DEFINED ASSET FUNDS--REGISTERED TRADEMARK--
----------------------------------------------------
MUNICIPAL INVESTMENT TRUST FUND
INSURED SERIES--308
(A UNIT INVESTMENT TRUST)
- PORTFOLIO OF INSURED LONG TERM MUNICIPAL BONDS
- DESIGNED FOR FEDERALLY TAX-FREE INCOME
- MONTHLY INCOME DISTRIBUTIONS
SPONSORS:
MERRILL LYNCH,
PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH
INCORPORATED -----------------------------------------------------
SALOMON SMITH BARNEY INC. The Securities and Exchange Commission has not
PRUDENTIAL SECURITIES approved or disapproved these Securities or passed
INCORPORATED upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any
PAINEWEBBER INCORPORATED representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
DEAN WITTER REYNOLDS INC. Prospectus dated January 31,2000.
<PAGE>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Defined Asset Funds--Registered Trademark--
Defined Asset Funds-Registered Trademark- is America's oldest and largest family
of unit investment trusts, with over $160 billion sponsored over the last 28
years. Defined Asset Funds has been a leader in unit investment trust research
and product innovation. Our family of Funds helps investors work toward their
financial goals with a full range of quality investments, including municipal,
corporate and government bond portfolios, as well as domestic and international
equity portfolios.
Defined Asset Funds offer a number of advantages:
- A disciplined strategy of buying and holding with a long-term view is the
cornerstone of Defined Asset Funds.
- Fixed portfolio: Defined Funds follow a buy and hold investment strategy;
funds are not managed and portfolio changes are limited.
- Defined Portfolios: We choose the stocks and bonds in advance, so you know
what you're investing in.
- Professional research: Our dedicated research team seeks out stocks or bonds
appropriate for a particular fund's objectives.
- Ongoing supervision: We monitor each portfolio on an ongoing basis.
No matter what your investment goals, tolerance for risk or time horizon,
there's probably a Defined Asset Fund that suits your investment style. Your
financial professional can help you select a Defined Asset Fund that works best
for your investment portfolio.
THE FINANCIAL INFORMATION IN THIS PROSPECTUS IS AS OF THE EVALUATION DATE,
SEPTEMBER 30, 1999.
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
CONTENTS
PAGE
----
Risk/Return Summary.................. 3
What You Can Expect From Your
Investment......................... 7
Monthly Income..................... 7
Return Figures..................... 7
Records and Reports................ 7
The Risks You Face................... 8
Interest Rate Risk................. 8
Call Risk.......................... 8
Reduced Diversification Risk....... 8
Liquidity Risk..................... 8
Concentration Risk................. 8
Bond Quality Risk.................. 9
Insurance Related Risk............. 9
Litigation and Legislation Risks... 9
Selling or Exchanging Units.......... 9
Sponsors' Secondary Market......... 10
Selling Units to the Trustee....... 10
Exchange Option.................... 11
How The Fund Works................... 11
Pricing............................ 11
Evaluations........................ 11
Income............................. 11
Expenses........................... 11
Portfolio Changes.................. 12
Fund Termination................... 12
Certificates....................... 13
Trust Indenture.................... 13
Legal Opinion...................... 14
Auditors........................... 14
Sponsors........................... 14
Trustee............................ 15
Underwriters' and Sponsors'
Profits.......................... 15
Public Distribution................ 15
Code of Ethics..................... 15
Taxes................................ 15
Supplemental Information............. 17
Financial Statements................. D-1
</TABLE>
2
<PAGE>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RISK/RETURN SUMMARY
<TABLE>
<C> <S>
1. WHAT IS THE FUND'S OBJECTIVE?
The Fund seeks interest income that is
exempt from regular federal income taxes
by investing in a fixed portfolio
consisting primarily of insured
municipal revenue bonds.
2. WHAT ARE MUNICIPAL REVENUE BONDS?
Municipal revenue bonds are bonds issued
by states, municipalities and public
authorities to finance the cost of
buying, building or improving various
projects intended to generate revenue,
such as airports, health care
facilities, housing and municipal
electric, water and sewer utilities.
Generally, payments on these bonds
depend solely on the revenues generated
by the projects, excise taxes or state
appropriations, and are not backed by
the government's taxing power.
3. WHAT IS THE FUND'S INVESTMENT STRATEGY?
- The Fund plans to hold to maturity 12
insured long-term tax-exempt municipal
bonds, and some short-term bonds
reserved to pay the deferred sales
charge, with a current aggregate face
amount of $8,770,000.
- The Fund is a unit investment trust
which means that, unlike a mutual fund,
the Fund's portfolio is not managed.
- The bonds are rated AAA or Aaa by
Standard & Poor's, Moody's or Fitch.
- Many of the bonds can be called at a
premium declining over time to par
value. Some bonds may be called earlier
at par for extraordinary reasons.
- 100% of the bonds are insured by
insurance companies. Insurance
guarantees timely payments of principal
and interest on the bonds (but not Fund
units or the market value of the bonds
before they mature).
The Portfolio consists of municipal
bonds of the following types:
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
- Airports/Ports/Highways 28%
<C> <S>
- Hospital/Health Care 40%
- Miscellaneous 9%
- Municipal Water/Sewer Utilities 13%
- Universities/Colleges 10%
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<C> <S>
4. WHAT ARE THE SIGNIFICANT RISKS?
YOU CAN LOSE MONEY BY INVESTING IN THE
FUND. THIS CAN HAPPEN FOR VARIOUS
REASONS, INCLUDING:
- Rising interest rates, an issuer's
worsening financial condition or a drop
in bond ratings can reduce the price of
your units.
- Because the Fund is concentrated in
hospital/health care and
airport/port/highway bonds, adverse
developments in these sectors may affect
the value of your units.
- Assuming no changes in interest rates,
when you sell your units, they will
generally be worth less than your cost
because your cost included a sales fee.
- The Fund will receive early returns of
principal if bonds are called or sold
before they mature. If this happens your
income will decline and you may not be
able to reinvest the money you receive
at as high a yield or as long a
maturity.
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<C> <S>
5. IS THIS FUND APPROPRIATE FOR YOU?
Yes, if you want monthly income free
from regular federal income tax. You
will benefit from a professionally
selected and supervised portfolio whose
risk is reduced by investing in bonds of
several different issuers.
The Fund is NOT appropriate for you if
you want a speculative investment that
changes to take advantage of market
movements, if you do not want a
tax-advantaged investment or if you
cannot tolerate any risk.
</TABLE>
3
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<C> <S>
DEFINING YOUR INCOME
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<C> <S> <C>
WHAT YOU MAY EXPECT (PAYABLE ON THE 25TH DAY
OF EACH MONTH):
Regular Monthly Income per unit $ 4.27
Annual Income per unit $51.34
RECORD DAY: 10th day of each month
THESE FIGURES ARE ESTIMATES ON THE EVALUATION DATE;
ACTUAL PAYMENTS MAY VARY.
