LEBENTHAL FUNDS INC
497, 1998-05-07
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                                                                     Rule 497(C)
                                                       Registration No. 33-36784

LEBENTHAL
FUNDS, INC.

120 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10271
212-425-6116
OUTSIDE NYC TOLL FREE 1-800-221-5822

PROSPECTUS
March 31, 1998

Lebenthal Funds, Inc. (the "Fund") is an open-end, management investment company
currently  consisting  of two  non-diversified  portfolios  and one  diversified
portfolio.  No assurance can be given that the  Portfolios'  objectives  will be
achieved.

Lebenthal New York  Municipal  Bond Fund - The Lebenthal New York Municipal Bond
Fund (the "New York Portfolio") is a  non-diversified  municipal bond fund whose
investment  objective is to maximize  income exempt from regular  Federal income
taxes  and  from  New  York  State  and New York  City  personal  income  taxes,
consistent  with   preservation  of  capital,   with   consideration   given  to
opportunities  for capital  gain.  The New York  Portfolio  seeks to achieve its
investment  objective by investing  principally  in long term  investment  grade
tax-exempt  securities of New York State, Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories
and their political subdivisions, municipalities and public authorities. The New
York  Portfolio  offers two classes of shares for sale as further  described  in
this Prospectus.

Lebenthal New Jersey  Municipal  Bond Fund - The Lebenthal New Jersey  Municipal
Bond Fund (the "New Jersey Portfolio") is a non-diversified  municipal bond fund
whose  investment  objective is to maximize  income exempt from regular  Federal
income taxes and from New Jersey gross income tax,  consistent with preservation
of capital,  with consideration given to opportunities for capital gain. The New
Jersey  Portfolio  seeks  to  achieve  its  investment  objective  by  investing
principally in long-term  investment grade tax-exempt  securities of New Jersey,
Puerto  Rico and  other  U.S.  territories  and  their  political  subdivisions,
municipalities and public authorities.

Lebenthal  Taxable  Municipal Bond Fund - The Lebenthal  Taxable  Municipal Bond
Fund (the  "Taxable  Portfolio")  is a  diversified  municipal  bond fund  whose
investment  objective is to maximize  income  consistent  with  preservation  of
capital, with consideration given to opportunities for capital gain. The Taxable
Portfolio seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing  principally in
taxable,  long-term  investment grade  securities  issued by state and municipal
governments and by their political subdivisions and public authorities ("Taxable
Municipal  Obligations").  The interest on the Taxable Municipal  Obligations is
includible in gross income for Federal income tax purposes and may be subject to
personal income taxes imposed by any state of the United States or any political
subdivision thereof, or by the District of Columbia. Shares of the Portfolio may
be particularly appropriate,  therefore, for retirement plans such as Individual
Retirement

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
ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A
CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

<PAGE>

Accounts.  (See "Retirement Plans.") Investors should consult their tax advisors
concerning the taxability of interest on the Taxable Municipal Obligations.

This  Prospectus  sets  forth  concisely  the  information  about  each  of  the
Portfolios  that  prospective  investors  will  find  helpful  in  making  their
investment  decisions  and should be read and retained by  investors  for future
reference.  The Statement of Additional  Information ("SAI") has been filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and is available upon request and
without  charge by  calling or writing  the Fund at the above  address.  The SEC
maintains  a web  site  (http://www.sec.gov)  that  contains  the SAI and  other
reports  and  information   regarding  the  Portfolios  which  have  been  filed
electronically with the SEC.

Lebenthal  Asset  Management,  Inc.,  the Manager of the Fund,  is a  registered
investment adviser,  and Lebenthal & Co., Inc.,  Distributor of its shares, is a
registered  broker-dealer  and  investment  adviser  and member of the  National
Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.

Shares in the Fund are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed or endorsed
by, any bank,  and the shares are not federally  insured by the Federal  Deposit
Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board, or any other agency.





                                       -2-

<PAGE>


<TABLE>
                           TABLE OF FEES AND EXPENSES

Shareholder Transaction Expenses
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(as a percentage of offering price)

<CAPTION>
                                                   New York Portfolio        New Jersey Portfolio Taxable Portfolio
                                             Class A Shares  Class B Shares     Class A Shares     Class A Shares
                                            --------------  ---------------  -------------------  ---------------
<S>                                                <C>             <C>                <C>               <C>  
Maximum Sales Load Imposed on
   Purchases.............................          4.50%           None               4.50%             4.50%
Deferred Sales Charge (as a
   percentage of the lower of original
   purchase price or redemption
   proceeds).............................          None            5%(1)              None              None
Sales Load on Reinvestment
   Dividends.............................          None            None               None              None
Redemption Fees..........................          None            None               None              None
Exchange Fees............................          None            None               None              None

Annual Fund Operating Expenses
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(as a percentage of average net assets)
                                                   New York Portfolio        New Jersey Portfolio Taxable Portfolio
                                             Class A Shares  Class B Shares     Class A Shares     Class A Shares
                                            --------------  ---------------  -------------------  ---------------
Management Fees - After Fee Waiver.......          0.23%           0.23%              0.00%             0.00%
12b-1 Fees - After Fee Waiver(2).........          0.25%           1.00%(3)           0.00%             0.00%
Other Expenses - After
   Reimbursement.........................          0.41%           0.32%              0.70%             0.79%
Total Fund Operating Expenses -
   After Fee Waivers and
   Reimbursements........................          0.89%           1.55%              0.70%             0.79%
</TABLE>

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Example                                                               1 year      3 years    5 years    10 years
                                                                     --------   ---------   ---------   --------
You would pay the  following  expenses on a $1,000  investment,  assuming (1) 5%
annual return and (2) redemption at the end of each time period:
<S>                                                                     <C>         <C>        <C>        <C> 
   New York Portfolio (Class A Shares)                                  $54         $72        $92        $150
                      (Class B Shares)                                  $66         $79        $94        $185
   New Jersey Portfolio                                                 $52         $66        $82        $129
   Taxable Portfolio                                                    $53         $69        $87        $139


- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1)      The  deferred  sales  charge  is 5% in the  first  year,  declining  to 1% in the sixth  year,  and is  eliminated
         thereafter.
(2)      No 12b-1 fee waiver for New York Portfolio.
(3)      12b-1 fees include 0.75% of asset-based sales charges and 0.25% of service fees.
</TABLE>




                                       -3-

<PAGE>

The purpose of the above fee table is to assist an investor in understanding the
various costs and expenses that an investor in each of the Portfolios will bear,
directly or  indirectly.  The Class B Shares were activated on December 2, 1997.
The  Class B expense  information  in the table  has been  restated  to  reflect
current fees had they been in effect during the previous  fiscal year. The sales
load is a  one-time  charge  paid at the  time of  purchase  of the  shares.  An
investor  may be  entitled  to a  reduction  in such  sales  loads.  See "How to
Purchase and Redeem  Shares."  The deferred  sales charge is only payable if the
shares are redeemed before the end of the sixth year after purchase. See "How To
Purchase and Redeem Shares." The Manager may, at its discretion,  waive all or a
portion of its fees under the  Management  Contract.  Absent  such  waiver,  the
Management Fee for the New Jersey Portfolio and the Taxable Portfolio would have
been .25% of average daily net assets.  With respect to the New York  Portfolio,
the Distributor may, at its discretion,  waive all or a portion of its 12b-1 fee
for the Class A or Class B Shares under the Distribution Agreement. With respect
to the New Jersey Portfolio and the Taxable  Portfolio,  the Distributor may, at
its discretion, waive all or a portion of its reimbursement or service fee under
the Distribution Agreement and the Shareholder Servicing Agreement.  Absent such
waivers, the maximum  reimbursement under the Distribution  Agreement would have
been .10% of average daily net assets and the service fee under the  Shareholder
Servicing  Agreement  would  have been .25% of  average  daily net  assets.  The
reimbursement to the Distributor  under the  Distribution  Agreement for The New
Jersey  and The  Taxable  Portfolio  and the  0.75%  of  12b-1  fees  under  the
Distribution Agreement for the New York Portfolio are asset-based sales charges,
and, as a result, long-term shareholders of each Portfolio may pay more than the
economic  equivalent of the maximum  front-end  sales  charges  permitted by the
National  Association of Securities Dealers,  Inc. (the "NASD"). The Manager has
voluntarily  reimbursed  the New Jersey and Taxable  Portfolio for certain Other
Expenses.  Absent such  reimbursements  and  waivers,  Other  Expenses  for such
Portfolios  would  have  been  2.57% and  1.42%,  respectively,  and Total  Fund
Operating  Expenses would have been 3.27% and 2.21%,  respectively.  For further
discussion  of these fees see  "Management  of the Fund" and  "Distribution  and
Service  Plan"  herein.  The figures  reflected  in this  example  should not be
considered as a representation  of past or future expenses.  Actual expenses may
be greater or lesser than those shown above and the 5% annual return used in the
example is a hypothetical rate.





                                       -4-

<PAGE>

                              FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
                 (for a share outstanding throughout the period)

The following financial  highlights of the New York Portfolio for the year ended
November  30,  1997 has been  audited  by Coopers &  Lybrand,  LLP,  Independent
Certified Public Accountants,  whose report thereon appears in the Fund's Annual
Report  to  Shareholders   incorporated  by  reference  in  the  SAI.  Financial
highlights  for periods  prior to December 1, 1997 were  audited by  McGladrey &
Pullen,  LLP, whose report  thereon  appears in the Fund's 1996 Annual Report to
Shareholders and is incorporated by reference in the SAI.

<TABLE>
                                                                    New York Portfolio
                                                                  (Class A shares only)
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<CAPTION>
                                                                                                           June 24, 1991
                                                                                                          (inception) to
                                                            Year Ended November 30,
November 30,
                                  1997             1996        1995      1994###      1993        1992        1991
                               ----------       ----------  ---------- ----------- ----------  ---------- -----------
<S>                                <C>              <C>         <C>        <C>         <C>         <C>         <C>   
Per Share Operating Performance:
(for a share outstanding
   throughout the period)
Net asset value, beginning of
   period.....................     $8.09            $ 7.99      $ 6.84     $ 8.03      $ 7.54      $ 7.19      $ 7.16
                                   ------           ------      ------      -----      ------      ------      ------
Income from investment operations:
   Net investment income......      0.42              0.41        0.43       0.41        0.44        0.47        0.14
   Net realized and unrealized
     gain (loss) on investments     0.23              0.10        1.15      (1.15)       0.50        0.35        0.03
                                   ------           ------      ------      -----      ------      ------      ------
   Total from investment operations 0.65              0.51        1.58      (0.74)       0.94        0.82        0.17
                                   ------           ------      ------      -----      ------      ------      ------
Less distributions:
   Dividends from net investment
     income...................     (0.42)           (0.41)       (0.43)     (0.41)      (0.44)      (0.47)      (0.14)
   Distributions from net realized
     gain on investments......        --               --          --       (0.04)      (0.01)         --         --
                                   ------           ------      ------      -----      ------      ------      ------
   Total distributions........     (0.42)           (0.41)       (0.43)     (0.45)      (0.45)      (0.47)      (0.14)
                                   ------           ------      ------      -----      ------      ------      ------
Net asset value, end of period    $ 8.32           $ 8.09       $ 7.99     $ 6.84      $ 8.03      $ 7.54      $ 7.19
                                   ======           ======      ======      =====      ======      ======      ======
Total Return (without deduction
   of sales load).............      8.27%            6.63%**     23.56%     (9.62%)     12.63%      11.68%       2.36%##
Ratios/Supplemental Data:
Net assets, end of period
   (000's omitted)............  $134,144         $122,611     $105,579    $75,326     $80,727     $39,350     $14,549
Ratios to average net assets:
   Expenses...................      0.89%(degree)    1.09%        0.99%      0.64%##     0.20%##     0.17%##        0%*##
   Net investment income......      5.16%            5.17%        5.63%      5.44%##     5.42%##     6.08%##     6.08%*##
Portfolio turnover............     60.80%           45.92%      148.88%    192.91%       7.88%       8.14%          0%
Bank loans
   Amount outstanding at end
     of period (000)..........       $ 0              $ 0      $1,737
   Average amount of bank
     loans outstanding during
     the period (000).........       $ 0              797       1,857
   Average number of shares
     outstanding during the
     six period (000).........                     14,473      11,866
   Average amount of debt per
     share during the period..                       0.06        0.16

- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
*   Annualized
**  Includes  the  effect of a capital  contribution  from the  Fund's  Manager.
Without the capital  contribution  the total return would have been 6.24%. 
#   Not Annualized  
##  If the  Investment  Manager  had not waived  fees and  reimbursed
expenses and the Administrator and Distributor had not waived fees, the ratio of
operating expenses to average net assets would have been 1.10%, 1.12%, and 1.44%
for the periods ended November 30, 1994, 1993, and 1992, respectively.
### Effective  August 15, 1994, the  investment  advisor  changed,  to Lebenthal
Asset Management, Inc. 
(degree) Includes fees paid indirectly of less than 0.01%
for the New York Municipal Bond Fund.


                                       -5-

<PAGE>

                              FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
                 (for a share outstanding throughout the period)

The following  financial  highlights of the New Jersey Portfolio and the Taxable
Portfolio  for the year ended  November  30, 1997 have been audited by Coopers &
Lybrand,  LLP,  Independent  Certified Public Accountants,  whose report thereon
appears in the Funds' Annual Report to Shareholders incorporated by reference in
the SAI. Financial highlights for periods prior to December 1, 1997 were audited
by  McGladrey & Pullen,  LLP,  whose report  thereon  appears in the Fund's 1996
Annual Report to Shareholders and is incorporated by reference in the SAI.

<TABLE>
                                                                                   New Jersey Portfolio
                                                                  ---------------------------------------------

<CAPTION>
                                                                            Year Ended November 30,
                                                                     1997       1996        1995       1994#*
                                                                  ---------- ----------  ---------- -----------
<S>                                                                  <C>       <C>         <C>         <C>   
Per Share Operating Performance:
(for a share outstanding
   throughout the period)
Net asset value, beginning of
   period......................................................      $6.74     $ 6.70      $ 5.95      $ 7.16
                                                                     -----     ------      ------      ------
Income from investment operations:
   Net investment income.......................................       0.35       0.36        0.36        0.32
   Net realized and unrealized
     gain (loss) on investments................................       0.23       0.04        0.75       (1.21)
                                                                     -----     ------      ------      ------
   Total from investment operations............................       0.58       0.40        1.11        (.89)
                                                                     -----     ------      ------      ------
Less distributions:
   Dividends from net investment
     income....................................................      (0.35)     (0.36)      (0.36)      (0.32)
   Distributions from net realized
     gain on investments.......................................         --         --          --          --
                                                                     -----     ------      ------      ------
   Total distributions.........................................      (0.35)     (0.36)      (0.36)      (0.32)
                                                                     -----     ------      ------      ------
Net asset value, end of period.................................      $6.97     $ 6.74      $ 6.70      $ 5.95
                                                                     =====     ======      ======      ======
Total Return (without deduction
   of sales load)..............................................       8.84%      6.18%      19.10%     (12.70%)
Ratios/Supplemental Data:
Net assets, end of period
   (000's omitted).............................................     $6,122     $5,182      $3,358      $2,145
Ratios to average net assets:
   Expenses##..................................................       0.70%**    0.63%**     0.60%       0.60%
   Net investment income.......................................       5.12%      5.37%       5.64%       4.97%
Portfolio turnover.............................................      57.19%     28.56%      61.69%     291.60%


- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
# Effective August 15, 1994, the investment adviser changed,  to Lebenthal Asset
Management, Inc.
## If the Investment Manager had not waived fees and reimbursed expenses and the
Administrator  and  Distributor  had not  waived  fees,  the ratio of  operating
expenses to average net assets would have been 2.57%,  3.20%,  4.13%,  and 4.83%
for the periods ended November 30, 1997, 1996, 1995, and 1994, respectively, for
the New Jersey Bond Fund;  and 1.42%,  1.63%,  2.59%,  and 3.60% for the periods
ended November 30, 1997,  1996,  1995, and 1994,  respectively,  for the Taxable
Bond Fund.
*  Fund commenced operations on December 1, 1993.
** Includes fees paid indirectly of 0.02% and 0.01% for the New Jersey Bond Fund
and the Taxable Bond Fund, respectively.


