9.60 10.40
                    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
              94.3-143.6      0-114.7   39.5   5.79  6.61  7.44   8.26  9.09  9.92 10.74
                    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          114.7-172.1   40.0   5.83  6.67  7.50   8.33  9.17 10.00 10.83
                    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          172.1-294.6   42.5   6.09  6.96  7.83   8.70  9.57 10.43 11.30
                    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
             143.6-256.5  114.7-172.1   44.5   6.31  7.21  8.11   9.01  9.91 10.81 11.71
                    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          172.1-294.6   47.0   6.60  7.55  8.49   9.43 10.38 11.32 12.26
                    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                           Over 294.6   44.5   6.31  7.21  8.11   9.01  9.91 10.81 11.71
                    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Over 256.5  172.1-294.6   50.5   7.07  8.08  9.09  10.10 11.11 12.12 13.13
                    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                           Over 294.6   48.0   6.73  7.69  8.65   9.62 10.58 11.54 12.50
</TABLE>
TAX RATES FOR
JOINT TAXPAYERS
WITH FOUR
PERSONAL
EXEMPTIONS
 
COMBINED MARGINAL
TAX RATES FOR
SINGLE TAXPAYERS
WITH ONE PERSONAL
EXEMPTION
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                             Federal   Combined
               Federal      Adjusted    State
               Taxable        Gross      and    TAX-FREE YIELD
                Income       Income    Federal  3.50% 4.00% 4.50% 5.00% 5.50% 6.00% 6.50%
              (1,000's)     (1,000's)  Tax Rate TAXABLE EQUIVALENT YIELD
                    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
             <S>           <C>         <C>      <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>
             $    0-23.4   $   0-114.7   25.0%  4.67  5.33  6.00  6.67   7.33  8.00  8.67
                    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
               23.4-56.6       0-114.7   36.5   5.51  6.30  7.09  7.87   8.66  9.45 10.24
                    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
              56.6-118.0       0-114.7   39.5   5.79  6.61  7.44  8.26   9.09  9.92 10.74
                    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
                           114.7-237.2   40.5   5.88  6.72  7.56  8.40   9.24 10.08 10.92
                    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
             118.0-256.5   114.7-237.2   45.5   6.42  7.34  8.26  9.17  10.09 11.01 11.93
                    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            Over 237.2   44.5   6.31  7.21  8.11  9.01   9.91 10.81 11.71
                    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Over 256.5    Over 237.2   48.0   6.73  7.69  8.65  9.62  10.58 11.54 12.50
</TABLE>
 
                    -----------------------------------------------------------
FOR AN EQUAL<TABLE>
AFTER-      <CAPTION>
             $50,000        3.5%     4.0%     4.5%     5.0%     5.5%     6.0%     6.5%
             INVESTMENT   TAX-FREE TAX-FREE TAX-FREE TAX-FREE TAX-FREE TAX-FREE TAX-FREE
                    --------------------------------------------------------------------
             <S>          <C>      <C>      <C>      <C>      <C>      <C>      <C>
             COMPARE
              4%
              TAXABLE     $34,571  $30,250  $26,889  $24,200  $22,000  $20,167  $18,615
                    --------------------------------------------------------------------
             COMPARE
              5%
              TAXABLE     $43,214  $37,813  $33,611  $30,250  $27,500  $25,208  $23,269
                    --------------------------------------------------------------------
             COMPARE
              6%
              TAXABLE     $51,857  $45,375  $40,333  $36,300  $33,000  $30,250  $27,923
                    --------------------------------------------------------------------
             COMPARE
              7%
              TAXABLE     $60,500  $52,938  $47,056  $42,350  $38,500  $35,292  $32,577
                    --------------------------------------------------------------------
             COMPARE
              8%
              TAXABLE     $69,143  $60,500  $53,778  $48,400  $44,000  $40,333  $37,231
            </TABLE>
TAX RETURN, YOUR
TAX-FREE INVESTMENT
MAY BE LESS*
 
For example,
$50,000 in a 6%
taxable
investment earns
the same after-
tax return as
$36,300 in a 5%
tax-free Nuveen
investment.
                    -----------------------------------------------------------
                    *The dollar amounts in the table reflect a 39.5% com-
                    bined federal and state tax rate.
 
                                                                             B-3
<PAGE>
 
                    NEW YORK STATE
 
COMBINED FEDERAL
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                           Federal
              Federal     Adjusted   Combined
              Taxable       Gross    State and TAX-FREE YIELD
              Income       Income     Federal  3.50% 4.00% 4.50% 5.00% 5.50% 6.00% 6.50%
             (1,000's)    (1,000's)  Tax Rate  TAXABLE EQUIVALENT YIELD
                    --------------------------------------------------------------------
             <S>         <C>         <C>       <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>
                     $
                0-39.0   $   0-100.0   21.5%   4.46   5.10 5.73  6.37   7.01  7.64  8.28
                    --------------------------------------------------------------------
                         100.0-114.7   22.5    4.52   5.16 5.81  6.45   7.10  7.74  8.39
                    --------------------------------------------------------------------
             39.0-94.3       0-100.0   33.5    5.26   6.02 6.77  7.52   8.27  9.02  9.77
                    --------------------------------------------------------------------
                         100.0-114.7   34.5    5.34   6.11 6.87  7.63   8.40  9.16  9.92
                    --------------------------------------------------------------------
                         114.7-150.0   35.0    5.38   6.15 6.92  7.69   8.46  9.23 10.00
                    --------------------------------------------------------------------
                         150.0-172.1   34.0    5.30   6.06 6.82  7.58   8.33  9.09  9.85
                    --------------------------------------------------------------------
                 94.3-
                 143.6       0-100.0   36.0    5.47   6.25 7.03  7.81   8.59  9.38 10.16
                    --------------------------------------------------------------------
                         100.0-114.7   37.0    5.56   6.35 7.14  7.94   8.73  9.52 10.32
                    --------------------------------------------------------------------
                         114.7-150.0   38.0    5.65   6.45 7.26  8.06   8.87  9.68 10.48
                    --------------------------------------------------------------------
                         150.0-172.1   37.0    5.56   6.35 7.14  7.94   8.73  9.52 10.32
                    --------------------------------------------------------------------
                         172.1-294.6   39.5    5.79   6.61 7.44  8.26   9.09  9.92 10.74
                    --------------------------------------------------------------------
                143.6-
                 256.5   114.7-150.0   42.5    6.09   6.96 7.83  8.70   9.57 10.43 11.30
                    --------------------------------------------------------------------
                         150.0-172.1   42.0    6.03   6.90 7.76  8.62   9.48 10.34 11.21
                    --------------------------------------------------------------------
                         172.1-294.6   44.5    6.31   7.21 8.11  9.01   9.91 10.81 11.71
                    --------------------------------------------------------------------
                          Over 294.6   42.0    6.03   6.90 7.76  8.62   9.48 10.34 11.21
                    --------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Over
                 256.5   172.1-294.6   48.0    6.73   7.69 8.65  9.62  10.58 11.54 12.50
                    --------------------------------------------------------------------
                          Over 294.6   45.5    6.42   7.34 8.26  9.17  10.09 11.01 11.93
</TABLE>
AND NEW YORK
STATE MARGINAL
TAX RATES FOR
JOINT TAXPAYERS
WITH FOUR
PERSONAL
EXEMPTIONS
 
COMBINED FEDERAL
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                            Federal
               Federal     Adjusted   Combined
               Taxable       Gross    State and TAX-FREE YIELD
               Income       Income     Federal  3.50% 4.00% 4.50% 5.00% 5.50% 6.00% 6.50%
              (1,000's)    (1,000's)  Tax Rate  TAXABLE EQUIVALENT YIELD
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
             <S>          <C>         <C>       <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>
             $    0-23.4  $   0-100.0   21.5%   4.46  5.10  5.73  6.37   7.01  7.64  8.28
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                          100.0-114.7   22.0    4.49  5.13  5.77  6.41   7.05  7.69  8.33
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
               23.4-56.6      0-100.0   33.5    5.26  6.02  6.77  7.52   8.27  9.02  9.77
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                          100.0-114.7   34.0    5.30  6.06  6.82  7.58   8.33  9.09  9.85
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
              56.6-118.0      0-100.0   36.0    5.47  6.25  7.03  7.81   8.59  9.38 10.16
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                          100.0-114.7   36.5    5.51  6.30  7.09  7.87   8.66  9.45 10.24
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                          114.7-150.0   38.0    5.65  6.45  7.26  8.06   8.87  9.68 10.48
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                          150.0-237.2   37.5    5.60  6.40  7.20  8.00   8.80  9.60 10.40
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
             118.0-256.5  114.7-150.0   43.0    6.14  7.02  7.89  8.77   9.65 10.53 11.40
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                          150.0-237.2   42.5    6.09  6.96  7.83  8.70   9.57 10.43 11.30
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                           Over 237.2   42.0    6.03  6.90  7.76  8.62   9.48 10.34 11.21
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
              Over 256.5   Over 237.2   45.5    6.42  7.34  8.26  9.17  10.09 11.01 11.93
</TABLE>
AND NEW YORK
STATE MARGINAL
TAX RATES FOR
SINGLE TAXPAYERS
WITH ONE PERSONAL
EXEMPTION
 
B-4
<PAGE>
 
FOR AN EQUAL        -----------------------------------------------------------
AFTER-      <TABLE>
            <CAPTION>
                                            4.0%    4.5%    5.0%    5.5%    6.0%    6.5%
                                    3.5%    TAX-    TAX-    TAX-    TAX-    TAX-    TAX-
             $50,000 INVESTMENT   TAX-FREE  FREE    FREE    FREE    FREE    FREE    FREE
                    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
             <S>                  <C>      <C>     <C>     <C>     <C>     <C>     <C>
             COMPARE 4% TAXABLE   $36,571  $32,000 $28,444 $25,600 $23,273 $21,333 $19,692
                    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
             COMPARE 5% TAXABLE   $45,714  $40,000 $35,556 $32,000 $29,091 $26,667 $24,615
                    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
             COMPARE 6% TAXABLE   $54,857  $48,000 $42,667 $38,400 $34,909 $32,000 $29,538
                    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
             COMPARE 7% TAXABLE   $64,000  $56,000 $49,778 $44,800 $40,727 $37,333 $34,462
                    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
             COMPARE 8% TAXABLE   $73,143  $64,000 $56,889 $51,200 $46,545 $42,667 $39,385
            </TABLE>
TAX RETURN, YOUR
TAX-FREE INVESTMENT
MAY BE LESS*
 
For example,
$50,000 in a 6%
taxable
investment earns
the same after-
tax return as
$38,400 in a 5%
tax-free Nuveen
investment.
                    -----------------------------------------------------------
                    *The dollar amounts in the table reflect a 36.0% com-
                    bined federal and state tax rate.
 
 
                                                                             B-5
<PAGE>
 
                    NEW YORK STATE AND NEW YORK CITY
 
COMBINED FEDERAL,
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                            Federal
               Federal     Adjusted   Combined
               Taxable       Gross    State and TAX-FREE YIELD
               Income       Income     Federal  3.50% 4.00% 4.50% 5.00% 5.50% 6.00% 6.50%
              (1,000's)    (1,000's)  Tax Rate  TAXABLE EQUIVALENT YIELD
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
             <S>          <C>         <C>       <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>
             $    0-39.0  $   0-100.0   25.0%   4.67  5.33  6.00   6.67  7.33  8.00  8.67
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                          100.0-114.7   26.0    4.73  5.41  6.08   6.76  7.43  8.11  8.78
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
               39.0-94.3      0-100.0   36.5    5.51  6.30  7.09   7.87  8.66  9.45 10.24
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                          100.0-114.7   37.5    5.60  6.40  7.20   8.00  8.80  9.60 10.40
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                          114.7-150.0   38.0    5.65  6.45  7.26   8.06  8.87  9.68 10.48
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                          150.0-172.1   37.5    5.60  6.40  7.20   8.00  8.80  9.60 10.40
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
              94.3-143.6      0-100.0   39.5    5.79  6.61  7.44   8.26  9.09  9.92 10.74
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                          100.0-114.7   40.0    5.83  6.67  7.50   8.33  9.17 10.00 10.83
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                          114.7-150.0   41.0    5.93  6.78  7.63   8.47  9.32 10.17 11.02
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                          150.0-172.1   40.0    5.83  6.67  7.50   8.33  9.17 10.00 10.83
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                          172.1-294.6   42.5    6.09  6.96  7.83   8.70  9.57 10.43 11.30
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
             143.6-256.5  114.7-150.0   45.5    6.42  7.34  8.26   9.17 10.09 11.01 11.93
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                          150.0-172.1   44.5    6.31  7.21  8.11   9.01  9.91 10.81 11.71
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                          172.1-294.6   47.0    6.60  7.55  8.49   9.43 10.38 11.32 12.26
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                           Over 294.6   44.5    6.31  7.21  8.11   9.01  9.91 10.81 11.71
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
              Over 256.5  172.1-294.6   50.5    7.07  8.08  9.09  10.10 11.11 12.12 13.13
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                           Over 294.6   48.0    6.73  7.69  8.65   9.62 10.58 11.54 12.50
</TABLE>
NEW YORK STATE
AND NEW YORK CITY
MARGINAL TAX
RATES FOR JOINT
TAXPAYERS WITH
FOUR PERSONAL
EXEMPTIONS
 
COMBINED FEDERAL,
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                            Federal
               Federal     Adjusted   Combined
               Taxable       Gross    State and TAX-FREE YIELD
               Income       Income     Federal  3.50% 4.00% 4.50% 5.00% 5.50% 6.00% 6.50%
              (1,000's)    (1,000's)  Tax Rate  TAXABLE EQUIVALENT YIELD
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
             <S>          <C>         <C>       <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>   <C>
             $    0-23.4  $   0-100.0   25.0%   4.67  5.33  6.00  6.67   7.33  8.00  8.67
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                          100.0-114.7   25.5    4.70  5.37  6.04  6.71   7.38  8.05  8.72
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
               23.4-56.6      0-100.0   36.5    5.51  6.30  7.09  7.87   8.66  9.45 10.24
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                          100.0-114.7   37.0    5.56  6.35  7.14  7.94   8.73  9.52 10.32
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
              56.6-118.0      0-100.0   39.5    5.79  6.61  7.44  8.26   9.09  9.92 10.74
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                          100.0-114.7   39.5    5.79  6.61  7.44  8.26   9.09  9.92 10.74
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                          114.7-150.0   41.0    5.93  6.78  7.63  8.47   9.32 10.17 11.02
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                          150.0-237.2   40.5    5.88  6.72  7.56  8.40   9.24 10.08 10.92
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
             118.0-256.5  114.7-150.0   45.5    6.42  7.34  8.26  9.17  10.09 11.01 11.93
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                          150.0-237.2   45.5    6.42  7.34  8.26  9.17  10.09 11.01 11.93
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                           Over 237.2   44.5    6.31  7.21  8.11  9.01   9.91 10.81 11.71
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
              Over 256.5   Over 237.2   48.0    6.73  7.69  8.65  9.62  10.58 11.54 12.50
</TABLE>
NEW YORK STATE
AND NEW YORK CITY
MARGINAL TAX
RATES
FOR SINGLE TAXPAYERS
WITH ONE PERSONAL
EXEMPTION
 
 
B-6
<PAGE>
 
FOR AN EQUAL        -----------------------------------------------------------
AFTER-TAX RETURN,
YOUR
TAX-FREE INVESTMENT
MAY BE LESS*
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                           3.5%    4.0%    4.5%    5.0%    5.5%    6.0%    6.5%
                $50,000    TAX-    TAX-    TAX-    TAX-    TAX-    TAX-    TAX-
             INVESTMENT    FREE    FREE    FREE    FREE    FREE    FREE    FREE
                    -------------------------------------------------------------
             <S>          <C>     <C>     <C>     <C>     <C>     <C>     <C>
             COMPARE 4%
              TAXABLE     $34,571 $30,250 $26,889 $24,200 $22,000 $20,167 $18,615
                    -------------------------------------------------------------
             COMPARE 5%
              TAXABLE     $43,214 $37,813 $33,611 $30,250 $27,500 $25,208 $23,269
                    -------------------------------------------------------------
             COMPARE 6%
              TAXABLE     $51,857 $45,375 $40,333 $36,300 $33,000 $30,250 $27,923
                    -------------------------------------------------------------
             COMPARE 7%
              TAXABLE     $60,500 $52,938 $47,056 $42,350 $38,500 $35,292 $32,577
                    -------------------------------------------------------------
             COMPARE 8%
              TAXABLE     $69,143 $60,500 $53,778 $48,400 $44,000 $40,333 $37,231
</TABLE>
 
For example,
$50,000 in a 6%
taxable
investment earns
the same after-
tax return as
$36,300 in a 5%
tax-free Nuveen
investment.
                    -----------------------------------------------------------
                    *The dollar amounts in the table reflect a 39.5% com-
                    bined federal, state and New York City tax rate.
 
                                                                             B-7
<PAGE>
 
                  PART B--STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
 
                    NUVEEN INSURED TAX-FREE BOND FUND, INC.
 
                             333 West Wacker Drive
 
                            Chicago, Illinois 60606
<PAGE>
 
 
Statement of Additional Information June 13, 1995
Nuveen Insured Tax-Free Bond Fund, Inc.
333 West Wacker Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60606
 
NUVEEN INSURED MUNICIPAL BOND FUND
NUVEEN MASSACHUSETTS INSURED TAX-FREE VALUE FUND
NUVEEN NEW YORK INSURED TAX-FREE VALUE FUND
 
This Statement of Additional Information is not a prospectus. A prospectus may
be obtained from certain securities representatives, banks and other financial
institutions that have entered into sales agreements with John Nuveen & Co. In-
corporated, or from the Funds, c/o John Nuveen & Co. Incorporated, 333 West
Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606. This Statement of Additional Information
relates to, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus dated June
13, 1995.
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                                   <C>
Table of Contents                                                     Page
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fundamental Policies and Investment Portfolio                            2
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
Management                                                              40
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
Investment Adviser and Investment Management Agreement                  46
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
Portfolio Transactions                                                  48
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net Asset Value                                                         49
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tax Matters                                                             49
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
Performance Information                                                 56
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
Additional Information on the Purchase and Redemption of Fund Shares    63
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
Distribution and Service Plans                                          66
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
Independent Public Accountants and Custodian                            68
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
 
The audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended February 28, 1995,
appearing in the Annual Report of Nuveen Insured Tax-Free Bond Fund, Inc. are
incorporated herein by reference. The Annual Report accompanies this Statement
of Additional Information.
<PAGE>
 
                 FUNDAMENTAL POLICIES AND INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
 
FUNDAMENTAL POLICIES
The investment objective and certain fundamental investment policies of each
Fund are described in the Prospectus. Each of the Funds, as a fundamental pol-
icy, may not, without the approval of the holders of a majority of the shares
of that Fund:
 
(1) Invest in securities other than Municipal Obligations and temporary in-
vestments, as those terms are defined in the Prospectus;
 
(2) Invest more than 5% of its total assets in securities of any one issuer,
except that this limitation shall not apply to securities of the United States
government, its agencies and instrumentalities or to the investment of 25% of
such Fund's assets;
 
(3) Borrow money, except from banks for temporary or emergency purposes and
not for investment purposes and then only in an amount not exceeding (a) 10%
of the value of its total assets at the time of borrowing or (b) one-third of
the value of the Fund's total assets including the amount borrowed, in order
to meet redemption requests which might otherwise require the untimely dispo-
sition of securities. While any such borrowings exceed 5% of such Fund's total
assets, no additional purchases of investment securities will be made by such
Fund. If due to market fluctuations or other reasons, the value of the Fund's
assets falls below 300% of its borrowings, the Fund will reduce its borrowings
within 3 business days. To do this, the Fund may have to sell a portion of its
investments at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so;
 
(4) Pledge, mortgage or hypothecate its assets, except that, to secure
borrowings permitted by subparagraph (3) above, it may pledge securities hav-
ing a market value at the time of pledge not exceeding 10% of the value of the
Fund's total assets;
 
(5) Issue senior securities as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940,
except to the extent such issuance might be involved with respect to
borrowings described under item (3) above or with respect to transactions in-
volving futures contracts or the writing of options within the limits de-
scribed in the Prospectus and this Statement of Additional Information;
 
(6) Underwrite any issue of securities, except to the extent that the purchase
of Municipal Obligations in accordance with its investment objective, policies
and limitations, may be deemed to be an underwriting;
 
(7) Purchase or sell real estate, but this shall not prevent any Fund from in-
vesting in Municipal Obligations secured by real estate or interests therein
or foreclosing upon and selling such security;
 
(8) Purchase or sell commodities or commodities contracts or oil, gas or other
mineral exploration or development programs, except for transactions involving
futures contracts within the limits described in the Prospectus and this
Statement of Additional Information;
 
(9) Make loans, other than by entering into repurchase agreements and through
the purchase of Municipal Obligations or temporary investments in accordance
with its investment objective, policies and limitations;
 
2
<PAGE>
 
(10) Make short sales of securities or purchase any securities on margin, ex-
cept for such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transac-
tions;
 
(11) Write or purchase put or call options, except to the extent that the pur-
chase of a stand-by commitment may be considered the purchase of a put, and ex-
cept for transactions involving options within the limits described in the Pro-
spectus and this Statement of Additional Information;
 
(12) Invest more than 5% of its total assets in securities of unseasoned is-
suers which, together with their predecessors, have been in operation for less
than three years;
 
(13) Invest more than 25% of its total assets in securities of issuers in any
one industry; provided, however, that such limitations shall not be applicable
to Municipal Obligations issued by governments or political subdivisions of
governments, and obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its
agencies or instrumentalities;
 
(14) Invest more than 10% of its total assets in repurchase agreements maturing
in more than seven days, "illiquid" securities (such as non-negotiable CDs) and
securities without readily available market quotations;
 
(15) Purchase or retain the securities of any issuer other than the securities
of the Fund if, to the Fund's knowledge, those directors of Nuveen Insured Tax-
Free Bond Fund, Inc., or those officers and directors of Nuveen Advisory Corp.
("Nuveen Advisory"), who individually own beneficially more than 1/2 of 1% of
the outstanding securities of such issuer, together own beneficially more than
5% of such outstanding securities.
 
For the purpose of applying the limitations set forth in paragraphs (2) and
(12) above, an issuer shall be deemed the sole issuer of a security when its
assets and revenues are separate from other governmental entities and its secu-
rities are backed only by its assets and revenues. Similarly, in the case of a
non-governmental user, such as an industrial corporation or a privately owned
or operated hospital, if the security is backed only by the assets and revenues
of the non-governmental user, then such non-governmental user would be deemed
to be the sole issuer. Where a security is also backed by the enforceable obli-
gation of a superior or unrelated governmental entity or other entity (other
than a bond insurer), it shall also be included in the computation of securi-
ties owned that are issued by such governmental or other entity.
 
Where a security is guaranteed by a governmental entity or some other facility,
such as a bank guarantee or letter of credit, such a guarantee or letter of
credit would be considered a separate security and would be treated as an issue
of such government, other entity or bank. Where a security is insured by bond
insurance, it shall not be considered a security issued or guaranteed by the
insurer; instead the issuer of such security will be determined in accordance
with the principles set forth above. The foregoing restrictions do not limit
the percentage of a Fund's assets that may be invested in securities insured by
any single insurer. It is a fundamental policy of each Fund, which cannot be
changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of shares of such
Fund, that a Fund will not hold securities of a single bank, including securi-
ties backed by a letter of credit of such bank, if such holdings would exceed
10% of the total assets of such Fund.
 
                                                                               3
<PAGE>
 
The foregoing restrictions and limitations, as well as the Funds' policies as
to ratings of portfolio investments, will apply only at the time of purchase of
securities, and the percentage limitations will not be considered violated un-
less an excess or deficiency occurs or exists immediately after and as a result
of an acquisition of securities, unless otherwise indicated.
 
The foregoing fundamental investment policies, together with the investment ob-
jective of each Fund, cannot be changed without approval by holders of a "ma-
jority of the Fund's outstanding voting shares." As defined in the Investment
Company Act of 1940, this means the vote of (i) 67% or more of the Fund's
shares present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the Fund's
shares are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the Fund's
shares, whichever is less.
 
Nuveen Insured Tax-Free Bond Fund, Inc. is a series company under SEC Rule 18f-
2 and each Fund is a separate series issuing its own shares. Nuveen Insured
Tax-Free Bond Fund, Inc. currently has three authorized series: the Nuveen In-
sured Municipal Bond Fund (the "National Fund"), the Nuveen Massachusetts In-
sured Tax-Free Value Fund (the "Massachusetts Fund") and the Nuveen New York
Insured Tax-Free Value Fund (the "New York Fund"). Certain matters under the
Investment Company Act of 1940 which must be submitted to a vote of the holders
of the outstanding voting securities of a series company shall not be deemed to
have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a majority
of the outstanding voting securities of each series affected by such matter.
 
PORTFOLIO SECURITIES
As described in the Prospectus, each Fund invests primarily in a diversified
portfolio of Municipal Obligations. In the case of the Massachusetts Fund and
the New York Fund, the Municipal Obligations are issued within their respective
states or certain U.S. possessions and territories and, in the case of the Na-
tional Fund, the Municipal Obligations are issued within the 50 states and cer-
tain U.S. possessions and territories. In general, Municipal Obligations in-
clude debt obligations issued by states, cities and local authorities to obtain
funds for various public purposes, including construction of a wide range of
public facilities such as airports, bridges, highways, hospitals, housing, mass
transportation, schools, streets and water and sewer works. Industrial develop-
ment bonds and pollution control bonds that are issued by or on behalf of pub-
lic authorities to finance various privately-rated facilities are included
within the term Municipal Obligations if the interest paid thereon is exempt
from federal income tax. Municipal Obligations in which the Massachusetts Fund
and the New York Fund will primarily invest are issued by that Fund's respec-
tive state and cities and local authorities in that state, and bear interest
that, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer, is exempt from federal in-
come tax and from personal income tax imposed by the respective state. The Na-
tional Fund will primarily invest in Municipal Obligations that are issued by
governmental authorities within the 50 states and certain U.S. possessions or
territories, and bear interest which in the opinion of bond counsel to the is-
suer, is exempt from federal income tax.
 