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<C> <S>
6. WHAT ARE THE FUND'S FEES AND EXPENSES?
This table shows the costs and expenses you may pay,
directly or indirectly, when you invest in the Fund.
INVESTOR FEES
Maximum Sales Fee (Load) on new
purchases (as a percentage of
$1,000 invested) 2.90%
You will pay an up-front sales fee of 1.125% as well
as a total deferred sales fee of $18.75 per unit (paid
in quarterly installments) November, February, May and
August, through November, 2000.
Employees of some of the Sponsors and their affiliates
may be charged a reduced sales fee of no less than
$5.00 per unit.
The maximum sales fee is reduced if you invest at
least $100,000, as follows:
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YOUR MAXIMUM
SALES FEE
IF YOU INVEST: WILL BE:
-------------- ------------
<C> <S> <C>
Less than $100,000 2.90%
$100,000 to $249,999 2.65%
$250,000 to $499,999 2.40%
$500,000 to $999,999 2.15%
$1,000,000 and over 1.90%
Maximum Exchange Fee 1.90%
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<C> <S>
ESTIMATED ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
AMOUNT
PER UNIT
--------
<C> <S> <C>
$ 0.71
Trustee's Fee
$ 0.55
Portfolio Supervision,
Bookkeeping and
Administrative Fees
(including updating
expenses)
$ 0.15
Organization Costs
$ 0.20
Evaluator's Fee
$ 0.34
Other Operating Expenses
------
$ 1.95
TOTAL
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<C> <S>
The Sponsors historically paid organization
costs and updating expenses.
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<C> <S>
7. HOW HAVE SIMILAR FUNDS PERFORMED IN THE
PAST?
IN THE FOLLOWING CHART WE SHOW PAST
PERFORMANCE OF PRIOR MUNICIPAL INSURED
SERIES, WHICH HAD THE SAME INVESTMENT
OBJECTIVES, STRATEGIES AND TYPES OF
BONDS AS THIS FUND. These prior Insured
Series were offered between January 5,
1988 and October 17, 1996 and were
outstanding on December 31, 1999. OF
COURSE, PAST PERFORMANCE OF PRIOR SERIES
IS NO GUARANTEE OF FUTURE RESULTS OF
THIS FUND.
AVERAGE ANNUAL COMPOUND TOTAL RETURNS
FOR PRIOR SERIES
REFLECTING ALL EXPENSES. FOR PERIODS
ENDED 12/31/99.
</TABLE>
-------------------------------------------------------------------
<TABLE>
High 2.89% 6.77% 5.49% 3.07 7.97% 6.08%
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Average -4.66 5.23 5.24 -2.64 6.31 5.83
Low -13.33 2.74 5.04 -10.59 3.60 5.63
</TABLE>
-----------------------------------------------------------
<TABLE>
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Average
Sales fee 2.13% 5.32% 5.82%
</TABLE>
-----------------------------------------------------
NOTE: ALL RETURNS REPRESENT CHANGES IN UNIT PRICE WITH DISTRIBUTIONS REINVESTED
INTO THE MUNICIPAL FUND INVESTMENT ACCUMULATION PROGRAM.
<TABLE>
<C> <S>
8. IS THE FUND MANAGED?
Unlike a mutual fund, the Fund is not managed
and bonds are not sold because of market
changes. Rather, experienced
Defined Asset Funds financial analysts regularly
review the bonds in the Fund. The Fund may sell
a bond if certain adverse credit or other
conditions exist.
9. HOW DO I BUY UNITS?
The minimum investment is one unit.
You can buy units from any of the Sponsors and
other broker-dealers. The Sponsors are listed
later in this prospectus. Some banks may offer
units for sale through special arrangements with
the Sponsors, although certain legal
restrictions may apply.
</TABLE>
4
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<C> <S>
UNIT PRICE PER UNIT $943.27
(as of September 30, 1999)
Unit price is based on the net asset value of
the Fund plus the sales fee. An amount equal to
any principal cash, as well as net accrued but
undistributed interest on the unit, is added to
the unit price. An independent evaluator prices
the bonds at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time every
business day. Unit price changes every day with
changes in the prices of the bonds in the Fund.
10. HOW DO I SELL UNITS?
You may sell your units at any time to any
Sponsor or the Trustee for the net asset
value determined at the close of business on
the date of sale, less any remaining deferred
sales fee. You will not pay any other fee
when you sell your units.
11. HOW ARE DISTRIBUTIONS MADE AND TAXED?
The Fund pays income monthly. In the opinion of
bond counsel when each bond was issued, interest
on the bonds in this Fund is generally 100%
exempt from regular federal income tax.
A portion of the income may also be exempt from
state and local personal income taxes, depending
on where you live.
You will also receive principal payments if
bonds are sold or called or mature, when the
cash available is more than $5.00 per unit. You
will be subject to tax on any gain realized by
the Fund on the disposition of bonds.
12. WHAT OTHER SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE?
REINVESTMENT
You will receive your monthly income in cash
unless you choose to compound your income by
reinvesting with no sales fee in the Municipal
Fund Investment Accumulation Program, Inc. This
program is an open-end mutual fund with a
comparable investment objective, but those bonds
generally will not be insured. Income from this
program will generally be subject to state and
local income taxes. FOR MORE COMPLETE
INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROGRAM, INCLUDING CHARGES
AND FEES, ASK THE TRUSTEE FOR THE PROGRAM'S
PROSPECTUS. READ IT CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU INVEST.
THE TRUSTEE MUST RECEIVE YOUR WRITTEN ELECTION
TO REINVEST AT LEAST 10 DAYS BEFORE THE RECORD
DAY OF AN INCOME PAYMENT.
EXCHANGE PRIVILEGES
You may exchange units of this Fund for units of
certain other Defined Asset Funds. You may also
exchange into this Fund from certain other
funds. We charge a reduced sales fee on
exchanges.