                                       -6-

<PAGE>

                              FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
                 (for a share outstanding throughout the period)

The following  financial  highlights of the New Jersey Portfolio and the Taxable
Portfolio  for the year ended  November  30, 1997 have been audited by Coopers &
Lybrand,  LLP,  Independent  Certified Public Accountants,  whose report thereon
appears in the Funds' Annual Report to Shareholders incorporated by reference in
the SAI. Financial highlights for periods prior to December 1, 1997 were audited
by  McGladrey & Pullen,  LLP,  whose report  thereon  appears in the Fund's 1996
Annual Report to Shareholders and is incorporated by reference in the SAI.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                  Taxable Portfolio
                                                                  ----------------------------------------------
                                                                             Year Ended November 30,
                                                                     1997        1996        1995       1994#*
                                                                  ----------- ----------  ---------- -----------
<S>                                                                  <C>       <C>         <C>         <C>   
Per Share Operating Performance:
(for a share outstanding
   throughout the period)
Net asset value, beginning of
   period......................................................      $7.13     $ 7.22      $ 6.34      $ 7.16
                                                                     -----     ------      ------      ------
Income from investment operations:
   Net investment income.......................................       0.50       0.52        0.53        0.44
   Net realized and unrealized
     gain (loss) on investments................................       0.24      (0.09)       0.88       (0.82)
                                                                     -----     ------      ------      ------
   Total from investment operations............................       0.74       0.43        1.41       (0.38)
                                                                     -----     ------      ------      ------
Less distributions:
   Dividends from net investment
     income....................................................      (0.50)     (0.52)      (0.53)      (0.44)
   Distributions from net realized
     gain on investments.......................................         --         --          --          --
                                                                     -----     ------      ------      ------
   Total distributions.........................................      (0.50)     (0.52)      (0.53)      (0.44)
                                                                     -----     ------      ------      ------
Net asset value, end of period.................................      $7.37     $ 7.13      $ 7.22      $ 6.34
                                                                     =====     ======      ======      ======
Total Return (without deduction
   of sales load)..............................................      10.89%      6.35%      23.11%      (5.45%)
Ratios/Supplemental Data:
Net assets, end of period
   (000's omitted).............................................    $14,994    $14,607      $8,686      $2,990
Ratios to average net assets:
   Expenses##..................................................       0.79%**    0.61%**     0.60%       0.60%
   Net investment income.......................................       7.06%      7.34%       7.57%       6.74%
Portfolio turnover.............................................      34.52%     44.46%      84.74%      93.73%


- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
# Effective August 15, 1994, the investment adviser changed,  to Lebenthal Asset
Management, Inc.
## If the Investment Manager had not waived fees and reimbursed expenses and the
Administrator  and  Distributor  had not  waived  fees,  the ratio of  operating
expenses to average net assets would have been 2.57%,  3.20%,  4.13%,  and 4.83%
for the periods ended November 30, 1997, 1996, 1995, and 1994, respectively, for
the New Jersey Bond Fund;  and 1.42%,  1.63%,  2.59%,  and 3.60% for the periods
ended November 30, 1997,  1996,  1995, and 1994,  respectively,  for the Taxable
Bond Fund.
*  Fund commenced operations on December 1, 1993.
** Includes fees paid indirectly of 0.02% and 0.01% for the New Jersey Bond Fund
and the Taxable Bond Fund, respectively


                                       -7-

<PAGE>

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES,
POLICIES AND RISKS

The  Fund  is an  open-end,  management  investment  company  comprised  of  two
non-diversified portfolios, the New York Portfolio and the New Jersey Portfolio,
and one diversified  portfolio,  the Taxable Portfolio.  The New York Portfolio,
the New Jersey  Portfolio and the Taxable  Portfolio  are sometimes  referred to
herein as the "Portfolios" or the "Portfolio."

The following outlines the investment objectives,  policies and risks of each of
the Portfolios. The investment objectives and policies described in this section
are  fundamental  and may not be changed  unless  approved  by the  holders of a
majority of the  outstanding  shares of the Portfolio  that would be affected by
such a change. As used in this Prospectus, the term "majority of the outstanding
shares" of a Portfolio means, respectively, the vote of the lesser of (i) 67% or
more of the shares of the Portfolio present at a meeting, if the holders of more
than 50% of the  outstanding  shares of the Portfolio are present or represented
by proxy or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Portfolio.

The New  York and The New  Jersey  Portfolios.  The New York and the New  Jersey
Portfolios are non-diversified  municipal bond funds whose investment  objective
is to maximize  income exempt from regular  Federal income tax and from New York
State and New York City  personal  income taxes and New Jersey gross income tax,
respectively,  to the extent  consistent with the preservation of capital,  with
consideration given to opportunities for capital gain. Each of the Portfolios is
subject  to  market  risk.  There  can  be no  assurance  that  the  Portfolios'
investment objective will be achieved.

The New York and New Jersey  Portfolios'  assets will be invested  primarily  in
long-term  investment grade tax-exempt  securities issued by or on behalf of the
States of New York and New Jersey,  respectively,  and other states, Puerto Rico
and other U.S.  territories  and  possessions  of the United  States,  and their
authorities, agencies,  instrumentalities and political subdivisions ("Municipal
Obligations").  The average  maturity of the Municipal  Obligations in which the
New York and New  Jersey  Portfolios  invest is  expected  to be 15 to 25 years.
Securities with longer maturities are more likely to lead to a greater degree of
market  fluctuations  in the value of such  securities  than do securities  with
shorter  maturities.  The New York and New Jersey  Portfolios  attempt to invest
100%, and as a matter of fundamental policy, invest at least 80% of the value of
their net assets in securities  the interest on which is, in the opinion of bond
counsel to the  issuer at the date of  issuance,  exempt  from  regular  Federal
income  tax and from the  personal  income  taxes of New York State and New York
City ("New York  Municipal  Obligations")  and from New Jersey  gross income tax
("New Jersey Municipal Obligations"), respectively, with remaining maturities of
one year or more.  The New York and New Jersey  Portfolios may also invest up to
20% of the value of their net assets in tax-exempt securities of issuers outside
New York State and the State of New  Jersey,  respectively,  if such  securities
bear  interest  which is exempt from  regular  Federal  income tax and  personal
income  taxes of  either  State.  The New York and New  Jersey  Portfolios  also
reserve  the  right to  invest  up to 20% of the  value of their  net  assets in
securities,  the interest on which is exempt from regular Federal income tax but
not New York State and City  personal  income  taxes and New Jersey gross income
tax, respectively, and other taxable obligations. Although the Supreme Court has
determined  that Congress has the authority to subject the interest on municipal
bonds to Federal  income  taxation,  existing law excludes  such  interest  from
regular Federal income tax. However,  such tax-exempt interest may be subject to
the Federal alternative mini-

                                       -8-

<PAGE>

mum tax. Securities,  the interest income on which may be subject to the Federal
alternative  minimum  tax,  may be  purchased  by the New  York  and New  Jersey
Portfolios without limit. (See "Federal Income Taxes" herein.)

The  New  York  and New  Jersey  Portfolios  will  invest  principally,  without
percentage limitations, in tax-exempt securities which on the date of investment
are  within  the four  highest  credit  ratings  of  Moody's  Investors  Service
("Moody's") (Aaa, Aa, A, Baa for bonds;  MIG-1,  MIG-2,  MIG-3, MIG-4 for notes;
P-1, P-2, P-3 for commercial paper; VMIG-1,  VMIG-2, VMIG-3, VMIG-4 for variable
and floating demand notes); Standard & Poor's Rating Services, a division of The
McGraw Hill Companies  ("S&P") (AAA, AA, A, BBB for bonds;  SP-1, SP-2, SP-3 for
notes and variable and floating  demand notes;  A-1, A-2, A-3, B for  commercial
paper); or Fitch Investors  Service,  Inc. ("Fitch") (AAA, AA, A, BBB for bonds;
F-1, F-2, F-3 for notes,  variable floating demand notes and commercial  paper).
Although bonds and notes rated in the fourth credit rating category are commonly
referred to as investment grade, they may have speculative characteristics. Such
characteristics  may under  certain  circumstances  lead to a greater  degree of
market  fluctuations  in the  value  of such  securities  than do  higher  rated
tax-exempt  securities of similar maturities.  In addition,  changes in economic
conditions or other circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity
to make  principal  and  interest  payments  than is the case with higher  grade
bonds.  The Fund will not  necessarily  dispose of a security  that falls  below
investment  grade upon the Manager's  determination  as to whether  retention of
such a security is consistent with the Fund's investment objectives.  A detailed
discussion of such  characteristics  and circumstances and their effect upon the
New  York  and New  Jersey  Portfolios  appears  in the SAI  under  the  heading
"Description  of the  Portfolios'  Investment  Securities." A description of the
credit  ratings is  contained  in  Appendix  A to the SAI.  The New York and New
Jersey  Portfolios  may invest in tax-exempt  securities  which are not rated or
which do not fall into the credit  ratings  noted  above if,  based upon  credit
analysis by the Manager,  it is believed that such  securities are of comparable
credit quality.

In unusual  circumstances  during  adverse market  conditions,  as determined by
Lebenthal  Asset  Management,  Inc., the  Portfolios'  investment  manager ( the
"Manager"),  the New York and New Jersey Portfolios may invest up to 100% of the
value of their net assets on a temporary  basis in  securities,  the interest on
which is exempt from regular Federal income tax, but not New York State and City
personal  income  taxes and New Jersey gross  income tax,  respectively,  and in
taxable  fixed-income  securities,  the  interest on which is subject to regular
Federal,  state and local  income tax.  Such  circumstances  include the pending
investment  or  reinvestment  in  tax-exempt  securities of proceeds of sales of
shares or sales of portfolio  securities  or in order to avoid the  necessity of
liquidating  portfolio investments to meet redemptions of shares by investors or
where market  conditions due to rising  interest rates or other adverse  factors
warrant  temporary  investing for  defensive  purposes.  Investments  in taxable
securities  will be  substantially  in  securities  issued or  guaranteed by the
United  States  government  (such as bills,  notes  and  bonds),  its  agencies,
instrumentalities or authorities;  highly-rated corporate debt securities (rated
AA or better by S&P or Fitch,  or Aa3 or better by  Moody's);  prime  commercial
paper (rated A-1+ by S&P, P-1 by Moody's or F-1+ by Fitch);  and certificates of
deposit of the 100 largest  domestic banks (in terms of assets) that are subject
to regulatory  supervision by the United States  government or state governments
and the 50 largest  foreign banks (in terms of assets) with branches or agencies
in the United States.  Investments in certificates of deposit  of  foreign banks
and foreign


                                       -9-

<PAGE>

branches of United States banks may involve certain risks,  including  different
regulation, use of different accounting procedures,  political or other economic
developments,  exchange  controls,  or possible  seizure or  nationalization  of
foreign deposits.

The New York  Portfolio may also purchase  Municipal  Obligations  consisting of
general  obligation bonds,  revenue bonds and private activity bonds (also known
as industrial  revenue bonds).  A general  discussion of these types of bonds is
set forth in "Municipal Obligations" in the SAI.

The New York and New Jersey  Portfolios  may invest in  participation  interests
purchased  from banks in variable  rate  tax-exempt  securities  owned by banks.
Participations  are  frequently  backed  by an  irrevocable  letter of credit or
guarantee of a bank that the Manager has determined meets the prescribed quality
standards for the Portfolio.  The Manager will monitor the pricing,  quality and
liquidity  of the  variable  rate  demand  instruments  held by each  Portfolio,
including the securities  supported by bank letters of credit or guarantees,  on
the basis of published  financial  information,  reports of rating  agencies and
other  analytical  services to which the Manager  may  subscribe.  Participation
interests will be purchased only if, in the opinion of counsel,  interest income
on  such  interests  will  be  tax-exempt  when   distributed  as  dividends  to
shareholders. For further information, see the SAI.

The Taxable  Portfolio.  The Taxable  Portfolio is a diversified  municipal bond
fund whose investment  objective is to maximize income to the extent  consistent
with the preservation of capital,  with consideration given to opportunities for
capital gain. The Portfolio is subject to market risk. There can be no assurance
that the Taxable Portfolio's investment objectives will be achieved.

The Taxable  Portfolio's  assets will be invested primarily in taxable long-term
investment  grade  securities  issued by or on behalf  of states  and  municipal
governments,  other U.S.  territories and possessions of the United States,  and
their  authorities,  agencies,   instrumentalities  and  political  subdivisions
("Taxable Municipal Obligations"). The average maturity of the Taxable Municipal
Obligations in which the Taxable Portfolio  invests is currently  expected to be
over 10 years. The Taxable Portfolio attempts to invest 100%, and as a matter of
fundamental  policy  invests at least 65%,  of the value of its total  assets in
taxable  securities with remaining  maturities of one year or more. The interest
on the Taxable  Municipal  Obligations is includible in gross income for federal
income tax purposes and may be subject to personal  income taxes  imposed by any
state of the  United  States or any  political  subdivision  thereof,  or by the
District  of  Columbia.  Shares of the  Taxable  Portfolio  may be  particularly
appropriate,  therefore,  for  retirement  plans such as  Individual  Retirement
Accounts.  (See "Retirement Plans.") Investors should consult their tax advisors
concerning the taxability of interest on the Municipal Obligations.

The Taxable Portfolio will invest principally,  without percentage  limitations,
in securities which on the date of investment are within the four highest credit
ratings of Moody's (Aaa, Aa, A, Baa for bonds;  MIG-1,  MIG-2,  MIG-3, MIG-4 for
notes; P-1, P-2 for commercial  paper) or S&P (AAA, AA, A, BBB for bonds;  SP-1,
SP-2 for notes; A, A-1 for commercial paper).  Although bonds and notes rated in
the fourth credit rating category are commonly  referred to as investment grade,
they may have  speculative  characteristics.  In  addition,  changes in economic
conditions or other circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity
to make  principal  and  interest  payments  than is the case with higher  grade
bonds.  The Fund will not  necessarily  dispose of a security  that falls  below
investment grade based upon the


                                       -10-

<PAGE>

Manager's determination as to whether retention of such a security is consistent
with  the  Fund's  investment   objectives.   A  detailed   discussion  of  such
characteristics  and  circumstances  and their effect upon the Taxable Portfolio
appears in the SAI under the heading "Description of the Portfolio's  Investment
Securities."  A description  of the credit ratings is contained in Appendix A to
the SAI. The Taxable  Portfolio may invest in securities  which are not rated or
which do not fall into the credit  ratings  noted  above if,  based upon  credit
analysis by the Manager,  it is believed that such  securities are of comparable
credit quality.