Each Fund will, under normal circumstances, invest substantially all (at least
80%) of its net assets in Municipal Obligations which are either covered by in-
surance guaranteeing the timely payment of principal and interest thereon or
backed by an escrow or trust account containing sufficient U.S. Government or
U.S. Government agency securities to ensure timely payment of principal and in-
terest.
 
4
<PAGE>
 
Each insured Municipal Obligation held by a Fund will either be (1) covered by
an insurance policy applicable to a specific security and obtained by the is-
suer of the security or a third party at the time of original issuance ("Origi-
nal Issue Insurance"), (2) covered by an insurance policy applicable to a spe-
cific security and obtained by the Fund or a third party subsequent to the time
of original issuance ("Secondary Market Insurance"), or (3) covered by a master
municipal insurance policy purchased by the Fund ("Portfolio Insurance"). Each
Fund currently maintains a policy of Portfolio Insurance with MBIA Insurance
Corporation, AMBAC Indemnity Corporation, Financial Security Assurance, Inc.,
and Financial Guaranty Insurance Company, and may in the future obtain other
policies of Portfolio Insurance, depending on the availability of such policies
on terms favorable to the Fund. However, a Fund may determine not to obtain
such policies and to emphasize investments in Municipal Obligations insured un-
der Original Issue Insurance or Secondary Market Insurance. In any event, a
Fund will only obtain policies of Portfolio Insurance issued by insurers whose
claims-paying ability is rated Aaa by Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
("Moody's") or AAA by Standard & Poor's Corporation ("S&P"). Each Fund cur-
rently intends to obtain insurance policies only from mono-line insurers spe-
cializing in insuring municipal debt. Municipal Obligations covered by Original
Issue Insurance or Secondary Market Insurance are themselves typically assigned
a rating of Aaa or AAA, as the case may be, by virtue of the Aaa or AAA claims-
paying ability of the insurer and would generally be assigned a lower rating if
the rating were based primarily upon the credit characteristics of the issuer
without regard to the insurance feature. By way of contrast, the ratings, if
any, assigned to Municipal Obligations insured under Portfolio Insurance will
be based primarily upon the credit characteristics of the issuers without re-
gard to the insurance feature, and will generally carry a rating that is below
Aaa or AAA. While in the portfolio of a Fund, however, a Municipal Obligation
backed by Portfolio Insurance will effectively be of the same quality as a Mu-
nicipal Obligation issued by an issuer of comparable credit characteristics
that is backed by Original Issue Insurance or Secondary Market Insurance.
 
Each Fund's policy of investing in Municipal Obligations insured by insurers
whose claims-paying ability is rated Aaa or AAA will apply only at the time of
the purchase of a security, and a Fund will not be required to dispose of secu-
rities in the event Moody's or S&P, as the case may be, downgrades its assess-
ment of the claims-paying ability of a particular insurer or the credit charac-
teristics of a particular issuer. In this connection, it should be noted that
in the event Moody's or S&P or both should downgrade its assessment of the
claims-paying ability of a particular insurer, it could also be expected to
downgrade the ratings assigned to Municipal Obligations insured under Original
Issue Insurance or Secondary Market Insurance issued by such insurer, and Mu-
nicipal Obligations insured under Portfolio Insurance issued by such insurer
would also be of reduced quality in the portfolio of a Fund. Moody's and S&P
continually assess the claims-paying ability of insurers and the credit charac-
teristics of issuers, and there can be no assurance that they will not down-
grade their assessments subsequent to the time a Fund purchases securities.
 
In addition to insured Municipal Obligations, a Fund may invest in Municipal
Obligations that are entitled to the benefit of an escrow or trust account
which contains securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or U.S.
Government agencies, backed by the full faith and credit of the United States,
and sufficient in amount to ensure the payment of interest and principal on the
original interest payment and maturity dates ("collateralized obligations").
These collateralized obligations generally
 
                                                                               5
<PAGE>
 
will not be insured and will include, but are not limited to, Municipal Obliga-
tions that have been (1) advance refunded where the proceeds of the refunding
have been used to purchase U.S. Government or U.S. Government agency securities
that are placed in escrow and whose interest or maturing principal payments, or
both, are sufficient to cover the remaining scheduled debt service on the Mu-
nicipal Obligations, and (2) issued under state or local housing finance pro-
grams which use the issuance proceeds to fund mortgages that are then exchanged
for U.S. Government or U.S. Government agency securities and deposited with a
trustee as security for the Municipal Obligations. These collateralized obliga-
tions are normally regarded as having the credit characteristics of the under-
lying U.S. Government or U.S. Government agency securities. Collateralized ob-
ligations will not constitute more than 20% of each Fund's assets.
 
Each insured Municipal Obligation in which a Fund invests will be covered by
Original Issue Insurance, Secondary Market Insurance or Portfolio Insurance.
There is no limitation on the percentage of the Fund's assets that may be in-
vested in Municipal Obligations insured by any given insurer.
 
Original Issue Insurance. Original Issue Insurance is purchased with respect to
a particular issue of Municipal Obligations by the issuer thereof or a third
party in conjunction with the original issuance of such Municipal Obligations.
Under such insurance, the insurer unconditionally guarantees to the holder of
the Municipal Obligation the timely payment of principal and interest on such
obligation when and as such payments shall become due but shall not be paid by
the issuer, except that in the event of any acceleration of the due date of the
principal by reason of mandatory or optional redemption (other than accelera-
tion by reason of a mandatory sinking fund payment), default or otherwise, the
payments guaranteed may be made in such amounts and at such times as payments
of principal would have been due had there not been such acceleration. The in-
surer is responsible for such payments less any amounts received by the holder
from any trustee for the Municipal Obligation issuers or from any other source.
Original Issue Insurance does not guarantee payment on an accelerated basis,
the payment of any redemption premium (except with respect to certain premium
payments in the case of certain small issue industrial development and pollu-
tion control Municipal Obligations), the value of the shares of the Fund, the
market value of Municipal Obligations, or payments of any tender purchase price
upon the tender of the Municipal Obligations. Original Issue Insurance also
does not insure against nonpayment of principal of or interest on Municipal Ob-
ligations resulting from the insolvency, negligence or any other act or omis-
sion of the trustee or other paying agent for such obligations.
 
In the event that interest on or principal of a Municipal Obligation covered by
insurance is due for payment but is unpaid by the issuer thereof, the applica-
ble insurer will make payments to its fiscal agent (the "Fiscal Agent") equal
to such unpaid amounts of principal and interest not later than one business
day after the insurer has been notified that such nonpayment has occurred (but
not earlier than the date such payment is due). The Fiscal Agent will disburse
to the Fund the amount of principal and interest which is then due for payment
but is unpaid upon receipt by the Fiscal Agent of (i) evidence of the Fund's
right to receive payment of such principal and interest and (ii) evidence, in-
cluding any appropriate instruments of assignment, that all of the rights to
payment of such principal or interest then due for payment shall thereupon vest
in the insurer. Upon payment by the insurer of any principal or interest pay-
ments with respect to any Municipal Obligations, the insurer shall succeed to
the rights of the Fund with respect to such payment.
 
6
<PAGE>
 
Original Issue Insurance remains in effect as long as the Municipal Obliga-
tions covered thereby remain outstanding and the insurer remains in business,
regardless of whether a Fund ultimately disposes of such Municipal Obliga-
tions. Consequently, Original Issue Insurance may be considered to represent
an element of market value with respect to the Municipal Obligations so in-
sured, but the exact effect, if any, of this insurance on such market value
cannot be estimated.
 
Secondary Market Insurance. Subsequent to the time of original issuance of a
Municipal Obligation, the Fund or a third party may, upon the payment of a
single premium, purchase insurance on such Municipal Obligation. Secondary
Market Insurance generally provides the same type of coverage as is provided
by Original Issue Insurance and remains in effect as long as the Municipal Ob-
ligation covered thereby remain outstanding, the holder of such Municipal Ob-
ligation does not voluntarily relinquish the Secondary Market Insurance and
the insurer remains in business, regardless of whether the Fund ultimately
disposes of such Municipal Obligation.
 
One of the purposes of acquiring Secondary Market Insurance with respect to a
particular Municipal Obligation would be to enable a Fund to enhance the value
of such Municipal Obligation. A Fund, for example, might seek to purchase a
particular Municipal Obligation and obtain Secondary Market Insurance with re-
spect thereto if, in the opinion of Nuveen Advisory, the market value of such
Municipal Obligation, as insured, would exceed the current value of the Munic-
ipal Obligation without insurance plus the cost of the Secondary Market Insur-
ance. Similarly, if a Fund owns but wishes to sell a Municipal Obligation that
is then covered by Portfolio Insurance, the Fund might seek to obtain Second-
ary Market Insurance with respect thereto if, in the opinion of Nuveen Adviso-
ry, the net proceeds of a sale by the Fund of such obligation, as insured,
would exceed the current value of such obligation plus the cost of the Second-
ary Market Insurance.
 
Portfolio Insurance. Portfolio guarantees the payment of principal and inter-
est on specified eligible Municipal Obligations purchased by a Fund. Except as
described below, Portfolio Insurance generally provides the same type of cov-
erage as is provided by Original Issue Insurance or Secondary Market Insur-
ance. Municipal Obligations insured under one Portfolio Insurance policy would
generally not be insured under any other policy purchased by the Fund. A Mu-
nicipal Obligation is eligible for coverage under a policy if it meets certain
requirements of the insurer. Portfolio Insurance is intended to reduce finan-
cial risk, but the cost thereof and compliance with investment restrictions
imposed under the policy will reduce the yield to shareholders of a Fund.
 
If a Municipal Obligation is already covered by Original Issue Insurance or
Secondary Market Insurance, then such Municipal Obligation is not required to
be additionally insured under any policy of Portfolio Insurance that a Fund
may purchase. All premiums respecting Municipal Obligations covered by Origi-
nal Issue Insurance or Secondary Market Insurance are paid in advance by the
issuer or other party obtaining the insurance.
 
Portfolio Insurance policies are effective only as to Municipal Obligations
owned by and held by a Fund, and do not cover Municipal Obligations for which
the contract for purchase fails. A "when-issued" Municipal Obligation will be
covered under a Portfolio Insurance policy upon the settlement date of the is-
sue of such "when-issued" Municipal Obligation. In determining whether to in-
sure Mu-
 
                                                                              7
<PAGE>
 
nicipal Obligations held by a Fund, an insurer will apply its own standards,
which correspond generally to the standards it has established for determining
the insurability of new issues of Municipal Obligations. See "Original Issue
Insurance" above.
 
Each Portfolio Insurance policy will be noncancellable and will remain in ef-
fect so long as the Funds are in existence, the Municipal Obligations covered
by the policy continue to be held by the Funds, and the Funds pay the premiums
for the policy. Each insurer will generally reserve the right at any time upon
90 days' written notice to the Funds to refuse to insure any additional secu-
rities purchased by the Funds after the effective date of such notice. The
Board of Directors will generally reserve the right to terminate each policy
upon seven days' written notice to an insurer if it determines that the cost
of such policy is not reasonable in relation to the value of the insurance to
a Fund.
 
Each Portfolio Insurance policy will terminate as to any Municipal Obligation
that has been redeemed from or sold by a Fund on the date of such redemption
or the settlement date of such sale, and an insurer shall not have any liabil-
ity thereafter under a policy as to any such Municipal Obligation, except that
if the date of such redemption or the settlement date of such sale occurs af-
ter a record date and before the related payment date with respect to any such
Municipal Obligation, the policy will terminate as to such Municipal Obliga-
tion on the business day immediately following such payment date. Each policy
will terminate as to all Municipal Obligations covered thereby on the date on
which the last of the covered Municipal Obligations mature, are redeemed or
are sold by a Fund.
 
One or more policies of Portfolio Insurance may provide a Fund, pursuant to an
irrevocable commitment of the insurer, with the option to exercise the right
to obtain permanent insurance ("Permanent Insurance") with respect to a Munic-
ipal Obligation that is to be sold by the Fund. A Fund would exercise the
right to obtain Permanent Insurance upon payment of a single, predetermined
insurance premium payable from the proceeds of the sale of such Municipal Ob-
ligation. It is expected that a Fund will exercise the right to obtain Perma-
nent Insurance for a Municipal Obligation only if, in the opinion of Nuveen
Advisory, upon such exercise the net proceeds from the sale by the Fund of
such obligation, as insured, would exceed the proceeds from the sale of such
obligation without insurance.
 
The Permanent Insurance premium with respect to each such obligation is deter-
mined based upon the insurability of each such obligation as of the date of
purchase by a Fund and will not be increased or decreased for any change in
the creditworthiness of such obligation unless such obligation is in default
as to payment of principal or interest, or both. In such event, the Permanent
Insurance premium shall be subject to an increase predetermined at the date of
purchase by a Fund.
 
The Funds generally intend to retain any insured securities covered by Portfo-
lio Insurance that are in default or in significant risk of default and to
place a value on the insurance, which ordinarily will be the difference be-
tween the market value of the defaulted security and the market value of simi-
lar securities of minimum investment grade (i.e., rated BBB) that are not in
default. In certain circumstances, however, Nuveen Advisory may determine that
an alternative value for the insurance, such as the difference between the
market value of the defaulted security and either its par value or the market
value of securities of a similar nature that are not in default or in signifi-
cant risk of default, is more appropriate. To the extent that a Fund holds
such defaulted securities, it may be limited in its ability
 
8
<PAGE>
 
to manage its investment portfolio and to purchase other Municipal Obligations.
Except as described above with respect to securities covered by Portfolio In-
surance that are in default or subject to significant risk of default, the
Funds will not place any value on the insurance in valuing the Municipal Obli-
gations that it holds.
 
Because each Portfolio Insurance policy will terminate as to Municipal Obliga-
tions sold by a Fund on the date of sale, in which event the insurer will be
liable only for those payments of principal and interest that are then due and
owing (unless Permanent Insurance is obtained by a Fund), the provision for
this insurance will not enhance the marketability of securities held by a Fund,
whether or not the securities are in default or in significant risk of default.
On the other hand, since Original Issue Insurance and Secondary Market Insur-
ance generally will remain in effect as long as Municipal Obligations covered
thereby are outstanding, such insurance may enhance the marketability of such
securities, even when such securities are in default or in significant risk of
default, but the exact effect, if any, on marketability cannot be estimated.
Accordingly, the Funds may determine to retain or, alternatively, to sell Mu-
nicipal Obligations covered by Original Issue Insurance or Secondary Market In-
surance that are in default or in significant risk of default.
 
Premiums for a Portfolio Insurance policy are paid monthly, and are adjusted
for purchases and sales of Municipal Obligations covered by the policy during
the month. The yield on each of the Funds is reduced to the extent of the in-
surance premiums allocated to it. Depending upon the characteristics of the Mu-
nicipal Obligations held by a Fund, the annual premium rate for Policies of
Portfolio Insurance is estimated to range from .15% to .30% of the value of the
Municipal Obligations covered under the policy. Because the majority of the Mu-
nicipal Obligations in each Fund were not covered by policies of Portfolio In-
surance during the year ended February 28, 1995, premium expenses as a percent-
age of the value of Municipal Obligations held by each Fund for such period
were .00%, .01% and .00% for the National Fund, the Massachusetts Fund and the
New York Fund, respectively.
 
Set forth below is information about the various municipal bond insurers with
whom the Insured Tax-Free Bond Fund, Inc. currently maintains policies of Port-
folio Insurance.
 
AMBAC INDEMNITY CORPORATION ("AMBAC INDEMNITY")
AMBAC Indemnity is a Wisconsin-domiciled stock insurance corporation regulated
by the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance of the State of Wisconsin and
licensed to do business in 50 states, the District of Columbia and the Common-
wealth of Puerto Rico, with admitted assets of approximately $2,145,000,000
(unaudited) and statutory capital of approximately $1,218,000,000 (unaudited)
as of December 31, 1994. Statutory capital consists of AMBAC Indemnity's poli-
cyholders' surplus and statutory contingency reserve. AMBAC Indemnity is a
wholly-owned subsidiary of AMBAC, Inc., a 100% publicly-held company. Moody's,
S&P and Fitch Investors Service, Inc. each have assigned a triple-A claims-pay-
ing ability rating to AMBAC Indemnity.
 
AMBAC Indemnity has obtained a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service to the
effect that the insuring of an obligation by AMBAC Indemnity will not affect
the treatment for federal income tax purposes of interest on such obligation
and that insurance proceeds representing maturing interest paid
 
                                                                               9
<PAGE>
 
by AMBAC Indemnity under policy provisions substantially identical to those
contained in its municipal bond insurance policy shall be treated for federal
income tax purposes in the same manner as if such payments were made by the is-
suer of the bonds.
 
Copies of AMBAC Indemnity's financial statements prepared in accordance with
statutory accounting standards are available from AMBAC Indemnity. The address
of AMBAC Indemnity's administrative offices and its telephone number are One
State Street Plaza, 17th Floor, New York, New York 10004 and (212) 668-0340.
 
FINANCIAL SECURITY ASSURANCE INC. ("FINANCIAL SECURITY")
Financial Security is a monoline insurance company incorporated under the laws
of the State of New York. Financial Security is licensed, directly or through
its subsidiaries, to engage in the financial guaranty insurance business in all
50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom.
 
Financial Security is approximately 61.1% owned by U S WEST Capital Corpora-
tion, 9.5% owned by Fund American Enterprises Holdings, Inc. and 7.4% owned by
The Tokio Marine and Fire Insurance Co. Ltd. ("Tokio Marine"). No shareholder
is obligated to pay any debts of or any claims against Financial Security. Fi-
nancial Security is domiciled in the State of New York and is subject to regu-
lation by the State of New York Insurance Department. As of March 31, 1995, the
total policyholders' surplus and contingency reserves and the total unearned
premium reserve, respectively, of Financial Security and its consolidated sub-
sidiaries were, in accordance with statutory accounting principles, approxi-
mately $469,190,000 (unaudited) and $248,929,000 (unaudited), and the total
shareholders' equity and the total unearned premium reserve, respectively, of
Financial Security and its consolidated subsidiaries were, in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles, approximately $557,421,000 (unau-
dited) and $217,048,000 (unaudited). Copies of Financial Security's financial
statements may be obtained by writing to Financial Security at 350 Park Avenue,
New York, New York 10022, Attention: Communications Department, Financial
Security's telephone number is (212) 826-0100.
 
MBIA INSURANCE CORPORATION ("MBIA")
MBIA, formerly known as Municipal Bond Investors Assurance Corporation, is the
principal operating subsidiary of MBIA Inc., A New York Stock Exchange listed
company. MBIA Inc. is not obligated to pay the debts of or claims against MBIA.
MBIA is a limited liability corporation rather than a several liability associ-
ation. MBIA is domiciled in the State of New York and licensed to do business
to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico,
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands of the
United States and the Territory of Guam.
 
As of December 31, 1993, MBIA had admitted assets of $3.1 billion (audited),
total liabilities of $2.1 billion (audited), and total capital and surplus of
$978 million (audited) determined in accordance with statutory accounting prac-
tices prescribed or permitted by insurance regulatory authorities. As of Decem-
ber 31, 1994, MBIA had admitted assets of $3.4 billion (audited), total liabil-
ities of $2.3 billion (audited), and total capital and surplus of $1.1 billion
(audited), determined in accordance with
 
10
<PAGE>
 
statutory accounting practices prescribed or permitted by insurance regulatory
authorities. Copies of MBIA's year end financial statements prepared in accor-
dance with statutory accounting practices are available from MBIA. The address
of MBIA is 113 King Street, Armonk, New York 10504.
 
MBIA's policy unconditionally and irrevocably guarantees to the Insured Tax-
Free Bond Fund the full and complete payment required to be made by or on be-
half of the issuer to the applicable paying agent or its successor of an
amount equal to (i) the principal of (either at the stated maturity or by ad-
vancement of maturity pursuant to a mandatory sinking fund payment) and inter-
est on, the Municipal Obligations as such payments shall become due but shall
not be so paid (except that in the event of any acceleration of the due date
of such principal by reason of mandatory or optional redemption or accelera-
tion resulting from default or otherwise, other than any advancement of matu-
rity pursuant to a mandatory sinking fund payment, the payments guaranteed by
MBIA's policy shall be made in such amounts and at such times as such payments
of principal would have been due had there not been any such acceleration) and
(ii) the reimbursement of any such payment which is subsequently recovered
from the Fund pursuant to a final judgment by a court of competent jurisdic-
tion that such payment constitutes an avoidable preference to the Fund within
the meaning of any applicable bankruptcy law (a "Preference").
 
MBIA's policy does not insure against loss of any prepayment premium which may
at any time be payable with respect to any Municipal Obligation. MBIA's policy
does not, under any circumstance, insure against loss relating to: (i) op-
tional or mandatory redemptions (other than mandatory sinking fund redemp-
tions); (ii) any payments to be made on an accelerated basis; (iii) payments
of the purchase price of Municipal Obligations upon tender thereof; or (iv)
any Preference relating to (i) through (iii) above. MBIA's policy also does
not insure against nonpayment of principal of or interest on the Municipal Ob-
ligations resulting from the insolvency, negligence or any other act or omis-
sion of any paying agent for the Municipal Obligations.
 
With respect to small issue industrial development bonds and pollution control
revenue bonds covered by the policy, MBIA guarantees the full and complete
payments required to be made by or on behalf of an issuer of such bonds if
there occurs pursuant to the terms of the bonds an event which results in the
loss of the tax-exempt status of interest on such bonds, including principal,
interest or premium payments payable thereon, if any, as and when required to
be made by or on behalf of the issuer pursuant to the terms of such bonds.
 
Upon receipt of telephonic or telegraphic notice, such notice subsequently
confirmed in writing by registered or certified mail, or upon receipt of writ-
ten notice by registered or certified mail, by MBIA from the paying agent or
the Fund that a required payment of any insured amount which is then due, that
such required payment has not been made, MBIA on the due date of such payment
or within one business day after receipt of notice of such nonpayment, which-
ever is later, will make a deposit of funds, in an account with State Street
Bank and Trust Company, N.A., in New York, New York, or its successor, suffi-
cient for the payment of any such insured amounts which are then due. Upon
presentment and surrender of such Municipal Obligations or presentment of such
other proof of ownership of the Municipal Obligations, together with any ap-
propriate instruments of assignment to evidence the assignment of the insured
amounts due on the Municipal Obligations as are paid by MBIA, and appropriate
instruments to effect the appointment of MBIA as agent for the Fund in any le-
gal proceed-
 
                                                                             11
<PAGE>
 
ing related to payment of insured amounts on Municipal Obligations, such in-
struments being in a form satisfactory to State Street Bank and Trust Company,
N.A., State Street Bank and Trust Company, N.A. shall disburse to the Fund or
the paying agent payment of the insured amounts due on such Municipal Obliga-
tions, less any amount held by the paying agent for the payment of such insured
amounts and legally available therefor.
 
FINANCIAL GUARANTY INSURANCE COMPANY ("FINANCIAL GUARANTY")
The Portfolio Insurance Policy is non-cancellable except for failure to pay the
premium. The premium rate for each purchase of a security covered by the Port-
folio Insurance Policy is fixed for the life of the Insured Bond. The insurance
premiums are payable monthly by the Fund and are adjusted for purchases, sales
and payments prior to maturity of Insured Bonds during the month. In the event
of a sale of any Insured Bond by the Fund or payment thereof prior to maturity,
the Portfolio Insurance policy terminates as to such Insured Bond.
 
Under the provisions of the Portfolio Insurance Policy, Financial Guaranty un-
conditionally and irrevocably agrees to pay to State Street Bank and Trust Com-
pany, or its successor, as its agent (the "Fiscal Agent"), that portion of the
principal of and interest on the Insured Bonds which shall become due for pay-
ment but shall be unpaid by reason of nonpayment by the issuer of the Insured
Bonds. The term "due for payment" means, when referring to the principal of an
Insured Bond, its stated maturity date or the date on which it shall have been
called for mandatory sinking fund redemption and does not refer to any earlier
date on which payment is due by reason of call for redemption (other than by
mandatory sinking fund redemption), acceleration or other advancement of matu-
rity and means, when referring to interest on an Insured Bond, the stated date
for payment of interest. In addition, the Portfolio Insurance Policy covers
nonpayment by the issuer that results from any payment of principal or interest
made by such issuer on the Insured Bond to the Fund which has been recovered
from the Fund or its shareholders pursuant to the United States Bankruptcy Code
by a trustee in bankruptcy in accordance with a final, nonappealable order of a
court having competent jurisdiction.
 
Financial Guaranty will make such payments to the Fiscal Agent on the date such
principal or interest becomes due for payment or on the business day next fol-
lowing the day on which Financial Guaranty shall have received notice of non-
payment, whichever is later. The Fiscal Agent will disburse to the Trustee the
face amount of principal and interest which is then due for payment but is un-
paid by reason of nonpayment by the issuer, but only upon receipt by the Fiscal
Agent of (i) evidence of the Trustee's right to receive payment of the princi-
pal or interest due for payment and (ii) evidence, including any appropriate
instruments of assignment, that all of the rights to payment of such principal
or interest due for payment thereupon shall vest in Financial Guaranty. Upon
such disbursement, Financial Guaranty shall become the owner of the Insured
Bond, appurtenant coupon or right to payment of principal or interest on such
Insured Bond and shall be fully subrogated to all of the Trustee's rights
thereunder, including the right to payment, thereof.
 
In determining whether to insure municipal securities held in the Fund, Finan-
cial Guaranty will apply its own standards which are not necessarily the same
as the criteria used in regard to the selection of securities by the Funds.
 
12
<PAGE>
 
Certain of the municipal securities insured under the Portfolio Insurance Pol-
icy may also be insured under an insurance policy obtained by the issuer of
such municipal securities. The premium for any insurance policy or policies ob-
tained by an issuer or Insured Bonds has been paid in advance by such issuer
and any such policy or policies are non-cancellable and will continue in force
so long as the Insured Bonds so insured are outstanding. Financial Guaranty has
also agreed, if requested by the Funds on or before the fifth day preceding the
1st day of any month, to insure to maturity Insured Bonds sold by the Trustee
during the month immediately following such request of the Funds. The premium
for any such insurance to maturity provided by Financial Guaranty is paid by
the Fund and any such insurance is non-cancellable and will continue in force
so long as the Bonds so insured are outstanding.
 