</TABLE>
5
<PAGE>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TAX-FREE VS. TAXABLE INCOME: A COMPARISON OF TAXABLE AND TAX-FREE YIELDS
<TABLE>
EFFECTIVE
TAXABLE INCOME 2000* % TAX TAX-FREE YIELD OF
SINGLE RETURN JOINT RETURN BRACKET 3% 3.5% 4% 4.5% 5% 5.5% 6%
IS EQUIVALENT TO A TAXABLE YIELD OF
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$ 0- 26,250 $ 0- 43,850 15.00 3.53 4.12 4.71 5.29 5.88 6.47 7.06
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$ 26,251- 63,550 $ 43,851-105,950 28.00 4.17 4.86 5.56 6.25 6.94 7.64 8.33
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$ 63,551-132,600 $105,951-161,450 31.00 4.35 5.07 5.80 6.52 7.25 7.97 8.70
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
$132,601-288,350 $161,451-288,350 36.00 4.69 5.47 6.25 7.03 7.81 8.59 9.38
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
OVER $288,350 OVER $288,350 39.60 4.97 5.79 6.62 7.45 8.28 9.11 9.93
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
<S> <C>
TAXABLE INCOME 20
SINGLE RETURN 6.5%
IS
EQUIVALENT
TO A
TAXABLE
YIELD OF
- -----------------
$ 0- 26,250 7.65
- -----------------
$ 26,251- 63,550 9.03
- -----------------
$ 63,551-132,600 9.42
--------
- -----------------
$132,601-288,350 10.16
--------
- -----------------
OVER $288,350 10.76
--------
- -----------------
</TABLE>
To compare the yield of a taxable security with the yield of a federally
tax-free security, find your taxable income and read across. The table
incorporates 2000 federal income tax rates and assumes that all income would
otherwise be taxed at a U.S. investor's highest tax rate. Yield figures are for
example only.
*Based upon net amount subject to federal income tax after deductions and
exemptions. This table does not reflect the possible effect of other tax
factors, such as alternative minimum tax, personal exemptions, the phase-out of
exemptions, itemized deductions, the possible partial disallowance of deductions
or state and local taxation. Consequently, investors are urged to consult their
own tax advisers in this regard.
6
<PAGE>
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM YOUR INVESTMENT
MONTHLY INCOME
The Fund will pay you regular monthly income. Your monthly income may vary
because of:
- elimination of one or more bonds from the Fund's portfolio because of calls,
redemptions or sales;
- a change in the Fund's expenses; or
- the failure by a bond's issuer to pay interest.
Changes in interest rates generally will not affect your monthly income because
the portfolio is fixed.
Along with your monthly income, you will receive your share of any available
bond principal.
RETURN FIGURES
We cannot predict your actual return, which will vary with unit price, how long
you hold your investment and changes in the portfolio, interest income and
expenses.
ESTIMATED CURRENT RETURN equals the estimated annual cash to be received from
the bonds in the Fund less estimated annual Fund expenses, divided by the Unit
Price (including the maximum sales fee):
<TABLE>
<S> <C> <C>
Estimated Annual Estimated
Interest Income - Annual Expenses
- -------------------------------------
Unit Price
</TABLE>
ESTIMATED LONG TERM RETURN is a measure of the estimated return over the
estimated life of the Fund. Unlike Estimated Current Return, Estimated Long Term
Return reflects maturities, discounts and premiums of the bonds in the Fund. It
is an average of the yields to maturity (or in certain cases, to an earlier call
date) of the individual bonds in the portfolio, adjusted to reflect the Fund's
maximum sales fee and estimated expenses. We calculate the average yield for the
portfolio by weighting each bond's yield by its market value and the time
remaining to the call or maturity date.
Yields on individual bonds depend on many factors including general conditions
of the bond markets, the size of a particular offering and the maturity and
quality rating of the particular issues. Yields can vary among bonds with
similar maturities, coupons and ratings.
These return quotations are designed to be comparative rather than predictive.
RECORDS AND REPORTS
You will receive:
- - a monthly statement of income payments and any principal payments;
- - a notice from the Trustee when new bonds are deposited in exchange or
substitution for bonds originally deposited;
- - an annual report on Fund activity; and
- - annual tax information. THIS WILL ALSO BE SENT TO THE IRS. YOU MUST REPORT THE
AMOUNT OF TAX-EXEMPT INTEREST RECEIVED DURING THE YEAR.
You may request:
- - copies of bond evaluations to enable you to comply with federal and state tax
reporting requirements; and
- - audited financial statements of the Fund.
You may inspect records of Fund transactions at the Trustee's office during
regular business hours.
7
<PAGE>
THE RISKS YOU FACE
INTEREST RATE RISK
Investing involves risks, including the risk that your investment will decline
in value if interest rates rise. Generally, bonds with longer maturities will
change in value more than bonds with shorter maturities. Bonds in the Fund are
more likely to be called when interest rates decline. This would result in early
returns of principal to you and may result in early termination of the Fund. Of
course, we cannot predict how interest rates may change.
CALL RISK
Many bonds can be prepaid or "called" by the issuer before their stated
maturity.
For example, an issuer might call its bonds if it no longer needs the money for
the original purpose or, during periods of falling interest rates, if the
issuer's bonds have a coupon higher than current market rates. If the bonds are
called, your income will decline and you may not be able to reinvest the money
you receive at as high a yield or as long a maturity. An early call at par of a
premium bond will reduce your return.
REDUCED DIVERSIFICATION RISK
If many investors sell their units, the Fund will have to sell bonds. This could
reduce the diversification of your investment and increase your share of Fund
expenses.
LIQUIDITY RISK
The bonds will generally trade in the over-the-counter market. We cannot assure
you that a liquid trading market will exist, especially since current law may
restrict the Fund from selling bonds to any Sponsor. The value of the bonds, and
of your investment, may be reduced if trading in bonds is limited or absent.
CONCENTRATION RISK
When a certain type of bond makes up 25% or more of the portfolio, the Fund is
said to be "concentrated" in that bond type, which makes the Fund less
diversified.
Here is what you should know about the Fund's concentration in hospital and
health care bonds:
- payment for these bonds depends on revenues from private third-party payors
and government programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, which have
generally undertaken cost containment measures to limit payments to
healthcare providers;
- hospitals face increasing competition resulting from hospital mergers and
affiliations;
- hospitals need to reduce costs as HMOs increase market penetration and
hospital supply and drug companies raise prices;
- hospitals and health care providers are subject to various legal claims by
patients and others and are adversely affected by increasing costs of
insurance;
- many hospitals are aggressively buying physician practices and assuming risk
contracts to gain market share. If revenues do not increase accordingly,
this practice could reduce profits;
- Medicare is changing its reimbursement system for nursing homes. Many
nursing home providers are not sure how they will be treated. In many cases,
the providers may receive lower reimbursements and these would have to cut
expenses to maintain profitability; and
8
<PAGE>
- most retirement/nursing home providers rely on entrance fees for operating
revenues. If people live longer than expected and turnover is lower than
budgeted, operating revenues would be adversely affected by less than
expected entrance fees.
Here is what you should know about the Fund's concentration in airport, port and
highway bonds. Airport, port and highway revenue bonds are dependent for payment
on revenues from financial projects including:
- user fees from ports and airports;
- tolls on turnpikes and bridges;
- rents from buildings; and
- additional financial resources including
--federal and state subsidies,
-- lease rentals paid by state or local governments, or
-- the pledge of a special tax such as a sales tax or a property tax.
Airport income is largely affected by:
- increased competition;
- excess capacity; and
- increased fuel costs.