In unusual circumstances during adverse market conditions,  as determined by the
Manager,  the Taxable  Portfolio  may assume a temporary  defensive  position in
which the Taxable  Portfolio may also invest in securities  issued or guaranteed
by the United States Government (such as bills,  notes and bonds), its agencies,
instrumentalities or authorities;  tax-exempt securities; highly-rated corporate
debt securities (rated AA or better by S&P, or Aa3 or better by Moody's);  prime
commercial  paper (rated A-1+ by S&P or P-1 by  Moody's);  and  certificates  of
deposit of the 100 largest  domestic banks (in terms of assets) that are subject
to regulatory supervision by the U.S. Government or state governments, or the 50
largest  foreign  banks in (terms of assets)  with  branches  or agencies in the
United  States.  Investments  in  certificates  of deposit of foreign  banks and
foreign  branches of U.S. banks may involve certain risks,  including  different
regulation, use of different accounting procedures,  political or other economic
developments,  exchange  controls,  or possible  seizure or  nationalization  of
foreign deposits.

Portfolios--Generally.  Each Portfolio may also purchase  municipal leases which
may be considered illiquid securities. Investments by each Portfolio in illiquid
securities will not exceed 15% of the Portfolio's net assets. At this time, each
Portfolio does not have a current intention of investing more than 5% of its net
assets in  municipal  leases  which are  deemed to be  illiquid.  In the event a
Portfolio invests more than 5% of its net assets in municipal leases,  the Board
of Directors  must consider  certain  factors in  determining  the liquidity and
proper valuations of these obligations. For further information, see the SAI.

Each  Portfolio  may  purchase  floating  rate  and  variable  rate  put  option
securities including participation interests therein. Floating and variable rate
put  option  securities  bear  a  variable  interest  rate  which  generally  is
determined by the bond  remarketing  agent based on current  market  conditions,
although  certain  issuers  may set  rates  using a  designated  base  rate or a
specified  percentage thereof. The rate of interest used will be that rate which
would  enable the  securities  to be  remarketed.  These  securities  have a put
feature  which allows the holder to demand  payment of the  obligation  on short
notice at par plus accrued interest.  Frequently, these securities are backed by
letters of credit or similar liquidity facilities provided by banks.

Each  Portfolio may purchase  securities on a  when-issued  or  delayed-delivery
basis.  Delivery of and payment for these  securities  may occur a month or more
after the date of the purchase commitment.  The securities are subject to market
fluctuation  during this period and no interest  accrues to the Portfolio  until
settlement. Each Portfolio maintains a separate account with the custodian, with
a  segregated  portfolio  of liquid high grade debt  securities  in an amount at
least equal to these commitments. For further information, see the SAI.

When  each  Portfolio  purchases  Municipal  Obligations,  it may  also  acquire
stand-by commitments from banks and other financial institutions with respect to
such Municipal Obligations. Under a stand-by commitment, a bank or broker-dealer


                                      -11-

<PAGE>

agrees to purchase at the Portfolio's option a specified Municipal Obligation at
a  specified  price  with  same-day  settlement.  A stand-by  commitment  is the
equivalent  of a "put"  option  acquired  by the  Portfolio  with  respect  to a
particular Municipal Obligation held in the Portfolio.  For further information,
see the SAI.

The Fund has adopted the following  fundamental  investment  restrictions  which
apply to each  Portfolio  and  which may not be  changed  unless  approved  by a
majority of the  outstanding  shares of each Portfolio of the Fund's shares that
would be  affected  by such a change.  Each  Portfolio  is  subject  to  further
investment restrictions, which are set forth in the SAI.
Each Portfolio may not:

1    Borrow Money. This restriction shall not apply to borrowings from banks for
     temporary or emergency (not leveraging) purposes,  including the meeting of
     redemption  requests that might otherwise require the untimely  disposition
     of securities, in an amount up to 15% of the value of the Portfolio's total
     assets  (including the amount  borrowed)  valued at market less liabilities
     (not  including  the amount  borrowed) at the time the  borrowing was made.
     While borrowings exceed 5% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets the
     Portfolio will not make any  investments.  Interest paid on borrowings will
     reduce net income.

2    Pledge,  hypothecate,  mortgage or otherwise encumber its assets, except in
     an amount up to 15% of the  value of its total  assets,  and only to secure
     borrowings for temporary or emergency purposes.

3    Purchase  securities  subject  to  restrictions  on  disposition  under the
     Securities Act of 1933  ("restricted  securities").  The Portfolio will not
     invest more than 15% of its net assets in repurchase agreements maturing in
     more than seven days, variable rate demand instruments  exercisable in more
     than seven days or securities that are not readily marketable.

4    Invest more than 25% of its assets in the  securities  of  "issuers" in any
     single industry, provided that there shall be no limitation on the purchase
     of New York  Municipal  Obligations  with respect to the New York Portfolio
     and New Jersey  Obligations with respect to the New Jersey  Portfolio,  and
     other obligations issued or guaranteed by the United States government, its
     agencies or instrumentalities.

5    Invest  in  securities  of  other  investment  companies,  except  that the
     Portfolio may purchase unit  investment  trust  securities  where such unit
     trusts meet the investment  objectives of the Portfolio and then only up to
     5% of the  Portfolio's net assets except as they may be acquired as part of
     a merger,  consolidation  or  acquisition  of assets and further  except as
     permitted by Section 12(d) of the Act.

Purchases  and  sales are made for each  Portfolio  whenever  necessary,  in the
Manager's  opinion,  to meet each  Portfolio's  objectives.  For the fiscal year
ended November 30, 1997, the annual portfolio  turnover rate was 60.80%,  57.19%
and 34.52% for the New York Portfolio,  the New Jersey Portfolio and the Taxable
Portfolio,  respectively.  Portfolio  turnover  may  involve  the payment by the
Portfolios of dealer spreads or underwriting  commissions and other  transaction
costs on the sale of securities,  as well as on the reinvestment of the proceeds
in other securities.

As non-diversified  investment companies, the New York and New Jersey Portfolios
are not subject to any statutory  restriction under the 1940 Act with respect to
investing   their   assets   in   one   or   relatively   few   issuers.    This
non-diversification  may present greater risks than in the case of a diversified
company.  For a  discussion  of these risk  factors,  see "Risk  Considerations"
herein and in the


                                      -12-

<PAGE>

SAI. The New York and New Jersey Portfolios intend to maintain  qualification as
a "regulated  investment  company" under  Subchapter M of the Code. The New York
and New  Jersey  Portfolios  will be  restricted  in that,  at the close of each
quarter of the  taxable  year,  at least 50% of the value of each of their total
assets must be represented by cash,  government  securities,  investment company
securities and other securities limited in respect of any one issuer to not more
than 5% in value of the total assets of the New York and New Jersey  Portfolios,
and to not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer. In
addition, at the close of each quarter of its taxable year, not more than 25% in
value of the New York and New Jersey Portfolios' total assets may be invested in
securities of one issuer other than U.S. government securities.  The limitations
described in this paragraph regarding  qualification as a "regulated  investment
company"  are  not  fundamental  policies  and  may be  revised  to  the  extent
applicable  Federal income tax  requirements  are revised.  (See "Federal Income
Taxes" herein.)

As a diversified  investment company, 75% of the assets of the Taxable Portfolio
is subject to the  following  limitations:  (a) the  Taxable  Portfolio  may not
invest  more than 5% of its total  assets in the  securities  of any one issuer,
except  obligations  of the  United  States  government  and  its  agencies  and
instrumentalities,  and (b) the Taxable  Portfolio  may not own more than 10% of
the outstanding  voting securities of any one issuer.  The classification of the
Taxable Portfolio as a diversified investment company is a fundamental policy of
the Taxable  Portfolio  and may be changed only with the approval of the holders
of a majority of the Taxable Portfolio's outstanding shares.

Risks--Generally.  Investors should consider the greater risk of the Portfolios'
concentration  versus the safety that comes with a less concentrated  investment
portfolio.  The Fund intends that the New York Portfolio be  concentrated in New
York Municipal  Obligations,  the New Jersey  Portfolio be  concentrated  in New
Jersey  Municipal  Obligations and the Taxable  Portfolio  consist  primarily of
Taxable Municipal  Obligations (each as defined below).  Payment of interest and
preservation  of capital are dependent upon the  continuing  ability of New York
and New Jersey and other issuers and/or obligors of state,  municipal and public
authority debt obligations to meet their  obligations  thereunder.  Summaries of
special  risk  factors  affecting  the States of New York and New Jersey are set
forth under "New York Risk Factors" and "New Jersey Risk Factors" herein and the
SAI. A summary of special risk factors affecting  Taxable Municipal  Obligations
is set forth under  "Investment  Objectives,  Policies and Risks" herein and the
SAI.

New York Risk  Factors.  The primary  purpose of investing in a portfolio of New
York  Municipal  Obligations  is the special  tax  treatment  accorded  New York
resident  individual  investors.  Investment in the New York Portfolio should be
made with an understanding of the risks that an investment in New York Municipal
Obligations  may  entail.  However,  payment of  interest  and  preservation  of
principal  are  dependent  upon the  continuing  ability of the New York issuers
and/or  obligors of state,  municipal and public  authority debt  obligations to
meet their obligations thereunder. Investors should consider the greater risk of
the  Portfolio's  concentration  versus  the  safety  that  comes  with  a  less
concentrated  investment  portfolio,  and should  compare  yields  available  on
portfolios  of New  York  issues  with  those  of  more  diversified  portfolios
including   out-of-state  issues  before  making  an  investment  decision.  For
additional information, please refer to the SAI.

This summary is included for the purpose of providing a general  description  of
New York State and New York City  credit and  financial  conditions.  For a more
complete description of these risk fac-


                                      -13-

<PAGE>

tors, see "New York Risk Factors" in the Statement of Additional Information.

The City's general  obligation bonds are rated A3 by Moody's.  S&P has rated the
City's  general  obligation  bonds BBB+.  Fitch has rated them A-. Such  ratings
reflect only the view of Moody's,  S&P and Fitch,  from which an  explanation of
the significance of such ratings may be obtained. The State's general obligation
long-term  indebtedness  and  outstanding  limited  liability lease purchase and
contractual  obligations are rated A2 and A3, respectively,  by Moody's. S&P has
rated the State's  general  obligation  bonds A. There is no assurance that such
ratings  will  continue  for any  given  period of time or that they will not be
revised downward or withdrawn entirely. Any such downward revision or withdrawal
could  have an  adverse  effect  on the  market  prices  of the  City's  general
obligation bonds.

The fiscal  health of the State is closely  related to the fiscal  health of its
localities,  particularly  the City, which have required and continue to require
significant  financial  assistance from the State. Over the long term, the State
and the City face serious potential economic  problems.  The State has long 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,  resulting  in
the  gradual  erosion of its  relative  economic  affluence.  The causes of this
relative decline are varied and complex,  in many cases,  involving national and
international  developments  beyond the State's control.  Part of the reason for
the long-term  relative  decline in the State economy has been attributed to the
combined  State-local  tax  burden,  which is among the  highest  in the  United
States.  The existence of this tax burden  limits the State's  ability to impose
higher taxes in the event of future financial difficulties.  Recently,  attempts
have been made to bring the rate of growth in the public  sector in the State in
line with slower  expansion  in the  private  economy.  Prior to those  efforts,
annual increases in expenditures at both the State and local levels exceeded the
increases in revenues  generated by economic growth and were therefore  financed
in part through discretionary tax increases at both levels of government.

The burdens of State and local taxation,  in combination  with a number of other
causes of regional economic dislocation, may have contributed to the decision of
businesses and individuals to relocate outside, or not locate within, the State.
The State  undertook a series of tax  reductions  and other  programs  which are
intended both to limit expansion in the public sector and to encourage expansion
in the  private  sector in order to make  possible a reversal  of these  trends.
However,  no immediate  reversal of the erosion of the State's economic position
relative to the nation as a whole has been projected.

The effect of  inflation  on costs and the State's tax  reduction  program,  the
possible  failure to receive  Federal funds in expected  amounts,  especially in
light  of the  cost of the  proposed  State  assumption  of the  local  share of
Medicaid costs, and anticipated  weakness in the State and Federal economies may
make  realization  of balanced State budgets in future years more difficult than
in recent years.

New Jersey Risk Factors.  The primary purpose of investing in a portfolio of New
Jersey  Municipal  Obligations is the special tax treatment  accorded New Jersey
resident individual  investors.  Investment in the Portfolio should be made with
an  understanding  of the risks  which an  investment  in New  Jersey  Municipal
Obligations  may  entail.  However,  payment of  interest  and  preservation  of
principal are dependent  upon the  continuing  ability of the New Jersey issuers
and/or  obligors of state,  municipal and public  authority debt  obligations to
meet their obligations thereunder. Investors should consider the greater risk of
the


                                      -14-

<PAGE>

Portfolio's  concentration versus the safety that comes with a less concentrated
investment  portfolio,  and should compare yields available on portfolios of New
Jersey issues with those of more diversified  portfolios including  out-of-state
issues before making an investment decision. For additional information,  please
refer to the Statement of Additional Information.

This summary is included for the purpose of providing a general  description  of
the credit  and  financial  conditions  of the State of New  Jersey.  For a more
complete description of these risk factors, see "New Jersey Risk Factors" in the
Statement of Additional Information.

The combination of the northeast  region's cyclical  adjustment and the national
recession which  officially began in July 1990 (according to the National Bureau
of Economic Research) adversely affected the growth of New Jersey's economy. New
Jersey experienced decline in its construction and manufacturing  sectors and an
overall  increase  in its rate of  unemployment.  In the  wake of the  continued
expansion of the national economy which began in late 1993, New Jersey's economy
has  experienced a protracted  recovery that in 1994 began to generate  internal
momentum due to increases in employment and income levels.  Although  employment
growth in New Jersey has occurred in a variety of employment  sectors,  business
services and trade sectors have been the greatest  generators  of growth,  while
manufacturing  jobs  continued to trend  downward,  although at a more  moderate
pace. Other evidence of New Jersey's improving economy can be found in increased
home-building  above  the  depressed  levels  of 1990  through  1992 and  rising
consumer spending.

New  Jersey's  Constitution  and  budget  and  appropriations  system  require a
balanced budget. Pursuant to the State Constitution,  no money may be drawn from
the State  Treasury  except for  appropriations  made by law. In  addition,  all
moneys for the support of State  purposes  must be  provided  for in one general
appropriation   law  covering   one  and  the  same  fiscal  year.   No  general
appropriations law or other law appropriating money for any State purpose may be
enacted if the total  amount of  appropriations  for the fiscal year exceeds the
total revenue  anticipated for that fiscal year. The State's current Fiscal Year
ends June 30, 1998.