Financial Guaranty is a wholly-owned subsidiary of FGIC Corporation (the "Cor-
poration"), a Delaware holding company. The Corporation is a subsidiary of Gen-
eral Electric Capital Corporation. Financial Guaranty is a monoline financial
guaranty insurer domiciled in the State of New York and subject to regulation
by the State of New York Insurance Department. As of December 31, 1994, the to-
tal capital and surplus of Financial Guaranty was approximately $893,700,000.
Financial Guaranty prepares financial statements on the basis of both statutory
accounting principles and generally accepted accounting principles. Copies of
such financial statements may be obtained by writing to Financial Guaranty at
115 Broadway, New York, New York 10006, Attention: Communications Department
(telephone number: (212) 312-3000) or to the New York State Insurance Depart-
ment at 160 West Broadway, 18th Floor, New York, New York 10013, Attention:
Property Companies Bureau (telephone number: (212) 602-0389).
 
The policies of insurance obtained by the Funds from Financial Guaranty and the
negotiations in respect thereof represent the only relationship between Finan-
cial Guaranty and the Funds. Otherwise neither Financial Guaranty nor its par-
ent, FGIC Corporation, or any affiliate thereof has any significant relation-
ship, direct or indirect, with the Funds or the Board of Directors.
 
The above municipal bond insurers have insurance claims-paying ability ratings
of AAA from S&P and Aaa from Moody's.
 
An S&P insurance claims-paying ability rating is an assessment of an operating
insurance company's financial capacity to meet obligations under an insurance
policy in accordance with its terms. An insurer with an insurance claims-paying
ability rating of AAA has the highest rating assigned by S&P. Capacity to honor
insurance contracts is adjudged by S&P to be extremely strong and highly likely
to remain so over a long period of time. A Moody's insurance claims-paying
ability rating is an opinion of the ability of an insurance company to repay
punctually senior policyholder obligations and claims. An insurer with an in-
surance claims-paying ability rating of Aaa is adjudged by Moody's to be of the
best quality. In the opinion of Moody's, the policy obligations of an insurance
company with an insurance claims-paying ability rating of Aaa carry the small-
est degree of credit risk and, while the financial strength of these companies
is likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are most unlikely to im-
pair the company's fundamentally strong position.
 
An insurance claims-paying ability rating by S&P or Moody's does not constitute
an opinion on any specific contract in that such an opinion can only be ren-
dered upon the review of the specific insurance
 
                                                                              13
<PAGE>
 
contract. Furthermore, an insurance claims-paying ability rating does not take
into account deductibles, surrender or cancellation penalties or the timeliness
of payment, nor does it address the ability of a company to meet nonpolicy ob-
ligations (i.e., debt contracts).
 
The assignment of ratings by S&P or Moody's to debt issues that are fully or
partially supported by insurance policies, contracts or guarantees is a sepa-
rate process from the determination of claims-paying ability ratings. The like-
lihood of a timely flow of funds from the insurer to the trustee for the bond-
holders is a key element in the rating determination for such debt issues.
 
S&P's and Moody's ratings are not recommendations to buy, sell or hold the Mu-
nicipal Obligations insured by policies issued by AMBAC Indemnity, Financial
Security, MBIA or Financial Guaranty and such ratings may be subject to revi-
sion or withdrawal at any time by the rating agencies. Any downward revision or
withdrawal of either or both ratings may have an adverse effect on the market
price of the Municipal Obligations insured by policies issued by AMBAC Indemni-
ty, Financial Security, MBIA or Financial Guaranty.
 
S&P's ratings of AMBAC Indemnity, Financial Security, MBIA and Financial Guar-
anty should be evaluated independently of Moody's ratings. Any further explana-
tion as to the significance of the ratings may be obtained only from the appli-
cable rating agency.
 
The investment assets of each Fund will consist of (1) Municipal Obligations
which are rated at the time of purchase within the four highest grades (Baa or
BBB or better) by Moody's or S&P, (2) unrated Municipal Obligations of invest-
ment grade quality in the opinion of Nuveen Advisory, with no fixed percentage
limitations on these unrated Municipal Obligations, and (3) temporary invest-
ments as described below, the income from which may be subject to state income
tax or to both federal and state income taxes.
 
As described in the Prospectus, each Fund may invest in Municipal Obligations
that constitute participations in a lease obligation or installment purchase
contract obligation (hereafter collectively called "lease obligations") of a
municipal authority or entity. Although lease obligations do not constitute
general obligations of the municipality for which the municipality's taxing
power is pledged, a lease obligation is ordinarily backed by the municipality's
covenant to budget for, appropriate and make the payments due under the lease
obligation. However, certain lease obligations contain "non-appropriation"
clauses which provide that the municipality has no obligation to make lease or
installment purchase payments in future years unless money is appropriated for
such purpose on a yearly basis. Although non-appropriation lease obligations
are secured by the leased property, disposition of the property in the event of
foreclosure might prove difficult. Each Fund will seek to minimize the special
risks associated with such securities by not investing more than 10% of its as-
sets in lease obligations that contain non-appropriation clauses, and by only
investing in those nonappropriation leases where (1) the nature of the leased
equipment or property is such that its ownership or use is essential to a gov-
ernmental function of the municipality, (2) the lease payments will commence
amortization of principal at an early date resulting in an average life of
seven years or less for the lease obligation, (3) appropriate covenants will be
obtained from the municipal obligor prohibiting the substitution or purchase of
similar equipment if lease payments are not appropriated, (4) the lease obligor
has maintained good market acceptability in the past, (5) the investment is of
a size that will be attractive to
 
14
<PAGE>
 
institutional investors, and (6) the underlying leased equipment has elements
of portability and/or use that enhance its marketability in the event foreclo-
sure on the underlying equipment were ever required. Lease obligations provide
a premium interest rate which along with regular amortization of the principal
may make them attractive for a portion of the assets of the Funds.
 
Obligations of issuers of Municipal Obligations are subject to the provisions
of bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of
creditors, such as the Federal Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978. In addition, the
obligations of such issuers may become subject to the laws enacted in the fu-
ture by Congress, state legislatures or referenda extending the time for pay-
ment of principal and/or interest, or imposing other constraints upon enforce-
ment of such obligations or upon municipalities to levy taxes. There is also
the possibility that, as a result of legislation or other conditions, the power
or ability of any issuer to pay, when due, the principal of and interest on its
Municipal Obligations may be materially affected.
 
PORTFOLIO TRADING AND TURNOVER
Each Fund will make changes in its investment portfolio from time to time in
order to take advantage of opportunities in the municipal market and to limit
exposure to market risk. A Fund may also engage to a limited extent in short-
term trading consistent with its investment objective, but a Fund will not
trade securities solely to realize a profit. Securities may be sold in antici-
pation of market decline or purchased in anticipation of market rise and later
sold, but a Fund will not engage in trading solely to recognize a gain. In ad-
dition, a security may be sold and another of comparable quality purchased at
approximately the same time to take advantage of what Nuveen Advisory believes
to be a temporary disparity in the normal yield relationship between the two
securities. A Fund may make changes in its investment portfolio in order to
limit its exposure to changing market conditions. Changes in a Fund's invest-
ments are known as "portfolio turnover." While it is impossible to predict fu-
ture portfolio turnover rates, each Fund's annual portfolio turnover rate is
generally not expected to exceed 50%. However, each Fund reserves the right to
make changes in its investments whenever it deems such action advisable, and
therefore, a Fund's annual portfolio turnover rate may exceed 50% in particular
years depending upon market conditions. The portfolio turnover rates for the
National, Massachusetts and New York Funds for the fiscal year ended February
28, 1995 were 25%, 10% and 11%, respectively, and for the fiscal year ended
February 28, 1994, were 11%, 3% and 5%, respectively.
 
WHEN-ISSUED SECURITIES
As described in the Prospectus, each Fund may purchase and sell Municipal Obli-
gations on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis. When-issued and delayed de-
livery transactions arise when securities are purchased or sold with payment
and delivery beyond the regular settlement date. (When-issued transactions nor-
mally settle within 15-45 days.) On such transactions the payment obligation
and the interest rate are fixed at the time the buyer enters into the commit-
ment. The commitment to purchase securities on a when-issued or delayed deliv-
ery basis may involve an element of risk because the value of the securities is
subject to market fluctuation, no interest accrues to the purchaser prior to
settlement of the transaction, and at the time of delivery the market value may
be less than cost. At the time a Fund
 
                                                                              15
<PAGE>
 
makes the commitment to purchase a Municipal Bond on a when-issued or delayed
delivery basis, it will record the transaction and reflect the amount due and
the value of the security in determining its net asset value. Likewise, at the
time a Fund makes the commitment to sell a Municipal Obligation on a delayed
delivery basis, it will record the transaction and include the proceeds to be
received in determining its net asset value; accordingly, any fluctuations in
the value of the Municipal Obligation sold pursuant to a delayed delivery com-
mitment are ignored in calculating net asset value so long as the commitment
remains in effect. The Funds will maintain designated readily marketable as-
sets at least equal in value to commitments to purchase when-issued or delayed
delivery securities, such assets to be segregated by the Custodian specifi-
cally for the settlement of such commitments. A Fund will only make commit-
ments to purchase Municipal Obligations on a when-issued or delayed delivery
basis with the intention of actually acquiring the securities, but each Fund
reserves the right to sell these securities before the settlement date if it
is deemed advisable. If a when-issued security is sold before delivery any
gain or loss would not be tax-exempt. A Fund commonly engages in when-issued
transactions in order to purchase or sell newly-issued Municipal Obligations,
and may engage in delayed delivery transactions in order to manage its opera-
tions more effectively.
 
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS RELATING TO MUNICIPAL OBLIGATIONS OF DESIGNATED STATES
As described in the Prospectus, except for investments in temporary invest-
ments, the Massachusetts and New York Funds will, at all times, invest all of
their net assets in their respective state's Municipal Obligations. These
Funds are therefore more susceptible to political, economic or regulatory fac-
tors adversely affecting issuers of Municipal Obligations in their states.
Brief summaries of these factors are contained in the Prospectus. Set forth
below is additional information that bears upon the risk of investing in Mu-
nicipal Obligations issued by public authorities in these states. This infor-
mation was obtained from official statements of issuers located in the respec-
tive states as well as from other publicly available official documents and
statements. The Funds have not independently verified any of the information
contained in such statements and documents.
 
FACTORS PERTAINING TO MASSACHUSETTS
As described above, except to the extent the Massachusetts Fund invests in
temporary investments, the Massachusetts Fund will invest substantially all of
its net assets in Massachusetts Municipal Obligations. The Massachusetts Fund
is therefore susceptible to political, economic or regulatory factors affect-
ing issuers of Massachusetts Municipal Obligations. Without intending to be
complete, the following briefly summarizes the current financial situation, as
well as some of the complex factors affecting the financial situation, in the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts (the "Commonwealth"). It is derived from sources
that are generally available to investors and is based in part on information
obtained from various agencies in Massachusetts. No independent verification
has been made of the accuracy or completeness of the following information.
 
 
There can be no assurance that current or future statewide or regional eco-
nomic difficulties, and the resulting impact on Commonwealth or local govern-
mental finances generally, will not adversely affect the market value of Mas-
sachusetts Obligations in the Fund or the ability of particular obligors to
make timely payments of debt service on (or relating to) those obligations.
 
 
16
<PAGE>
 
Since 1988, there has been a significant slowdown in the Commonwealth's econo-
my, as indicated by a rise in unemployment, a slowing of its per capita income
growth and declining state revenues. In fiscal 1991, the Commonwealth's expen-
ditures for state government programs exceeded current revenues, and although
fiscal 1992, 1993 and 1994 revenues exceeded expenditures, no assurance can be
given that lower than expected tax revenues will not resume and continue.
 
1995 Fiscal Year Budget. On July 10, 1994, the Governor signed the Common-
wealth's budget for fiscal 1995. The fiscal 1995 budget is based on estimated
budgeted revenues and other sources of approximately $16.360 billion, which
includes revised tax revenue estimates of approximately $11.179 billion. Tax
revenues for fiscal 1995 were originally estimated at $11.328 billion in May,
1994, however, due to the slowing of the rate of growth in certain tax revenue
categories in the months following the signing of the budget, particularly in-
come tax, the Secretary of the Administration on September 26, 1994, as re-
quired by law, reduced the fiscal 1995 tax revenue estimate by $75 million. On
January 25, 1995, the Secretary for Administration and Finance further revised
the fiscal 1995 tax revenue estimate to $11.179 billion, a reduction of ap-
proximately $55 million from the September 26, 1994 estimate. The tax revenue
estimate includes $19.3 million of tax cuts signed by the Governor in the fis-
cal 1995 budget. Estimated fiscal 1995 tax revenues are approximately $572
million higher than fiscal 1994 tax revenues of $10.607 billion.
 
As signed by the Governor, the budget authorizes approximately $16.482 billion
in fiscal 1995 expenditures. The Governor exercised his authority to veto and
reduce individual line items and reduced total expenditures by approximately
$298.2 million and vetoed certain other law changes contained in the fiscal
1995 budget. The $16.449 billion of fiscal 1995 expenditures includes a re-
serve against certain contingencies currently in the amount of $98.6 million.
On January 25, 1995, the Governor filed a supplemental appropriation recommen-
dation aggregating approximately $43.6 million, which expenditures are in-
cluded in the $98.6 million contingency reserve for fiscal 1995 expenditures.
Included in the approximately $298.2 million of vetoes noted above, the Gover-
nor vetoed approximately $296.9 million in appropriations for the Executive
Office of Human Services and the Department of Public Welfare, representing
the estimate, at the time, of 4 months of funding for the Commonwealth's pub-
lic assistance programs.
 
On February 10, 1995, the Governor signed into law certain reforms to the Com-
monwealth's program for Aid to Families with Dependent Children ("AFDC") which
take effect on July 1, 1995, subject to federal approval of certain waivers.
The revised program reduces AFDC benefits to able bodied recipients by 2.75%,
while allowing them to keep a larger portion of their earned wages, requires
approxi- mately 22,000 able-bodied parents of school-aged children to work or
perform community service for 20 hours per week and requires approximately
16,000 recipients who have children between the ages of two and six to partic-
ipate in an education or training program or perform community service. The
plan also establishes a pilot program for up to 2,000 participants that offers
tax credits and wage subsidies to employers who hire welfare recipients. Par-
ents who find employment will be provided with extended medical benefits and
day care benefits for up to one year. The plan mandates paternal identifica-
tion, expands funding for anti-fraud initiatives, and requires parents on AFDC
to immunize their children. Parents who are disabled, caring for a disabled
child, have a child under the age of two,
 
                                                                             17
<PAGE>
 
or are teen-agers living at home and attending high school, will continue to
receive cash assistance. Since most provisions of the new law do not take ef-
fect until July 1, 1995, the Executive Office for Administration projects that
the reforms will not materially affect fiscal 1995 public assistance spending.
The fiscal 1995 expenditure estimate of $16.449 billion includes $247.8 million
appropriated to fund the Commonwealth's public assistance programs for the last
four months of fiscal 1995. The Commonwealth is currently evaluating the new
law's impact on fiscal 1996 projected spending for public assistance programs.
 
The fiscal 1995 budget is based on numerous spending and revenue estimates the
achievement of which cannot be assured.
 
On November 8, 1994, the voters in the statewide general election approved an
initiative petition that would slightly increase the portion of the gasoline
tax revenue credited to the Highway Fund, one of the Commonwealth's three major
budgetary funds, prohibit the transfer of money from the Highway Fund to other
funds for non-highway purposes and not permit including the Highway Fund bal-
ance in the computation "consolidated net surplus" for purposes of state fi-
nance laws. The initiative petition also provides that no more than 15% of gas-
oline tax revenues may be used for mass transportation purposes, such as expen-
ditures related to the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority. The Executive Of-
fice of Administration and Finance is analyzing the effect, if any, this ini-
tiative petition, which became law on December 8, 1994, may have on the fiscal
1995 budget and it currently does not expect it to have any materially adverse
impact. This is not a constitutional amendment and is subject to amendment or
repeal by the Legislature, which may also, notwithstanding the terms of the pe-
tition, appropriate moneys from the Highway Fund in such amounts and for such
purposes as it determines, subject only to a constitutional restriction that
such moneys be used for highways or mass transit purposes.
 
1994 Fiscal Year. Fiscal 1994 tax revenue collections were approximately
$10.607 billion, $87 million below the Department of Revenue's fiscal year 1994
tax revenue estimate of $10.694 billion and $677 million above fiscal 1993 tax
revenues of $9.930 billion. Budgeted revenues and other sources, including non-
tax revenues, collected in fiscal 1994 were approximately $15.550 billion. To-
tal revenues and other sources increased by approximately 5.7% from fiscal 1993
to fiscal 1994 while tax revenues increased by 6.8% for the same period. Bud-
geted expenditures and other uses of funds in fiscal 1994 were approximately
$15.523 billion, which is $826.5 million or approximately 5.6% higher than fis-
cal 1993 budgeted expenditures and other uses.
 
As of June 30, 1994, the Commonwealth showed a year-end cash position of ap-
proximately $757 million, as compared to a projected position of $599 million.
 
In June, 1993, the Legislature adopted and the Governor signed into law compre-
hensive education reform legislation. This legislation required an increase in
expenditures for education purposes above fiscal 1993 base spending of $1.288
billion of approximately $175 million in fiscal 1994. The Executive Office for
Administration and Finance expects the annual increases in expenditures above
the fiscal
 
18
<PAGE>
 
1993 base spending of $1.288 billion to be approximately $396 million in fis-
cal 1995, $625 million in fiscal 1996 and $868 million in fiscal 1997. Addi-
tional annual increases are also expected in later fiscal years. The fiscal
1995 budget as signed by the Governor includes $896 million in appropriations
to satisfy this legislation.
 
1993 Fiscal Year. The Commonwealth's budgeted expenditures and other uses were
approximately $14.696 billion in fiscal 1993, which is approximately $1.280
billion or 9.6% higher than fiscal 1992 expenditures and other uses. Final
fiscal 1993 budgeted expenditures were $23 million lower than the initial July
1992 estimates of fiscal 1993 budgeted expenditures. Budgeted revenues and
other sources for fiscal 1993 totalled approximately $14.710 billion, includ-
ing tax revenues of $9.930 billion. Total revenues and other sources increased
by approximately 6.9% from fiscal 1992 to fiscal 1993, while tax revenues in-
creased by 4.7% for the same period. Overall, fiscal 1993 ended with a surplus
of revenues and other sources over expenditures and other uses of $13.1 mil-
lion and aggregate ending fund balances in the budgeted operating funds of the
Commonwealth of approximately $562.5 million. After payment in full of the
distribution of local aid to the Commonwealth's cities and towns ("Local Aid")
and the retirement of short term debt, the Commonwealth showed a year end cash
position of approximately $622.2 million, as compared to a projected position
of $485.1 million.
 
1992 Fiscal Year. The Commonwealth's budgeted expenditures and other uses were
approximately $13.4 billion in fiscal 1992, which is $238.7 million or 1.7%
lower than fiscal 1991 budgeted expenditures. Final fiscal 1992 budgeted ex-
penditures were $300 million more than the initial July 1991 estimates of bud-
getary expenditures, due in part to increases in certain human services pro-
grams, including an increase of $268.7 million for the Medicaid program and
$50.0 million for mental retardation consent decree requirements. Budgeted
revenues and other sources for fiscal 1992 totalled approximately $13.7 bil-
lion (including tax revenues of approximately $9.5 billion), reflecting an in-
crease of approximately 0.7% from fiscal 1991 to 1992 and an increase of 5.4%
in tax revenues for the same period. Overall, fiscal 1992 is estimated to have
ended with an excess of revenues and other sources over expenditures and other
uses of $312.3 million. After payment in full of Local Aid in the amount of
$514.0 million due on June 30, 1992, retirement of the Commonwealth's out-
standing commercial paper (except for approximately $50 million of bond antic-
ipation notes) and certain other short term borrowings, as of June 30, 1992,
the end of fiscal 1992, the Commonwealth showed a year-end cash position of
approximately $731 million, as compared with the Commonwealth's cash balance
of $182.3 million at the end of fiscal 1991.
 
1991 Fiscal Year. Budgeted expenditures for fiscal 1991 were approximately
$13.659 billion, as against budgeted revenues and other sources of approxi-
mately $13.634 billion. The Commonwealth suffered an operating loss of approx-
imately $21.2 million. Application of the adjusted fiscal 1990 fund balances
of $258.3 million resulted in a fiscal 1991 budgetary surplus of $237.1 mil-
lion. State law requires that approximately $59.2 million of the fiscal year
ending balances of $237.1 million be placed in the Stabilization Fund, a re-
serve from which funds can be appropriated (i) to make up any difference be-
tween actual state revenues in any fiscal year in which actual revenues fall
below the allowable amount, (ii) to replace state and local losses by federal
funds or (iii) for any event, as determined by the
 
                                                                             19
<PAGE>
 
legislature, which threatens the health, safety or welfare of the people or the
fiscal stability of the Commonwealth or any of its political subdivisions.
 
Upon taking office in January 1991, the new Governor proposed a series of leg-
islative and administrative actions, including withholding of allotments under
Section 9C of Chapter 29 of the General Laws, intended to eliminate the pro-
jected deficits. The new Governor's review of the Commonwealth's budget indi-
cated projected spending of approximately $14.1 billion with an estimated $850
million in budget balancing measures that would be needed prior to the close of
fiscal 1991. At that time, estimated tax revenues were revised to approximately
$8.8 billion, $903 million less than was estimated at the time the fiscal 1991
budget was adopted. The Legislature adopted a number of the Governor's recom-
mendations and the Governor took certain administrative actions not requiring
legislative approval, including the adoption of a state employee furlough pro-
gram. It is estimated by the Commonwealth that spending reductions achieved
through savings initiatives and withholding of allotments total approximately
$484.3 million in aggregate for fiscal 1991. However, these savings and reduc-
tions may be impacted negatively by litigation pursued by third parties con-
cerning the Governor's actions under Section 9C of Chapter 29 of the General
Laws and with regard to the state employee furlough program.
 
In addition, the new administration in May 1991 filed an amendment to its Med-
icaid state plan that enables it to claim 50% federal reimbursement on
uncompensated care payments for certain hospitals in the Commonwealth. As a re-
sult, in fiscal 1991, the Commonwealth obtained additional non-tax revenues in
the form of federal reimbursements equal to approximately $513 million on ac-
count of uncompensated care payments. This reimbursement claim was based upon
recent amendments of federal law contained in the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation
Act of 1990 and, consequently, on relatively undeveloped federal laws, regula-
tions and guidelines. At the request of the federal Health Care Financing Ad-
ministration, the Office of Inspector General of the United States Department
of Health and Human Services has commenced an audit of the reimbursement. The
administration, which had reviewed the matter with the Health Care Financing
Administration prior to claiming the reimbursement, believes that the Common-
wealth will prevail in the audit. If the Commonwealth does not prevail, the
Commonwealth would have the right to contest an appeal, but could be required
to pay all or part of Medicaid reimbursements with interest and to have such
amount deducted from future reimbursement payments.
 
1990 and 1989 Fiscal Years. In July 1989, the former Governor vetoed certain
provisions included in the budget legislation for fiscal 1990, including ap-
proximately $273 million of the fiscal 1990 appropriations, including $100 mil-
lion for Local Aid. One of the Governor's vetoes occasioned a default by the
Commonwealth on a September 1, 1989 payment of $2.5 million on a general obli-
gation contract with the Massachusetts Community Development Finance Corpora-
tion to which its full faith and credit had been pledged, which payment was
made on September 17, 1990 after a supplemental appropriation was proposed by
the Governor and passed by the legislature. The legislature overrode the
 
20
<PAGE>
 
Governor's veto of $100 million of Local Aid and the Governor then indicated
that he was withholding the allotment for such expenditure. The Supreme Judi-
cial Court invalidated the Governor's withholding of $210 million of appropri-
ated funds for certain Local Aid purposes in May 1990.
 
Budgeted expenditures for fiscal 1989 and 1990 totalled approximately $12.6
billion and $13.3 billion, respectively. Budgeted revenues for fiscal 1989 and
1990 totalled approximately $12.0 billion and $12.0 billion, respectively.
 
Employment. Reversing a trend of relatively low unemployment during the early
and mid 1980's, the Massachusetts unemployment rate beginning in 1990 in-
creased significantly to where the Commonwealth's unemployment rate exceeded
the national unemployment rate. During 1990, the Massachusetts unemployment
rate increased from 4.5% in January to 6.1% in July to 6.7% in August. During
1991, the Massachusetts unemployment rate averaged 9.0% while the average
United States unemployment rate was 6.7%. The Massachusetts unemployment rate
during 1992 averaged 8.5% while the average United States unemployment rate
was 7.4%. Since 1993, the average monthly unemployment rate has declined
steadily. The Massachusetts unemployment rate in December 1994 was 5.7%, as
compared with the United States unemployment rate of 5.4% for the same period.
Other factors which may significantly and adversely affect the employment rate
in the Commonwealth include reductions in federal government spending on de-
fense-related industries. Due to this and other considerations, there can be
no assurance that unemployment in the Commonwealth will not increase in the
future.
 
Debt Ratings. S&P currently rates the Commonwealth's uninsured general obliga-
tion bonds at A+. At the same time, S&P currently rates state and agency notes
at SP1. From 1989 through 1992, the Commonwealth had experienced a steady de-
cline in its S&P rating, with its decline beginning in May 1989, when S&P low-
ered its rating on the Commonwealth's general obligation bonds and other Com-
monwealth obligations from AA+ to AA and continuing a series of further reduc-
tions until March 1992, when the rating was affirmed at BBB.
 