Changes to the portfolio from bond redemptions, maturities and sales may affect
the Fund's concentration over time.
BOND QUALITY RISK
A reduction in a bond's rating may decrease its value and, indirectly, the value
of your investment in the Fund.
INSURANCE RELATED RISK
The bonds are backed by insurance companies (as shown under Defined Portfolio).
Insurance policies generally make payments only according to a bond's original
payment schedule and do not make early payments when a bond defaults or becomes
taxable. Although the federal government does not regulate the insurance
business, various state laws and federal initiatives and tax law changes could
significantly affect the insurance business. The claims-paying ability of the
insurance companies is generally rated A or better by Standard & Poor's or
another nationally recognized rating organization. The insurance company ratings
are subject to change at any time at the discretion of the rating agencies.
LITIGATION AND LEGISLATION RISKS
We do not know of any pending litigation that might have a material adverse
effect upon the Fund.
Future tax legislation could affect the value of the portfolio by:
- limiting real property taxes,
- reducing tax rates,
- imposing a flat or other form of tax, or
- exempting investment income from tax.
SELLING OR EXCHANGING UNITS
You can sell your units at any time for a price based on net asset value. Your
net asset value is calculated each business day by:
- ADDING the value of the bonds, net accrued interest, cash and any other Fund
assets;
- SUBTRACTING accrued but unpaid Fund expenses, unreimbursed Trustee advances,
cash held to buy back units or for distribution to investors and any other
Fund liabilities; and
- DIVIDING the result by the number of outstanding units.
Your net asset value when you sell may be more or less than your cost because of
sales
9
<PAGE>
fees, market movements and changes in the portfolio.
If you sell your units before the final deferred sales fee installment, the
amount of any remaining installments will be deducted from your proceeds.
SPONSORS' SECONDARY MARKET
While we are not obligated to do so, we will buy back units at net asset value
without any other fee or charge other than any remaining deferred sales fee. We
may resell the units to other buyers or to the Trustee. You should consult your
financial professional for current market prices to determine if other
broker-dealers or banks are offering higher prices.
We have maintained a secondary market continuously for over 25 years, but we
could discontinue it without prior notice for any business reason.
SELLING UNITS TO THE TRUSTEE
Regardless of whether we maintain a secondary market, you can sell your units to
the Trustee at any time by sending the Trustee a letter (with any outstanding
certificates if you hold unit certificates). You must properly endorse your
certificates (or execute a written transfer instrument with signatures
guaranteed by an eligible institution). Sometimes, additional documents are
needed such as a trust document, certificate of corporate authority, certificate
of death or appointment as executor, administrator or guardian.
Within seven days after your request and the necessary documents are received,
the Trustee will mail a check to you. Contact the Trustee for additional
information.
As long as we are maintaining a secondary market, the Trustee will sell your
units to us at a price based on net asset value. If there is no secondary
market, the Trustee may sell your units in the over-the-counter market for a
higher price, but it is not obligated to do so. In that case, you will receive
the net proceeds of the sale.
If the Fund does not have cash available to pay you for units you are selling,
the agent for the Sponsors will select bonds to be sold. Bonds will be selected
based on market and credit factors. These sales could be made at times when the
bonds would not otherwise be sold and may result in your receiving less than the
unit par value and also reduce the size and diversity of the Fund.
If you acquire 25% or more of the outstanding units of the Fund and you sell
units with a value exceeding $250,000, the Trustee may choose to pay you "in
kind" by distributing bonds and cash with a total value equal to the price of
those units. The Trustee will try to distribute bonds in the portfolio pro rata,
but it reserves the right to distribute only one or a few bonds. The Trustee
will act as your agent in an in kind distribution and will either hold the bonds
for your account or sell them as you instruct. You must pay any transaction
costs as well as transfer and ongoing custodial fees on sales of bonds
distributed in kind.
There could be a delay in paying you for your units:
- if the New York Stock Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and
holiday closings);
10
<PAGE>
- if the SEC determines that trading on the New York Stock Exchange is
restricted or that an emergency exists making sale or evaluation of the
bonds not reasonably practicable; and
- for any other period permitted by SEC order.
EXCHANGE OPTION
You may exchange units of certain Defined Asset Funds for units of this Fund at
a maximum exchange fee of 1.90%. You may exchange units of this Fund for units
of certain other funds at a reduced sales fee if your investment goals change.
To exchange units, you should talk to your financial professional about what
funds are exchangeable, suitable and currently available.
Normally, an exchange is taxable and you must recognize any gain or loss on the
exchange. However, the IRS may try to disallow a loss if the portfolios of the
two funds are not materially different; you should consult your own tax adviser.
We may amend or terminate this exchange option at any time without notice.
HOW THE FUND WORKS
PRICING
The price of a unit includes interest accrued on the bonds, less expenses, from
the most recent Record Day up to, but not including, the settlement date, which
is usually three business days after the purchase date of the unit.
A portion of the price of a unit consists of cash so that the Trustee can
provide you with regular monthly income. When you sell your units you will
receive your share of this cash.
In addition, as with mutual funds, the Fund (and therefore the investors) pay
all or some of the costs of organizing the Fund including:
- cost of initial preparation of legal documents;
- federal and state registration fees;
- initial fees and expenses of the Trustee;
- initial audit; and
- legal expenses and other out-of-pocket expenses.
These costs are amortized over the first five years of the Fund.
EVALUATIONS
An independent Evaluator values the bonds on each business day (excluding
Saturdays, Sundays and the following holidays as observed by the New York Stock
Exchange: New Year's Day, Presidents' Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Good
Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas).
Bond values are based on current bid or offer prices for the bonds or comparable
bonds. In the past, the difference between bid and offer prices of publicly
offered tax-exempt bonds has ranged from 0.5% of face amount on actively traded
issues to 3.5% on inactively traded issues; the difference has averaged between
1 and 2%.
INCOME
The Trustee credits interest to an Income Account and other receipts to a
Capital Account. The Trustee may establish a
11
<PAGE>
Reserve Account by withdrawing from these accounts amounts it considers
appropriate to pay any material liability. These accounts do not bear interest.
EXPENSES
The Trustee is paid monthly. It also benefits when it holds cash for the Fund in
non-interest bearing accounts. The Trustee may also receive additional amounts:
- to reimburse the Trustee for the Fund's operating expenses;
- for extraordinary services and costs of indemnifying the Trustee and the
Sponsors;
- costs of actions taken to protect the Fund and other legal fees and
expenses;
- expenses for keeping the Fund's registration statement current; and
- Fund termination expenses and any governmental charges.