The primary  method for State  financing of capital  projects is the sale of the
general  obligation bonds of the State. These bonds are backed by the full faith
and credit of the State.  State tax revenues and certain  other fees are pledged
to meet the principal and interest  payments  required to fully pay the debt. No
general obligation debt can be issued by the State without prior voter approval.
The aggregate outstanding general obligation bonded indebtedness of the State as
of June 30, 1997 was $3.437 billion. Other State-related obligations,  including
lease financings, "moral" obligations, State-supported school district bonds and
bonds subject to State contracts or guarantees, amounted to $9.056 billion as of
June 30, 1997.

New Jersey's local finance system is regulated by various  statutes  designed to
assure that all local  governments  and their  issuing  authorities  remain on a
sound  financial  basis.  Regulatory  and remedial  statutes are enforced by the
Division of Local  Government  Services (the "Division") in the State Department
of Community Affairs. The Local Budget Law imposes specific budgetary procedures
upon counties and municipalities ("local units"). Every local unit must adopt an
operating  budget  which is balanced  on a cash basis,  and items of revenue and
appropriation must be examined by the Director of the Division.  The accounts of
each  local  unit  must  be  independently  audited  by a  registered  municipal
accountant.


                                      -15-

<PAGE>

The Local  Government Cap Law (the "Cap Law") generally  limits the year-to-year
increase of the total appropriations of any municipality and the tax levy of any
county  to either  5% or an index  rate  determined  annually  by the  Director,
whichever  is less.  Certain  exceptions  exist to the Cap Law's  limitation  on
increases in appropriations.  The principal  exceptions to these limitations are
municipal and county appropriations to pay debt service requirements;  to comply
with certain other State or Federal  mandates;  amounts  approved by referendum;
and,  in the case of  municipalities  only,  to fund the  preceding  year's cash
deficit or to reserve for shortfalls in tax collections.

The Local  Budget Law limits  the amount of tax  anticipation  notes that may be
issued by local units and requires  the  repayment of such notes within 120 days
of the end of the  fiscal  year (six  months in the case of  counties)  in which
issued.  No local unit is  permitted  to issue  bonds for the payment of current
expenses (other than Fiscal Year  Adjustment  Bonds described more fully below).
Local units may not issue bonds to pay outstanding  bonds,  except for refunding
purposes,  and then only with the  approval of the Local  Finance  Board.  Local
units may issue bond  anticipation  notes for temporary periods not exceeding in
the  aggregate  approximately  ten years from the date of first issue.  The debt
that any local unit may  authorize is limited to a percentage  of its  equalized
valuation basis, which is the average of the equalized value of all taxable real
property and improvements within the geographic boundaries of the local unit for
each of the three most recent years.

Chapter  75 of the  Pamphlet  Laws of 1991  signed  into law on March  28,  1991
requires certain  municipalities  and permits all other  municipalities to adopt
the  State  fiscal  year  in  place  of  the  existing   calendar  fiscal  year.
Municipalities  that change fiscal years must adopt a six-month  transition year
budget funded by Fiscal Year Adjustment  Bonds.  Notes issued in anticipation of
Fiscal Year Adjustment Bonds,  including renewals,  can only be issued for up to
one year unless the Local Finance Board permits the  municipality  to renew them
for a further  period.  The Local Finance Board must confirm the actual  deficit
experienced by the  municipality.  The  municipality  then may issue Fiscal Year
Adjustment Bonds to finance the deficit on a permanent basis.

New Jersey's school districts  operate under the same  comprehensive  review and
regulation  as  its  counties  and   municipalities.   Certain   exceptions  and
differences  are provided,  but the State  supervision of school finance closely
parallels that of local governments.  The State Department of Education has been
empowered  with the necessary  and effective  authority in extreme cases to take
over the  operation of local school  districts  which cannot or will not correct
severe and complex educational deficiencies.

School  district  bonds and temporary  notes are issued in  conformity  with the
School Bond Law.  Schools are subject to debt limits and to State  regulation of
their  borrowing.  The debt limitation on school district bonds depends upon the
classification  of the school district,  but may be as high as 4% of the average
equalized  valuation  basis of the  constituent  municipality.  In certain cases
involving  school districts in cities with populations  exceeding  100,000,  the
debt limit is 8% of the average  equalized  valuation  basis of the  constituent
municipality, and in cities with populations in excess of 80,000, the debt limit
is 6% of the aforesaid average equalized valuation.

In 1982, school districts were given an alternative to the traditional method of
bond  financing  capital  improvements  pursuant to the Lease  Purchase Law. The
Lease  Purchase  Law  permits  school  districts  to  acquire a site and  school
buildings through a lease purchase agreement with a private lessor  corporation.
The lease purchase


                                      -16-

<PAGE>

agreement does not require voter  approval.  Rent payments  attributable  to the
lease  purchase  agreement  are  subject to annual  appropriation  by the school
district and are required to be included in the annual current expense budget of
the  school  district.  Furthermore,  rent  payments  attributable  to the lease
purchase  agreement do not constitute  debt of the school district and therefore
do  not  impact  on  the  school  district's  debt  limitation.  Lease  purchase
agreements in excess of five years require the approval of the  Commissioner and
the Local Finance Board.

The Local  Authorities  Fiscal Control Law provides for State supervision of the
fiscal  operations and debt issuance  practices of independent local authorities
and special taxing districts by the State Department of Community  Affairs.  The
Local  Authorities  Fiscal Control Law applies to all  autonomous  public bodies
created by counties or  municipalities,  which are empowered to issue bonds,  to
impose facility or service charges,  or to levy taxes in their  districts.  This
encompasses most autonomous local authorities  (sewerage,  municipal  utilities,
parking,  pollution  control,  improvement,  etc.) and special taxing  districts
(fire, water,  sewer, street lighting,  etc.). The Local Finance Board exercises
approval  power over the creation of new  authorities  and special  districts as
well as their dissolution. The Local Finance Board also reviews, conducts public
hearings  and  issues  findings  and  recommendations  on any  proposed  project
financing of an authority or district,  and on any proposed financing  agreement
between a  municipality  or county and an  authority  or special  district.  The
Director  reviews  and  approves  annual  budgets  of  authorities  and  special
districts.

Risks Relating to Year 2000 Issue. Many existing computer programs were designed
and  developed  without  considering  the impact of the  upcoming  change in the
century.  The  problem  exists when a computer  program  uses only two digits to
identify a year in the date field.  Extensive problems can result to a company's
business,  requiring substantial resources to remedy. The Fund believes that the
"Year 2000" problem will be material to its  investments.  Although the Fund and
its Manager and  Administrator  are addressing the problem with respect to their
own business operations,  there can be no assurance that the "Year 2000" problem
will be properly or timely resolved,  which could have a material adverse effect
on  the  Fund's  results  of  operations   and,  in  turn,  cash  available  for
distribution.


MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

The Manager. The Fund's Board of Directors, which is responsible for the overall
management and supervision of the Fund, has employed Lebenthal Asset Management,
Inc. to serve as Manager of the New York,  New Jersey and Taxable  Portfolios of
the Fund. The Manager, with its principal office at 120 Broadway,  New York, New
York  10271-0005,  is a  wholly-owned  subsidiary  of Lebenthal & Co.,  Inc. The
Manager,  a registered  investment  adviser  providing  fixed-income  investment
advisory services to individuals, institutions and other investment advisers, is
under the leadership of James L. Gammon,  President and Director of the Manager.
James A.  Lebenthal,  Chairman  and Director of the  Manager,  is a  controlling
person of the Manager. The Manager was at November 30, 1997 manager,  adviser or
supervisor  of  assets  aggregating  in excess of $199  million.  Mr.  Gammon is
primarily responsible for the day-to-day  management,  of the Fund's portfolios.
Mr. Gammon,  President and Director of the Manager since February 1994, has over
25 years experience in municipal bond portfolio  management.  From March 1984 to
July 1993, Mr. Gammon was Senior Vice President and Senior Portfolio  Manager at
Loews/CNA Holdings,  Inc. with $12.5 billion under his management.  From 1977 to
1984 he managed the $221 million Elfun


                                      -17-

<PAGE>

Tax Exempt Income Fund. The Fund's Annual Report contains information  regarding
the Fund's performance and is available, without charge, upon request.

Pursuant to the  Management  Contracts  the Manager  manages  the  portfolio  of
securities of each of the  Portfolios  and makes  decisions  with respect to the
purchase and sale of  investments,  subject to the general control of the Fund's
Board of Directors. For its services under the Management Contracts, the Manager
is entitled to receive a management fee,  calculated  daily and payable monthly,
equal to .25% of each of the Portfolios'  average daily net assets not in excess
of $50 million,  .225% of such assets  between $50 million and $100 million plus
 .20% of such  assets  in  excess  of  $100  million.  The  Manager  may,  at its
discretion,  waive all or a portion of its fees under the Management  Contracts.
There can be no assurance that such fees will be waived in the future.

The Manager  provides  persons  satisfactory to the Fund's Board of Directors to
serve as officers of the Fund. Such officers, as well as certain other employees
and  directors  of the Fund,  may be  directors,  officers or  employees  of the
Manager or its affiliates.  Due to the services performed by the Manager and the
Administrator,  the Fund  currently  has no  employees  and its officers are not
required  to devote  full-time  to the  affairs  of the Fund.  The SAI  contains
general background  information regarding each Director and principal officer of
the Fund.

The Administrator. The Administrator for each Portfolio is State Street Bank and
Trust Company (the  "Administrator"),  a Massachusetts trust company,  which has
its principal office at 225 Franklin Street,  Boston,  Massachusetts  02111. The
Administrator also serves as administrator of other mutual funds.

Pursuant to the Administration  Agreement with each Portfolio, the Administrator
provides all administrative  services  reasonably  necessary for the Portfolios,
other than those  provided by the  Manager,  subject to the  supervision  of the
Fund's Board of Directors.  These services include the day-to-day administration
of matters  related to the operation of the  Portfolios,  such as maintenance of
their records,  preparation of reports,  compliance  testing of the  Portfolios'
activities,  and  supervision  of the  performance  of  accounting  services and
calculation of net asset value and yield by Investors  Fiduciary  Trust Company,
the Portfolios'  accounting agent. The personnel  rendering such services may be
employees  of the  Administrator  or its  affiliates.  Because  of the  services
rendered to the Portfolios by the Administrator and the Manager,  the Portfolios
themselves may not require any employees other than their officers, none of whom
receive compensation from the Portfolio.

For the services rendered to each Portfolio by the Administrator,  the Fund pays
the Administrator a fee,  computed daily and payable monthly,  equal to .08% per
annum of the  average  daily  net  assets of each of the  Portfolios  up to $125
million,  .06% per annum of such  assets of each of the  Portfolios  of the next
$125 million and .04% per annum of such assets in excess of $100 million.  There
is a minimum annual fee payable of $165,000.


DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS

The  Fund  declares  dividends  equal  to all its net  investment  income  daily
(excluding  capital  gains  and  losses,  if any,  and  amortization  of  market
discount) and pays dividends on the tenth day of each month or, if the tenth day
is not a Fund  Business Day, on the  preceding  Fund  Business Day.  There is no
fixed dividend rate. In computing these dividends,  interest earned and expenses
are accrued daily.


                                      -18-

<PAGE>

Net  realized  capital  gains,  if any,  are  distributed  at least  annually in
accordance  with the Code,  as  amended,  and  other  applicable  statutory  and
regulatory  requirements.  All dividends and  distributions of capital gains are
automatically  invested in  additional  shares of a Portfolio  immediately  upon
payment  thereof,  received in cash or can be deposited  into one or more of the
Fund's  other  Portfolios.  Shareholders  will be permitted to elect the payment
option of their choice on the subscription form for share purchases.


HOW TO PURCHASE AND REDEEM SHARES

Investors who have accounts with  Participating  Organizations may invest in the
Fund through their Participating Organizations in accordance with the procedures
established  by  the  Participating  Organizations.  (See  "Investments  Through
Participating  Organizations"  herein.) All other  investors,  and investors who
have accounts with Participating  Organizations but who do not wish to invest in
the Fund  through  their  Participating  Organizations,  may  invest in the Fund
directly or through a Lebenthal & Co.,  Inc.  brokerage  account.  (See  "Direct
Purchase and Redemption  Procedures" herein.) The minimum initial investment for
all investors in the Portfolio is $1,000. Initial investments may be made in any
amount in excess of the  applicable  minimum.  The minimum amount for subsequent
investments is $100. The maximum purchase for Class B shares is $250,000.

Alternative Sales Arrangements. An investor who purchases Class A Shares may pay
an initial sales charge at the time of purchase. An investor who purchases Class
B Shares does not pay such an initial  sales charge but may be subject to paying
a contingent  deferred sales charge  ("CDSC") when shares are redeemed.  Certain
purchases, of Class A Shares only, may be eligible for reduced sales charges, as
described below.

The decision as to which class of shares provides a more suitable investment for
an investor  depends on a number of factors,  including  the amount and intended
length of the investment.  Investors making investments that qualify for reduced
sales charges might consider Class A Shares.  Investors who prefer not to pay an
initial sales charge might consider Class B Shares.  For more information  about
these sales  arrangements,  consult your broker or investment  consultant or the
Distributor.  Shares of one  Portfolio  may be exchanged  only for shares of the
same class of another portfolio of the Fund. See "Exchange Privilege."


Class A Shares

The price paid for Class A Shares of the Fund is the public offering price, that
is, the next  determined  net asset value of the shares  plus a sales load.  The
sales load is a one-time charge paid at the time of purchase of shares,  most of
which ordinarily goes to the investor's  broker-dealer to compensate him for the
services provided the investor.

Sales  loads  for the  Class A Shares  are  determined  in  accordance  with the
following sales load schedule:

`                                              Dealer
                              Sales Charge   Discount
                                 as % of      as % of
    Amount of       Sales      Net Amount    Offering
    Purchase        Load        Invested       Price
Less than
   $50,000.....     4.50%         4.71%        4.25%
$50,000 up to
   $99,999.....     4.00%         4.17%        3.75%
$100,000 up to
   $249,999....     3.50%         3.63%        3.25%
$250,000 up to
   $499,999....     2.75%         2.83%        2.50%
$500,000 up to
   $999,999....     2.00%         2.04%        1.75%
$1,000,000
   and over....     None          None         .25%


                                      -19-

<PAGE>


Class B Shares

Class B Shares are sold without an initial  sales  charge,  but are subject to a
CDSC if redeemed within a specified  period after purchase.  Class B Shares also
bear a  higher  12b-1  fee than  Class A  Shares.  Class B shares  automatically
convert into Class A shares,  based on relative  net asset value,  approximately
eight years after purchase. For more information about the conversion of Class B
Shares, see the Statement of Additional  Information.  This discussion  includes
information about how shares acquired through  reinvestment of distributions are
treated for conversion purposes. The discussion also notes certain circumstances
under which a conversion  may not occur.  Class B Shares provide an investor the
benefit  of  putting  all of the  investor's  dollars  to work from the time the
investment is made. Until conversion,  Class B Shares will have a higher expense
ratio and pay lower  dividends  than Class A Shares  because of the higher 12b-1
fee and other related expenses.