Moody's currently rates the Commonwealth's uninsured general obligation bonds
at A1. From 1989 through 1992, the Commonwealth had experienced a steady de-
cline in its rating by Moody's since May 1989. In May 1989, Moody's lowered
its rating on the Commonwealth's notes from MIG-1 to MIG-2, and its rating on
the Commonwealth's commercial paper from P-1 to P-2. On June 21, 1989, Moody's
reduced the Commonwealth's general obligation rating from Aa to A. On November
15, 1989, Moody's reduced the rating on the Commonwealth's general obligations
from A to Baa1, and on March 9, 1990, Moody's reduced the rating of the Com-
monwealth's general obligation bonds from Baa1 to Baa.
 
There can be no assurance that these ratings will continue.
 
In recent years, the Commonwealth and certain of its public bodies and munici-
palities have faced serious financial difficulties which have affected the
credit standing and borrowing abilities of Massachusetts and its respective
entities and may have contributed to higher interest rates on debt obliga-
tions. The continuation of, or an increase in, such financial difficulties
could result in declines in the market values of, or default on, existing ob-
ligations including Massachusetts Obligations in the Fund. Should there be
during the term of the Fund a financial crisis relating to Massachusetts, its
public
 
                                                                             21
<PAGE>
 
bodies or municipalities, the market value and marketability of all outstanding
bonds issued by the Commonwealth and its public authorities or municipalities
including the Massachusetts Obligations in the Fund and interest income to the
Fund could be adversely affected.
 
Total Bond and Note Liabilities. The total general obligation bond indebtedness
of the Commonwealth (including Fiscal Recovery Bonds) as of January 1, 1995 was
approximately $9.19 billion. There were also outstanding approximately $264
million in general obligation notes and other short term general obligation
debt. The total bond and note liabilities of the Commonwealth as of October 1,
1994, including guaranteed bond and contingent liabilities was approximately
$12.98 billion.
 
Debt Service. During the 1980s, capital expenditures were increased substan-
tially, which has had a short term impact on the cash needs of the Commonwealth
and also accounts for a significant rise in debt service during that period.
Payments for debt service on Commonwealth general obligation bonds and notes
have risen at an average annual rate of 22.2% from $770.9 million in fiscal
1990 to an estimated $942.3 million in fiscal 1991. Debt service payments in
fiscal 1992 were $898.3 million. Debt service payments for fiscal 1992 reflect
a $261 million one-time reduction achieved as a result of the Issuance of the
refunding bonds in September and October 1991. Debt service expenditures were
approximately $1.140 billion and $1.149 billion for fiscal 1993 and 1994, re-
spectively, and are projected to be approximately $1.242 billion for fiscal
1995 and $1.267 billion for fiscal 1996. The fiscal 1993 and fiscal 1994 debt
service expenditures reflect savings of $62.9 million and $57.3 million, re-
spectively, achieved through the issuance of refunding bonds in October 1992,
and March, May and August 1993. The amounts represented do not include debt
service on notes issued to finance the fiscal 1989 deficit and certain Medicaid
related liabilities, certain debt service contract assistance to the Massachu-
setts Bay Transportation Authority ($181.9 million projected in fiscal 1995),
the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority ($24.6 million projected in fis-
cal 1995), the Massachusetts Government Land Bank ($6.0 million projected in
fiscal 1995) and the Massachusetts Water Pollution Abatement Trust ($13.9 mil-
lion projected in fiscal 1995), as well as grants to municipalities under the
school building assistance program to defray a portion of the debt service
costs on local school bonds ($179.2 million projected in fiscal 1995).
 
In January 1990, legislation was passed to impose a limit on debt service be-
ginning in fiscal 1991, providing that no more than 10% of the total appropria-
tions in any fiscal year may be expended for payment of interest and principal
on general obligation debt (excluding the Fiscal Recovery Bonds). The percent-
age of total appropriations expended from the budgeted operating funds for debt
service (excluding debt service on Fiscal Recovery Bonds) for fiscal 1994 is
5.6% which is projected to increase to 5.9% in fiscal 1995.
 
Certain Liabilities. Among the material future liabilities of the Commonwealth
are significant unfunded general liabilities of its retirement systems and a
program to fund such liabilities; a program whereby, starting in 1978, the Com-
monwealth began assuming full financial responsibility for all costs of the ad-
ministration of justice within the Commonwealth; continuing demands to raise
aggregate aid to cities, towns, schools and other districts and transit author-
ities above current levels; and Medicaid expenditures which have increased each
year since the program was initiated. The Commonwealth has signed consent de-
crees to continue improving mental health care and programs for the mentally
retarded in order to meet federal standards, including those governing receipt
of federal reimbursements
 
22
<PAGE>
 
under various programs, and the parties in those cases have worked coopera-
tively to resolve the disputed issues.
 
As a result of comprehensive legislation approved in January, 1988, the Common-
wealth is required, beginning in fiscal 1989 to fund future pension liabilities
currently and to amortize the Commonwealth's unfunded liabilities over 40
years. The estimated pension expenditures (inclusive of current benefits and
pension reserves) for fiscal 1996 are $1.044 billion, representing an increase
of 5.0% over estimated fiscal 1995 expenditures of $994.3 million.
 
Litigation. The Commonwealth is engaged in various lawsuits involving environ-
mental and related laws, including an action brought on behalf of the U.S. En-
vironmental Protection Agency alleging violations of the Clean Water Act and
seeking to enforce the clean-up of Boston Harbor. The MWRA, successor in lia-
bility to the Metropolitan District Commission, has assumed primary responsi-
bility for developing and implementing a court-approved plan for the construc-
tion of the treatment facilities necessary to achieve compliance with federal
requirements. Under the Clean Water Act, the Commonwealth may be liable for
costs of compliance in these or any other Clean Water cases if the MWRA or a
municipality is prevented from raising revenues necessary to comply with a
judgment. The MWRA currently projects that the total cost of construction of
the treatment facilities required under the court's order is approximately $3.5
billion in current dollars, with approximately $1.54 billion to be spent on or
after July 1, 1994.
 
The Department of Public Welfare has been sued for the alleged unlawful denial
of personal care attendant services to certain disabled Medicaid recipients.
The Superior Court has denied the plaintiff's motion for preliminary injunction
and has also denied the plaintiff's motion for class certification. If the
plaintiffs were to prevail on their claims and the Commonwealth were required
to provide all of the services sought by the plaintiffs to all similarly situa-
tion persons, it would substantially increase the annual cost to the Common-
wealth. The Department of Public Welfare currently estimates this increase to
be as much as $200 million per year.
 
There are also actions pending in which recipients of human services benefits,
such as welfare recipients, the mentally retarded, the elderly, the handi-
capped, children, residents of state hospitals and inmates of corrections in-
stitutions, seek expanded levels of services and benefits and in which provid-
ers of services to such recipients challenge the rates at which they are reim-
bursed by the Commonwealth. To the extent that such actions result in judgments
requiring the Commonwealth to provide expanded services or benefits or pay in-
creased rates, additional operating and capital expenditures might be needed to
implement such judgments.
 
The Massachusetts Hospital Association has brought an action challenging an el-
ement of the Medicaid rate setting methodologies for hospitals. On October 12,
1993, the case was settled with the hospital association and most acute hospi-
tals, thereby reducing the Commonwealth's potential liability in the pending
case or in related appeals to approximately $10 million.
 
In addition there are several tax matters in litigation which could result in
significant refunds to taxpayers if decisions unfavorable to the Commonwealth
are rendered. In BayBank, et al. v. Commissioner
 
                                                                              23
<PAGE>
 
of Revenue, the banks challenge the inclusion of income from tax exempt obliga-
tions in the measure of the bank excise tax. The Appellate Tax Board issued
findings of fact and a report in favor of the Commissioner of Revenue on Sep-
tember 30, 1993. The case is pending before the Supreme Judicial Court and is
expected to be heard in March 1995. Taking into account all banks and all years
at issue (1974 through 1986), there are 142 appeals consolidated in this case.
The amount at issue is estimated to be approximately $1.2 billion, which amount
includes interest of approximately $900 million and amounts involved in other
related applications for abatement pending with the Commissioner of Revenue or
with the Appellate Tax Board. The amount of taxes and interest at issue in
other cases is approximately $150 million.
 
In National Association of Government Employees v. Commonwealth, the Superior
Court declared that a line item in the Commonwealth's general appropriations
act for fiscal 1994 that increased the state employees' percentage share of
their group health insurance premiums from 10% to 15% violated the terms of
several collective bargaining agreements, and therefore was invalid under the
United States Constitution as regards employees covered by the agreements. On
February 9, 1995, the Supreme Judicial Court vacated the Superior Court's deci-
sion and declared that the fiscal 1994 line item did not violate the contracts
clause. Several other unions have filed a companion suit asserting that the
premium increase similarly violated other collective bargaining agreements. The
latter suit is in its initial stages. If the Superior Court decision in favor
of the state employees is upheld, the Commonwealth's aggregate liability is es-
timated to be approximately $32 million.
 
A variety of other civil suits pending against the Commonwealth may also affect
its future liabilities. There include challenges to the Commonwealth's alloca-
tion of school aid under Section 9C of Chapter 29 of the General Laws and to
adopt a state employee furlough program. No prediction is possible as to the
ultimate outcome of these proceedings.
 
Many factors, in addition to those cited above, do or may have a bearing upon
the financial condition of the Commonwealth, including social and economic con-
ditions, many of which are not within the control of the Commonwealth.
 
Expenditure and Tax Limitation Measures. Limits have been established on state
tax revenues by legislation approved by the Governor on October 25, 1986 and by
an initiative petition approved by the voters on November 4, 1986. The Execu-
tive Office for Administration and Finance currently estimates that state tax
revenues will not reach the limit imposed by either the initiative petition or
the legislative enactment in fiscal 1992.
 
Proposition 2 1/2, passed by the voters in 1980, led to large reductions in
property taxes, the major source of income for cities and towns and large in-
creases in state aid to offset such revenue losses. According to the Executive
Office for Administration and Finance, all of the 351 cities and towns have now
achieved a property tax level of no more than 2.5% of full property values. Un-
der the terms of Proposition 2 1/2, the property tax levy can now be increased
annually for all cities and towns, almost all by 2.5% of the prior fiscal
year's tax levy plus 2.5% of the value of new properties and of significant im-
provements to property. Legislation has also been enacted providing for certain
local option taxes. A voter initiative petition approved at the statewide gen-
eral election in November, 1990 further
 
24
<PAGE>
 
regulates the distribution of Local Aid of no less than 40% of collections from
individual income taxes, sales and use taxes, corporate excise taxes, and the
balance of the state lottery fund. If implemented in accordance with its terms
(including appropriation of the necessary funds), the petition as approved
would shift several hundred million dollars to direct Local Aid.
 
Other Tax Measures. To provide revenue to pay debt service on both the deficit
and Medicaid-related borrowings and to fund certain direct Medicaid expendi-
tures, legislation was enacted imposing an additional tax on certain types of
personal income for 1989 and 1990 taxable years at rates of 0.375% and 0.75%,
respectively, effectively raising the tax rate of 1989 from 5% to 5.375% and
for 1990 to 5.75%. Recent legislation has effectively further increased tax
rates to 5.95% for tax year 1990 to 6.25% for tax year 1991 and returning to
5.95% for tax year 1992 and subsequent tax years. The tax is applicable to all
personal income except income derived from dividends, capital gains, unemploy-
ment compensation, alimony, rent, interest, pensions, annuities and IRA/Keogh
distributions. The income tax rate on other interest (excluding interest on ob-
ligations of the United States and of the Commonwealth and its subdivisions),
dividends and net capital gains (after a 50% reduction) was increased from 10%
to 12% for tax year 1990 and subsequent years, by recently enacted legislation.
 
Estate Tax Revisions. The fiscal 1993 budget included legislation which gradu-
ally phases out the current Massachusetts estate tax and replaces it with a
"sponge tax" in 1997. The "sponge tax" is based on the maximum amount of the
credit for state taxes allowed for federal estate tax purposes. The estate tax
is phased out by means of annual increases in the basic exemption from the cur-
rent $200,000 level. The exemption is increased to $300,000 for 1993, $400,000
for 1994, $500,000 for 1995 and $600,000 for 1996. In addition, the legislation
includes a full marital deduction starting July 1, 1994. Currently the marital
deduction is limited to 50% of the Massachusetts adjusted gross estate. The
static fiscal impact of the phase out of the estate tax was estimated to be ap-
proximately $24.8 million in fiscal 1994 and is estimated to be approximately
$72.5 million in fiscal 1995.
 
Other Issuers of Massachusetts Obligations. There are a number of state agen-
cies, instrumentalities and political subdivisions of the Commonwealth that is-
sue Municipal Obligations, some of which may be conduit revenue obligations
payable from payments from private borrowers. These entities are subject to
various economic risks and uncertainties, and the credit quality of the securi-
ties issued by them may vary considerably from the credit quality of obliga-
tions backed by the full faith and credit of the Commonwealth. The brief sum-
mary above does not address, nor does it attempt to address, any difficulties
and the financial situations of those other issuers of Massachusetts Obliga-
tions.
 
FACTORS PERTAINING TO NEW YORK
As described above, except to the extent the New York Fund invests in temporary
investments, the New York Fund will invest substantially all of its assets in
New York Municipal Obligations. The New York Fund is therefore susceptible to
political, economic or regulatory factors affecting New York State and govern-
mental bodies within New York State. Some of the more significant events and
conditions relating to the financial situation in New York are summarized be-
low. The following information provides only a brief summary of the complex
factors affecting the financial situation in New York, is derived from sources
that are generally available to investors and is believed to be accurate. It is
based
 
                                                                              25
<PAGE>
 
on information drawn from official statements and prospectuses issued by, and
other information reported by, the State of New York (the "State"), by its var-
ious public bodies (the "Agencies"), and by other entities located within the
State, including the City of New York (the "City"), in connection with the is-
suance of their respective securities.
 
There can be no assurance that current or future statewide or regional economic
difficulties, and the resulting impact on State or local government finances
generally, will not adversely affect the market value of New York Municipal Ob-
ligations held in the portfolio of the New York Fund or the ability of particu-
lar obligors to make timely payments of debt service on (or relating to) those
obligations.
 
(1) The State: The State has historically been one of the wealthiest states in
the nation. For decades, however, the State economy has grown more slowly than
that of the nation as a whole, gradually eroding the State's relative economic
affluence. Statewide, urban centers have experienced significant changes in-
volving migration of the more affluent to the suburbs and an influx of gener-
ally less affluent residents. Regionally, the older Northeast cities have suf-
fered because of the relative success that the South and the West have had in
attracting people and business. The City has also had to face greater competi-
tion as other major cities have developed financial and business capabilities
which make them less dependent on the specialized services traditionally avail-
able almost exclusively in the City. The State has for many years had a very
high state and local tax burden relative to other states. The burden of State
and local taxation, in combination with the many other causes of regional eco-
nomic dislocation, has contributed to the decisions of some businesses and in-
dividuals to relocate outside, or not locate within, the State.
 
Slowdown of Regional Economy. A national recession commenced in mid-1990. The
downturn continued throughout the State's 1990-91 fiscal year and was followed
by a period of weak economic growth during the 1991 and 1992 calendar years.
For calendar year 1993, the economy grew faster than in 1992, but still at a
very moderate rate as compared to other recoveries. Moderate economic growth
continued in calendar year 1994. The State has projected that the rate of eco-
nomic growth to slow within New York during 1995 as the expansion of the na-
tional economy moderates. Economic recovery started considerably later in the
State than in the nation as a whole due in part to a significant retrenchment
in the banking and financial services industries, downsizing by major corpora-
tions, cutbacks in defense spending, and an oversupply of office buildings.
Many uncertainties exist in forecasts of both the national and State economies
and there can be no assurance that the State's economy will perform at a level
sufficient to meet the State's projections of receipts and disbursements.
 
1995-96 Fiscal Year. The Governor issued a proposed Executive Budget for the
1995-96 fiscal year (the "Proposed Budget") on February 1, 1995, which pro-
jected a balanced general fund and receipts and disbursements of $32.5 billion
and $32.4 billion, respectively. As of April 17, 1995, the State legislature
had not yet enacted, nor had the Governor and the legislature reached an agree-
ment on, the budget for the 1995-96 fiscal year which commenced on April 1,
1995. The delay in the enactment of the budget may negatively affect certain
proposed actions and reduce projected savings.
 
 
26
<PAGE>
 
The Proposed Budget and the 1995-96 Financial Plan provide for the closing of a
projected $4.7 billion budget gap in the 1995-96 fiscal year by cost-contain-
ment savings in social welfare programs, savings from State agency
restructurings, freezing the level of some categories of local aid and new rev-
enue measures.
 
The State's proposed budget and the 1995-96 Plan may be impacted negatively by
uncertainties relating to the economy and tax collections, although recent
signs of improvement in the national economy could lead to short-term increases
in State receipts.
 
1994-95 Fiscal Year. The State Legislature enacted the State's 1994-95 fiscal
year budget on June 7, 1994, more than two months after the start of that fis-
cal year. As of February 1, 1995, the updated 1994-95 State Financial Plan (the
"Plan") projected total general fund receipts and disbursements of $33.3 bil-
lion and $33.5 billion, respectively, representing reductions in receipts and
disbursements of $1 billion and $743 billion, respectively, from the amount set
forth in the 1994-95 budget. The Plan projected for a General Fund balance of
approximately $157 million at the close of the 1994-95 fiscal year.
 
1993-94 Fiscal Year. The State ended the 1993-94 fiscal year with an operat-
ing surplus of approximately $1.0 billion.
 
Future Fiscal Years. There can be no assurance that the State will not face
substantial potential budget gaps in the future resulting from a significant
disparity between tax revenues projected from a lower recurring receipts base
and the spending required to maintain State programs at current levels. To ad-
dress any potential budgetary imbalance, the State may need to take significant
actions to align recurring receipts and disbursements.
 
Indebtedness. As of March 31, 1994, the total amount of long-term State general
obligation debt authorized but unissued stood at $2.0 billion. As of the same
date, the State had approximately $5.4 billion in general obligation bonds, in-
cluding $224 million in bond anticipation notes outstanding.
 
The State originally projected that its borrowings for capital purposes during
the State's 1994-95 fiscal year would consist of $374 million in general obli-
gation bonds and bond anticipation notes and $140 million in general obligation
commercial paper. The Legislature has authorized the issuance of up to $69 mil-
lion in certificates of participation in pools of leases for equipment and real
property to be utilized by State agencies. Through March 15, 1995, the State
had issued in excess of $590 million of its general obligation bonds (including
$430 million of refunding bonds). The projections of the State regarding its
borrowings for any fiscal year are subject to change if actual receipts fall
short of State projections or if other circumstances require.
 
In June 1990, legislation was enacted creating the New York Local Government
Assistance Corporation ("LGAC"), a public benefit corporation empowered to is-
sue long-term obligations to fund certain payments to local governments tradi-
tionally funded through the State's annual seasonal borrowing. As of March 31,
1994, LGAC has issued its bonds to provide net proceeds of $4.5 billion. The
LGAC was
 
                                                                              27
<PAGE>
 
authorized to provide net proceeds of $315 million, during the State's 1994-95
fiscal year. The LGAC issued $347 million of bonds on March 1, 1995 providing
the authorized net proceeds.
 
Financing of capital programs by other public authorities of the State is also
obtained from lease-purchase and contractual-obligation financing arrangements,
the debt service for which is paid from State appropriations. As of March 31,
1994, there were $16.6 billion of such other financing arrangements outstanding
and additional financings of this nature by public authorities are projected to
total $2.4 billion during the 1994-1995 fiscal year. In addition, certain agen-
cies had issued and outstanding approximately $7.3 billion of "moral obligation
financings" as of March 31, 1994, which are to be repaid from project revenues.
While there has never been a default on moral obligation debt of the State, the
State would be required to make up any shortfall in debt service.
 
Ratings. The $850 million in TRANs issued by the State in April 1993 were rated
SP-1 Plus by S&P and MIG-1 by Moody's, which represent the highest ratings
given by such agencies and the first time the State's TRANs have received these
ratings since its May 1989 TRANs issuance. Both agencies cited the State's im-
proved fiscal position as a significant factor in the upgrading of the April
1993 TRANs.
 
Moody's rating of the State's general obligation bonds stood at A on February
28, 1994, and S&P's rating stood at A- with a positive outlook, on February 28,
1994, an improvement from S&P's stable outlook from February 1994 through April
1993 and negative outlook prior to April 1993. Previously, Moody's lowered its
rating to A on June 6, 1990, its rating having been A1 since May 27, 1986. S&P
lowered its rating from A to A- on January 13, 1992. S&P's previous ratings
were A from March 1990 to January 1992, AA- from August 1987 to March 1990 and
A+ from November 1982 to August 1987.
 
Moody's maintained its A rating and S&P continued its A- rating in connection
with the State's issuance of $537 million of general obligation bonds in March
1995.
 
(2) The City and the Municipal Assistance Corporation ("MAC"): The City ac-
counts for approximately 40% of the State's population and personal income, and
the City's financial health affects the State in numerous ways.
 
In response to the City's fiscal crisis in 1975, the State took a number of
steps to assist the City in returning to fiscal stability. Among other actions,
the State Legislature (i) created MAC to assist with long-term financing for
the City's short-term debt and other cash requirements and (ii) created the
State Financial Control Board (the "Control Board") to review and approve the
City's budgets and four-year financial plans (the financial plans also apply to
certain City-related public agencies).
 
In recent years, the rate of economic growth in the City slowed substantially
as the City's economy entered a recession. While by some measures the City's
economy may have begun to recover, a number of factors, including poor perfor-
mance by the City's financial services companies, may prevent a significant im-
provement in the City's economy and may in fact negatively impact upon the
City's finances by reducing tax receipts. The City Comptroller has issued re-
ports concluding that the recession of the
 
28
<PAGE>
 
City's economy may be ending, but there is little prospect of any significant
improvement in the near term.
 
Fiscal Year 1996 and the 1995-1998 Financial Plan. On February 14, 1995, the
Mayor released his preliminary $30.5 billion budget for fiscal year 1996, which
included $2.7 billion of deficit reduction measures. The Mayor is seeking a
$1.2 billion reduction in mandated welfare and Medicaid expenditures from the
State, a $569 million reduction in expenditures by city agencies and the Board
of Education budget, $600 million in personnel related savings partly through
the elimination of 15,000 jobs within 18 months, and other measures.
 
The 1995-1998 Financial Plan (the "Plan"), which was submitted to the Control
Board on February 23, 1995, projected budget gaps of $3.2 billion and $3.8 bil-
lion for fiscal years 1997 and 1998, respectively. The City Comptroller warned
on March 7, 1995 that the budget gap for fiscal year 1996 could increase by
$500 million to as much as $3.2 billion. The Control Board reported on March
17, 1995 that the proposed budget for fiscal year 1996 relies heavily on risky
assumptions such as $600 million in savings to be negotiated with City unions
and $1.4 billion in savings dependent on State legislative approval.
 
The City successfully negotiated concessions with a number of unions in order
to ensure that the fiscal year 1995 budget remained in balance. The Mayor has
indicated that to avoid additional lay-offs, higher than the number referred to
above, reductions will be necessary in the benefit plans of City employees to
close the budget gaps for fiscal years 1996 and thereafter. Union leadership
has publicly opposed such "givebacks". With respect to fiscal year 1995 the
City was also successful in obtaining additional funds and relief from certain
mandated expenditures from the State for various programs, including Medicaid.
However, the amount of gap closing measures requiring State action set forth in
the Plan is well in excess of proposed assistance to the City outlined in the
Governor's Proposed Budget.
 
The Mayor has directed City agencies to identify an additional $300 million in
cuts for fiscal year 1996 because of anticipated shortfalls in State aid and
budgetary actions. An extended delay by the State in adopting its 1995-96 fis-
cal year budget would negatively impact upon the City's financial condition and
ability to close budget gaps for fiscal years 1996 and thereafter.
 
The Mayor is required to submit an executive budget for fiscal year 1996 to the
City Council by April 26, 1995. Due to continuing uncertainties related to the
amount of State aid, the Mayor has indicated that he may delay submission of
such executive budget.
 
Given the foregoing, there can be no assurance that the City will continue to
maintain a balanced budget during fiscal year 1996 or thereafter, or that it
can maintain a balanced budget without additional tax or other revenue in-
creases or reductions in City services, which could adversely affect the City's
economic base.
 
                                                                              29
<PAGE>
 
Pursuant to State law, the City prepares a four-year annual financial plan,
which is reviewed and revised on a quarterly basis and which includes the
City's capital, revenue and expense projections. The City is required to submit
its financial plans to review bodies, including the Control Board. If the City
were to experience certain adverse financial circumstances, including the oc-
currence or the substantial likelihood and the imminence of the occurrence of
an annual operating deficit of more than $100 million or the loss of access to
the public credit markets to satisfy the City's capital and seasonal financial
requirements, the Control Board would be required by State law to exercise cer-
tain powers, including prior approval of City financial plans, proposed
borrowings and certain contracts.
 
The City depends on the State for State aid both to enable the City to balance
its budget and to meet its cash requirements. If the State experiences revenue
shortfalls or spending increases beyond its projections during its 1995-96 fis-
cal year or subsequent years, such developments could result in reductions in
projected State aid to the City. In addition, there can be no assurance that
State budgets for the 1996-97 or future fiscal years will be adopted by the
April 1 statutory deadline and that there will not be adverse effects on the
City's cashflow and additional City expenditures as a result of such delays.
 
The City projections set forth in the Plan are based on various assumptions and
contingencies which are uncertain and which may not materialize. Changes in ma-
jor assumptions could significantly affect the City's ability to balance its
budget as required by State law and to meet its annual cash flow and financing
requirements. Such assumptions and contingencies include the timing of any re-
gional and local economic recovery, the absence of wage increases in excess of
the increases assumed in its financial plan, employment growth, provision of
State and Federal aid and mandate relief, State legislative approval of future
State budgets, levels of education expenditures as may be required by State
law, adoption of future City budgets by the New York City Council, and approval
by the Governor or the State Legislature and the cooperation of MAC with re-
spect to various other actions proposed in the Plan.
 