The Sponsors are currently reimbursed up to 55 CENTS per $1,000 face amount
annually for providing portfolio supervisory, bookkeeping and administrative
services and for any other expenses properly chargeable to the Fund. Legal,
typesetting, electronic filing and regulatory filing fees and expenses
associated with updating the Portfolio's registration statement yearly are also
now chargeable to the Portfolio. While this fee may exceed the amount of these
costs and expenses attributable to this Fund, the total of these fees for all
Series of Defined Asset Funds will not exceed the aggregate amount attributable
to all of these Series for any calendar year. The Fund also pays the Evaluator's
fees.
The Trustee's, Sponsors' and Evaluator's fees may be adjusted for inflation
without investors' approval.
Any quarterly deferred sales charges you owe are paid with interest and
principal from certain bonds. If these amounts are not enough, the rest will be
paid out of distributions to you from the Fund's Capital and Income Accounts.
The Sponsors will pay advertising and selling expenses at no charge to the Fund.
If Fund expenses exceed initial estimates, the Fund will owe the excess. The
Trustee has a lien on Fund assets to secure reimbursement of Fund expenses and
may sell bonds if cash is not available.
PORTFOLIO CHANGES
The Sponsors and Trustee are not liable for any default or defect in a bond.
Unlike a mutual fund, the portfolio is designed to remain intact and we may keep
bonds in the portfolio even if their credit quality declines or other adverse
financial circumstances occur. However, we may sell a bond in certain cases if
we believe that certain adverse credit conditions exist or if a bond becomes
taxable.
If we maintain a secondary market in units but are unable to sell the units that
we buy in the secondary market, we will redeem units, which will affect the size
and composition of the portfolio. Units offered in the secondary market may not
represent the same face amount of bonds that they did originally.
12
<PAGE>
We decide whether or not to offer units for sale that we acquire in the
secondary market after reviewing:
- diversity of the portfolio;
- size of the Fund relative to its original size;
- ratio of Fund expenses to income;
- current and long-term returns;
- degree to which units may be selling at a premium over par; and
- cost of maintaining a current prospectus.
FUND TERMINATION
The Fund will terminate following the stated maturity or sale of the last bond
in the portfolio. The Fund may also terminate earlier with the consent of
investors holding 51% of the units or if total assets of the Fund have fallen
below 40% of the face amount of bonds deposited. We will decide whether to
terminate the Fund early based on the same factors used in deciding whether or
not to offer units in the secondary market.
When the Fund is about to terminate you will receive a notice, and you will be
unable to sell your units after that time. On or shortly before termination, we
will sell any remaining bonds, and you will receive your final distribution. Any
bond that cannot be sold at a reasonable price may continue to be held by the
Trustee in a liquidating trust pending its final sale.
You will pay your share of the expenses associated with termination, including
brokerage costs in selling bonds. This may reduce the amount you receive as your
final distribution.
CERTIFICATES
Certificates for units are issued on request. You may transfer certificates by
complying with the requirements for redeeming certificates, described above. You
can replace lost or mutilated certificates by delivering satisfactory indemnity
and paying the associated costs.
TRUST INDENTURE
The Fund is a "unit investment trust" governed by a Trust Indenture, a contract
among the Sponsors, the Trustee and the Evaluator, which sets forth their duties
and obligations and your rights. A copy of the Indenture is available to you on
request to the Trustee. The following summarizes certain provisions of the
Indenture.
The Sponsors and the Trustee may amend the Indenture without your consent:
- to cure ambiguities;
- to correct or supplement any defective or inconsistent provision;
- to make any amendment required by any governmental agency; or
- to make other changes determined not to be materially adverse to your best
interest (as determined by the Sponsors).
Investors holding 51% of the units may amend the Indenture. Every investor must
consent to any amendment that changes the 51% requirement. No amendment may
reduce your interest in the Fund without your written consent.
The Trustee may resign by notifying the Sponsors. The Sponsors may remove the
Trustee without your consent if:
13
<PAGE>
- it fails to perform its duties and the Sponsors determine that its
replacement is in your best interest; or
- it becomes incapable of acting or bankrupt or its affairs are taken over by
public authorities.
Investors holding 51% of the units may remove the Trustee. The Evaluator may
resign or be removed by the Sponsors and the Trustee without the consent of
investors. The resignation or removal of either becomes effective when a
successor accepts appointment. The Sponsors will try to appoint a successor
promptly; however, if no successor has accepted within 30 days after notice of
resignation, the resigning Trustee or Evaluator may petition a court to appoint
a successor.
Any Sponsor may resign as long as one Sponsor with a net worth of $2 million
remains and agrees to the resignation. The remaining Sponsors and the Trustee
may appoint a replacement. If there is only one Sponsor and it fails to perform
its duties or becomes bankrupt the Trustee may:
- remove it and appoint a replacement Sponsor;
- liquidate the Fund; or
- continue to act as Trustee without a Sponsor.
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated acts as agent for the
Sponsors.
The Trust Indenture contains customary provisions limiting the liability of the
Trustee, the Sponsors and the Evaluator.
LEGAL OPINION
Davis Polk & Wardwell, 450 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10017, as
special counsel for the Sponsors, has given an opinion that the units are
validly issued.
AUDITORS
Deloitte & Touche LLP, 2 World Financial Center, New York, New York 10281,
independent accountants, audited the Statement of Condition included in this
prospectus.
SPONSORS
The Sponsors are:
MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INCORPORATED (a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.)
P.O. Box 9051,
Princeton, NJ 08543-9051
SALOMON SMITH BARNEY INC. (an indirectly wholly-owned subsidiary of Citigroup
Inc.)
388 Greenwich Street--23rd Floor,
New York, NY 10013
14
<PAGE>
DEAN WITTER REYNOLDS INC. (a principal operating subsidiary of Morgan Stanley
Dean Witter & Co.)
Two World Trade Center--59th Floor,
New York, NY 10048
PRUDENTIAL SECURITIES INCORPORATED (an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the
Prudential Insurance Company of America)
One New York Plaza
New York, NY 10292
PAINEWEBBER INCORPORATED (a wholly-owned subsidiary of PaineWebber Group Inc.)
1285 Avenue of the Americas,
New York, NY 10019
Each Sponsor is a Delaware corporation and it, or its predecessor, has acted as
sponsor to many unit investment trusts. As a registered broker-dealer each
Sponsor buys and sells securities (including investment company shares) for
others (including investment companies) and participates as an underwriter in
various selling groups.
TRUSTEE
The Chase Manhattan Bank, Unit Investment Trust Department, 4 New York
Plaza--6th Floor, New York, New York 10004, is the Trustee. It is supervised by
the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Board of Governors of the Federal
Reserve System and New York State banking authorities.
UNDERWRITERS' AND SPONSORS' PROFITS
Underwriters receive sales charges when they sell units. The Sponsors also
realized a profit or loss on the initial deposit of the bonds. Any cash made
available by you to the Sponsors before the settlement date for those units may
be used in the Sponsors' businesses to the extent permitted by federal law and
may benefit the Sponsors.