Class B Shares are sold without an initial sales charge, although a CDSC will be
imposed if you redeem shares within a specified period after purchase,  as shown
in the table below. The following types of shares may be redeemed without charge
at any time: (i) shares  acquired by  reinvestment  of  distributions,  and (ii)
shares otherwise exempt from the CDSC, as described below. For other shares, the
amount of the charge is  determined as a percentage of the lesser of the current
market value or the cost of the shares being redeemed.

The CDSC for the Class B Shares are determined in accordance  with the following
schedule:

                               Contingent Deferred
      Period Shares Held          Sales Charge
      0 through 11 months              5%
     12 through 23 months              4%
     24 through 47 months              3%
     48 through 59 months              2%
     60 through 71 months              1%
     72 months and longer              0%

In determining  whether a CDSC is payable on any redemption,  shares not subject
to any charge will be redeemed first, followed by shares held longest during the
CDSC period.  For this  purpose,  the amount of any increase in a share's  value
above its initial  purchase  price is not  regarded  as a share  exempt from the
CDSC.  Thus,  when a share that has  appreciated in value is redeemed during the
CDSC period, a CDSC is assessed only on its initial purchase price.

In addition, the New York Portfolio may sell shares at net asset value without a
CDSC in  connection  with the  acquisition  by the  Portfolio  of  assets  of an
investment  company  or  personal  holding  company.  The CDSC will be waived on
redemptions of shares arising out of the death or post-purchase  disability of a
shareholder  or  settlor  of a  living  trust  account,  and on  redemptions  in
connection with certain  withdrawals from IRA or other  retirement  plans. Up to
12% of the value of shares subject to a systematic  withdrawal  plan may also be
redeemed each year without a CDSC.


REDUCTION OR ELIMINATION OF
SALES LOADS

Volume  Discounts.  Volume  discounts  are  provided if the total  amount  being
invested in Shares of the  Portfolio  reaches the levels  indicated in the above
sales load schedules.  Volume  discounts are also available to investors  making
sufficient  additional  purchases of Portfolio  Class A Shares.  The  applicable
sales charge may be  determined  by adding to the total  current value of shares
already  owned in the  Portfolio  the  value of new  purchases  computed  at the
offering  price on the day the additional  purchase is made. For example,  if an
investor previously purchased, and still


                                      -20-

<PAGE>

holds,  Class A shares of the Portfolio  worth  $95,000 at the current  offering
price  and  purchases  an  additional  $5,000  worth of  Class A  shares  of the
Portfolio,  the  sales  charge  applicable  to the new  purchase  would  be that
applicable to the $100,000 to $249,999 bracket in the above sales load schedule.

Reinvestment of Dividends and Distributions. There is no sales load on purchases
of Portfolio shares made by reinvestment of dividends and distributions  paid by
the Portfolio.  Reinvestment will be made at net asset value (i.e.,  without the
imposition of a sales load) on the day on which the dividend or  distribution is
payable.

Unit  Investment  Trusts.  Unit  holders of any unit  investment  trust who hold
certificates   of  such  trusts  in  a  Lebenthal  &  Co.   account  may  invest
distributions  received  from  such  unit  investment  trusts  in  Shares of the
Portfolio at no sales load or CDSC.  Unit holders of the Empire State  Municipal
Exempt Trust Series  co-sponsored by Glickenhaus & Co. and Lebenthal & Co., Inc.
may elect to invest  distributions  received from such unit investment trusts in
shares of the Portfolio at no sales load  regardless of where such  certificates
are actually held. The absence of a sales load reflects the reduced sales effort
required  to sell  shares  to this  group  of  investors.  The  minimum  initial
investment  of $1,000  and the  minimum  subsequent  investment  of $100 will be
waived for such purchases.

Letter of Intent.  Any  investor  may sign a Letter of Intent,  enclosed in this
Prospectus,  stating an intention to make purchases of Class A Shares totaling a
specified  amount  within a period of  thirteen  months.  Purchases  within  the
thirteen-month  period can be made at the reduced  sales load  applicable to the
total amount of the intended purchase noted in the Letter of Intent. If a larger
purchase is actually made during the period,  then a downward adjustment will be
made to the sales charge based on the actual purchase size. Any shares purchased
within 90 days preceding the actual signing of the Letter of Intent are eligible
for the reduced sales charge,  and the appropriate price adjustment will be made
on those share purchases. A number of shares equal to 4.50% of the dollar amount
of intended purchases specified in the Letter of Intent is held in escrow by the
Distributor  until the purchases are completed.  Dividends and  distributions on
the escrowed shares are paid to the investor.  If the intended purchases are not
completed  during the Letter of Intent  period,  the investor is required to pay
the Distributor an amount equal to the difference between the regular sales load
applicable to a single purchase of the number of shares  actually  purchased and
the sales load  actually  paid. If such payment is not made within 20 days after
written request by the Distributor, then the Distributor has the right to redeem
a sufficient  number of escrowed shares to effect payment of the amount due. Any
remaining escrowed shares are released to the investor's account.  Agreeing to a
Letter  of  Intent  does not  obligate  you to buy,  or the  Fund to  sell,  the
indicated  amount of  shares.  You should  read the  Letter of Intent  carefully
before signing.

Mutual Funds.  Shareholders of any open-end, load, management investment company
can utilize the redemption or sales proceeds from the redemption or sale of such
shares to purchase Shares of the Portfolio at no sales load or CDSC for a period
of 12 months from the date of this  Prospectus.  Investment of the redemption or
sales  proceeds in shares of the  Portfolio  must occur within 60 calendar  days
from the date of redemption or sale.

Investors 35 Years of Age or Younger.  Investors purchasing their Shares through
Lebenthal & Co., Inc., and who are 35 years of age or younger, will be offered a
0.50% discount off the applicable sales load or CDSC set forth in the preceding


                                      -21-

<PAGE>

Shares sales load  schedules  for single  investments  of at least  $1,000.  For
example,  an investor purchasing Class A Shares in the amount of $10,000 will be
charged a reduced sales load of 4.00% and an investor  purchasing  shares in the
amount of $100,000 will be charged a reduced sales load of 3.00% and an investor
purchasing  Class B Shares in those  amounts that sells those shares  within one
year of  purchase  will be subject to a CDSC of 4.5% and 5%,  respectively.  The
reduction  of a sales load  reflects  the Fund's  interest in offering a savings
vehicle for investors in this age bracket. The reduction in sales charge will be
in effect until the day prior to the investor's 36th birthday.

IRA Account Holders.  Investors holding individual retirement accounts ("IRAs"),
either directly or through a custodian,  with Lebenthal & Co., Inc. may elect to
reinvest the interest  earned on securities  in these  accounts in Shares of the
Taxable  Portfolio  at net asset value,  without an initial  sales  charge.  The
minimum initial  investment of $1,000 and the minimum  subsequent  investment of
$100 will be waived.  In addition,  for those  individuals  who wish to purchase
shares of the Taxable  Portfolio  in an IRA, the Fund offers an IRA plan through
State  Street  Bank & Trust  Company  at full  sales  load but  with no  minimum
investment and an annual custodial fee of $12.

Financial Planners.  Investors purchasing their Shares through certain financial
planners and  intermediaries  that assess a charge and have  accounts  with such
clients  will not be  charged an initial  sales load or CDSC.  The  absence of a
sales load  reflects the reduced  sales  effort  required to sell shares to this
group of investors.

Employees of the Distributor  and  Participating  Organizations.  Employees (and
their  immediate  families)  of  Lebenthal  & Co.,  Inc.  or  any  Participating
Organization  may purchase  Shares of the  Portfolio at no initial sales load or
CDSC. The absence of a sales load reflects the reduced sales effort  required to
sell shares to this group of investors.

Lebenthal  Account Holders.  Investors holding any security in a Lebenthal & Co.
account including, but not limited to, municipal bonds and equity securities may
elect to invest interest,  dividends and distributions earned on such securities
in Shares of the Fund at net asset value  (i.e.  without  the  imposition  of an
initial sales load or CDSC).  The minimum  initial  investment of $1,000 and the
minimum subsequent investment of $100 will be waived for such purchases.


SALES AND REDEMPTIONS

The Fund sells and redeems its shares on a  continuing  basis based on their net
asset value and does not impose a charge for redemptions.  The Class B Shares of
the New  York  Portfolio  may  charge  a CDSC on  early  redemptions  from  this
Portfolio.  All  transactions  in Fund shares are effected  through State Street
Bank & Trust  Company,  the Fund's  transfer  agent,  which  accepts  orders for
purchases  and  redemptions  from  Participating   Organizations  and  from  the
Distributor.

Orders received as of the earlier of 4:00 p.m., New York City time, or the close
of business of the NYSE on any Fund  Business Day will be executed at the public
offering price determined on that day. Orders received after the earlier of 4:00
p.m.,  New York City time,  or the close of the NYSE on any Fund  Business  Day,
will be  executed  at the  public  offering  price  determined  on the next Fund
Business  Day.  Shares will be issued upon receipt of payment by the Fund.  Fund
shares  begin  accruing  income  on the day after the  shares  are  issued to an
investor. The Fund reserves the right to reject any subscription for its shares.
Certificates for Fund shares will not be issued to those who invest in the Fund.


                                      -22-

<PAGE>

There is no  redemption  charge,  no minimum  period of  investment,  no minimum
amount for a redemption,  and no  restriction on frequency of  withdrawals.  The
Class B Shares of the New York Portfolio may charge a CDSC on early  redemptions
from this Portfolio.  Unless other  instructions are given in proper form to the
Fund as transfer agent, a check for the proceeds of a redemption will be sent to
the  shareholder's  address  of record.  For  shareholders  investing  through a
Lebenthal & Co., Inc.,  brokerage account,  redemption proceeds will be credited
to their brokerage account.

The  right  of  redemption  may not be  suspended  or the date of  payment  upon
redemption  postponed for more than seven days after the shares are tendered for
redemption,  except for any period  during which the NYSE is closed  (other than
customary  weekend and holiday  closings)  or during  which the  Securities  and
Exchange  Commission  determines that trading thereon is restricted,  or for any
period during which an emergency (as  determined by the  Securities and Exchange
Commission)  exists as a result of which  disposal by the Fund of its  portfolio
securities  is not  reasonably  practicable  or as a  result  of which it is not
reasonably  practicable  for the Fund fairly to  determine  the value of its net
assets,  or for such other period as the Securities and Exchange  Commission may
by order permit for the protection of the shareholders of the Fund.

Redemption  orders received before the earlier of 4:00 p.m., New York City time,
or the close of the NYSE on any Fund  Business  Day will be  executed at the net
asset value per share  determined on that day.  Redemption of the Class B Shares
of the New York  Portfolio may be subject to a CDSC as stated above.  Redemption
orders  received  after  such  time  will be  executed  at the net  asset  value
determined on the following  Fund Business Day. Fund shares  continue to receive
dividends through the day of redemption.  Normally  redemption  proceeds will be
paid within seven days.

The Fund has reserved the right to redeem the shares of any  shareholder  if the
net  asset  value  of all  the  remaining  shares  in the  shareholder's  or his
Participating  Organization's  account  after a withdrawal  is less than $1,000.
Written notice of a proposed mandatory redemption will be given at least 30 days
in advance to any shareholder  whose account is to be redeemed.  For Participant
Investor accounts,  notice of a proposed mandatory redemption will be given only
to  the   appropriate   Participating   Organization,   and  the   Participating
Organization  will be responsible for notifying the Participant  Investor of the
proposed  mandatory  redemption.  During  the  notice  period a  shareholder  or
Participating  Organization  who  receives  such a notice  may  avoid  mandatory
redemption by purchasing  sufficient additional shares to increase his total net
asset value to at least $1,000.

The  redemption of shares may result in the  Investor's  receipt of more or less
than  he  paid  for his  shares  and,  thus,  in a  taxable  gain or loss to the
investor.

Direct Purchase and Redemption Procedures. The following purchase and redemption
procedures apply to investors who wish to invest in the Fund directly or through
a  brokerage  account  maintained  at  Lebenthal  & Co.,  Inc.  and not  through
Participating Organizations. These investors may obtain a current prospectus and
Lebenthal  & Co.,  Inc.  account  application  necessary  to open an  account by
telephoning Lebenthal & Co., Inc. at the following numbers:

Within New York City(212) 425-6116
Outside New York City (toll free)(800) 221-5822


                                      -23-

<PAGE>

Initial  Purchases of Shares.  Checks are accepted subject to collection at full
value in United States currency.

Mail: To purchase  shares of the Fund, send a check made payable to "Lebenthal &
Co., Inc., Agent" including the Lebenthal account number __ __ __ __ __ __ to:

Lebenthal Funds, Inc.
Lebenthal ________ Municipal Bond Fund
120 Broadway
New York, New York 10271-0005

Bank Wire: To purchase  shares of the Fund using the wire system for transmittal
of  money  among  banks,  investors  should  first  telephone  the Fund at (212)
425-6116 to obtain a Fund account number.  The investors  should then instruct a
member commercial bank to wire their money immediately to:



    Chase Manhattan Bank
    ABA23 021-000021
    f/a/o Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities
      Corp.
    Pershing Division
    Acct# 930-1-032992
    For Lebenthal Funds, Inc.
    Lebenthal ________ Municipal Bond Fund
    A/C Name__________________
    Lebenthal A/C # __ __ __ __ __ __

Investors  planning to wire funds should instruct their bank early in the day so
the wire transfer can be accomplished  before the earlier of 4:00 p.m., New York
City time,  or the close of the NYSE on that same day.  There may be a charge by
the investor's bank for  transmitting  the money by bank wire. The Fund does not
charge investors in the Fund for its receipt of wire transfers.

Subsequent  Purchases of Shares.  Subsequent purchases can be made by bank wire,
as indicated above, or by mailing a check to:

   Lebenthal Funds, Inc.
   Lebenthal ________ Municipal Bond Fund
   120 Broadway
   New York, New York 10271-0005

The minimum  amount for  subsequent  purchases  of shares is $100.  All payments
should clearly indicate the shareholder's account number.

Redemption of Shares. A redemption order is executed immediately following,  and
at a price  determined in accordance  with, the next  determination of net asset
value per share following  receipt by the Fund of the redemption  order (and any
supporting documentation which it may require).  Redemption payments will not be
effected  unless the check  (including a certified or cashier's  check) used for
investment has been cleared for payment by the investor's  bank,  which may take
up to 10 days after investment.

Written Requests.  Shareholders may make a redemption in any amount by sending a
written request addressed to:

   Lebenthal Funds, Inc.
   Lebenthal ________ Municipal Bond Fund
   c/o Lebenthal & Co., Inc.
   120 Broadway
   New York, New York 10271-0005

All requests for redemption should clearly indicate the Lebenthal account number
__  __  __  __  __.  Normally  the  redemption  proceeds  are  credited  to  the
shareholder's Lebenthal brokerage account.

Investment through  Participating  Organizations.  Participant Investors may, if
they wish, invest in the Fund through the Participating Organizations with which
they have accounts. "Partic-


                                      -24-

<PAGE>

ipating  Organizations" are securities brokers, banks and financial institutions
or other  industry  professionals  or  organizations  which  have  entered  into
shareholder servicing agreements with the Distributor with respect to investment
of their  customer  accounts in the Fund.  When  instructed  by its  customer to
purchase or redeem Fund shares, the Participating Organization, on behalf of the
customer,  transmits  to the Fund as  transfer  agent a purchase  or  redemption
order.