The City's ability to maintain a balanced operating budget is dependent on
whether it can implement necessary service and personnel reduction programs
successfully. As discussed above, the City must identify additional expenditure
reductions and revenue sources to achieve balanced operating budgets for fiscal
year 1996 and thereafter. Any such proposed expenditure reductions will be dif-
ficult to implement because of their size and the substantial expenditure re-
ductions already imposed on City operations in recent years.
 
Attaining a balanced budget is also dependent upon the City's ability to market
its securities successfully in the public credit markets. The City's financing
program for fiscal years 1995 through 1998 contemplates capital spending of
$16.4 billion, which will be financed through issuance of $10.7 billion of gen-
eral obligation bonds and the balance through Water Authority Revenue Bonds and
Covered Organization obligations, and will be used primarily to reconstruct and
rehabilitate the City's infrastructure and physical assets and to make capital
investments. A significant portion of such bond financing is used to reimburse
the City's general fund for capital expenditures already incurred. In addition,
the City issues revenue and tax anticipation notes to finance its seasonal
working capital requirements. The terms and success of projected public sales
of City general obligation bonds and
 
30
<PAGE>
 
notes will be subject to prevailing market conditions at the time of the sale,
and no assurance can be given that the credit markets will absorb the pro-
jected amounts of public bond and note sales. In addition, future developments
concerning the City and public discussion of such developments, the City's fu-
ture financial needs and other issues may affect the market for outstanding
City general obligation bonds and notes. If the City were unable to sell its
general obligation bonds and notes, it would be prevented from meeting its
planned operating and capital expenditures.
 
The City is a defendant in a significant number of lawsuits and is subject to
numerous claims and investigations, including, but not limited to, actions
commenced and claims asserted against the City arising out of alleged consti-
tutional violations, torts, breaches of contracts, and other violations of law
and condemnation proceedings. While the ultimate outcome and fiscal impact, if
any, on the proceedings and claims are not currently predictable, adverse de-
terminations in certain of them might have a material adverse effect upon the
City's ability to carry out its financial plan. As of June 30, 1994, the City
estimated its potential future liability on outstanding claims to be $2.6
billion.
 
On January 30, 1995, Robert L. Schulz and other defendants commenced a federal
district court action seeking among other matters to cancel the issuance on
January 31, 1995 of $659 million of City bonds. While the federal courts have
rejected requests for temporary restraining orders and expedited appeals, the
case is still pending. The City has indicated that it believes the action to
be without merit as it relates to the City, but there can be no assurance as
to the outcome of the litigation and an adverse ruling or the granting of a
permanent injunction would have a negative impact on the City's financial con-
dition and its ability to fund its operations.
 
Fiscal Year 1995. New York City adopted its fiscal year 1995 budget on June
21, 1994, which provided for spending of $31.6 billion and closed a budget gap
of $2.3 billion. However, following adoption of the fiscal year 1995 budget,
additional unexpected budget gaps totaling approximately $2.0 billion were
identified. The widening of the budget gap for fiscal year 1995 resulted from
shortfalls in tax revenues and State and federal aid. The Mayor and the City
Council were unable to reach agreement on additional cuts proposed by the
Mayor in October 1994. The City Council passed its own budget cut proposal in
November 1994. The Mayor vetoed the City Council version, the City Council
overrode his veto and the Mayor implemented his original plan. A state court
held in December 1994 that neither budget cut proposal could be implemented.
The Mayor then elected not to spend certain funds in order to keep the budget
in balance.
 
Fiscal Years 1990 through 1994. The City achieved balanced operating results
in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for its fiscal
years 1990 through 1994. The City was required to close substantial budget
gaps in these fiscal years in order to maintain balanced operating results.
 
Ratings. As of the date of this prospectus, Moody's rating of the City's gen-
eral obligation bonds stood at Baa1 and S&P's rating stood at A-. On February
11, 1991, Moody's had lowered its rating from A.
 
                                                                             31
<PAGE>
 
On March 13, 1995, Moody's confirmed its Baa1 rating in connection with a
scheduled March 1995 sale of $795 million of the City's general obligation
bonds.
 
S&P confirmed its rating of the City's general obligation bonds in connection
with the City's $795 million general obligation bond issue in March 1995. In
January 1995, in response to the City's plan to borrow $120 million to refund
debt due in February without imposing additional cuts in the fiscal 1995 bud-
get, S&P placed the City on negative credit watch and indicated that in April
1995 it would consider a possible downgrade of the City's general obligation
debt from A- to BBB. At the end of March 1995, concerned by published reports
that the Mayor might not produce his executive budget for fiscal year 1996, S&P
suggested that the Mayor should prepare "a budget-balancing contingency plan"
or face the possibility of downgrade of the City's general obligation bonds. As
of April 17, 1995, S&P had not announced any change in its ratings of the
City's debt. Any such rating decrease would negatively affect the marketability
of the City's bonds and significantly increase the City's financing costs.
 
On October 12, 1993, Moody's increased its rating of the City's issuance of
$650 million of Tax Anticipation Notes ("TANs") to MIG-1 from MIG-2. Prior to
that date, on May 9, 1990, Moody's revised downward its rating on outstanding
City revenue anticipation notes from MIG-1 to MIG-2
and rated the $900 million notes then being sold MIG-2. S&P's rating of the Oc-
tober 1993 TANs issue increased to SP-1 from SP-2. Prior to that date, on April
29, 1991, S&P revised downward its rating on City revenue anticipation notes
from SP-1 to SP-2.
 
As of December 31, 1994, the City and MAC had, respectively, $22.5 billion and
$4.1 billion of outstanding net long-term indebtedness.
 
(3) The State Agencies: Certain Agencies of the State have faced substantial
financial difficulties which could adversely affect the ability of such Agen-
cies to make payments of interest on, and principal amounts of, their respec-
tive bonds. The difficulties have in certain instances caused the State (under
so-called "moral obligation" provisions, which are non-binding statutory provi-
sions for State appropriations to maintain various debt service reserve funds)
to appropriate funds on behalf of the Agencies. Moreover, it is expected that
the problems faced by these Agencies will continue and will require increasing
amounts of State assistance in future years. Failure of the State to appropri-
ate necessary amounts or to take other action to permit those Agencies having
financial difficulties to meet their obligations could result in a default by
one or more of the Agencies. Such default, if it were to occur, would be likely
to have a significant adverse affect on investor confidence in, and therefore
the market price of, obligations of the defaulting Agencies. In addition, any
default in payment on any general obligation of any Agency whose bonds contain
a moral obligation provision could constitute a failure of certain conditions
that must be satisfied in connection with Federal guarantees of City and MAC
obligations and could thus jeopardize the City's long-term financing plans.
 
As of September 30, 1993, the State reported that eighteen Agencies each had
outstanding debt of $100 million or more and an aggregate of $63.5 billion of
outstanding debt, some of which was state-supported, state-related debt.
 
32
<PAGE>
 
(4) State Litigation: The State is a defendant in numerous legal proceedings
pertaining to matters incidental to the performance of routine governmental
operations. Such litigation includes, but is not limited to, claims asserted
against the State arising from alleged torts, alleged breaches of contracts,
condemnation proceedings and other alleged violations of State and Federal
laws. Included in the State's outstanding litigation are a number of cases
challenging the constitutionality or the adequacy and effectiveness of a vari-
ety of significant social welfare programs primarily involving the State's
mental hygiene programs. Adverse judgments in these matters generally could
result in injunctive relief coupled with prospective changes in patient care
which could require substantial increased financing of the litigated programs
in the future.
 
The State is also engaged in a variety of claims wherein significant monetary
damages are sought. Actions commenced by several Indian nations claim that
significant amounts of land were unconstitutionally taken from the Indians in
violation of various treaties and agreements during the eighteenth and nine-
teenth centuries. The claimants seek recovery of approximately six million
acres of land, as well as compensatory and punitive damages.
 
The State has entered into a settlement agreement with Delaware, Massachusetts
and all other parties with respect to State of Delaware v. State of New York,
an action by Delaware and other states to recover
unclaimed property from New York-based brokers, which had escheated to the
State pursuant to its Abandoned Property Law. Annual payments under this set-
tlement will be made through the State's 2002-03 fiscal year in amounts not
exceeding $48.4 million in any fiscal year subsequent to the State's 1994-95
fiscal year.
 
In Schulz v. State of New York, commenced May 24, 1993 ("Schulz"), petitioners
challenged the constitutionality of mass transportation bonding programs of
the New York State Thruway Authority and the Metropolitan Transportation Au-
thority. On May 24, 1993, the Supreme Court, Albany County, temporarily en-
joined the State from implementing those bonding programs.
 
Petitioners in Schulz asserted that issuance of bonds by the two Authorities
is subject to approval by statewide referendum. By decision dated October 21,
1993, the Appellate Division, Third Department, affirmed the order of the Su-
preme Court, Albany County, granting the State's motion for summary judgment,
dismissing the complaint and vacating the temporary restraining order. On June
30, 1994, the Court of Appeals, the State's highest court, upheld the deci-
sions of the Supreme Court and Appellate Division in Schulz. Plaintiffs' mo-
tion for reargument was denied by the Court of Appeals on September 1, 1994
and their writ of certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court was denied on January
23, 1995.
 
Adverse developments in the foregoing proceedings or new proceedings could ad-
versely affect the financial condition of the State in the future.
 
(5) Other Municipalities: Certain localities in addition to New York City
could have financial problems leading to requests for additional State assis-
tance. The potential impact on the State of such actions by localities is not
included in projections of State receipts and expenditures in the State's
1994-95 fiscal year.
 
                                                                             33
<PAGE>
 
Fiscal difficulties experienced by the City of Yonkers ("Yonkers") resulted in
the creation of the Financial Control Board for the City of Yonkers (the "Yon-
kers Board") by the State in 1984. The Yonkers Board is charged with oversight
of the fiscal affairs of Yonkers. Future actions taken by the Governor or the
State Legislature to assist Yonkers could result in allocation of State re-
sources in amounts that cannot yet be determined.
 
Municipalities and school districts have engaged in substantial short-term and
long-term borrowings. In 1992, the total indebtedness of all localities in the
State was approximately $35.2 billion, of which $19.5 billion was debt of New
York City (excluding $5.9 billion in MAC debt). State law requires the Comp-
troller to review and make recommendations concerning the budgets of those lo-
cal government units other than New York City authorized by State law to issue
debt to finance deficits during the period that such deficit financing is out-
standing. Seventeen localities had outstanding indebtedness for State financing
at the close of their fiscal year ending in 1992.
 
Certain proposed Federal expenditure reductions could reduce, or in some cases
eliminate, Federal funding of some local programs and accordingly might impose
substantial increased expenditure requirements on affected localities to in-
crease local revenues to sustain those expenditures. If the State, New
York City or any of the Agencies were to suffer serious financial difficulties
jeopardizing their respective access to the public credit markets, the market-
ability of notes and bonds issued by localities within the State, including
notes or bonds in the Fund, could be adversely affected. Localities also face
anticipated and potential problems resulting from certain pending litigation,
judicial decisions, and long-range economic trends. The longer-range potential
problems of declining urban population, increasing expenditures, and other eco-
nomic trends could adversely affect certain localities and require increasing
State assistance in the future.
 
(6) Other Issuers of New York Municipal Obligations. There are a number of
other state agencies, instrumentalities and political subdivisions of the State
that issue Municipal Obligations, some of which may be conduit revenue obliga-
tions payable from payments from private borrowers. These entities are subject
to various economic risks and uncertainties, and the credit quality of the se-
curities issued by them may vary considerably from the credit quality of obli-
gations backed by the full faith and credit of the State.
 
CONSIDERATIONS RELATING TO FINANCIAL FUTURES AND OPTION CONTRACTS
As described in the Prospectus, each of the Funds may purchase and sell finan-
cial futures contracts, options on financial futures or related options for the
purpose of hedging its portfolio securities against declines in the value of
such securities, and to hedge against increases in the cost of securities the
Fund intends to purchase. To accomplish such hedging, a Fund may take an in-
vestment position in a futures contract or in an option which is expected to
move in the opposite direction from the position being hedged. Futures or op-
tions utilized for hedging purposes would either be based on an index of long-
term Municipal Obligations (i.e., those with remaining maturities averaging 20-
30 years) or relate to debt securities whose prices are anticipated by Nuveen
Advisory to correlate with the prices of the Municipal Obligations owned by a
Fund. The sale of financial futures or the purchase of put options on financial
futures or on debt securities or indexes is a means of hedging against the risk
that the
 
34
<PAGE>
 
value of securities owned by a Fund may decline on account of an increase in
interest rates, and the purchase of financial futures or of call options on fi-
nancial futures or on debt securities or indexes is a means of hedging against
increases in the cost of the securities a Fund intends to purchase as a result
of a decline in interest rates. Writing a call option on a futures contract or
on debt securities or indexes may serve as a hedge against a modest decline in
prices of Municipal Obligations held in a Fund's portfolio, and writing a put
option on a futures contract or on debt securities or indexes may serve as a
partial hedge against an increase in the value of Municipal Obligations a Fund
intends to acquire. The writing of such options provides a hedge to the extent
of the premium received in the writing transaction. Regulations of the Commod-
ity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") applicable to the Funds require that
transactions in futures and options on futures be engaged in only for bona-fide
hedging purposes, and that no such transactions may be entered into by a Fund
if the aggregate initial margin deposits and premiums paid by that Fund exceeds
5% of the market value of the Fund's assets. A Fund will not purchase futures
unless it has segregated cash, government securities or high grade liquid debt
equal to the contract price of the futures less any margin on deposit, or un-
less the long futures position is covered by the sale of a put option. A Fund
will not sell futures unless the Fund owns the instruments underlying the
futures or owns options on such instruments or owns a portfolio whose market
price may be expected to move in tandem with the market price of the
instruments or index underlying the futures. In addition, each Fund is subject
to the tax requirement that less than 30% of its gross income may be derived
from the sale or disposition of securities held for less than three months.
With respect to its engaging in transactions involving the purchase or writing
of put and call options on debt securities or indexes, a Fund will not purchase
such options if more than 5% of its assets would be invested in the premiums
for such options, and it will only write "covered" or "secured" options,
wherein the securities or cash required to be delivered upon exercise are held
by a Fund, with such cash being maintained in a segregated account. These re-
quirements and limitations may limit a Fund's ability to engage in hedging
transactions.
 
Description of Financial Futures and Options. A futures contract is a contract
between a seller and a buyer for the sale and purchase of specified property at
a specified future date for a specified price. An option is a contract that
gives the holder of the option the right, but not the obligation, to buy (in
the case of a call option) specified property from, or to sell (in the case of
a put option) specified property to, the writer of the option for a specified
price during a specified period prior to the option's expiration. Financial
futures contracts and options cover specified debt securities (such as U.S.
Treasury securities) or indexes designed to correlate with price movements in
certain categories of debt securities. At least one exchange trades futures
contracts on an index designed to correlate with the long-term municipal bond
market. Financial futures contracts and options on financial futures contracts
are traded on exchanges regulated by the CFTC. Options on certain financial in-
struments and financial indexes are traded in securities markets regulated by
the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although futures contracts and options
on specified financial instruments call for settlement by delivery of the fi-
nancial instruments covered by the contracts, in most cases positions in these
contracts are closed out in cash by entering into offsetting, liquidating or
closing transactions. Index futures and options are designed for cash settle-
ment only.
 
Risks of Futures and Options Transactions. There are risks associated with the
use of futures contracts and options for hedging purposes. Investment in
futures contracts and options involves the risk of
 
                                                                              35
<PAGE>
 
imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the futures contract
and options and the price of the security being hedged. The hedge will not be
fully effective where there is imperfect correlation between the movements in
the two financial instruments. For example, if the price of the futures con-
tract moves more than the price of the hedged security, a Fund will experience
either a loss or gain on the future which is not completely offset by move-
ments in the price of the hedged securities. Further, even where perfect cor-
relation between the price movements does occur, a Fund will sustain a loss at
least equal to the commissions on the financial futures transaction. To com-
pensate for imperfect corrections, the Funds may purchase or sell futures con-
tracts in a greater dollar amount than the hedged securities if the volatility
of the hedged securities is historically greater than the volatility of the
futures contracts. Conversely, the Funds may purchase or sell fewer futures
contracts if the volatility of the price of the hedged securities is histori-
cally less than that of the futures contracts.
 
Because of low initial margin deposits made upon the opening of a futures po-
sition, futures transactions involve substantial leverage. As a result, rela-
tively small movements in the price of the futures contract can result in sub-
stantial unrealized gains or losses. Because the Funds will engage in the pur-
chase and sale of financial futures contracts solely for hedging purposes,
however, any losses incurred in connection therewith should, if the hedging
strategy is successful, be offset in whole or in
part by increases in the value of securities held by the Funds or decreases in
the price of securities the Funds intend to acquire.
 
The Funds expect to liquidate a majority of the financial futures contracts
they enter into through offsetting transactions on the applicable contract
market. There can be no assurance, however, that a liquid secondary market
will exist for any particular futures contract at any specific time. Thus, it
may not be possible to close a futures position. In the event of adverse price
movements, the Funds would continue to be required to make daily cash payments
of variation margin. In such situations, if a Fund has sufficient cash, it may
be required to sell portfolio securities to meet daily variation margin re-
quirements at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. The inability to
close out futures positions also could have an adverse impact on a Fund's
ability to hedge its portfolio effectively and may expose the Fund to risk of
loss. The Funds will enter into a futures position only if, in the judgment of
Nuveen Advisory, there appears to be an actively traded secondary market for
such futures contracts.
 
The liquidity of a secondary market in a futures contract may be adversely af-
fected by "daily price fluctuation limits" established by commodity exchanges
which limit the amount of fluctuation in a futures contract price during a
single trading day. Once the daily limit has been reached in the contract, no
trades may be entered into at a price beyond the limit, thus preventing the
liquidation of open futures positions. Prices have in the past moved the daily
limit on a number of consecutive trading days.
 
The successful use of transactions in futures also depends on the ability of
Nuveen Advisory to forecast the direction and extent of interest rate move-
ments within a given time frame. To the extent these prices remain stable dur-
ing the period in which a futures contract is held by a Fund or moves in a di-
rection opposite to that anticipated, the Fund may realize a loss on the hedg-
ing transaction which is not fully or partially offset by an increase in the
value of portfolio securities. As a result, the Fund's total return for such
period may be less than if it had not engaged in the hedging transaction.
 
36
<PAGE>
 
The ability of each of the Funds to engage in transactions in futures contracts
may be limited by the tax requirement that it have less than 30% of its gross
income derived from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities held
for less than three months. Gain from transactions in futures contracts will be
taxable to a Fund's shareholders partially as short-term and partially as long-
term capital gain.
 
TEMPORARY INVESTMENTS
The Prospectus discusses briefly the ability of each Fund to invest a portion
of its assets in federally tax-exempt or taxable "temporary investments." Tem-
porary investments will not exceed 20% of any Fund's assets except when made
for defensive purposes. The Funds will invest only in taxable temporary invest-
ments that are either U.S. Government securities or are rated within the high-
est grade by Moody's or S&P, and mature within one year from the date of pur-
chase or carry a variable or floating rate of interest.
 
The Funds may invest in the following federally tax-exempt temporary invest-
ments:
 
Bond Anticipation Notes (BANs) are usually general obligations of state and lo-
cal governmental issuers which are sold to obtain interim financing for pro-
jects that will eventually be funded through the sale of long-term debt obliga-
tions or bonds. The ability of an issuer to meet its obligations on its BANs is
primarily dependent on the issuer's access to the long-term municipal bond mar-
ket and the likelihood that the proceeds of such bond sales will be used to pay
the principal and interest on the BANs.
 
Tax Anticipation Notes (TANs) are issued by state and local governments to fi-
nance the current operations of such governments. Repayment is generally to be
derived from specific future tax revenues. Tax anticipation notes are usually
general obligations of the issuer. A weakness in an issuer's capacity to raise
taxes due to, among other things, a decline in its tax base or a rise in delin-
quencies, could adversely affect the issuer's ability to meet its obligations
on outstanding TANs.
 
Revenue Anticipation Notes (RANs) are issued by governments or governmental
bodies with the expectation that future revenues from a designated source will
be used to repay the notes. In general, they also constitute general obliga-
tions of the issuer. A decline in the receipt of projected revenues, such as
anticipated revenues from another level of government, could adversely affect
an issuer's ability to meet its obligations on outstanding RANs. In addition,
the possibility that the revenues would, when received, be used to meet other
obligations could affect the ability of the issuer to pay the principal and in-
terest on RANs.
 
Construction Loan Notes are issued to provide construction financing for spe-
cific projects. Frequently, these notes are redeemed with funds obtained from
the Federal Housing Administration.
 
Bank Notes are notes issued by local government bodies and agencies as those
described above to commercial banks as evidence of borrowings. The purposes for
which the notes are issued are varied but they are frequently issued to meet
short-term working capital or capital-project needs. These notes may have risks
similar to the risks associated with TANs and RANs.
 
                                                                              37
<PAGE>
 
Tax-Exempt Commercial Paper (Municipal Paper) represents very short-term
unsecured, negotiable promissory notes, issued by states, municipalities and
their agencies. Payment of principal and interest on issues of municipal paper
may be made from various sources, to the extent the funds are available there-
from. Maturities of municipal paper generally will be shorter than the maturi-
ties of TANs, BANs or RANs. There is a limited secondary market for issues of
municipal paper.
 
While these various types of notes as a group represent the major portion of
the tax-exempt note market, other types of notes are occasionally available in
the marketplace and each Fund may invest in such other types of notes to the
extent permitted under its investment objective, policies and limitations. Such
notes may be issued for different purposes and may be secured differently from
those mentioned above.
 
The Funds may also invest in the following taxable temporary investments:
 
U.S. Government Direct Obligations are issued by the United States Treasury and
include bills, notes and bonds.
 
- --Treasury bills are issued with maturities of up to one year. They are issued
 in bearer form, are sold on a discount basis and are payable at par value at
 maturity.
 
- --Treasury notes are longer-term interest bearing obligations with original ma-
 turities of one to seven years.
 
- --Treasury bonds are longer-term interest-bearing obligations with original ma-
 turities from five to thirty years.
 
U.S. Government Agencies Securities--Certain federal agencies have been estab-
lished as instrumentalities of the United States Government to supervise and
finance certain types of activities. These agencies include, but are not lim-
ited to, the Bank for Cooperatives, Federal Land Banks, Federal Intermediate
Credit Banks, Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal National Mortgage Association,
Government National Mortgage Association, Export-Import Bank of the United
States, and Tennessee Valley Authority. Issues of these agencies, while not di-
rect obligations of the United States Government, are either backed by the full
faith and credit of the United States or are guaranteed by the Treasury or sup-
ported by the issuing agencies' right to borrow from the Treasury. There can be
no assurance that the United States Government itself will pay interest and
principal on securities as to which it is not legally so obligated.
 
Certificates of Deposit (CDs)--A certificate of deposit is a negotiable inter-
est bearing instrument with a specific maturity. CDs are issued by banks in ex-
change for the deposit of funds and normally can be traded in the secondary
market, prior to maturity. The Funds will only invest in U.S. dollar denomi-
nated CDs issued by U.S. banks with assets of $1 billion or more.
 
Commercial Paper--Commercial paper is the term used to designate unsecured
short-term promissory notes issued by corporations. Maturities on these issues
vary from a few days to nine months. Commercial paper may be purchased from
U.S. corporations.
 
38
<PAGE>
 
Other Corporate Obligations--The Funds may purchase notes, bonds and debentures
issued by corporations if at the time of purchase there is less than one year
remaining until maturity or if they carry a variable or floating rate of inter-
est.
 
Repurchase Agreements--A repurchase agreement is a contractual agreement
whereby the seller of securities (U.S. Government or Municipal Obligations)
agrees to repurchase the same security at a specified price on a future date
agreed upon by the parties. The agreed upon repurchase price determines the
yield during a Fund's holding period. Repurchase agreements are considered to
be loans collateralized by the underlying security that is the subject of the
repurchase contract. The Funds will only enter into repurchase agreements with
dealers, domestic banks or recognized financial institutions that in the opin-
ion of Nuveen Advisory present minimal credit risk. The risk to the Funds is
limited to the ability of the issuer to pay the agreed-upon repurchase price on
the delivery date; however, although the value of the underlying collateral at
the time the transaction is entered into always equals or exceeds the agreed-
upon repurchase price, if the value of the collateral declines there is a risk
of loss of both principal and interest. In the event of default, the collateral
may be sold but the Funds might incur a loss if the value of the collateral
declines, and might incur disposition costs or experience delays in connection
with liquidating the collateral. In addition, if bankruptcy proceedings are
commenced with respect to the seller of the security, realization upon the
collateral by the Funds may be delayed or limited. Nuveen Advisory will monitor
the value of collateral at the time the transaction is entered into and at all
times subsequent during the term of the repurchase agreement in an effort to
determine that the value always equals or exceeds the agreed upon price. In the
event the value of the collateral declined below the repurchase price, Nuveen
Advisory will demand additional collateral from the issuer to increase the
value of the collateral to at least that of the repurchase price. A Fund will
not invest more than 10% of its assets in repurchase agreements maturing in
more than seven days.
 
RATINGS OF INVESTMENTS
The four highest ratings of Moody's for Municipal Obligations are Aaa, Aa, A
and Baa. Municipal Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the "best quali-
ty." The rating of Aa is assigned to Municipal Obligations which are of "high
quality by all standards," but as to which margins of protection or other ele-
ments make long-term risks appear somewhat larger than in Aaa rated Municipal
Obligations. The Aaa and Aa rated Municipal Obligations comprise what are gen-
erally known as "high grade bonds." Municipal Obligations that are rated A by
Moody's possess many favorable investment attributes and are considered upper
medium grade obligations. Factors giving security to principal and interest of
A rated Municipal Obligations are considered adequate, but elements may be
present, which suggest a susceptibility to impairment sometime in the future.
Municipal Obligations rated Baa by Moody's are considered medium grade obliga-
tions (i.e., they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured). Such bonds
lack outstanding investment characteristics and in fact have speculative char-
acteristics as well. Moody's bond rating symbols may contain numerical modifi-
ers of a generic rating classification. The modifier 1 indicates that the bond
ranks at the high end of its category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range
ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates that the issue ranks in the lower end of
its general rating category.
 