A Sponsor or Underwriter may realize profits or sustain losses on bonds in the
Fund which were acquired from underwriting syndicates of which it was a member.
In maintaining a secondary market, the Sponsors will also realize profits or
sustain losses in the amount of any difference between the prices at which they
buy units and the prices at which they resell or redeem them.
PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
The Sponsors do not intend to qualify units for sale in any foreign countries.
This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell units in any country where
units cannot lawfully be sold.
CODE OF ETHICS
Merrill Lynch, as agent for the Sponsors, has adopted a code of ethics requiring
preclearance and reporting of personal securities transactions by its employees
with access to information on portfolio transactions. The goal of the code is to
prevent fraud, deception or misconduct against the Fund and to provide
reasonable standards of conduct.
TAXES
The following summary describes some of the important income tax consequences of
holding units. It assumes that you are not a dealer, financial institution,
insurance company or other investor with special circumstances or subject to
special rules.
15
<PAGE>
You should consult your own tax adviser about your particular circumstances.
At the date of issue of each bond, counsel for the issuer delivered an opinion
to the effect that interest on the bond is exempt from regular federal income
tax. However, interest may be subject to state and local taxes may be taken into
account in determining your preference items for alternative minimum tax
purposes. Neither we nor our counsel have reviewed the issuance of the bonds,
related proceedings or the basis for the opinions of counsel for the issuers. We
cannot assure you that the issuer (or other users) have complied or will comply
with any requirements necessary for a bond to be tax-exempt. If any of the bonds
were determined not to be tax-exempt, you could be required to pay income tax
for current and prior years, and if the Fund were to sell the bond, it might
have to sell it at a substantial discount.
In the opinion of our counsel, under existing law:
GENERAL TREATMENT OF THE FUND AND YOUR INVESTMENT
The Fund will not be taxed as a corporation for federal income tax purposes, and
you will be considered to own directly your share of each bond in the Fund.
GAIN OR LOSS UPON DISPOSITION
When all or part of your share of a bond is disposed of (for example, when the
Fund sells, exchanges or redeems a bond or when you sell or exchange your
units), you will generally recognize capital gain or loss. Your gain, however,
will generally be ordinary income to the extent of any accrued "market
discount". Generally you will have market discount to the extent that your basis
in a bond when you purchase a unit is less than its stated redemption price at
maturity (or, if it is an original issue discount bond, the issue price
increased by original issue discount that has accrued on the bond before your
purchase). You should consult your tax adviser in this regard.
If your net long-term capital gains exceed your net short-term capital losses,
the excess may be subject to tax at a lower rate than ordinary income. Any
capital gain from the Fund will be long-term if you are considered to have held
your investment on each bond for more than one year and short-term otherwise. If
you are an individual and sell your units after holding them for more than one
year, you may be entitled to a 20% maximum federal tax rate on any resulting
gains. Consult your tax adviser in this regard. Because the deductibility of
capital losses is subject to limitations, you may not be able to deduct all of
your capital losses.
YOUR BASIS IN THE BONDS
Your aggregate basis in the bonds will be equal to the cost of your units,
including any sales charges and the organizational expenses you pay, adjusted to
reflect any accruals of "original issue discount," "acquisition premium" and
"bond premium". You should consult your tax adviser in this regard.
EXPENSES
If you are not a corporate investor, you will not be entitled to a deduction for
your share of fees and expenses of the Fund. Also, if
16
<PAGE>
you borrowed money in order to purchase or carry your units, you will not be
able to deduct the interest on this borrowing for federal income tax purposes.
The IRS may treat your purchase of units as made with borrowed money even if the
money is not directly traceable to the purchase of units.
STATE AND LOCAL TAXES
Under the income tax laws of the State and City of New York, the Fund will not
be taxed as a corporation. If you are a New York taxpayer, your income from the
Fund will not be tax-exempt in New York except to the extent that the income is
earned on bonds that are tax-exempt for New York purposes. Depending on where
you live, your income from the Fund may be subject to state and local taxation.
You should consult your tax adviser in this regard.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
You can receive at no cost supplemental information about the Fund by calling
the Trustee. The supplemental information includes more detailed risk disclosure
about the types of bonds that may be in the Fund's portfolio, general risk
disclosure concerning any insurance securing certain bonds, and general
information about the structure and operation of the Fund. The supplemental
information is also available from the SEC.
17
<PAGE>
MUNICIPAL INVESTMENT TRUST FUND,
INSURED SERIES - 308,
DEFINED ASSET FUNDS
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS
The Sponsors, Trustee and Holders
of Municipal Investment Trust Fund,
Insured Series - 308,
Defined Asset Funds:
We have audited the accompanying statement of condition of Municipal Investment
Trust Fund, Insured Series - 308, Defined Asset Funds, including the portfolio,
as of September 30, 1999 and the related statements of operations and of changes
in net assets for the year ended September 30, 1999 and the period October 2,
1997 to September 30, 1998. These financial statements are the responsibility of
the Trustee. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial
statements based on our audit.
We conducted our audits in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Securities owned at
September 30, 1999, as shown in such portfolio, were confirmed to us by The
Chase Manhattan Bank, the Trustee. An audit also includes assessing the
accounting principles used and significant estimates made by the Trustee, as
well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that
our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in
all material respects, the financial position of Municipal Investment Trust
Fund, Insured Series - 308, Defined Asset Funds at September 30, 1999 and the
results of its operations and changes in its net assets for the above-stated
periods in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles.
DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
New York, N.Y.
December 21, 1999
D - 1.
<PAGE>
MUNICIPAL INVESTMENT TRUST FUND,
INSURED SERIES - 308,
DEFINED ASSET FUNDS
STATEMENT OF CONDITION
As of September 30, 1999
<TABLE>
<S> <C> <C>
TRUST PROPERTY:
Investment in marketable securities -
at value (cost $ 8,655,391 )(Note 1)......... $ 8,118,869
Accrued interest ............................... 91,828
Accrued interest on Segregated Bonds (Note 5) .. 2,391
Cash - income on Segregated Bonds .............. 780
Cash - principal ............................... 78,478
Deferred organization costs (Note 6) ........... 6,052
-----------
Total trust property ......................... 8,298,398
LESS LIABILITIES:
Income advance from Trustee..................... $ 62,413
Principal payments payable (Segregated Bonds) .. 1,800
Accrued Sponsors' fees ......................... 3,304
Other liabilities (Note 6) ..................... 6,052 73,569
----------- -----------
NET ASSETS, REPRESENTED BY:
8,703 units of fractional undivided
interest outstanding (Note 3)................ 8,198,718
Undistributed net investment income ............ 26,111 $ 8,224,829
----------- ===========
UNIT VALUE ($ 8,224,829 / 8,703 units ) .......... $ 945.06
===========
</TABLE>
See Notes to Financial Statements.