Participating  Organizations may confirm to their customers who are shareholders
in the Fund each  purchase  and  redemption  of Fund  shares  for the  customers
accounts.  Participating  Organizations  may also send their customers  periodic
account  statements  showing  the  total  number  of Fund  shares  owned by each
customer as of the statement closing date, purchases and redemptions of the Fund
shares by each  customer  during the period  covered by the  statement,  and the
income  earned by Fund  shares of each  customer  during  the  statement  period
(including  dividends  paid in cash or reinvested  in  additional  Fund shares).
Participant  Investors whose Participating  Organizations have not undertaken to
provide  such  confirmations  and  statements  will  receive  them from the Fund
directly.

Participating Organizations may charge Participant Investors a fee in connection
with their use of  specialized  purchase and  redemption  procedures  offered to
Participant   Investors  by  the  Participating   Organizations.   In  addition,
Participating  Organizations offering purchase and redemption procedures similar
to those  offered to  shareholders  who invest in the Fund  directly  may impose
charges, limitations, minimums and restrictions in addition to or different from
those applicable to shareholders  who invest in the Fund directly.  Accordingly,
the net yield to investors who invest through Participating Organizations may be
less than by investing in the Fund directly. Therefore, an investor may consider
investing  in the  Fund  directly.  A  Participant  Investor  should  read  this
Prospectus  in  conjunction  with the  materials  provided by the  Participating
Organization  describing the procedures under which Fund shares may be purchased
and redeemed through the Participating Organization.

The Glass-Steagall Act limits the ability of a depository  institution to become
an  underwriter  or  distributor  of  securities.  However,  it is the Manager's
position  that banks are not  prohibited  from  acting in other  capacities  for
investment companies,  such as providing  administrative and shareholder account
maintenance  services  and  receiving  compensation  from  the  Distributor  for
providing such services.  However, this is an unsettled area of the law and if a
determination  contrary to the Manager's  position is made by a bank  regulatory
agency or court concerning shareholder servicing and administration  payments to
banks from the Distributor,  any such payments will be terminated and any shares
registered  in the  banks'  names,  for  their  underlying  customers,  will  be
reregistered  in the  names  of the  customers  at no  cost  to the  Fund or its
shareholders.  In addition,  state securities laws on this issue may differ from
the  interpretations  of Federal law  expressed  herein and banks and  financial
institutions may be required to register as dealers pursuant to state law.

In the case of qualified  Participating  Organizations,  orders  received by the
Fund  before the earlier of 4:00 p.m.,  New York City time,  or the close of the
NYSE on a Fund Business Day, will be executed on that day. Orders received after
such time will not result in execution  until the  following  Fund Business Day.
Participating Organizations are responsible for instituting procedures to insure
that purchase orders by their respective clients are processed expeditiously.

The  following  purchase  and  redemption  procedures  now apply to  Participant
Investors who


                                      -25-

<PAGE>

wish to invest in the Fund through the  Participating  Organizations  with which
they have accounts. Participant Investors should refer to the general procedures
applicable  to direct  investors  contained  in this  prospectus.  Requests  for
assistance  or  additional  information  should be directed to the Fund at (800)
828-3246.

Bank Wire: To purchase  shares of the Fund using the wire system for transmittal
of money among banks,  Participant Investors should instruct a member commercial
bank to wire their money immediately to:

   State Street Bank & Trust Co.

   ABA26 01100028 For Credit to Account
     99051971
   FAO: [          ]/Lebenthal Funds Inc.
   Lebenthal__________Municipal Bond Fund
   A/C Name____________________


   Lebenthal A/C 27____________

Purchase By Check: For Participant Investors subsequent purchases can be made by
bank wire, as indicated above, or by mailing a check to:

   Lebenthal Funds Inc.
   Lebenthal__________Municipal Bond Fund
   P.O. Box 419722
   Kansas City, MO 64141-9722

Systematic  Investment  Plan.  Shareholders  may elect to purchase shares of the
Fund through the  establishment  of an Automatic  Investment Plan of a specified
amount of $100 or more automatically, on a monthly basis. The minimum investment
required to open an Automatic  Investment  Plan account is $1,000.  An Automatic
Investment  Authorization  Form (available on request from the transfer agent or
the Distributor) provides for funds to be automatically drawn on a shareholder's
bank account and deposited in his or her Fund account ($100 per month  minimum).
The  shareholder's  bank  may  charge  a  nominal  fee in  connection  with  the
establishment and use of automatic deposit services.  Accordingly, the net yield
to investors who invest through the Systematic  Investment Plan may be less than
through investing in the Fund directly.  The election may also be made,  changed
or terminated at any later time by the  participant by sending a written request
to the Fund's transfer agent or Distributor.

Systematic Withdrawal Plan.  Shareholders may elect to redeem shares and receive
payment from the Fund of a specified  amount of $50 or more  automatically  on a
monthly  basis.  A  specified  amount  plan  payment  is made by the Fund on the
twelfth day of each month.  Whenever  such  twelfth day of a month is not a Fund
Business  Day, the payment date is the Fund Business Day  immediately  preceding
the  twelfth  day of the month.  In order to make a payment,  a number of shares
equal in aggregate  net asset value to the payment  amount are redeemed at their
net  asset  value on the  Fund  Business  Day  three  days  prior to the date of
payment.  TO THE EXTENT THAT THE  REDEMPTIONS  TO MAKE PLAN PAYMENTS  EXCEED THE
NUMBER OF SHARES PURCHASED THROUGH  REINVESTMENT OF DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS,
THE REDEMPTIONS  REDUCE THE NUMBER OF SHARES  PURCHASED ON ORIGINAL  INVESTMENT,
AND MAY  ULTIMATELY  LIQUIDATE A  SHAREHOLDER'S  INVESTMENT.  A SHAREHOLDER  MAY
RECOGNIZE  A GAIN OR A LOSS UPON  REDEMPTION  OF SHARES TO THE EXTENT THE AMOUNT
RECEIVED  UPON  REDEMPTION  EXCEEDS  OR IS LESS  THAN HIS  BASIS  IN THE  SHARES
REDEEMED.  This election is only  available to investors who at time of election
own shares with a net asset value of $10,000.  The election to receive automatic
withdrawal  payments may be made at the time of the original  subscription by so
indicating  on the  subscription  order  form.  The  election  may also be made,
changed or terminated at any later time by


                                      -26-

<PAGE>

the participant by sending a written request to the Fund's transfer agent.


EXCHANGE PRIVILEGE

Shareholders  of each  Portfolio  are entitled to exchange  some or all of their
shares in the same class of shares  for shares in any of the Fund's  portfolios:
Lebenthal  New York  Municipal  Bond Fund,  Lebenthal  New  Jersey  Bond Fund or
Lebenthal  Taxable  Municipal Bond Fund. In the future,  the exchange  privilege
program may be extended to other  investment  companies  managed by  Lebenthal &
Co.,  Inc.  The  Class B Shares  of the New York  Portfolio  are  currently  not
eligible to participate in this Exchange Privilege.

There is no charge for the exchange  privilege or  limitation as to frequency of
exchange. The minimum amount for an exchange is $1,000, except that shareholders
who are  establishing  a new  account  with an  investment  company  through the
exchange  privilege must ensure that a sufficient number of shares are exchanged
to meet the minimum initial investment required for the portfolio into which the
exchange is being  made.  Shares are  exchanged  at their  respective  net asset
values.

The exchange privilege provides  shareholders of any Portfolio with a convenient
method to shift their investment among different  portfolios when they feel such
a shift is  desirable.  The exchange  privilege  is  available  to  shareholders
residing  in any state in which  shares of the  portfolios  being  acquired  may
legally  be sold.  Shares  may be  exchanged  only  between  portfolio  accounts
registered in identical  names.  Before making an exchange,  the investor should
review the current  prospectus of the portfolio into which the exchange is to be
made.  An exchange  pursuant to the  exchange  privilege  is treated for Federal
income tax purposes as a sale on which a shareholder  may realize a taxable gain
or loss. An additional Prospectus may be obtained by contacting Lebenthal Funds,
Inc.  at the  address  or  telephone  number set forth on the cover page of this
Prospectus.

Instructions for exchanges may be made by sending a signature guaranteed written
request to:

   Lebenthal Funds, Inc.
   Lebenthal ________ Municipal Bond Fund
   c/o Lebenthal & Co., Inc.
   120 Broadway
   New York, New York 10271-0005

or, for  shareholders  who have  elected  that option,  by  telephone.  The Fund
reserves  the right to reject any  exchange  request and may modify or terminate
the exchange privilege at any time.

Dollar Cost Averaging Program. Shareholders may elect to have a specified amount
automatically exchanged, either monthly or quarterly, from one of their accounts
through  Lebenthal  & Co.,  Inc.  into one or more of the  Class A Shares of the
Lebenthal Fund portfolios.  The account from which exchanges are to be made must
have a value  of at least  $10,000  when a  shareholder  elects  to  begin  this
program,  and the exchange minimum is $100 per transaction.  The net asset value
of  shares  purchased  under  this  program  may  vary,  and may be more or less
advantageous than if shares were purchased directly on dates other than the date
specified  in the  program.  There is no charge for  entering  the  Dollar  Cost
Averaging  program,  and exchanges made pursuant to this program are not subject
to an exchange fee. Sales charges may apply, as described under the caption "How
to Purchase and Redeem Shares."

Telephone  Exchanges  and  Redemptions.  Arrangements  have  been  made  for the
acceptance of instructions by telephone to exchange or


                                      -27-

<PAGE>

redeem   shares   in   book-entry   form   if   certain   preauthorizations   or
indemnifications  are  accepted  and are on file.  Shareholders  who  elect  the
telephone  exchange or  redemption  option  bear the risk of any loss,  damages,
expense or cost arising from their  election of the telephone  exchange  option,
including  risk of  unauthorized  use,  provided,  however,  that the Fund shall
employ  reasonable  procedures  to confirm that all telephone  instructions  are
genuine.  For this purpose, the Fund will employ such procedures to confirm that
telephone or telecopy exchange or redemption  instructions are genuine, and will
require  that  shareholders  electing  such  options  provide a form of personal
identification.  The failure of the Fund to employ such procedures may cause the
Fund to be liable for losses  incurred by investors due to telephone or telecopy
exchange or  redemption  based upon  unauthorized  or  fraudulent  instructions.
Further  information  and telephone  exchange or redemption  forms are available
from the transfer agent or Distributor.

Shareholders  holding  shares in  book-entry  form may  redeem  their  shares by
telephoning  the  transfer  agent prior to 4:00 p.m.  Eastern  time.  Redemption
proceeds  must be payable  to the record  holder of the shares and mailed to the
shareholder's address of record or wire transferred to the shareholder's account
at a domestic  commercial  bank that is a member of the Federal  Reserve System,
normally  within one business  day, but in no event longer than seven days after
the request.  The minimum  amount for a wire transfer is $1,000.  If at any time
the Fund  determines  it  necessary  to  terminate  or  modify  this  method  of
redemption, shareholders would be promptly notified. Information on this service
is included in the  application  and is available from the transfer agent or the
Distributor.


DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE PLAN

Pursuant  to Rule  12b-1  under  the  1940  Act,  the SEC has  required  that an
investment  company which bears any direct or indirect  expense of  distributing
its shares must do so only in accordance  with a plan permitted by the Rule. The
Fund's Board of Directors has adopted a distribution  and service plan on behalf
of each Portfolio (the "Plan") and, pursuant to the Plan, the New York Portfolio
and the  Distributor  have entered  into a  Distribution  Agreement  and the New
Jersey  and  Taxable   Portfolios  and  the  Distributor  have  entered  into  a
Distribution Agreement and a Shareholder Servicing Agreement.

The New York Portfolio.  Under the Distribution Agreement,  the Distributor,  as
agent  for the  Fund,  will  solicit  orders  for the  purchase  of the New York
Portfolio's  shares,  provided  that any  subscriptions  and orders  will not be
binding  on the  Fund  until  accepted  by the  Fund  as  principal.  Under  the
Distribution  Agreement,  the Distributor  receives from each of the Class A and
Class B Shares of the Portfolio a service fee equal to .25% per annum of the New
York  Portfolio's  average  daily net assets (the  "Service  Fee") for providing
shareholder  servicing  and the  maintenance  of  shareholder  accounts and that
provides  that the  Distributor  may make  payments  from  time to time from the
Service Fee received to pay the costs of, and to  compensate  others,  including
Participating  Organizations for performing such shareholder servicing functions
on  behalf  of the New  York  Portfolio.  The  Class B  Shares  of the New  York
Portfolio  also pay the  Distributor  an asset based sales charge  ("Asset Based
Sales Charge") equal to 0.75% per annum of the Class B Shares' average daily net
assets to be used by the  Distributor to pay sales  commissions for sales of the
Class B Shares of this  Portfolio.  The fees are accrued daily and paid monthly.
The total  amounts  payable under the Plan by the Class B Shares of the New York
Portfolio may not exceed 1.00% per annum.


                                      -28-

<PAGE>

The Plan and the Distribution  Agreement  provide that, in addition to the Asset
Based Sales Charge described above (with respect to the Class B shares only) and
the Service Fee (with  respect to the Class A and Class B shares),  the New York
Portfolio  will pay for (i)  telecommunications  expenses  including the cost of
dedicated  lines and CRT terminals,  incurred by the Distributor in carrying out
its obligations under the Distribution Agreement,  and (ii) preparing,  printing
and delivering the Fund's  Prospectus to existing  shareholders  of the Fund and
preparing and printing subscription application forms for shareholder accounts.

The Plan and the Management  Contract provide that the Manager may make payments
from time to time from its own  resources,  which may include the Management Fee
and past profits, for the following purposes: (i) to defray the costs of, and to
compensate  others,   including   Participating   Organizations  with  whom  the
Distributor  has entered into written  agreements,  for  performing  shareholder
servicing  and  related  administrative  functions  on  behalf  of the New  York
Portfolio, (ii) to compensate certain Participating  Organizations for providing
assistance in distributing  the New York  Portfolio's  shares,  (iii) to pay the
cost of  printing  and  distributing  the New  York  Portfolio's  prospectus  to
prospective  investors,  and  (iv) to  defray  the cost of the  preparation  and
printing of brochures and other promotional  materials,  mailings to prospective
shareholders,  advertising,  and other  promotional  activities,  including  the
salaries   and/or   commissions  of  sales  personnel  in  connection  with  the
distribution of the New York Portfolio's  shares.  The Distributor may also make
payments from time to time from its own resources, which may include the Service
Fee and past profits,  for the purposes enumerated in (i) above. With respect to
the Class B shares only the  Distributor may also make payments for the purposes
enumerated in (ii),  (iii), and (iv) from the Asset Based Sales Charges received
by the Distributor.

The  Distributor,  in its sole  discretion,  will  determine  the amount of such
payments  made  pursuant  to the  Plan,  provided  that such  payments  will not
increase  the amount  which the New York  Portfolio  is  required  to pay to the
Distributor  for any  fiscal  year  under  the  Distribution  Agreement  and the
Management Contract in effect for that year.