                                                                              39
<PAGE>
 
The four highest ratings of S&P for Municipal Obligations are AAA, AA, A and
BBB. Municipal Obligations rated AAA have a strong capacity to pay principal
and interest. The rating of AA indicates that capacity to pay principal and in-
terest is very strong and such bonds differ from AAA issues only in small de-
gree. The category of A describes bonds which have a strong capacity to pay
principal and interest, although such bonds are somewhat more susceptible to
the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions. The
BBB rating is the lowest "investment grade" security rating by S&P. Municipal
Obligations rated BBB are regarded as having an adequate capacity to pay prin-
cipal and interest. Whereas such bonds normally exhibit adequate protection pa-
rameters, adverse economic conditions are more likely to lead to a weakened ca-
pacity to pay principal and interest for bonds in this category than for bonds
in the A category.
 
The "Other Corporate Obligations" category of temporary investments are corpo-
rate (as opposed to municipal) debt obligations rated AAA by S&P or Aaa by
Moody's. Corporate debt obligations rated AAA by S&P have an extremely strong
capacity to pay principal and interest. The Moody's corporate debt rating of Aaa
is comparable to that set forth above for Municipal Obligations.
 
Subsequent to its purchase by a Fund, an issue may cease to be rated or its
rating may be reduced below the minimum required for purchase by such Fund.
Neither event requires the elimination of such obligation from the Fund's port-
folio, but Nuveen Advisory will consider such an event in its determination of
whether the Fund should continue to hold such obligation.
 
                                   MANAGEMENT
 
The management of Nuveen Insured Tax-Free Bond Fund, Inc., including general
supervision of the duties performed for the Funds under the Investment Manage-
ment Agreement, is the responsibility of its Board of Directors. The number of
directors of Nuveen Insured Tax-Free Bond Fund, Inc. is fixed at seven. Due to
the recent death of one of the directors, John E. O'Toole, there is a vacancy
on the board, so that currently there are six directors, two of whom are "in-
terested persons" (as the term "interested persons" is defined in the Invest-
ment Company Act of 1940) and four of whom are "disinterested persons." The
names and business addresses of the directors and officers of Nuveen Insured
Tax-Free Bond Fund, Inc. and their principal occupations and other affiliations
during the past five years are set forth below, with those directors who are
"interested persons" indicated by an asterisk.
 
<TABLE>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<CAPTION>
                          POSITIONS AND
                          OFFICES WITH     PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS
 NAME AND ADDRESS     AGE FUNDS            DURING PAST FIVE YEARS
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 <C>                  <C> <C>              <S>
 Richard J. Franke*   63  Chairman of the  Chairman of the Board, Director and
 333 West Wacker          Board and Di-    formerly President of John Nuveen &
 Drive                    rector           Co. Incorporated; Chairman of the
 Chicago, IL 60606                         Board and Director, formerly Presi-
                                           dent, of Nuveen Advisory Corp.;
                                           Chairman of the Board and Director
                                           of Nuveen Institutional Advisory
                                           Corp. (since April 1990); Certified
                                           Financial Planner.
</TABLE>
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
40
<PAGE>
 
<TABLE>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<CAPTION>
                          POSITIONS AND
                          OFFICES WITH     PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS
 NAME AND ADDRESS     AGE FUNDS            DURING PAST FIVE YEARS
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 <C>                  <C> <C>              <S>
 Timothy R.           46  President and    Executive Vice President and Direc-
 Schwertfeger*            Director         tor of The John Nuveen Company
 333 West Wacker                           (since March 1992) and John Nuveen &
 Drive                                     Co. Incorporated; Director of Nuveen
 Chicago, IL 60606                         Advisory Corp. (since 1992) and
                                           Nuveen Institutional Advisory Corp.
                                           (since 1992).
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Lawrence H. Brown    60  Director         Retired (August 1989) as Senior Vice
 201 Michigan Avenue                       President of The Northern Trust Com-
 Highwood, IL 60040                        pany.
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Anne E. Impellizzeri 62  Director         President and Chief Executive Offi-
 3 West 29th Street                        cer of Blanton-Peale, Institutes of
 New York, NY 10001                        Religion and Health (since December
                                           1990); prior thereto, Vice President
                                           of New York City Partnership (from
                                           1987 to 1990).
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Margaret K. Rosen-   68  Director         Helen Ross Professor of Social Wel-
 heim                                      fare Policy, School of Social Ser-
 969 East 60th Street                      vice Administration, University of
 Chicago, IL 60637                         Chicago.
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Peter R. Sawers      62  Director         Adjunct Professor of Business and
 22 The Landmark                           Economics, University of Dubuque,
 Northfield, IL 60093                      Iowa (since January 1991); Adjunct
                                           Professor, Lake Forest Graduate
                                           School of Management, Lake Forest,
                                           Illinois (since January 1992); prior
                                           thereto, Executive Director, Towers
                                           Perrin Australia (management consul-
                                           tant); Chartered Financial Analyst;
                                           Certified Management Consultant.
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Kathleen M. Flanagan 48  Vice President   Vice President of John Nuveen & Co.
 333 West Wacker                           Incorporated
 Drive
 Chicago, IL 60606
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 J. Thomas Futrell    39  Vice President   Vice President of Nuveen Advisory
 333 West Wacker                           Corp. (since February 1991); prior
 Drive                                     thereto, Assistant Vice President of
 Chicago, IL 60606                         Nuveen Advisory Corp. (from August
                                           1988 to February 1991); Chartered
                                           Financial Analyst.
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Steven J. Krupa      37  Vice President   Vice President of Nuveen Advisory
 333 West Wacker                           Corp. (since October 1990); prior
 Drive                                     thereto, Vice President of John
 Chicago, IL 60606                         Nuveen & Co. Incorporated (from Jan-
                                           uary 1989 to October 1990).
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Anna R. Kucinskis    44  Vice President   Vice President of John Nuveen & Co.
 333 West Wacker                           Incorporated.
 Drive
 Chicago, IL 60606
</TABLE>
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                                                                              41
<PAGE>
 
<TABLE>
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<CAPTION>
                          POSITIONS AND
                          OFFICES WITH     PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS
 NAME AND ADDRESS     AGE FUNDS            DURING PAST FIVE YEARS
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 <C>                  <C> <C>              <S>
 Larry W. Martin       43 Vice President   Vice President (since September
 333 West Wacker          and Assistant    1992), Assistant Secretary and As-
 Drive                    Secretary        sistant General Counsel of John
 Chicago, IL 60606                         Nuveen & Co. Incorporated; Vice
                                           President (since May 1993) and As-
                                           sistant Secretary of Nuveen Advisory
                                           Corp; Vice President (since May
                                           1993) and Assistant Secretary (since
                                           January 1992) of Nuveen Institu-
                                           tional Advisory Corp.; Assistant
                                           Secretary of The John Nuveen Company
                                           (since February 1993).
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 O. Walter Renfftlen   55 Vice President   Vice President and Controller of The
 333 West Wacker          and Controller   John Nuveen Company (since March
 Drive                                     1992), John Nuveen & Co. Incorporat-
 Chicago, IL 60606                         ed, Nuveen Advisory Corp. and Nuveen
                                           Institutional Advisory Corp. (since
                                           April 1990).
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Thomas C. Spalding,   43 Vice President   Vice President of Nuveen Advisory
 Jr.                                       Corp. and Nuveen Institutional Advi-
 333 West Wacker                           sory Corp. (since April 1990);
 Drive                                     Chartered Financial Analyst.
 Chicago, IL 60606
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 H. William Stabenow   60 Vice President   Vice President and Treasurer of The
 333 West Wacker          and Treasurer    John Nuveen Company (since March
 Drive                                     1992), John Nuveen & Co. Incorporat-
 Chicago, IL 60606                         ed, Nuveen Advisory Corp. and Nuveen
                                           Institutional Advisory Corp, (since
                                           January 1992).
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 George P. Thermos     63 Vice President   Vice President of John Nuveen & Co.
 333 West Wacker                           Incorporated.
 Drive
 Chicago, IL 60606
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 James J. Wesolowski   44 Vice President   Vice President, General Counsel and
 333 West Wacker          and Secretary    Secretary of The John Nuveen Company
 Drive                                     (since March 1992), John Nuveen &
 Chicago, IL 60606                         Co. Incorporated, Nuveen Advisory
                                           Corp. and Nuveen Institutional Advi-
                                           sory Corp. (since April 1990).
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Gifford R. Zimmerman  38 Vice President   Vice President (since September
 333 West Wacker          and Assistant    1992), Assistant Secretary and As-
 Drive                    Secretary        sistant General Counsel of John
 Chicago, IL 60606                         Nuveen & Co. Incorporated; Vice
                                           President (since May 1993) and As-
                                           sistant Secretary of Nuveen Advisory
                                           Corp.; Vice President (since May
                                           1993) and Assistant Secretary (since
                                           January 1992) of Nuveen Institu-
                                           tional Advisory Corp.
</TABLE>
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Richard J. Franke, Timothy R. Schwertfeger and Margaret K. Rosenheim serve as
members of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors. The Executive
Committee, which meets between regular meetings of the Board of Directors, is
authorized to exercise all of the powers of the Board of Directors.
 
The directors of Nuveen Insured Tax-Free Bond Fund, Inc. are also directors or
trustees, as the case may be, of 18 other Nuveen open-end fund portfolios and
55 Nuveen closed-end funds.
 
 
42
<PAGE>
 
The following table sets forth compensation paid by the Nuveen Insured Tax-
Free Bond Fund, Inc. during the fiscal year ended February 28, 1995 to each of
the directors. The Nuveen Insured Tax-Free Bond Fund, Inc. has no retirement
or pension plans. The officers and directors affiliated with Nuveen serve
without any compensation from the Nuveen Insured Tax-Free Bond Fund, Inc.
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                              TOTAL COMPENSATION
                                                               FROM THE FUND AND
                                                    AGGREGATE       FUND COMPLEX
                                                 COMPENSATION            PAID TO
NAME OF DIRECTOR                                FROM THE FUND       DIRECTORS(1)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                             <C>           <C>
Richard J. Franke..............................    $    0          $     0
Timothy R. Schwertfeger........................         0                0
Lawrence H. Brown..............................     2,533           56,500
Anne E. Impellizzeri...........................     1,960           48,750
Margaret K. Rosenheim..........................     3,417(2)        64,404(3)
Peter R. Sawers................................     2,533           56,000
</TABLE>
- --------
(1) The directors of the Nuveen Insured Tax-Free Bond Fund, Inc. are directors
    or trustees, as the case may be, of 21 Nuveen open-end funds and 55 Nuveen
    closed-end funds.
(2) Includes $270 in interest earned on deferred compensation from prior
    years.
(3) Include $1,404 in interest earned on deferred compensation from prior
    years.
 
Each director who is not affiliated with Nuveen or Nuveen Advisory receives a
$45,000 annual retainer for serving as a director or trustee of all funds for
which Nuveen Advisory serves as investment adviser and a $1,000 fee per day
plus expenses for attendance at all meetings held on a day on which a regu-
larly scheduled Board meeting is held, a $1,000 fee per day plus expenses for
attendance in person or a $500 fee per day plus expenses for attendance by
telephone at a meeting held on a day on which no regular Board meeting is
held, and a $250 fee per day plus expenses for attendance in person or by tel-
ephone at a meeting of the Executive Committee held solely to declare divi-
dends. The annual retainer, fees and expenses are allocated among the funds
for which Nuveen Advisory serves as investment adviser on the basis of rela-
tive net asset sizes. The Funds require no employees other than their offi-
cers, all of whom are compensated by Nuveen.
 
                                                                             43
<PAGE>
 
On April 17, 1995, the officers and directors of Nuveen Insured Tax-Free Bond
Fund, Inc. as a group owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of each
Fund. The following table sets forth the percentage ownership of each person
who, as of April 17, 1995, owned of record or was known by Nuveen Insured Tax-
Free Bond Fund, Inc. to own of record or beneficially 5% or more of any class
of shares of a Fund.
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                   PERCENTAGE OF
NAME OF FUND AND CLASS                NAME AND ADDRESS OF OWNER      OWNERSHIP
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                 <C>                            <C>
National Fund                                                           5.02%
 Class A Shares.................... PaineWebber for the Benefit of
                                    Michael S. Hammersley &
                                    Jan L. Hammersley
                                     JT WROS
                                     6340 Briar Rd.
                                     Willowbrook, IL 60521-5484
National Fund                                                          27.18%
 Class C Shares.................... Thomas H Koehler
                                     1301 S. Pearl St.
                                     Denver, CO 80210-2238
                                    Norman J. Younker &                14.33%
                                    Mary Katherine Younker
                                    JT TEN WROS NOT TC
                                     1029 S. 1200 E
                                     Salt Lake City, UT 84105-1524
                                    Oregon Waste Technology, Inc.       8.05%
                                     P.O. Box 4008
                                     Brookings, OR 97415-0081
                                    Treasa A. Silva &                   6.75%
                                    Don O. Silva Jr.
                                    JT TEN WROS NOT TC
                                     355 E. Clark St.
                                     Grantsville, UT 84029-9357
Massachusetts Fund                                                     16.12%
 Class A Shares.................... Gerald W. Mahoney &
                                    Elaine Mahoney TR
                                    UA AUG 18 94
                                     The Bagley Family Rev. Trust
                                     162 Oakland St.
                                     Fall River, MA 02720-6114
                                    NFSC FEBO #X01-155888               5.04%
                                    Arthur R. Foster
                                    Nettie C. Foster
                                     26 Strathmore Cir.
                                     Braintree, MA 02184
</TABLE>
 
 
44
<PAGE>
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                   PERCENTAGE OF
NAME OF FUND AND CLASS                NAME AND ADDRESS OF OWNER      OWNERSHIP
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                 <C>                            <C>
Massachusetts Fund                                                     27.85%
 Class C Shares.................... Raymond James & Assoc., Inc.
                                    For Elite Account #50099466
                                    FAO George A. D'Auteuil Sr. &
                                    Pauline T. D'Auteuil JT/WROS
                                     9 Church St.
                                     Millbury, MA 01527-3134
                                    Ruth Biller                        27.33%
                                     51 Oak Rd.
                                     Canton, MA 02021-2625
                                      PaineWebber for the Benefit      10.03%
                                      of
                                      John J. Brodbine TTEE
                                      Ralph L. Cunningham Trust
                                       DTD 4/27/89
                                       27 School St.
                                       Boston, MA 02108-4303
                                      Celeste L. Letourneau TR          5.61%
                                      UA MAR 07 89
                                      Celeste Letourneau Trust
                                       822 Bay St.
                                       Fall River, MA 02724-1451
                                      PaineWebber for the Benefit       5.13%
                                      of
                                      John B. Grund
                                      Virginia I. Grund
                                       JT TEN WROS
                                       1 Lyman Street, Apt. 145
                                       Westboro, MA 01581-1438
New York Fund                                                          13.44%
 Class A Shares....................   BHC Securities, Inc.
                                      ATTN: Mutual Funds
                                       One Commerce Square
                                       2005 Market St., Ste. 1200
                                       Philadelphia, PA 19103-7042
                                      Donaldson Lufkin Jenrette         5.49%
                                      Securities Corporation, Inc.
                                       P.O. Box 2052
                                       Jersey City, NJ 07303-9998
New York Fund                                                          23.21%
 Class C Shares....................   PaineWebber for the Benefit
                                      of
                                      Morgan F. Kelley
                                       Rose Moran-Kelly JTTEN
                                       19 Honeyhollow Road.
                                       Queensbury, NY 12804-9117
</TABLE>
 
 
                                                                              45
<PAGE>
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                   PERCENTAGE OF
NAME OF FUND AND CLASS               NAME AND ADDRESS OF OWNER       OWNERSHIP
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                <C>                             <C>
                                     Donaldson Lufkin Jenrette         19.62%
                                     Securities Corporation, Inc.
                                      P.O. Box 2052
                                      Jersey City, NJ 07303-9998
                                     Ruth Preston &                     9.13%
                                     Sara P. Costello &
                                     Patricia M. Kohl
                                     JT TEN WROS NOT TC
                                      2 Middleton Rd.
                                      Greenport, NY 11944-1115
                                     Gruntal & Co.                      8.12%
                                     FBO 204-08265-19
                                      14 Wall Street
                                      New York, NY 10005
                                     John Follini &                     6.03%
                                     Josephine Follini
                                     JT TEN WROS NOT TC
                                      67 S. Dunton Ave.
                                      East Patchogue, NY 11772-6161
                                     Art Jarit &                        5.69%
                                     Sara Jarit
                                     JT TEN
                                      P.O. Box 640
                                      Wading River, NY 11792-0640
New York Fund                                                          24.63%
 Class R Shares...................   BHC Securities, Inc.
                                     ATTN: Mutual Funds
                                      One Commerce Square
                                      2005 Market St., Ste. 1200
                                      Philadelphia, PA 19103-7042
</TABLE>
 
             INVESTMENT ADVISER AND INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT
 
Nuveen Advisory Corp. acts as investment adviser for and manages the investment
and reinvestment of the assets of each of the Funds. Nuveen Advisory also ad-
ministers Nuveen Insured Tax-Free Bond Fund's business affairs, provides office
facilities and equipment and certain clerical, bookkeeping and administrative
services, and permits any of its officers or employees to serve without compen-
sation as directors or officers of the Nuveen Insured Tax-Free Bond Fund, Inc.
if elected to such positions. See "Management of the Funds" in the Prospectus.
 
46
<PAGE>
 
Pursuant to an investment management agreement between Nuveen Advisory and
Nuveen Insured Tax-Free Bond Fund, Inc., the Funds have agreed to pay annual
management fees at the rates set forth below:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                               MANAGEMENT FEE
                                                      FOR THE
                            MANAGEMENT FEE MASSACHUSETTS FUND
AVERAGE DAILY NET ASSET            FOR THE            AND THE
VALUE                        NATIONAL FUND      NEW YORK FUND
- -------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                         <C>            <C>
For the first $125 million     .5000 of 1%        .5500 of 1%
For the next $125 million      .4875 of 1%        .5375 of 1%
For the next $250 million      .4750 of 1%        .5250 of 1%
For the next $500 million      .4625 of 1%        .5125 of 1%
For the next $1 billion        .4500 of 1%        .5000 of 1%
For assets over $2 billion     .4250 of 1%        .4750 of 1%
</TABLE>
 
In order to prevent total operating expenses (including Nuveen Advisory's fee,
but excluding interest, taxes, fees incurred in acquiring and disposing of
portfolio securities, any asset-based distribution or service fees and, to the
extent permitted, extraordinary expenses) from exceeding .975 of 1% of the av-
erage daily net asset value of any class of shares of each Fund for any fiscal
year, Nuveen Advisory has agreed to waive all or a portion of its management
fees or reimburse certain expenses of each Fund. Nuveen Advisory may also vol-
untarily agree to reimburse additional expenses from time to time, which vol-
untary reimbursements may be terminated at any time in its discretion. For the
last three fiscal years, the Funds paid net management fees to Nuveen Advisory
as follows:
 
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                               NET MANAGEMENT FEES        FEE WAIVERS AND EXPENSE
                         PAID TO NUVEEN ADVISORY FOR THE  REIMBURSEMENTS FOR THE
                             YEAR ENDED FEBRUARY 28,      YEAR ENDED FEBRUARY 28,
                         -------------------------------- --------------------------
                               1993       1994       1995   1993    1994       1995
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                      <C>        <C>        <C>        <C>     <C>     <C>
National Fund........... $2,095,633 $3,265,386 $3,439,021  $    0  $    0 $   10,570
Massachusetts Fund......    198,677    295,357    308,241       0       0      1,148
New York Fund...........  1,292,498  1,968,122  1,921,472       0       0      1,767
Total For All Funds.....  3,586,808  5,528,865  5,668,734       0       0     13,485
</TABLE>
 
As discussed in the Prospectus, in addition to the management fees of Nuveen
Advisory, each Fund pays all other costs and expenses of its operations and a
portion of Nuveen Insured Tax-Free Bond Fund's general administrative expenses
allocated in proportion to the net assets of each Fund.
 
Nuveen Advisory is a wholly owned subsidiary of John Nuveen & Co. Incorporated
("Nuveen"), the Funds' principal underwriter. Founded in 1898, Nuveen is the
oldest and largest investment banking firm specializing in the underwriting
and distribution of tax-exempt securities and maintains the largest research
department in the investment banking community devoted exclusively to the
analysis of municipal securities. In 1961, Nuveen began sponsoring the Nuveen
Tax-Exempt Unit Trust and since that time has issued more than $34 billion in
tax-exempt unit trusts, including over $12 billion in tax-exempt insured unit
trusts. In addition, Nuveen open-end and closed-end funds held approximately
$30 billion in tax-exempt securities under management as of the date of this
Statement. Over
 
                                                                             47
<PAGE>
 
1,000,000 individuals have invested to date in Nuveen's tax-exempt funds and
trusts. Nuveen is a subsidiary of The John Nuveen Company which, in turn, is
approximately 75% owned by The St. Paul Companies, Inc. ("St. Paul"). St. Paul
is located in St. Paul, Minnesota, and is principally engaged in providing
property-liability insurance through subsidiaries.
 
Nuveen Advisory's portfolio managers call upon the resources of Nuveen's Re-
search Department, the largest in the investment banking industry devoted ex-
clusively to tax-exempt securities. Nuveen's Research Department was selected
in 1994 by Research & Ratings Review, a municipal industry publication, as one
of the top four research teams in the municipal industry, based on an exten-
sive industry-wide poll of more than 1,000 portfolio managers, department
heads and bond buyers. The Nuveen Research Department reviews more than $100
billion in tax-exempt bonds every year.
 
The Funds, the other Nuveen funds, Nuveen Advisory, and other related entities
have adopted a code of ethics which essentially prohibits all Nuveen fund man-
agement personnel, including Nuveen fund portfolio managers, from engaging in
personal investments which compete or interfere with, or attempt to take ad-
vantage of, a Fund's anticipated or actual portfolio transactions, and is de-
signed to assure that the interest of Fund shareholders are placed before the
interest of Nuveen personnel in connection with personal investment transac-
tions.
 
                            PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS
 
Nuveen Advisory, in effecting purchases and sales of portfolio securities for
the account of each Fund, will place orders in such manner as, in the opinion
of management, will offer the best price and market for the execution of each
transaction. Portfolio securities will normally be purchased directly from an
underwriter or in the over-the-counter market from the principal dealers in
such securities, unless it appears that a better price or execution may be ob-
tained elsewhere. Portfolio securities will not be purchased from Nuveen or
its affiliates except in compliance with the Investment Company Act of 1940.
 
The Funds expect that all portfolio transactions will be effected on a princi-
pal (as opposed to an agency) basis and, accordingly, do not expect to pay any
brokerage commissions. Purchases from underwriters will include a commission
or concession paid by the issuer to the underwriter, and purchases from deal-
ers will include the spread between the bid and asked price. Given the best
price and execution obtainable, it will be the practice of the Funds to select
dealers which, in addition, furnish research information (primarily credit
analyses of issuers and general economic reports) and statistical and other
services to Nuveen Advisory. It is not possible to place a dollar value on in-
formation and statistical and other services received from dealers. Since it
is only supplementary to Nuveen Advisory's own research efforts, the receipt
of research information is not expected to reduce significantly Nuveen
Advisory's expenses. While Nuveen Advisory will be primarily responsible for
the placement of the business of the Funds, the policies and practices of
Nuveen Advisory in this regard must be consistent with the foregoing and will,
at all times, be subject to review by the Board of Directors.
 
Nuveen Advisory reserves the right to, and does, manage other investment ac-
counts and investment companies for other clients, which may have investment
objectives similar to the Funds. Subject to
 
48
<PAGE>
 
applicable laws and regulations, Nuveen Advisory will attempt to allocate eq-
uitably portfolio transactions among the Funds and the portfolios of its other
clients purchasing or selling securities whenever decisions are made to purchase
or sell securities by a Fund and one or more of such other clients
simultaneously. In making such allocations the main factors to be considered
will be the respective investment objectives of the Fund and such other clients,
the relative size of portfolio holdings of the same or comparable securities,
the availability of cash for investment by the Fund and such other clients, the
size of investment commitments generally held by the Fund and such other clients
and opinions of the persons responsible for recommending investments to the
Fund and such other clients. While this procedure could have a detrimental
effect on the price or amount of the securities available to a Fund from time to
time, it is the opinion of the Board of Directors that the benefits available
from Nuveen Advisory's organization will outweigh any disadvantage that may
arise from exposure to simultaneous transactions.
 
Under the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Funds may not purchase portfolio
securities from any underwriting syndicate of which Nuveen is a member except
under certain limited conditions set forth in Rule 10f-3. The Rule sets forth
requirements relating to, among other things, the terms of an issue of Munici-
pal Obligations purchased by a Fund, the amount of Municipal Obligations which
may be purchased in any one issue and the assets of a Fund which may be in-
vested in a particular issue. In addition, purchases of securities made pursu-
ant to the terms of the Rule must be approved at least quarterly by the Board
of Directors, including a majority of the directors who are not interested
persons of the Funds.
 
                                NET ASSET VALUE
 
As stated in the Prospectus, the net asset value of the shares of each Fund
will be determined separately for each class of a Fund's shares by United
States Trust Company of New York, the Funds' custodian, as of 4:00 p.m. east-
ern time on each day on which the New York Stock Exchange (the "Exchange") is
normally open for trading. The Exchange is not open for trading on New Year's
Day, Washington's Birthday, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor
Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The net asset value per share of a
class of shares of a Fund will be computed by dividing the value of the Fund's
assets attributable to the class, less liabilities attributable to the class,
by the number of shares of the class outstanding.
 