D - 2.
<PAGE>
MUNICIPAL INVESTMENT TRUST FUND,
INSURED SERIES - 308,
DEFINED ASSET FUNDS
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
October 2, 1997
Year Ended to
September 30, September 30,
1999 1998
---- ----
<S> <C> <C>
INVESTMENT INCOME:
Interest income ........................ $ 478,779 $ 514,966
Interest income on Segregated
Bonds (Note 5) ....................... 14,692 18,844
Trustee's fees and expenses ............ (11,241) (8,233)
Sponsors' fees ......................... (4,444) (4,618)
------------------------------
Net investment income .................. 477,786 520,959
------------------------------
REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS)
ON INVESTMENTS:
Realized gain on
securities sold or redeemed .......... 769 5,476
Unrealized appreciation (depreciation)
of investments ....................... (1,034,735) 498,213
------------------------------
Net realized and unrealized
gain (loss) on investments .......... (1,033,966) 503,689
------------------------------
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS
RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS .............. $ (556,180) $ 1,024,648
==============================
</TABLE>
See Notes to Financial Statements.
D - 3.
<PAGE>
MUNICIPAL INVESTMENT TRUST FUND,
INSURED SERIES - 308,
DEFINED ASSET FUNDS
STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
October 2, 1997
Year Ended to
September 30, September 30,
1999 1998
---- ----
<S> <C> <C>
OPERATIONS:
Net investment income .................. $ 477,786 $ 520,959
Realized gain on
securities sold or redeemed .......... 769 5,476
Unrealized appreciation (depreciation)
of investments ....................... (1,034,735) 498,213
------------------------------
Net increase (decrease) in net assets
resulting from operations ............ (556,180) 1,024,648
------------------------------
INCOME DISTRIBUTIONS TO
HOLDERS (Note 2)....................... (463,777) (473,697)
------------------------------
SHARE TRANSACTIONS:
Deferred sales charge (Note 5):
Income ............................... (30,365)
Principal ............................ (119,688) (140,636)
Redemption amounts:
Income ............................... (1,120) (504)
Principal ............................ (577,758) (815,761)
------------------------------
Net share transactions ................. (728,931) (956,901)
------------------------------
NET DECREASE IN NET ASSETS ............... (1,748,888) (405,950)
NET ASSETS AT BEGINNING OF PERIOD ........ 9,973,717 10,379,667
------------------------------
NET ASSETS AT END OF PERIOD .............. $ 8,224,829 $ 9,973,717
==============================
PER UNIT:
Income distributions during
period ............................... $ 51.59 $ 48.54
==============================
Net asset value at end of
period ............................... $ 945.06 $ 1,074.64
==============================
TRUST UNITS:
Redeemed during period ................. 578 805
Outstanding at end of period ........... 8,703 9,281
==============================
</TABLE>
See Notes to Financial Statements.
D - 4.
<PAGE>
MUNICIPAL INVESTMENT TRUST FUND,
INSURED SERIES - 308,
DEFINED ASSET FUNDS
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The Fund is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 as a Unit
Investment Trust. The following is a summary of significant accounting
policies consistently followed by the Fund in the preparation of its
financial statements. The policies are in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles.
(A) Securities are stated at value as determined by the Evaluator based
on bid side evaluations for the securities, except that value on
October 2, 1997 was based upon offering side evaluations at
September 30, 1997, the day prior to the Date of Deposit. Cost of
securities at October 2, 1997 was also based on such offering side
evaluations.
(B) The Fund is not subject to income taxes. Accordingly, no provision
for such taxes is required.
(C) Interest income is recorded as earned.
2. DISTRIBUTIONS
A distribution of net investment income is made to Holders each month.
Receipts other than interest, after deductions for redemptions and
applicable expenses, are also distributed periodically.
3. NET CAPITAL
Cost of 8,703 units at Date of Deposit ..................... $ 8,956,399
Transfer of capital to interest on Segregated Bonds (Note 5) 33,536
Redemptions of units - net cost of 1,383 units redeemed
less redemption amounts (principal)....................... 29,749
Deferred sales charge (Note 5) ............................. (290,689)
Realized gain on securities sold or redeemed ............... 6,245
Unrealized depreciation of investments ..................... (536,522)
-----------
Net capital applicable to Holders .......................... $ 8,198,718
===========
4. INCOME TAXES
As of September 30, 1999, unrealized depreciation of investments,
based on cost for Federal income tax purposes, aggregated $536,522,
all of which was related to depreciated securities. The cost of
investment securities for Federal income tax purposes was $8,655,391
at September 30, 1999.
D - 5.
<PAGE>
MUNICIPAL INVESTMENT TRUST FUND,
INSURED SERIES - 308,
DEFINED ASSET FUNDS
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
5. DEFERRED SALES CHARGE
$170,000 face amount of Fulton Cnty., GA, Wtr. and Sewerage Rev. Bonds,
Rfdg. Ser. 1992 have been segregated to fund the deferred sales charges.
The sales charges are being paid for with the interest received and by
periodic sales or maturity of these bonds. A deferred sales charge of
$3.75 per Unit is charged on a quarterly basis, and paid to the Sponsors
periodically by the Trustee on behalf of the Holders, up to an aggregate
of $45 per Unit over the first three years of the life of the Fund. Should
a Holder redeem Units prior to the third anniversary of the Fund, the
remaining balance of the deferred sales charge will be charged.
6. DEFERRED ORGANIZATION COSTS
Deferred organization costs are being amortized over five years. Included
in "Other liabilities" on the Statement of Condition is $6,052 payable to
the Trustee for reimbursement of costs related to the organization of the
Trust.
D - 6.
<PAGE>
MUNICIPAL INVESTMENT TRUST FUND,
INSURED SERIES - 308,
DEFINED ASSET FUNDS
PORTFOLIO
As of September 30, 1999
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Rating of {PE VER C.} Optional
Portfolio No. and Title of Issues Face Redemption
Securities (1) (4) Amount Coupon Maturities(3) Provisions(3) Cost(2) Value(2)
---------- --------- ----------- ----------- ------------ ------------ ---------- ---------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
1 City and Cnty. of Denver, CO, Arpt. AAA $ 245,000 5.700 % 2025 11/15/05 $ 251,617 $ 239,835
Sys. Rev. Bonds, Ser. 1995 A (MBIA @ 102.000
Ins.)
2 Fulton Cnty., GA, Wtr. and Sewerage AAA 170,000 5.625 2001 None 178,072 173,143
Rev. Bonds, Rfdg. Ser. 1992 (Financial
Guaranty Ins.) (5)
3 Illinois Hlth. Facs. Auth. Rev. Bonds AAA 1,000,000 5.250 2027 02/15/08 963,710 892,340
(Edward Oblig. Grp.), Ser. 1997 A @ 101.000
(AMBAC Ins.)