The New Jersey Portfolio and The Taxable  Portfolio.  For its services under the
Shareholder Servicing  Agreements,  the Distributor receives from the New Jersey
and Taxable Portfolios a fee equal to .25% per annum of the Portfolios'  average
daily net assets (the "Shareholder Servicing Fee"). The fee is accrued daily and
paid  monthly  and  any  portion  of the  fee  may be  deemed  to be used by the
Distributor  for  purposes  of (i)  shareholder  servicing  and  maintenance  of
shareholder  accounts and (ii) for payments to participating  organizations with
respect to servicing their clients or customers who are  shareholders of the New
Jersey and Taxable Portfolios.

Under the Distribution Agreements, the Distributor,  as agent for the New Jersey
and Taxable  Portfolios,  will solicit orders for the purchase of the New Jersey
and Taxable Portfolios' shares,  provided that any subscriptions and orders will
not be binding on a Portfolio  until accepted by the Portfolio as principal.  In
addition,   the  Distribution   Agreements  provide  for  reimbursement  to  the
Distributor  by the New  Jersey and  Taxable  Portfolios  for its  distribution,
promotional and advertising  costs incurred in connection with the  distribution
of the New Jersey and Taxable Portfolios' shares in an amount not to exceed .10%
per annum of each of the New Jersey and Taxable  Portfolios'  average  daily net
assets.  To the  extent the  Distributor  does not take  reimbursement  for such
expenses in a current fiscal year, it


                                      -29-

<PAGE>

is precluded from taking any  reimbursement  for such amounts in a future fiscal
year. The Plans,  the  Shareholder  Servicing  Agreements  and the  Distribution
Agreements  provide  that,  in addition  to the  Shareholder  Servicing  Fee and
advertising  reimbursement,  the New Jersey and Taxable  Portfolios will pay for
(i)  telecommunications  expenses  including the cost of dedicated lines and CRT
terminals  incurred by the Distributor in carrying out its obligations under the
Shareholder Servicing Agreements, and (ii) typesetting,  printing and delivering
the Fund's  prospectus  to existing  shareholders  of the Fund and preparing the
printing subscription  application forms for shareholder accounts.  The expenses
enumerated in this paragraph  shall not exceed an amount equal to .05% per annum
of each of the New Jersey and Taxable Portfolio's average daily net assets.

The  Plans  and the  Management  Contracts  provide  that the  Manager  may make
payments  from  time to time  from its own  resources,  which  may  include  the
management fee and past profits for the following purposes:  to defray the costs
of and to compensate others, including participating organizations with whom the
Distributor  has entered into written  agreements,  for  performing  shareholder
servicing and related  administrative  functions on behalf of the New Jersey and
Taxable  Portfolios;  to  compensate  certain  Participating  Organizations  for
providing assistance in distributing the Portfolios' shares; to pay the costs of
printing and distributing the Fund's prospectus to prospective investors; and to
defray  the  cost  of the  preparation  and  printing  of  brochures  and  other
promotional materials,  mailings to prospective shareholders,  advertising,  and
other promotional activities, including the salaries and/or commissions of sales
personnel in connection with the  distribution of the  Portfolios'  shares.  The
Distributor,  in its sole discretion, will determine the amount of such payments
made  pursuant to the Plans,  provided  that such  payments made pursuant to the
Plans will not increase  the amount which the New Jersey and Taxable  Portfolios
are required to pay to the  Distributor or the Manager for any fiscal year under
the Shareholder  Servicing  Agreements or the Management Contracts in effect for
that year.


FEDERAL INCOME TAXES

The New York  Portfolio  and the New Jersey  Portfolio  have  elected to qualify
under   the   Code   as   regulated   investment   companies   that   distribute
"exempt-interest  dividends" as defined in the Code.  The Taxable  Portfolio has
also elected to qualify as a regulated  investment company,  but will distribute
taxable,  not  tax-exempt,  dividends.  The  policy  of  each  Portfolio  is  to
distribute  as  dividends  each year 100% (and in no event less than 90%) of its
tax-exempt  interest income,  net of certain  deductions (in the case of the New
York and New Jersey  Portfolios),  and its investment company taxable income (if
any). If distributions are made in this manner,  dividends designated as derived
from  the  interest  earned  on  Municipal   Obligations  are   "exempt-interest
dividends"  and are not subject to regular  Federal  income tax,  although  such
"exempt-interest  dividends" may be subject to Federal  alternative minimum tax.
Dividends paid from taxable income,  if any, and  distributions  of any realized
short-term  capital gains (whether from tax-exempt or taxable  obligations)  are
taxable to  shareholders  as ordinary  income for Federal  income tax  purposes,
whether  received in cash or reinvested in  additional  shares of the Fund.  The
Fund may realize  long-term  capital  gains,  and may  distribute  "capital gain
dividends" or have  undistributed  capital gain income within the meaning of the
Code. The Fund will inform  shareholders  of the amount and nature of its income
and gains in a written  notice  mailed to  shareholders  not later  than 60 days
after the close of the Fund's  taxable  year.  For Social  Security  recipients,
interest on tax-exempt bonds, including tax-exempt interest dividends paid by


                                      -30-

<PAGE>

the Fund, is to be added to adjusted  gross income for purposes of computing the
amount of Social  Security  benefits  includible  in gross  income.  Interest on
certain "private activity bonds" (generally, a bond issue in which more than 10%
of the  proceeds  are used for a  non-governmental  trade or business  and which
meets the  private  security  or payment  test,  or a bond issue which meets the
private loan financing test) issued after August 7, 1986 will constitute an item
of  tax  preference   subject  to  the  individual   alternative   minimum  tax.
Corporations  will be  required  to include,  as an item of tax  preference  for
purposes  of the  alternative  minimum  tax,  75% of the  amount by which  their
adjusted current earnings  (including  generally,  tax-exempt  interest) exceeds
their alternative  minimum taxable income (determined without this tax item). In
addition,  in certain cases Subchapter S corporations with accumulated  earnings
and profits from Subchapter C corporations  will be subject to a tax on "passive
investment income," including tax-exempt interest.

With  respect to  variable  rate  demand  instruments,  including  participation
certificates  herein,  the Fund is relying on the opinion of Battle  Fowler LLP,
counsel to the Fund,  that it will be treated for Federal income tax purposes as
the owner and that the  interest  thereon  will be exempt from  regular  Federal
income taxes to the Fund to the same extent as the  interest on such  underlying
Municipal Obligations. Counsel has pointed out that the Internal Revenue Service
has announced that it will not ordinarily  issue advance rulings on the question
of the ownership of securities or participation  interests  therein subject to a
put, and could reach a conclusion different from that reached by counsel.
(See "Federal Income Taxes" in the SAI.)

In South  Carolina  v.  Baker,  the U.S.  Supreme  Court  held that the  Federal
government may constitutionally  require states to register bonds they issue and
may subject the interest on such bonds to Federal tax if not registered, and the
Court  further  held that there is no  constitutional  prohibition  against  the
Federal  government's  taxing the  interest  earned on state or other  municipal
bonds.  The  Supreme  Court  decision  affirms  the  authority  of  the  Federal
government  to regulate and control bonds such as Municipal  Obligations  and to
tax such bonds in the future. The decision does not, however, affect the current
exemption  from  taxation of the  interest  earned on Municipal  Obligations  in
accordance with Section 103 of the Code.


NEW YORK INCOME TAXES

The  exemption  of interest  income for  Federal  income tax  purposes  does not
necessarily  result in an  exemption  under the  income or other tax laws of any
state or local  taxing  authority.  However,  to the extent that  dividends  are
derived from interest on New York Municipal Obligations, the dividends will also
be excluded  from a New York  resident  shareholder's  gross income for New York
State and New York City personal  income tax purposes.  This  exclusion does not
result in a corporate  shareholder  being exempt for New York State and New York
City franchise or income tax purposes. Shareholders should consult their own tax
advisers about the status of distributions  from the New York Portfolio in their
own states and localities.


NEW JERSEY INCOME TAXES

The  exemption  of interest  income for  Federal  income tax  purposes  does not
necessarily  result in an  exemption  under the  income or other tax laws of any
state or local  taxing  authority.  The New  Jersey  Portfolio  intends  to be a
"qualified  investment  fund"  within the meaning of the New Jersey gross income
tax. The primary  criteria for  constituting a "qualified  investment  fund" are
that (1) such fund is an investment company regis-


                                      -31-

<PAGE>

tered with the SEC which,  for the calendar  year in which the  distribution  is
paid, has no investments other than  interest-bearing  obligations,  obligations
issued  at a  discount,  and cash  and cash  items,  including  receivables  and
financial  options,  futures,  forward  contracts,  or other  similar  financial
instruments  relating to interest-bearing  obligations,  obligations issued at a
discount or bond indexes related  thereto,  and (2) at the close of each quarter
of the taxable year, such fund has not less than 80% of the aggregate  principal
amount of all of its investments,  excluding financial options, futures, forward
contracts,  or other similar financial  instruments relating to interest-bearing
obligations, obligations issued at a discount or bond indexes related thereto to
the extent  such  instruments  are  authorized  under the  regulated  investment
company  rules  under the Code,  cash and cash items  (which  cash  items  shall
include  receivables)  in New  Jersey  Municipal  Obligations.  Additionally,  a
qualified   investment  fund  must  comply  with  certain  continuing  reporting
requirements.

In the opinion of McCarter & English, LLP, special New Jersey tax counsel to the
New Jersey  Portfolio,  assuming  that the New Jersey  Portfolio  constitutes  a
qualified  investment fund and that the New Jersey  Portfolio  complies with the
reporting  obligations under New Jersey law with respect to qualified investment
funds,  (a)  distributions  paid by the New  Jersey  Portfolio  to a New  Jersey
resident  individual  shareholder  will not be subject  to the New Jersey  gross
income tax to the  extent  that the  distributions  are  attributable  to income
received as interest on or gain from New Jersey Municipal  Obligations,  and (b)
gain  from  the sale of  shares  in the New  Jersey  Portfolio  by a New  Jersey
resident  individual  shareholder  will not be subject  to the New Jersey  gross
income tax.  Shareholders should consult their own tax Advisers about the status
of  distributions  from  the New  Jersey  Portfolio  in  their  own  states  and
localities.


DESCRIPTION OF COMMON STOCK

The Fund was incorporated in Maryland on August 17, 1990. The authorized capital
stock of the Fund consists of twenty  billion shares of stock having a par value
of one tenth of one cent  ($.001) per share.  The Fund's  Board of  Directors is
authorized  to divide the unissued  shares into separate  series of stock,  each
series  representing  a separate,  additional  investment  portfolio.  The Board
currently has authorized  the division of the unissued  shares into four series.
One of such series, the New York Portfolio,  is also divided into two classes of
shares,  the  Class A Shares  and the Class B  Shares.  Shares of all  series or
classes will have identical voting rights, except where, by law, certain matters
must be approved by a majority  of the shares of the  affected  series or class.
Each share of any  series or class of shares  when  issued  has equal  dividend,
distribution,  liquidation  and voting rights within the series for which it was
issued,  and each  fractional  share  has  those  rights  in  proportion  to the
percentage that the fractional share represents of a whole share. Shares will be
voted  in the  aggregate.  There  are no  conversion  or  preemptive  rights  in
connection  with any shares of the Fund.  All shares,  when issued in accordance
with the terms of the offering, will be fully paid and nonassessable. Shares are
redeemable at net asset value, at the option of the shareholder.  As of February
28, 1998,  the amount of shares owned by all officers and directors of the Fund,
as a  group,  was  less  than  1% of  the  outstanding  shares  of  each  of the
Portfolios.

The shares of the Fund have non-cumulative  voting rights,  which means that the
holders of more than 50% of the shares  outstanding  voting for the  election of
directors can elect 100% of the  directors if the holders  choose to do so, and,
in that event, the holders of the remaining shares will not be able to elect any
person or persons to the


                                      -32-

<PAGE>

Board of Directors. The Fund does not issue certificates evidencing Fund shares.


GENERAL INFORMATION

The  Fund is  registered  with  the SEC as an  open-end,  management  investment
company.  The Fund prepares  semi-annual  unaudited and annual  audited  reports
which  include a list of  investment  securities  held by the Fund and which are
sent to shareholders.

As a general  matter,  the Fund will not hold  annual or other  meetings  of the
Fund's shareholders.  This is because the By-laws of the Fund provide for annual
meetings only (a) for the election of directors,  (b) for approval of the Fund's
revised  investment  advisory  agreement  with respect to a particular  class or
series of stock,  (c) for  approval  of  revisions  to the  Fund's  distribution
agreement  with respect to a particular  class or series of stock,  and (d) upon
the written  request of holders or shares  entitled to cast not less than 25% of
all the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting. Annual and other meetings may
be required with respect to such additional  matters relating to the Fund as may
be  required  by  the  Act,  including  the  removal  of  Fund  director(s)  and
communication  among  shareholders,  any  registration  of  the  Fund  with  the
Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  or any  state,  or as the  directors  may
consider necessary or desirable.  Each director serves until the next meeting of
the  shareholders  called  for  the  purpose  of  considering  the  election  or
reelection  of such director or of a successor to such  director,  and until the
election and  qualification of his or her successor,  elected at such a meeting,
or until such director sooner dies,  resigns,  retires or is removed by the vote
of the shareholders.

For further  information with respect to the Fund and the shares offered hereby,
reference  is made to the  Fund's  Registration  Statement  filed  with the SEC,
including  the exhibits  thereto.  The  Registration  Statement and the exhibits
thereto  may be examined  at the SEC and copies  thereof  may be  obtained  upon
payment of certain duplicating fees.


FUND PERFORMANCE

Each  Portfolio  may from time to time  include  its yield,  total  return,  and
average  annual  total  return in  advertisements  or  information  furnished to
present or prospective  shareholders.  Each Portfolio may also from time to time
include in advertisements  the ranking of those performance  figures relative to
such  figures  for  groups  of mutual  funds  categorized  by Lipper  Analytical
Services as having the same investment objectives.

Average annual total return is a measure of the average annual  compounded  rate
of return  of $1,000  invested  at the  maximum  public  offering  price  over a
specified   period,   which   assumes  that  any   dividends  or  capital  gains
distributions are automatically  reinvested in the Portfolio rather than paid to
the investor in cash.  Total return is calculated with the same  assumptions and
shows the aggregate return on an investment over a specified  period.  CDSCs, in
the case of the Class B Shares, are reflected in the calculation of the New York
Portfolio's performance information.

The formula for total return used by each Portfolio  includes  three steps:  (1)
adding to the total number of shares purchased by the hypothetical investment in
the portfolio of $1,000  (assuming the  investment is made at a public  offering
price that  includes  the current  maximum  sales load of 4.50%) all  additional
shares that would have been purchased if all dividends and distributions paid or
distributed during the period had been automatically reinvested; (2) calculating
the value of the hypothetical  initial investment as of the end of the period by
multiplying the total number of shares

                                      -33-

<PAGE>

owned at the end of the  period  by the net  asset  value  per share on the last
trading  day of the  period;  and  (3)  dividing  this  account  value  for  the
hypothetical  investor by the amount of the initial  investment and  annualizing
the result for periods of less than one year.

Each Portfolio computes yield by annualizing net investment income per share for
a recent 30-day period and dividing that amount by a Portfolio's share's maximum
public  offering price (reduced by any undeclared  earned income  expected to be
paid shortly as a dividend) on the last  trading day of that period.  CDSCs,  in
the case of the Class B Shares, are reflected in the calculation of the New York
Portfolio's performance  information.  The Portfolio's yield will vary from time
to time depending upon market  conditions,  the composition of the Portfolio and
operating expenses of the Portfolio.