In determining net asset value for each of the Funds, the Funds' custodian
utilizes the valuations of portfolio securities furnished by a pricing service
approved by the directors. The pricing service values portfolio securities at
the mean between the quoted bid and asked price or the yield equivalent when
quotations are readily available. Securities for which quotations are not
readily available (which constitute a majority of the securities held by these
Funds) are valued at fair value as determined by the pricing service using
methods which include consideration of the following: yields or prices of mu-
nicipal bonds of comparable quality, type of issue, coupon, maturity and rat-
ing; indications as to value from dealers; and general market conditions. The
pricing service may employ electronic data processing techniques and/or a ma-
trix system to determine valuations. The procedures of the pricing service and
its valuations are reviewed by the officers of the Funds under the general su-
pervision of the Board of Directors.
 
                                                                             49
<PAGE>
 
                                  TAX MATTERS
 
FEDERAL INCOME TAX MATTERS
 
The following discussion of federal income tax matters is based upon the advice
of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson, Washington, D.C., counsel to the
Funds.
 
As described in the Prospectus, each Fund intends to qualify, as it has in
prior years, under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended (the "Code") for tax treatment as a regulated investment company. In
order to qualify as a regulated investment company, a Fund must satisfy certain
requirements relating to the source of its income, diversification of its as-
sets, and distributions of its income to shareholders. First, a Fund must de-
rive at least 90% of its annual gross income (including tax-exempt interest)
from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, gains from
the sale or other disposition of stock or securities, foreign currencies or
other income (including but not limited to gains from options and futures) de-
rived with respect to its business of investing in such stock or securities
(the "90% gross income test"). Second, a Fund must derive less than 30% of its
annual gross income from the sale or other disposition of any of the following
which was held for less than three months: (i) stock or securities and (ii)
certain options, futures, or forward contracts (the "short-short test"). Third,
a Fund must diversify its holdings so that, at the close of each quarter of its
taxable year, (i) at least 50% of the value of its total assets is comprised of
cash, cash items, United States Government securities, securities of other reg-
ulated investment companies and other securities limited in respect of any one
issuer to an amount not greater in value than 5% of the value of a Fund's total
assets and to not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such
issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of the total assets is invested
in the securities of any one issuer (other than United States Government secu-
rities and securities of other regulated investment companies) or two or more
issuers controlled by a Fund and engaged in the same, similar or related trades
or businesses.
 
As a regulated investment company, a fund will not be subject to U.S. federal
income tax in any taxable year for which it distributes at least 90% of its
"investment company taxable income" (which includes dividends, taxable inter-
est, taxable original issue discount and market discount income, income from
securities lending, net short-term capital gain in excess of long-term capital
loss, and any other taxable income other than "net capital gain" (as defined
below) and is reduced by deductible expenses) and at least 90% of the excess of
its gross tax-exempt interest income over certain disallowed deductions ("net
tax-exempt interest"). A Fund may retain for investment its net capital gain
(which consists of the excess of its net long-term capital gain over its short-
term capital loss). However, if a Fund retains any net capital gain or any in-
vestment company taxable income, it will be subject to tax at regular corporate
rates on the amount retained. If a Fund retains any capital gain, such Fund may
designate the retained amount as undistributed capital gains in a notice to its
shareholders who, if subject to U.S. federal income tax purposes on long-term
capital gains, (i) will be required to include in income for federal income tax
purposes, as long-term capital gain, their shares of such undistributed amount,
and (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the tax paid
by such Fund against their U.S. federal income tax liabilities, if any, and to
claim refunds to the extent the credit exceeds such liabilities. For U.S. fed-
eral income tax purposes, the tax basis of shares owned by a shareholder of the
fund will be increased by an amount equal under current law to 65% of the
amount
 
50
<PAGE>
 
of undistributed capital gains included in the shareholder's gross income. Each
Fund intends to distribute at least annually to its shareholders all or sub-
stantially all of its net tax-exempt interest and any investment company tax-
able income and net capital gain.
 
Treasury regulations permit a regulated investment company, in determining its
investment company taxable income and net capital gain, i.e., the excess of net
long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss for any taxable year,
to elect (unless it has made a taxable year election for excise tax purposes as
discussed below) to treat all or part of any net capital loss, any net long-
term capital loss or any net foreign currency loss incurred after October 31 as
if they had been incurred in the succeeding year.
 
Each Fund also intends to satisfy conditions (including requirements as to the
proportion of its assets invested in Municipal Obligations) that will enable it
to designate distributions from the interest income generated by investments in
Municipal Obligations, which are exempt from regular federal income tax when
received by such Fund, as exempt-interest dividends. Shareholders receiving ex-
empt-interest dividends will not be subject to regular federal income tax on
the amount of such dividends. Insurance proceeds received by a Fund under any
insurance policies in respect of scheduled interest payments on defaulted Mu-
nicipal Obligations will be excludable from federal gross income under Section
103(a) of the Code. In the case of non-appropriation by a political subdivi-
sion, however, there can be no assurance that payments made by the insurer rep-
resenting interest on "non-appropriation" lease obligations will be excludable
from gross income for federal income tax purposes. See "Fundamental Policies
and Investment Portfolio--Portfolio Securities."
 
Distributions by each Fund of net interest received from certain taxable tempo-
rary investments (such as certificates of deposit, commercial paper and obliga-
tions of the United States Government, its agencies and instrumentalities) and
net short-term capital gains realized by a Fund, if any, will be taxable to
shareholders as ordinary income whether received in cash or additional
shares./1/ If a Fund purchases a Municipal Obligation at a market discount, any
gain realized by the Fund upon sale or redemption of the Municipal Obligation
will be treated as taxable interest income to the extent such gain does not ex-
ceed the market discount, and any gain realized in excess of the market dis-
count will be treated as capital gains. Any net long-term capital gains real-
ized by a Fund and distributed to shareholders in cash or in additional shares
will be taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gains regardless of the
length of time investors have owned shares of a Fund. Distributions by a Fund
that do not constitute ordinary income dividends, exempt-interest dividends, or
capital gain dividends will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of
(and in reduction of) the shareholder's tax basis in his or her shares. Any ex-
cess will be treated as gain from the sale of his or her shares, as discussed
below.
 
If any of the Funds engages in hedging transactions involving financial futures
and options, these transactions will be subject to special tax rules, the ef-
fect of which may be to accelerate income to a
- --------
/1/If a Fund has both tax-exempt and taxable income, it will use the "average
   annual" method for determining the designated percentage that is taxable in-
   come and designate the use of such method within 60 days after the end of
   the Fund's taxable year. Under this method, one designated percentage is ap-
   plied uniformly to all distributions made during the Fund's taxable year.
   The percentage of income designated as tax-exempt for any particular distri-
   bution may be substantially different from the percentage of the Fund's in-
   come that was tax-exempt during the period covered by the distribution.
 
                                                                              51
<PAGE>
 
Fund, defer a Fund's losses, cause adjustments in the holding periods of a
Fund's securities, convert long-term capital gains into short-term capital
gains and convert short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses.
These rules could therefore affect the amount, timing and character of distri-
butions to shareholders.
 
Because the taxable portion of each Fund's investment income consists primarily
of interest, none of its dividends, whether or not treated as exempt-interest
dividends, is expected to qualify under the Internal Revenue Code for the divi-
dends received deductions for corporations. Prior to purchasing shares in one
of the Funds, the impact of dividends or distributions which are expected to be
or have been declared, but not paid, should be carefully considered. Any divi-
dend or distribution declared shortly
after a purchase of such shares prior to the record date will have the effect
of reducing the per share net asset value by the per share amount of the divi-
dend or distribution.
 
Although dividends generally will be treated as distributed when paid, divi-
dends declared in October, November or December, payable to shareholders of
record on a specified date in one of those months and paid during the following
January, will be treated as having been distributed by each Fund (and received
by the shareholders) on December 31.
 
The redemption or exchange of the shares of a Fund normally will result in cap-
ital gain or loss to the shareholders. Generally, a shareholder's gain or loss
will be long-term gain or loss if the shares have
been held for more than one year. Present law taxes both long- and short-term
capital gains of corporations at the rates applicable to ordinary income. For
non-corporate taxpayers, however, net capital gains (i.e., the excess of net
long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) will be taxed at a
maximum marginal rate of 28%, while short-term capital gains and other ordinary
income will be taxed at a maximum marginal rate of 39.6%. Because of the limi-
tations on itemized deductions and the deduction for personal exemptions appli-
cable to higher income taxpayers, the effective rate of tax may be higher in
certain circumstances. All or a portion of a sales load paid in purchasing
shares of a Fund cannot be taken into account for purposes of determining gain
or loss on the redemption or exchange of such shares within 90 days after their
purchase to the extent shares of a Fund or another fund are subsequently ac-
quired without payment of a sales load pursuant to the reinvestment or exchange
privilege. Any disregarded portion of such load will result in an increase in
the shareholder's tax basis in the shares subsequently acquired. Moreover,
losses recognized by a shareholder on the redemption or exchange of shares of a
Fund held for six months or less are disallowed to the extent of any distribu-
tion of exempt-interest dividends received with respect to such shares and, if
not disallowed, such losses are treated as long-term capital losses to the ex-
tent of any distributions of long-term capital gain made with respect to such
shares. In addition, no loss will be allowed on the redemption or exchange of
shares of a Fund if the shareholder purchases other shares of such Fund
(whether through reinvestment of distributions or otherwise) or the shareholder
acquires or enters into a contract or option to acquire securities that are
substantially identical to shares of a Fund within a period of 61 days begin-
ning 30 days before and ending 30 days after such redemption or exchange. If
disallowed, the loss will be reflected in an adjustment to the basis of the
shares acquired.
 
It may not be advantageous from a tax perspective for shareholders to redeem or
exchange shares after tax-exempt income has accrued but before the record date
for the exempt-interest dividend represent-
 
52
<PAGE>
 
ing the distribution of such income. Because such accrued tax-exempt income is
included in the net asset value per share (which equals the redemption or ex-
change value), such a redemption could result in treatment of the portion of
the sales or redemption proceeds equal to the accrued tax-exempt interest as
taxable gain (to the extent the redemption or exchange price exceeds the share-
holder's tax basis in the shares disposed of) rather than tax-exempt interest.
 
In order to avoid a 4% federal excise tax, each Fund must distribute or be
deemed to have distributed by December 31 of each calendar year at least 98% of
its taxable ordinary income for such year, at least 98% of the excess of its
realized capital gains over its realized capital losses (generally computed on
the basis of the one-year period ending on October 31 of such year) and 100% of
any taxable ordinary income and the excess of realized capital gains over real-
ized capital losses for the prior year that was not distributed during such
year and on which such Fund paid no federal income tax. For purposes of the ex-
cise tax, a regulated investment company may (i) reduce its capital gain net
income (but not below its net capital gain) by the amount of any net ordinary
loss for the calendar year in determining the amount of ordinary taxable income
for the current calendar year (and, instead, include such gains and losses in
determining ordinary taxable income for the succeeding calendar year). The
Funds intend to make timely distributions in compliance with these requirements
and consequently it is anticipated that they generally will not be required to
pay the excise tax.
 
If in any year a Fund should fail to qualify under Subchapter M for tax treat-
ment as a regulated investment company, the Fund would incur a regular corpo-
rate federal income tax upon its income for that year (other than interest in-
come from Municipal Obligations), and distributions to its shareholders would
be taxable to shareholders as ordinary dividend income for federal income tax
purposes to the extent of the Fund's available earnings and profits.
 
Among the requirements that a Fund must meet in order to qualify under
Subchapter M in any year is that less than 30% of its gross income must be de-
rived from the sale or other disposition of securities and certain other assets
held for less than three months.
 
Because the Funds may invest in private activity bonds, the interest on which
is not federally tax-exempt to persons who are "substantial users" of the fa-
cilities financed by such bonds or "related persons" of such "substantial us-
ers," the Funds may not be an appropriate investment for shareholders who are
considered either a "substantial user" or a "related person" within the meaning
of the Code. For additional information, investors should consult their tax
advisers before investing in one of the Funds.
 
Federal tax law imposes an alternative minimum tax with respect to both corpo-
rations and individuals. Interest on certain Municipal Obligations, such as
bonds issued to make loans for housing purposes or to private entities (but not
for certain tax-exempt organizations such as universities and non-profit hospi-
tals), is included as an item of tax preference in determining the amount of a
taxpayer's alternative minimum taxable income. To the extent that a Fund re-
ceives income from Municipal Obligations subject to the alternative minimum
tax, a portion of the dividends paid by it, although otherwise exempt from
federal income tax, is taxable to shareholders to the extent that their tax
liability is determined under the alternative minimum tax regime. The Funds will
annually supply shareholders
 
                                                                              53
<PAGE>
 
with a report indicating the percentage of Fund income attributable to Munici-
pal Obligations subject to the federal alternative minimum tax.
 
In addition, the alternative minimum taxable income for corporations is in-
creased by 75% of the difference between an alternative measure of income ("ad-
justed current earnings") and the amount otherwise determined to be the alter-
native minimum taxable income. Interest on all Municipal Obligations, and
therefore all distributions by the Funds that would otherwise be tax-exempt,
are included in calculating a corporation's adjusted current earnings.
 
Tax-exempt income, including exempt-interest dividends paid by the Fund, will
be added to the taxable income of individuals receiving social security or
railroad retirement benefits in determining whether a portion of that benefit
will be subject to federal income tax.
 
The Code provides that interest on indebtedness incurred or continued to pur-
chase or carry shares of any Fund is not deductible. Under rules used by the
IRS for determining when borrowed funds are considered used for the purpose of
purchasing or carrying particular assets, the purchase of shares of a Fund may
be considered to have been made with borrowed funds even though such funds are
not directly traceable to the purchase of shares.
 
The Funds are required in certain circumstances to withhold 31% of taxable div-
idends and certain other payments paid to non-corporate holders of shares who
have not furnished to the Funds their correct taxpayer identification number
(in the case of individuals, their social security number) and certain certifi-
cations, or who are otherwise subject to back-up withholding.
 
The foregoing is a general and abbreviated summary of the provisions of the
Code and Treasury Regulations presently in effect as they directly govern the
taxation of the Funds and their shareholders. For complete provisions, refer-
ence should be made to the pertinent Code sections and Treasury Regulations.
The Code and Treasury Regulations are subject to change by legislative or ad-
ministrative action, and any such change may be retroactive with respect to
Fund transactions. Shareholders are advised to consult their own tax advisers
for more detailed information concerning the federal taxation of the Funds and
the income tax consequences to their shareholders.
 
STATE TAX MATTERS
The following state tax information applicable to each Fund or its respective
shareholders is based upon the advice of Edwards & Angell, special state tax
counsel to each Fund, and represents a summary of certain provisions of each
state's tax laws presently in effect. The state tax information below assumes
that each Fund qualifies as a regulated investment company for federal income
tax purposes under Subchapter M of the Code, and that amounts so designated by
each Fund to its shareholders qualify as "exempt-interest dividends" under Sec-
tion 852(b)(5) of the Code. These state tax provisions are subject to change by
legislative or administrative action, which may be applied retroactively to
Fund transactions. You should consult your own tax adviser for more detailed
information concerning state taxes to which you may be subject.
 
54
<PAGE>
 
NUVEEN MASSACHUSETTS INSURED TAX-FREE VALUE FUND
Individual shareholders of the Massachusetts Fund who are subject to Massachu-
setts income taxation will not be required to include that portion of their
federally tax-exempt dividends in Massachusetts gross income which the Massa-
chusetts Fund clearly identifies as directly attributable to interest earned on
Municipal Obligations issued by governmental authorities in Massachusetts and
which are specifically exempted from income taxation in Massachusetts; provided
that such portion is identified in a written notice mailed to the shareholders
of the Massachusetts Fund not later than sixty days after the close of the Mas-
sachusetts Fund's tax year. Also, the individual shareholders of the Massachu-
setts Fund will not be required to include in gross income interest earned on
obligations of United States possessions and territories to the extent interest
earned on such obligations is exempt from taxation by the states pursuant to
federal law.

Similarly, such shareholders will not be required to include in Massachusetts
gross income capital gain dividends designated by the Massachusetts Fund to the
extent such dividends are attributable to gains derived from Municipal Obliga-
tions issued by Massachusetts governmental authorities and are specifically ex-
empted from income taxation in Massachusetts, provided that such dividends are
identified in a written notice mailed to the shareholders of the Massachusetts
Fund not later than sixty days after the close of the Massachusetts Fund's tax
year. Lastly, any dividends of the Massachusetts Fund attributable to interest
on U.S. obligations exempt from state taxation and included in Federal gross
income will not be included in Massachusetts gross income if identified by the
Massachusetts Fund in a written notice mailed to shareholders within sixty days
after the close of the Massachusetts Fund's tax year. Massachusetts sharehold-
ers will be required to include all remaining dividends in their Massachusetts
income.
 
To the extent not otherwise exempted from Massachusetts income taxation as pro-
vided above, the Massachusetts Fund's long-term capital gains for federal in-
come tax purposes will be taxed as long-term capital gains to the individual
shareholders of the Massachusetts Fund for purposes of Massachusetts income
taxation. Massachusetts shareholders will be required to recognize any taxable
gain or loss that is recognized for federal income tax purposes upon an ex-
change or redemption of their shares.
 
If a shareholder of the Massachusetts Fund is a Massachusetts business corpora-
tion or any foreign business corporation which exercises its charter, qualifies
to do business, actually does business or owns or uses any part of its capital,
plant or other property in Massachusetts, then it will be subject to Massachu-
setts excise taxation either as a tangible property corporation or as an intan-
gible property corporation. If the corporate shareholder is a tangible property
corporation, it will be taxed upon its net income allocated to Massachusetts
and the value of certain tangible property. If it is an intangible property
corporation, it will be taxed upon its net income and net worth allocated to
Massachusetts. Net income is gross income less allowable deductions for federal
income tax purposes, subject to specified modifications. Dividends received
from the Massachusetts Fund are includable in gross income and generally may
not be deducted by a corporate shareholder in computing its net income. The
corporation's shares in the Massachusetts Fund are not includable in the compu-
tation of the tangible property base of a tangible property corporation, but
are includable in the computation of the net worth base of an intangible prop-
erty corporation.
 
                                                                              55
<PAGE>
 
Shares of the Massachusetts Fund will be includable in the Massachusetts gross
estate of a deceased individual shareholder who is a resident of Massachusetts
for purposes of the Massachusetts Estate Tax.
 
Shares of the Massachusetts Fund will be exempt from local property taxes in
Massachusetts.
 
NUVEEN NEW YORK TAX-FREE VALUE FUND
Individual shareholders of the New York Fund who are subject to New York State
(or New York City) personal income taxation will not be required to include in
their New York adjusted gross income that portion of their exempt-interest div-
idends (as determined for federal income tax purposes) which the New York Fund
clearly identifies as directly attributable to interest earned on Municipal Ob-
ligations issued by governmental authorities in New York ("New York Municipal
Obligations") and which are specifically exempted from personal income taxation
in New York State (or New York City), or interest earned on obligations of
United States possessions or territories to the extent interest earned on such
obligations is exempt from taxation by the states pursuant to federal law. Dis-
tributions to individual shareholders of dividends derived from interest that
does not qualify as an exempt-interest dividend (as determined for federal in-
come tax purposes), distributions of exempt-interest dividends (as determined
for federal income tax purposes) which are derived from interest earned on Mu-
nicipal Obligations issued by governmental authorities in states other than New
York State, and distributions derived from interest earned on federal obliga-
tions will be included in their New York adjusted gross income as ordinary in-
come.
 
Distributions to individual shareholders of the New York Fund of capital gain
dividends (as determined for federal income tax purposes) will be included in
their New York adjusted gross income as long-term capital gains. Distributions
to individual shareholders of the New York Fund of dividends derived from any
net income received from taxable temporary investments and any net short-term
capital gains realized by the New York Fund will be included in their New York
adjusted gross income as ordinary income. Present New York law taxes long-term
capital gains at the rates applicable to ordinary income.
 
Gain or loss, if any, resulting from an exchange or redemption of shares of the
New York Fund that is recognized by individual shareholders of the New York
Fund for federal income tax purposes will be recognized for purposes of New
York State (or New York City) personal income taxation.
 
Generally, corporate shareholders of the New York Fund which are subject to New
York State franchise taxation (or New York City general corporation taxation)
will be taxed upon their entire net income, business and investment capital, or
at a flat rate minimum tax. Entire income will include dividends received from
the New York Fund (as determined for federal income tax purposes), as well as
any gain or loss recognized from an exchange or redemption of shares of the New
York Fund that is recognized for federal income tax purposes. Investment capi-
tal will include the corporate shareholder's shares of the New York Fund.
Corporate shareholders of the New York Fund, which are subject to the temporary
metropolitan transportation surcharge, will be required to pay a tax surcharge
on the franchise taxes imposed by New York State.
 
56
<PAGE>
 
Shareholders of the New York Fund will not be subject to New York City unincor-
porated business taxation solely by reason of their ownership of shares of the
New York Fund. If a shareholder of the New York Fund is subject to the New York
City unincorporated business tax, income and gains derived from the New York
Fund will be subject to such tax, except for exempt-interest dividends (as de-
termined for federal income tax purposes) which the New York Fund clearly iden-
tifies as directly attributable to interest earned on New York Municipal Obli-
gations.
 
Shares of the New York Fund will be exempt from local property taxes in New
York State and New York City, but will be includible in the New York gross es-
tate of a deceased individual shareholder who is a resident of New York for
purposes of the New York Estate Tax.
 
                            PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
 
As explained in the Prospectus, the historical investment performance of the
Funds may be shown in the form of "yield," "taxable equivalent yield," "average
annual total return," "cumulative total return" and "taxable equivalent total
return" figures, each of which will be calculated separately for each class of
shares.
 
In accordance with a standardized method prescribed by rules of the Securities
and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), yield is computed by dividing the net invest-
ment income per share earned during the specified one month or 30-day period by
the maximum offering price per share on the last day of the period, according
to the following formula:
 
 Yield =   2[(a-b+1)/6/-1]
              -----
               cd
 
In the above formula, a = dividends and interest earned during the period; b =
expenses accrued for the period (net of reimbursements); c = the average daily
number of shares outstanding during the period that were entitled to receive
dividends; and d = the maximum offering price per share on the last day of the
period. In the case of Class A shares the maximum offering price includes the
current maximum sales charge of 4.50%.
 
In computing yield, the Funds follow certain standardized accounting practices
specified by SEC rules. These practices are not necessarily consistent with
those that the Funds use to prepare their annual and interim financial state-
ments in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles. Thus, yield
may not equal the income paid to shareholders or the income reported in a
Fund's financial statements. Yield for each class of shares of each Fund as of
February 28, 1995 are set forth below.
 
                                                                              57
<PAGE>
 
Taxable equivalent yield is computed by dividing that portion of the yield
which is tax-exempt by the remainder of (1 minus the stated combined federal
and state income tax rate, taking into account the deductibility of state in-
come taxes for federal income tax purposes), and adding the product to that
portion, if any, of the yield that is not tax exempt. The taxable equivalent
yields quoted below are based upon (1) the stated combined federal and state
income tax rates and (2) the yields for the 30-day period ended February 28,
1995, quoted in the left-hand column.
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                           COMBINED
                            FEDERAL    TAXABLE
AS OF FEBRUARY 28,        AND STATE EQUIVALENT
1995                YIELD TAX RATE*      YIELD
- ----------------------------------------------
<S>                 <C>   <C>       <C>
NATIONAL FUND
 Class A Shares     5.03%     39.6%      8.33%
 Class C Shares     4.53%     39.6%      7.50%
 Class R Shares     5.65%     39.6%      9.35%
MASSACHUSETTS FUND
 Class A Shares     4.75%     42.5%      8.26%
 Class C Shares     4.23%     42.5%      7.36%
 Class R Shares     5.34%     42.5%      9.29%
NEW YORK FUND**
 Class A Shares     4.83%     42.5%      8.40%
 Class C Shares     4.32%     42.5%      7.51%
 Class R Shares     5.46%     42.5%      9.50%
</TABLE>
- --------
*The combined tax rates used in the table represent the highest or one of the
 highest combined tax rates applicable to state taxpayers, rounded to the near-
 est .5%; these rates do not reflect the current federal tax limitations on
 itemized deductions and personal exemptions, which may raise the effective tax
 rate and taxable equivalent yield for taxpayers above certain income levels.
**Reflects a combined federal, state and New York City tax rate.
 
For additional information concerning taxable equivalent yields, see the Tax-
able Equivalent Yield Tables in the Prospectus.
 
Each Fund may from time to time in its sales materials report a quotation of
the current distribution rate. The distribution rate represents a measure of
dividends distributed for a specified period. Distribution rate is computed by
dividing the most recent monthly tax-free income dividend per share, multiply-
ing it by 12 to annualize it, and dividing by the appropriate price per share
(e.g., net asset value for purchases to be made without a load such as rein-
vestments from Nuveen UITs, or the maximum public offering price). The distri-
bution rate differs from yield and total return and therefore is not intended
to be a complete measure of performance. Distribution rate may sometimes be
higher than yield because it may not include the effect of amortization of bond
premiums to the extent such premiums arise after the bonds were purchased. The
distribution rates as of February 28, 1995, based on the maximum public offer-
ing price then in effect for the Funds were as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                           DISTRIBUTION RATES
                                                        ------------------------
                                                        CLASS A* CLASS C CLASS R
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                     <C>      <C>     <C>
National Fund..........................................    4.96%   4.48%   5.55%
Massachusetts Fund.....................................    4.90%   4.42%   5.49%
New York Fund..........................................    4.91%   4.39%   5.50%
</TABLE>
- --------
 *Assumes imposition of the maximum sales charge for Class A shares of 4.50%.
 