4 City of Chicago, IL, Skyway Toll Bridge AAA 1,000,000 5.500 2023 01/01/07 1,004,070 950,850
Rev. Bonds, Ser. 1996 (MBIA Ins.) @ 102.000
5 Massachusetts Tpke. Auth., Metro. Hwy. AAA 1,000,000 5.000 2037 01/01/07 934,990 850,370
Sys. Rev. Bonds, Ser. 1997 A (MBIA @ 102.000
Ins.)
6 Tulsa, OK, Metro. Util. Auth. (Tulsa, AAA 1,000,000 5.750 2025 09/01/05 1,034,320 1,001,200
OK), Util. Rev. Bonds, Ser. 1995 @ 102.000
(MBIA Ins.)
7 North Central Texas Hlth. Facs. Dev. AAA 1,000,000 5.375 2026 02/15/08 982,070 918,900
Corp., TX, Hlth. Resources Sys. Rev. @ 102.000
Bonds, Ser. 1997 B (MBIA Ins.)
8 Harris Cnty., TX, Toll Rd. Sr. Lien AAA 160,000 5.375 2020 08/15/04 158,430 151,264
Rev. Rfdg. Bonds, Ser. 1994 (Financial @ 102.000
Guaranty Ins.)
9 Utah Cnty., UT, Hosp. Rev. Bonds (IHC AAA 500,000 5.250 2026 08/15/07 485,500 448,390
Hlth. Svc., Inc.), Ser. 1997 (MBIA Ins.) @ 101.000
10 Wisconsin Hlth. and Educl. Facs. Auth. AAA 1,000,000 5.250 2027 08/15/07 963,460 891,570
Rev. Bonds (Aurora Hlth. Care, Inc.), @ 102.000
Ser. 1997 (MBIA Ins.)
</TABLE>
D - 7.
<PAGE>
MUNICIPAL INVESTMENT TRUST FUND,
INSURED SERIES - 308,
DEFINED ASSET FUNDS
PORTFOLIO
As of September 30, 1999
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Rating of Optional
Portfolio No. and Title of Issues Face Redemption
Securities (1) (4) Amount Coupon Maturities(3) Provisions(3) Cost(2) Value(2)
---------- --------- ----------- ----------- ------------ ------------ ---------- ---------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
11 District of Columbia, Rev. Bonds AAA $ 795,000 5.375 % 2027 08/15/07 $ 786,255 $ 736,575
(Association of American Med. Coll. @ 102.000
Issue), Ser. 1997 A (AMBAC Ins.)
12 District of Columbia, Univ. Rev. Bonds AAA 900,000 5.625 2026 10/01/06 912,897 864,432
(American Univ. Issue), Ser. 1996 @ 101.000
(AMBAC Ins.)
--------- --------- ---------
TOTAL $ 8,770,000 $ 8,655,391 $ 8,118,869
========= ========= =========
</TABLE>
See Notes to Portfolio.
D - 8.
<PAGE>
MUNICIPAL INVESTMENT TRUST FUND,
INSURED SERIES - 308,
DEFINED ASSET FUNDS
NOTES TO PORTFOLIO
As of September 30, 1999
(1) The ratings of the bonds are by Standard & Poor's Ratings Group or by
Moody's Investors Service, Inc. if followed by "(m)", or by Fitch
Investors Service, Inc. if followed by "(f)"; "NR" indicates that this
bond is not currently rated by any of the above-mentioned rating services.
These ratings have been furnished by the Evaluator but not confirmed with
the rating agencies.
(2) See Notes to Financial Statements.
(3) Optional redemption provisions, which may be exercised in whole or in
part, are initially at prices of par plus a premium, then subsequently at
prices declining to par. Certain securities may provide for redemption at
par prior or in addition to any optional or mandatory redemption dates or
maturity, for example, through the operation of a maintenance and
replacement fund, if proceeds are not able to be used as contemplated, the
project is condemned or sold or the project is destroyed and insurance
proceeds are used to redeem the securities. Many of the securities are
also subject to mandatory sinking fund redemption commencing on dates
which may be prior to the date on which securities may be optionally
redeemed. Sinking fund redemptions are at par and redeem only part of the
issue. Some of the securities have mandatory sinking funds which contain
optional provisions permitting the issuer to increase the principal amount
of securities called on a mandatory redemption date. The sinking fund
redemptions with optional provisions may, and optional refunding
redemptions generally will, occur at times when the redeemed securities
have an offering side evaluation which represents a premium over par. To
the extent that the securities were acquired at a price higher than the
redemption price, this will represent a loss of capital when compared with
the Public Offering Price of the Units when acquired. Distributions will
generally be reduced by the amount of the income which would otherwise
have been paid with respect to redeemed securities and there will be
distributed to Holders any principal amount and premium received on such
redemption after satisfying any redemption requests for Units received by
the Fund. The estimated current return may be affected by redemptions.
(4) All securities are insured, either on an individual basis or by portfolio
insurance, by a municipal bond insurance company which has been assigned
"AAA" claims paying ability by Standard & Poor's. Accordingly, Standard &
Poor's has assigned a "AAA" rating to the securities. Securities covered
by portfolio insurance are rated "AAA" only as long as they remain in the
Trust.
(5) These bonds have been segregated to fund the deferred sales charge.
D - 9.
<PAGE>
DEFINED ASSET FUNDS-SM-
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
HAVE QUESTIONS ? MUNICIPAL INVESTMENT TRUST FUND
Request the most recent free INSURED SERIES--308
Information Supplement (A Unit Investment Trust)
that gives more details about ---------------------------------------
the Fund, by calling: This Prospectus does not contain
The Chase Manhattan Bank complete information about the
1-800-323-1508 investment company filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission in
Washington, D.C. under the:
- Securities Act of 1933 (file no.
333-30859) and
- Investment Company Act of 1940 (file
no. 811-1777).
TO OBTAIN COPIES AT PRESCRIBED RATES--
WRITE: Public Reference Section of the
Commission
450 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington,
D.C. 20549-6009
CALL: 1-800-SEC-0330.
VISIT: http://www.sec.gov.
---------------------------------------
No person is authorized to give any
information or representations about
this Fund not contained in this
Prospectus or the Information
Supplement, and you should not rely on
any other information.
---------------------------------------
When units of this Fund are no longer
available, this Prospectus may be used
as a preliminary prospectus for a
future series, but some of the
information in this Prospectus will be
changed for that series.
UNITS OF ANY FUTURE SERIES MAY NOT BE
SOLD NOR MAY OFFERS TO BUY BE ACCEPTED
UNTIL THAT SERIES HAS BECOME EFFECTIVE
WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION. NO UNITS CAN BE SOLD IN ANY
STATE WHERE A SALE WOULD BE ILLEGAL.
11330--1/00
</TABLE>