58
<PAGE>
 
Average annual total return quotation is computed in accordance with a stan-
dardized method prescribed by SEC rules. The average annual total return for a
specific period is found by taking a hypothetical, $1,000 investment ("initial
investment") in Fund shares on the first day of the period, reducing the amount
to reflect the maximum sales charge, and computing the "redeemable value" of
that investment at the end of the period. The redeemable value is then divided
by the initial investment, and this quotient is taken to the Nth root (N repre-
senting the number of years in the period) and 1 is subtracted from the result,
which is then expressed as a percentage. The calculation assumes that all in-
come and capital gains distributions have been reinvested in Fund shares at net
asset value on the reinvestment dates during the period. The average annual to-
tal return figures, including the effect of the current maximum sales charge
for the Class A Shares, for the one- and five-year periods ended February 28,
1995, and for the period from inception (on December 10, 1986 with respect to
the Class R Shares and on September 6, 1994 with respect to the Class A Shares
and Class C Shares), through February 28, 1995, respectively, were as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                   ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN
                                          --------------------------------------
                                                                            FROM
                                              ONE YEAR   FIVE YEARS    INCEPTION
                                                 ENDED        ENDED      THROUGH
                                          FEBRUARY 28, FEBRUARY 28, FEBRUARY 28,
                                                  1995         1995         1995
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                       <C>          <C>          <C>
NATIONAL FUND
 Class A Shares..........................          N/A          N/A       -.83*%
 Class C Shares..........................          N/A          N/A       3.09*%
 Class R Shares..........................        1.85%        8.41%       7.87%
MASSACHUSETTS FUND
 Class A Shares..........................          N/A          N/A      -1.64*%
 Class C Shares..........................          N/A          N/A       3.52*%
 Class R Shares..........................        1.77%        7.88%       6.74%
NEW YORK FUND
 Class A Shares..........................          N/A          N/A      -1.62*%
 Class C Shares..........................          N/A          N/A       3.53*%
 Class R Shares..........................        1.37%        8.13%       7.11%
</TABLE>
- --------
 * Not annualized because it relates to period of less than one year.
 
Calculation of cumulative total return is not subject to a prescribed formula.
Cumulative total return for a specific period is calculated by first taking a
hypothetical initial investment in Fund shares on the first day of the period,
deducting (in some cases) the maximum sales charge, and computing the "redeem-
able value" of that investment at the end of the period. The cumulative total
return percentage is then determined by subtracting the initial investment from
the redeemable value and dividing the remainder by the initial investment and
expressing the result as a percentage. The calculation assumes that all income
and capital gains distributions by the Fund have been reinvested at net asset
value on the reinvestment dates during the period. Cumulative total return may
also be shown as the increased
dollar value of the hypothetical investment over the period. Cumulative total
return calculations that do not include the effect of the sales charge would be
reduced if such charge were included.
 
                                                                              59
<PAGE>
 
The cumulative total return figures, including the effect of the current maxi-
mum sales charge for the Class A Shares, for the one-year and five-year periods
ended February 28, 1995, and for the period from inception (on December 10,
1986 with respect to the Class R Shares and on September 6, 1994 with respect
to the Class A Shares and Class C Shares) through February 28, 1995, respec-
tively, were as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                          CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN
                           -----------------------------------------------------
                                    ONE YEAR        FIVE YEARS    FROM INCEPTION
                                       ENDED             ENDED           THROUGH
                           FEBRUARY 28, 1995 FEBRUARY 28, 1995 FEBRUARY 28, 1995
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                        <C>               <C>               <C>
National Fund
 Class A Shares...........               N/A               N/A             -.83%
 Class C Shares...........               N/A               N/A             3.09%
 Class R Shares...........             1.85%            49.73%            86.33%
Massachusetts Fund
 Class A Shares...........               N/A               N/A            -1.64%
 Class C Shares...........               N/A               N/A             3.52%
 Class R Shares...........             1.77%            46.09%            70.99%
New York Fund
 Class A Shares...........               N/A               N/A            -1.62%
 Class C Shares...........               N/A               N/A             3.53%
 Class R Shares...........             1.37%            47.83%            75.92%
</TABLE>
 
Calculation of taxable equivalent total return is also not subject to a pre-
scribed formula. Taxable equivalent total return for a specific period is cal-
culated by first taking a hypothetical initial investment in Fund shares on the
first day of the period, computing the total return for each calendar year in
the period in the manner described above, and increasing the total return for
each such calendar year by the amount of additional income that a taxable fund
would need to have generated to equal the income on an after-tax basis, at a
specified income tax rate (usually the highest marginal federal tax rate), cal-
culated as described above under the discussion of "taxable equivalent yield."
The resulting amount for the calendar year is then divided by the initial in-
vestment amount to arrive at a "taxable equivalent total return factor" for the
calendar year. The taxable equivalent total return factors for all the calendar
years are then multiplied together and the result is then annualized by taking
its Nth root (N representing the number of years in the period) and subtracting
1, which provides a taxable equivalent total return expressed as a percentage.
Using the 39.6% maximum marginal federal tax rate for 1995, and assuming that
no front-end sales charge is imposed, the annual taxable equivalent total re-
turns for each Fund's Class R Shares for the one- and five-year periods ended
February 28, 1994, and for all classes for the period from inception (on Decem-
ber 10, 1986 with respect to the Class R Shares
 
60
<PAGE>
 
and on September 6, 1994 with respect to the Class A and Class C Shares),
through February 28, 1995, respectively, were as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                             ONE YEAR          FIVE YEARS       FROM INCEPTION
                               ENDED             ENDED             THROUGH          ASSUMED
                         FEBRUARY 28, 1995 FEBRUARY 28, 1995  FEBRUARY 28, 1995    COMBINED
                         ----------------- ------------------ -------------------   FEDERAL
                                WITH    AT        WITH               WITH               AND
                             MAXIMUM   NET     MAXIMUM AT NET     MAXIMUM  AT NET     STATE
                         4.50% SALES ASSET 4.50% SALES  ASSET 4.50% SALES   ASSET       TAX
                              CHARGE VALUE      CHARGE  VALUE      CHARGE   VALUE     RATE*
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                      <C>         <C>   <C>         <C>    <C>          <C>     <C>
National Fund
 Class A Shares.........         N/A   N/A         N/A    N/A       0.84%+  5.59%+    39.6%
 Class C Shares.........         N/A   N/A         N/A    N/A         N/A   4.81%+    39.6%
 Class R Shares.........         N/A 5.46%         N/A 12.35%         N/A  12.03%     39.6%
Massachusetts Fund
 Class A Shares.........         N/A   N/A         N/A    N/A       0.19%+  4.91%+    42.5%
 Class C Shares.........         N/A   N/A         N/A    N/A         N/A   5.09%+    42.5%
 Class R Shares.........         N/A 5.75%         N/A 12.18%         N/A  11.23%     42.5%
New York Fund**
 Class A Shares.........         N/A   N/A         N/A    N/A       0.20%+  4.92%+    42.5%
 Class C Shares.........         N/A   N/A         N/A    N/A         N/A   5.09%+    42.5%
 Class R Shares.........         N/A 5.33%         N/A 12.52%         N/A  11.71%     42.5%
</TABLE>
- --------
*The combined tax rates used in the table do not reflect the current federal
 tax limitations on itemized deductions and personal exemptions, which may
 raise the effective tax rate and taxable equivalent yield for taxpayers above
 certain income levels.
**Reflects a combined federal, state and New York City tax rate.
 +Not annualized because it relates to period of less than one year.
 
From time to time, a Fund may compare its risk-adjusted performance with other
investments that may provide different levels of risk and return. For example,
a Fund may compare its risk level, as measured by the variability of its peri-
odic returns, or its RISK-ADJUSTED TOTAL RETURN, with those of other funds or
groups of funds. Risk-adjusted total return would be calculated by adjusting
each investment's total return to account for the risk level of the investment.
 
A Fund may also compare its TAX-ADJUSTED TOTAL RETURN with that of other funds
or groups of funds. This measure would take into account the tax-exempt nature
of exempt-interest dividends and the payment of income taxes on a fund's dis-
tributions of net realized capital gains and ordinary income.
 
The risk level for a class of shares of a Fund, and any of the other invest-
ments used for comparison, would be evaluated by measuring the variability of
the investment's return, as indicated by the standard deviation of the invest-
ment's monthly returns over a specified measurement period (e.g., two years).
An investment with a higher STANDARD DEVIATION OF MONTHLY RETURNS would indi-
cate that a fund had greater price variability, and therefore greater risk,
than an investment with a lower standard
 
                                                                              61
<PAGE>
 
deviation. The standard deviation of monthly returns for the three years ended
February 28, 1995, for the Class R Shares of the Funds, were as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                     STANDARD
                    DEVIATION
                    OF RETURN
- -----------------------------
<S>                 <C>
National Fund         2.11%
Massachusetts Fund    1.84%
New York Fund         1.95%
</TABLE>
 
THE RISK-ADJUSTED TOTAL RETURN for a class of shares of a Fund and for other
investments over a specified period would be evaluated by dividing (a) the re-
mainder of the investment's annualized two-year total return minus the
annualized total return of an investment in short-term tax-exempt securities
(essentially a risk-free return) over that period, by (b) the standard devia-
tion of the investment's monthly returns for the period. This ratio is some-
times referred to as the "Sharpe measure" of return. An investment with a
higher Sharpe measure would be regarded as producing a higher return for the
amount of risk assumed during the measurement period than an investment with a
lower Sharpe measure. The Sharpe measure for the three year period ended Feb-
ruary 28, 1995, for the Class R Shares of the Funds, was as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                     SHARPE
                    MEASURE
- ---------------------------
<S>                 <C>
National Fund        1.609
Massachusetts Fund   1.699
New York Fund        1.600
</TABLE>
 
Class A Shares of the Funds are sold at net asset value plus a current maximum
sales charge of 4.50% of the offering price. This current maximum sales charge
will typically be used for purposes of calculating performance figures. Yield,
returns and net asset value of each class of shares of the Funds will fluctu-
ate. Factors affecting the performance of the Funds include general market
conditions, operating expenses and investment management fees. Any additional
fees charged by a securities representative or other financial services firm
would reduce returns described in this section. Shares of the Funds are re-
deemable at net asset value, which may be more or less than original cost.
 
In reports or other communications to shareholders or in advertising and sales
literature, the Funds may also compare their performance with that of: (1) the
Consumer Price Index or various unmanaged bond indexes such as the Lehman
Brothers Municipal Bond Index and the Salomon Brothers High
Grade Corporate Bond Index and (2) other fixed income or municipal bond mutual
funds or mutual fund indexes as reported by Lipper Analytical Services, Inc.
("Lipper"), Morningstar, Inc. ("Morningstar"), Wiesenberger Investment Compa-
nies Service ("Wiesenberger") and CDA Investment Technologies, Inc. ("CDA") or
similar independent services which monitor the performance of mutual funds, or
other industry or financial publications such as Barron's, Changing Times,
Forbes and Money Magazine. Performance comparisons by these indexes, services
or publications may rank mutual funds over different periods of time by means
of aggregate, average, year-by-year, or other types of total return and per-
formance figures. Any given performance quotation or performance comparison
should not be considered as representative of the performance of the Funds for
any future period.
 
62
<PAGE>
 
There are differences and similarities between the investments which the Funds
may purchase and the investments measured by the indexes and reporting serv-
ices which are described herein. The Consumer Price Index is generally
considered to be a measure of inflation. The CDA Mutual Fund-Municipal Bond
Index is a weighted performance average of other mutual funds with a federally
tax-exempt income objective. The Salomon Brothers High Grade Corporate Bond
Index is an unmanaged index that generally represents the performance of high
grade long-term taxable bonds during various market conditions. The Lehman
Brothers Municipal Bond Index is an unmanaged index that generally represents
the performance of high grade intermediate and long-term municipal bonds during
various market conditions. Lipper, Morningstar, Wiesenberger and CDA are widely
recognized mutual fund reporting services whose performance calculations are
based upon changes in net asset value with all dividends reinvested and which do
not include the effect of any sales charges. The market prices and yields of
taxable and tax-exempt bonds will fluctuate. The Funds primarily invest in
investment grade Municipal Obligations in pursuing their objective of as high a
level of current interest income which is exempt from federal and state income
tax as is consistent, in the view of the Funds' management, with preservation of
capital.
 
The Funds may also compare their taxable equivalent total return performance
to the total return performance of taxable income funds such as treasury secu-
rities funds, corporate bond funds (either investment grade or high yield), or
Ginnie Mae funds. These types of funds, because of the character of their un-
derlying securities, differ from municipal bond funds in several respects. The
susceptibility of the price of treasury bonds to credit risk is far less than
that of municipal bonds, but the price of treasury bonds tends to be slightly
more susceptible to change resulting from changes in market interest rates.
The susceptibility of the price of investment grade corporate bonds and munic-
ipal bonds to market interest rate changes and general credit changes is simi-
lar. High yield bonds are subject to a greater degree of price volatility than
municipal bonds resulting from changes in market interest rates and are par-
ticularly susceptible to volatility from credit changes. Ginnie Mae bonds are
generally subject to less price volatility than municipal bonds from credit
concerns, due primarily to the fact that the timely payment of monthly in-
stallments of principal and interest are backed by the full faith and credit
of the U.S. Government, but Ginnie Mae bonds of equivalent coupon and maturity
are generally more susceptible to price volatility resulting from market in-
terest rate changes. In addition, the volatility of Ginnie Mae bonds due to
changes in market interest rates may differ from municipal bonds of comparable
coupon and maturity because of the sensitivity of Ginnie Mae prepayment expe-
rience to change in interest rates.
 
     ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF FUND SHARES
 
As described in the Prospectus, each Fund has adopted a Flexible Sales Charge
Program which provides you with alternative ways of purchasing Fund shares
based upon your individual investment needs and preferences. You may purchase
Class A Shares at a price equal to their net asset value plus an up-front
sales charge.
 
For information regarding the up-front sales charge on Class A shares, see the
table under "How to Buy Fund Shares" of the Prospectus. Set forth is an exam-
ple of the method of computing the offering
 
                                                                             63
<PAGE>
 
price of the Class A shares of each of the Funds. The example assumes a pur-
chase on February 28, 1995 of Class A shares from the National Fund aggregating
less than $50,000 subject to the schedule of sales charges set forth in the
Prospectus at a price based upon the net asset value of the Class A shares.
 
<TABLE>
      <S>                                                               <C>
      Net Asset Value per share........................................ $10.400
      Per Share Sales Charge--4.50% of public offering price (4.71% of
       net asset value per share)...................................... $ 0.490
      Per Share Offering Price to the Public........................... $10.890
</TABLE>
 
You may purchase Class C Shares without any up-front sales charge at a price
equal to their net asset value, but subject to an annual distribution fee de-
signed to compensate Authorized Dealers over time for the sale of Fund shares.
Class C Shares are subject to a contingent deferred sales charge for redemption
within 12 months of purchase. Class C Shares automatically convert to Class A
Shares six years after purchase. Both Class A Shares and Class C Shares are
subject to annual service fees, which are used to compensate Authorized Dealers
for providing you with ongoing financial advice and other services.
 
Under the Flexible Sales Charge Program, all Fund shares outstanding as of Sep-
tember 6, 1994, have been designated as Class R Shares. Class R Shares are
available for purchase at a price equal to their net asset value only under
certain limited circumstances, or by specified investors, as described herein.
 
Each class of shares of a Fund represents an interest in the same portfolio of
investments. Each class of shares is identical in all respects except that each
class bears its own class expenses, including administration and distribution
expenses, and each class has exclusive voting rights with respect to any dis-
tribution or service plan applicable to its shares. In addition, the Class C
Shares are subject to a conversion feature, as described below. As a result of
the differences in the expenses borne by each class of shares, net income per
share, dividends per share and net asset value per share will vary among a
Fund's classes of shares.
 
The expenses to be borne by specific classes of shares may include (i) transfer
agency fees attributable to a specific class of shares, (ii) printing and post-
age expenses related to preparing and distributing materials such as share-
holder reports, prospectuses and proxy statements to current shareholders of a
specific class of shares, (iii) Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and
state securities registration fees incurred by a specific class of shares, (iv)
the expense of administrative personnel and services required to support the
shareholders of a specific class of shares, (v) litigation or other legal ex-
penses relating to a specific class of shares, (vi) directors' fees or expenses
incurred as a result of issues relating to a specific class of shares, (vii)
accounting expenses relating to a specific class of shares and (viii) any
additional incremental expenses subsequently identified and determined to be
properly allocated to one or more classes of shares that shall be approved by
the SEC pursuant to an amended exemptive order.
 
Each Fund has special purchase programs under which certain persons may pur-
chase Class A Shares at reduced sales charges. One such program is available to
members of a "qualified group." An individual who is a member of a "qualified
group" may purchase Class A Shares of a Fund (or any other Nuveen
 
64
<PAGE>
 
Fund with respect to which a sales charge is imposed), at the reduced sales
charge applicable to the group taken as a whole. A "qualified group" is one
which (i) has been in existence for more than six months; (ii) has a purpose
other than investment; (iii) has five or more participating members; (iv) has
agreed to include sales literature and other materials related to the Fund in
publications and mailings to members; (v) has agreed to have its group adminis-
trator submit a single bulk order and make payment with a single remittance for
all investments in the Fund during each investment period by all participants
who choose to invest in the Fund; and (vi) has agreed to provide the Fund's
transfer agent with appropriate backup data for each participant of the group
in a format fully compatible with the transfer agent's processing system.
 
The "amount" of a share purchase by a participant in a group purchase program
for purposes of determining the applicable sales charge is (i) the aggregate
value of all shares of the Fund (and all other Nuveen Funds with respect to
which a sales charge is imposed) currently held by participants of the group,
plus (ii) the amount of shares currently being purchased.
 
The Funds may encourage registered representatives and their firms to help ap-
portion their assets among bonds, stocks and cash, and may seek to participate
in programs that recommend a portion of their assets be invested in tax-free,
fixed income securities.
 
To help advisers and investors better understand and most efficiently use the
Funds to reach their investment goals, the Funds may advertise and create spe-
cific investment programs and systems. For example, this may include informa-
tion on how to use the Funds to accumulate assets for future education needs or
periodic payments such as insurance premiums. The Funds may produce software or
additional sales literature to promote the advantages of using the Funds to
meet these and other specific investor needs.
 
Exchange of shares of a Fund for shares of a Nuveen money market fund may be
made on days when both funds calculate a net asset value and make shares avail-
able for public purchase. Shares of the Nuveen money market funds may be pur-
chased on days on which the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston is normally open for
business. In addition to the holidays observed by the Fund, the Nuveen money
market funds observe and will not make fund shares available for purchase on
the following holidays: Martin Luther King's Birthday, Columbus Day and Veter-
ans Day.
 
For more information on the procedure for purchasing shares of the Funds and on
the special purchase programs available thereunder, see "How to Buy Fund
Shares" in the Prospectus.
 
Nuveen serves as the principal underwriter of the shares of each of the Funds
pursuant to a "best efforts" arrangement as provided by a distribution agree-
ment with the Nuveen Insured Tax-Free Bond Fund, Inc., dated April 27, 1992 and
last renewed on July 14, 1994 ("Distribution Agreement"). Pursuant to the Dis-
tribution Agreement, the Nuveen Insured Tax-Free Bond Fund, Inc. appointed
Nuveen to be its agent for the distribution of the Funds' shares on a continu-
ous offering basis. Nuveen sells shares to or through brokers, dealers, banks
or other qualified financial intermediaries (collectively referred to as "Deal-
ers"), or others, in a manner consistent with the then effective registration
statement of the Nuveen Insured Tax-Free Bond Fund, Inc. Pursuant to the Dis-
tribution Agreement,
 
                                                                              65
<PAGE>
 
Nuveen, at its own expense, finances certain activities incident to the sale
and distribution of the Funds' shares, including printing and distributing of
prospectuses and statements of additional information to other than existing
shareholders, the printing and distributing of sales literature, advertising
and payment of compensation and giving of concessions to dealers. Nuveen re-
ceives for its services the excess, if any, of the sales price of the Funds'
shares less the net asset value of those shares, and reallows a majority or all
of such amounts to the Dealers who sold the shares; Nuveen may act as such a
Dealer. Nuveen also receives compensation pursuant to a distribution plan
adopted by the Nuveen Insured Tax-Free Bond Fund, Inc. pursuant to Rule 12b-1
and described herein under "Distribution and Service Plans." Nuveen receives
any CDSCs imposed on redemptions of Class C Shares redeemed within 12 months of
purchase, but any such amounts as to which a reinstatement privilege is not ex-
ercised are set off against and reduce amounts otherwise payable to Nuveen pur-
suant to the distribution plan.
 
The following table sets forth the aggregate amount of underwriting commissions
with respect to the sale of Fund shares and the amount thereof retained by
Nuveen for each of the Funds for the last three fiscal years. All figures are
to the nearest thousand.
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                YEAR ENDED               YEAR ENDED               YEAR ENDED
                            FEBRUARY 28, 1995        FEBRUARY 28, 1994        FEBRUARY 28, 1993
                         ------------------------ ------------------------ ------------------------
                            AMOUNT OF      AMOUNT    AMOUNT OF      AMOUNT    AMOUNT OF      AMOUNT
                         UNDERWRITING RETAINED BY UNDERWRITING RETAINED BY UNDERWRITING RETAINED BY
FUND                      COMMISSIONS      NUVEEN  COMMISSIONS      NUVEEN  COMMISSIONS      NUVEEN
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                      <C>          <C>         <C>          <C>         <C>          <C>
National Fund...........        1,554         296        4,490         707        5,408         710
Massachusetts Fund......          147          24          435          66          622          65
New York Fund...........          850         126        3,018         411        4,997         458
</TABLE>
 
                         DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE PLANS
 
Each Fund has adopted a plan (the "Plan") pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the In-
vestment Company Act of 1940, which provides that Class C Shares will be sub-
ject to an annual distribution fee, and that both Class A Shares and Class C
Shares will be subject to an annual service fee. Class R Shares will not be
subject to either distribution or service fees.
 
The distribution fee applicable to Class C Shares under each Fund's Plan will
be payable to reimburse Nuveen for services and expenses incurred in connection
with the distribution of Class C Shares. These expenses include payments to Au-
thorized Dealers, including Nuveen, who are brokers of record with respect to
the Class C Shares, as well as, without limitation, expenses of printing and
distributing prospectuses to persons other than shareholders of the Fund, ex-
penses of preparing, printing and distributing advertising and sales literature
and reports to shareholders used in connection with the sale of Class C Shares,
certain other expenses associated with the distribution of Class C Shares, and
any distribution-related expenses that may be authorized from time to time by
the Board of Directors.
 
The service fee applicable to Class A Shares and Class C Shares under each
Fund's Plan will be payable to Authorized Dealers in connection with the provi-
sion of ongoing account services to shareholders. These services may include
establishing and maintaining shareholder accounts, answering shareholder inqui-
ries and providing other personal services to shareholders.
 
66
<PAGE>
 
Each Fund may spend up to .25 of 1% per year of the average daily net assets
of Class A Shares as a service fee under the Plan applicable to Class A
Shares. Each Fund may spend up to .75 of 1% per year of the average daily net
assets of Class C Shares as a distribution fee and up to .25 of 1% per year of
the average daily net assets of Class C Shares as a service fee under the Plan
applicable to Class C Shares. The .75 of 1% distribution fee will be reduced
by the amount of any CDSC imposed on the redemption of Class C Shares within
12 months of purchase as to which a reinstatement privilege has not been exer-
cised. For the fiscal year ended February 28, 1995, 100% of service fees and
distribution fees were paid out as compensation to Authorized Dealers. The
amount of compensation paid to Authorized Dealers for the fiscal year ended
February 28, 1995 for each Fund per class of shares was as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                            COMPENSATION PAID TO
                                                     AUTHORIZED DEALERS FOR YEAR
                                                         ENDED FEBRUARY 28, 1995
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                  <C>
National Fund
  Class A...........................................           $9,661
  Class C...........................................           $8,512
  Class R...........................................              N/A
Massachusetts Fund
  Class A...........................................           $1,152
  Class C...........................................           $1,077
  Class R...........................................              N/A
New York Fund
  Class A...........................................           $1,620
  Class C...........................................           $  152
  Class R...........................................              N/A
</TABLE>
 
Under each Fund's Plan, the Fund will report quarterly to the Board of Direc-
tors for its review of all amounts expended per class of shares under the
Plan. The Plan may be terminated at any time with respect to any class of
shares, without the payment of any penalty, by a vote of a majority of the di-
rectors who are not "interested persons" and who have no direct or indirect
financial interest in the Plan or by vote of a majority of the outstanding
voting securities of such class. The Plan may be renewed from year to year if
approved by a vote of the Board of Directors and a vote of the non-interested
directors who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan cast
in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on the Plan. The Plan
may be continued only if the directors who vote to approve such continuance
conclude, in the exercise of reasonable business judgment and in light of
their fiduciary duties under applicable law, that there is a reasonable like-
lihood that the Plan will benefit the Fund and its shareholders. The Plan may
not be amended to increase materially the cost which a class of shares may
bear under the Plan without the approval of the shareholders of the affected
class, and any other material amendments of the Plan must be approved by the
non-interested directors by a vote cast in person at a meeting called for the
purpose of considering such amendments. During the continuance of the Plan, the
selection and nomination of the non-interested directors of the Fund will be
committed to the discretion of the non-interested directors then in office.
 
 
                                                                             67
<PAGE>
 
                  INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS AND CUSTODIAN
 
Arthur Andersen LLP, independent public accountants, 33 W. Monroe Street, Chi-
cago, Illinois 60603 have been selected as auditors for Nuveen Tax-Free Bond
Fund, Inc. In addition to audit services, Arthur Andersen LLP will provide con-
sultation and assistance on accounting, internal control, tax and related mat-
ters. The financial statements incorporated by reference elsewhere in this
Statement of Additional Information and the information set forth under "Finan-
cial Highlights" in the Prospectus have been audited by Arthur Andersen LLP as
indicated in their report with respect thereto, and are included in reliance
upon the authority of said firm as experts in giving said report.
 
The custodian of the assets of the Funds is United States Trust Company of New
York, 114 West 47th Street, New York, NY 10036. The custodian performs custodi-
al, fund accounting and portfolio accounting services. The Chase Manhattan
Bank, N.A., 1 Chase Manhattan Plaza, New York, NY 10081 has agreed to become
successor to U.S. Trust, as custodian and fund accountant. The succession is
presently scheduled for July 1, 1995. No changes in the Funds' administration
or in the amount of fees and expenses paid by the Funds for those services will
result, and no action by shareholders will be required.
 
68


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