The New York Portfolio may also  advertise a tax equivalent  yield for residents
of the State of New York  wherein all or  substantially  all of the  Portfolio's
dividends  are not subject to New York income tax.  The  advertisement  of a tax
equivalent  yield reflects the taxable yield that a New York investor subject to
that  state's  or  municipality's  stated  tax rate would have had to receive in
order to  realize  the same level of  after-tax  yield as an  investment  in the
Portfolio would have produced.

The New Jersey Portfolio may also advertise a tax equivalent yield for residents
of the State of New Jersey  wherein all or  substantially  all of the New Jersey
Portfolio's  dividends  are not  subject to New Jersey  gross  income  tax.  The
advertisement  of a tax  equivalent  yield reflects the taxable yield that a New
Jersey investor subject to that state's or municipality's  stated tax rate would
have had to receive in order to realize the same level of after-tax  yield as an
investment in the New Jersey Portfolio would have produced.

Total  return  and yield  may be stated  with or  without  giving  effect to any
expense limitations in effect for the Portfolio.


NET ASSET VALUE

The net asset value of the Fund's shares is determined as of the earlier of 4:00
p.m.,  New York City time,  or the close of the NYSE on each Fund  Business Day.
Fund  Business Day means  weekdays  (Monday  through  Friday)  except  customary
business  holidays and Good Friday.  It is computed by dividing the value of the
Fund's net assets (i.e.,  the value of its  securities and other assets less its
liabilities,  including  expenses payable or accrued but excluding capital stock
and surplus) by the total number of shares outstanding.

Municipal  Obligations  are  priced on the  basis of  valuations  provided  by a
pricing service approved by the Board of Directors,  which uses information with
respect  to  transactions  in  bonds,   quotations  from  bond  dealers,  market
transactions  in  comparable   securities  and  various   relationships  between
securities,  in  determining  value.  The  valuations  provided by such  pricing
service will be based upon fair market value determined most likely on the basis
of the  factors  listed  above.  If a pricing  service  is not  used,  Municipal
Obligations  will be valued at quoted prices provided by municipal bond dealers.
Non-tax-exempt securities for which transaction prices are readily available are
stated at market  value  (determined  on the  basis of the last  reported  sales
price, or by similar means).  Short-term investments that will mature in 60 days
or less are stated at amortized cost, which approximates market value. All other
securities  and assets are valued at their fair market  value as  determined  in
good faith by the Board of Directors.


                                      -34-

<PAGE>

CUSTODIAN, TRANSFER AGENT AND
DIVIDEND AGENT

Investors  Fiduciary  Trust Company,  801  Pennsylvania,  Kansas City,  Missouri
64105-1716,  is  custodian  for the  Fund's  cash  and  securities.  The  Fund's
custodian does not assist in, and is not responsible for,  investment  decisions
involving  assets of the Fund. The Fund has retained State Street Bank and Trust
Company, 225 Franklin Street, Boston,  Massachusetts 02111, to provide personnel
and facilities to perform transfer agency related services for the Fund.




                                      -35-

<PAGE>

                             MORE INFORMATION ON THE
                                MUNICIPAL MARKET

         Individuals  considering an investment in the Fund should be aware that
the municipal securities market is "large,  dynamic, and increasingly  complex,"
to quote an SEC Staff Report.  Many diverse factors affect the yield,  security,
and suitability of one's investment in the Fund. Among them:

         Municipal   Bonds  raise  money  for  public   works.   These  are  the
indispensable roads, sewers, schools,  subways,  airports,  public buildings and
facilities--"Built-by-Bonds"--that   provide  the  physical  infrastructure  for
communal life and the underpinnings  for long range economic  development of the
community.

         A Municipal Bond is evidence of collective  debt. It shows that a local
governmental  entity  or  authority  needed  money  for  a  public  purpose.  It
represents  the  obligation  of the  borrower to repay a fixed sum of money on a
definite  future date at a fixed rate of interest.  And that interest is free of
federal  income tax and free in most  states  where  issued from state and local
taxes in that state.

         Investors  are  willing  to lend,  issuers  are able to borrow at lower
rates of interest in the tax free bond market.  Exemption from taxes reduces the
interest rate local  governments must pay on their debt,  because  investors are
willing to accept a lower rate of  interest  on tax exempt  debt than on taxable
debt. PSA, The Bond Market Trade  Association,  has estimated that the saving in
borrowing  costs on $970 billion of Municipal Bonds issued between 1993 and 1997
will add up to $295 billion by the year 2010, versus what it would have cost the
states,  their political  subdivisions,  agencies,  and authorities to borrow at
prevailing corporate interest rates.






                                      -36-

<PAGE>

         Individuals  investing  their  savings  in  municipal  securities  help
improve the rate of savings and investment in America.  Economists  believe that
the  root of such  economic  ills  as  deficits,  imbalance  of  payments,  poor
productivity  and  crumbling  infrastructure  lies in the sharp  decline  in the
nation's  savings  rate in the 1980s and  1990s.  Saving is the  seedcorn  of an
economy.  You plant it. It grows.  Through the  lending/borrowing  process  your
savings are  converted  into  factories,  housing,  roads,  airports--productive
investments that create jobs and real wealth. All  investment--public,  private,
municipal,  corporate--begins  with savings. In advertising municipal securities
as the  "workhorse  of  investments,"  Lebenthal  & Co.,  Inc.  is  alluding  to
municipal  securities  as a tool  both for  building  one's own  future  and for
digging roads,  building  schools,  laying sewers,  producing  power,  providing
housing, putting up hospitals,  moving commuters, paving runways, boring tunnels
and rebuilding a more productive America.

         Tax exempt  securities are owned  primarily by  individuals.  There are
approximately $1.3 trillion of Municipal Bonds outstanding,  approximately 73.5%
of them owned by individual  investors,  either  through the direct  purchase of
individual  bonds or through their  ownership of shares in mutual funds like the
Lebenthal  Municipal Bond Funds.  According to the Internal Revenue  Service,  5
million (4.2% out of 118.2 million tax returns) reported receiving $48.5 billion
of tax exempt income in 1995.  Filers with  adjusted  gross incomes of less than
$100,000  accounted for 74% of all filers reporting tax exempt income and 45% of
all tax exempt income reported.  The municipal securities market is dominated by
the individual  investor.  Households are the largest holders of municipal debt.
For the long term saving goals of a great and growing number of individuals  and
families,  tax exempt  securities are a viable  alternative  to taxable  savings
instruments.

         Comparing  a tax free  return to a  taxable  return is only one test of
suitability. From time to time, the Fund will show how much taxable investments,
such as bank CDs,  would have to yield for the after-tax  return to equal yields
in the tax free bond market.  Tax free to taxable yield  comparisons are made on
the  basis  of  arithmetic  alone  and  do not  take  into  account  significant
differences of security, liquidity, and suitability that may


                                      -37-

<PAGE>

         exist between the instruments being compared. For example, bank CDs are
federally  insured.  And  there is a  penalty,  but no  market  risk,  for early
redemption,  whereas  the  resale  value of Fund  shares  will rise or fall with
changes in interest rates in general or with changes in the  creditworthiness of
the underlying bonds in the Fund portfolio.

         There is "market risk" in selling  before  maturity.  The words "safe,"
"safety,"  and  "secure"  as  used  in  bonds  apply  to  creditworthiness:  the
assuredness  of receiving  your interest  right along and getting your principal
back at the end. But anyone  considering  an investment in municipal  securities
must  accept  market  fluctuation--and  possible  loss in  resale  value  before
maturity--as  facts of life.  This is because the resale value of a fixed income
security will adjust to changing  interest  rates and the yields  available from
comparable new issues in the market.  As a rule of thumb,  generally if interest
rates are higher  when you go to sell than they were when you bought  your bond,
you will get less than you paid.  ("Yields up, price down.") Also generally,  if
interest  rates are lower  when you sell  than  when you  bought,  you will make
money. ("Yields down, price up.")

         There are two broad categories of creditworthiness:  general obligation
bonds and revenue bonds.  General  obligations  are secured by tax  collections,
revenue bonds by earnings. When a bond is secured by the power of a governmental
issuer to levy taxes on real estate without limitation as to rate or amount, and
when the issuer  pledges all its resources to pay  principal  and interest,  the
bond is  said  to be a full  faith  and  credit  general  obligation.  The  laws
governing the issuance of general  obligation bonds intend for the bondholder to
be paid in full and on time. And such bonds have earned for all Municipal  Bonds
their  reputation  for  safety.  There is another  type of  Municipal  Bond--the
revenue bond. As the name implies,  revenue bonds are secured by tolls, rentals,
mortgage  payments,  tuitions,  fees--that  is by  earnings  of the  project  so
financed. Their strength is the commercial viability of the project and power of
the issuer to levy user charges.  Tax  collections  or  earnings--they  are both
cashflow. And cashflow is the collateral behind municipal securities.


                                      -38-

<PAGE>

         Municipal  securities  are  creatures of law.  They depend on law. They
must conform to statutory requirements,  the most desirable of which is that the
people voted for the issue. The issuer must not exceed the legal debt limit, and
every  law  governing  the  birth of a bond must be  carefully  followed  when a
municipality  is  borrowing  money.  All this must be  attested  to by the legal
opinion of reputable and recognized attorneys specializing in municipal law.

         There are over one  million  combinations  of issuer,  issue,  interest
rate,  and  maturity  to  choose  from.  Moody's  Investors  Service  puts out a
19-pound,  three-volume  manual,  rating 16,472 states and local  entities whose
bonds are in the hands of the  public.  An  issuer  generally  has more than one
issue  of bonds  outstanding.  And each  issue is like  many in one,  made up of
"maturities"--blocks  of bonds that come due in staggered  years from now to the
year 2028 and longer. The possible combinations provide flexibility in tailoring
a  Municipal  Bond  portfolio  to the  needs  of the  individual--or,  for  some
people--result  in the  decision to buy a fund of bonds and let the fund manager
do the picking and choosing.

         Boiling choice down to four investment  decisions.  Before recommending
specific municipal securities,  an investment adviser does some digging. Are you
likely to jump in and out of your bonds? Do you really need the income now? When
do you plan to retire?  What about heirs? How much is the peace and comfort of a
triple-A  rating worth to you in cold cash?  Are you  investing  for  children's
education? Are you using municipals to build up an estate? Are you living on the
interest and leaving your  principal to your  survivors?  Should you reduce your
estate and your estate taxes through an orderly invasion of your capital?  These
personal  characteristics and financial objectives translate into the four basic
investment decisions:  (1) long versus short; (2) high coupon rate versus low or
even zero coupon rate; (3) rating versus yield;  and (4) individual bonds versus
packages of bonds, like unit investment trusts or mutual funds.





                                      -39-

<PAGE>

         Individual  Municipal  Bonds have a fixed  maturity.  A mutual  fund of
Municipal Bonds does not. A Municipal Bond is a contract for the future delivery
of money--a  fixed sum at a definite  date in the future.  Like any fixed income
security,  individual  bonds  fluctuate in market value with interest  rates and
changing market  conditions.  But hold your bond to maturity,  cash it in at the
end,  and you are  promised  getting  back  full  face  value--in  2, 5, 10,  30
years--whatever  the due date engraved on the books of the issuer.  On the other
hand, the bonds in a fund portfolio are candidates for buy, sell, and hold every
day. The Lebenthal New York Municipal Bond Fund is nominally a portfolio of long
term bonds. But a 30-year bond in the portfolio may have an effective "maturity"
no longer than the number of days, weeks, months; the Adviser decides to hold it
in the  portfolio.  The  Adviser  does not sit  there  waiting  for bonds in the
portfolio  to  mature.  He or she trades  them in and out of the Fund  portfolio
opportunistically,  seeking to  maximize  tax free  income  consistent  with the
preservation of capital,  and to take gains, or, in falling markets, to minimize
losses.  There  can be no  guarantee  of any level of Fund  performance.  And in
selling their shares which fluctuate, shareholders may make money or lose money,
depending  on when  they  bought  their  shares,  market  conditions,  and  Fund
performance.

         Your  own  needs  determine  which is  better  for  you.  The  buyer of
individual bonds targets a maturity, is quoted a yield to that maturity, and the
price the buyer pays locks in that  return to  maturity.  If the buyer  holds to
maturity,  fluctuating  interest rates and changing  prices in the resale market
prior to maturity  are not a factor in the yield to  maturity.  Between  getting
interest right along and cashing in the bond for full face value at the end, the
individual bond buyer winds up with the yield to maturity  originally  bargained
for.
         In a mutual  fund,  the  shareholder  seeks a higher  total return than
might be currently available in the targeted maturity,  fixed  yield-to-maturity
market -- as a result of  reinvestment  of dividends,  interest  being earned on
interest,  and  portfolio  management,  i.e.  active  bond  trading  in the Fund
portfolio.  There can be no assurance of a  particular  Fund yield,  because the
bonds in the portfolio change. They are being added to, disposed of and


                                      -40-

<PAGE>

         replaced  with  other  bonds,   when  the  portfolio  manager  sees  an
opportunity to realize gains, or, in a declining  market,  minimize losses.  Nor
can there be any guarantee the Fund will achieve its  objectives.  When you sell
your  shares  you may get more for them  than you  paid.  You may get  less.  It
depends on current market conditions, whether interest rates are higher or lower
than when you bought your shares,  and the ability of  Management  to anticipate
markets and know when to buy, sell, or hold.

         An open end fund for open end savings goals.  If you know you are going
to need your money for a specific purpose on a specific date in the future,  buy
a fixed income  security and target the maturity  date.  On the other hand,  the
Lebenthal New York Municipal Bond Fund is for more general open-ended objectives
like  building  up an  estate  or saving  for  retirement.  The Fund can pay out
interest  every month,  free of New York and regular  federal income tax. Or, it
can reinvest your monthly  interest in additional Fund shares...so your interest
earns  interest...and  each  month  that  interest  earns  still  more  tax free
interest, and builds upon itself. Monthly income, or automatic reinvestment--the
option is yours.

         The principle of "total  return".  With automatic  reinvestment  in the
Lebenthal New York Municipal Bond Fund, you measure  investment return by adding
up the coupon  interest from the underlying  bonds in the Fund plus the value of
that interest being reinvested in additional shares every month, plus (or minus)
any ups (or downs) in the market value of your accumulating shares.

         Price down, yield up. In the infamous 1994 bond market decline, nothing
was spared.  Not  individual  bonds.  Not the Lebenthal New York  Municipal Bond
Fund. But all is not lost when the market declines.  Bond prices down means that
bond yields are up. Buying new shares at the lower price is called  "dollar cost
averaging."  The Fund  takes  your new  money and  invests  it for you at higher
rates.  As for old  bonds in the  portfolio,  the  interest  being  spun off and
reinvested  right along now buys more Fund shares than if the price were higher.
So that if, as, and when--and  should the price go up  again--you  now have that
many more shares to go along for the


                                      -41-

<PAGE>

ride and move up in market  value.  As events have shown,  compounding  does not
protect against  fluctuating  bond prices and losses in the resale value of your
shares.  A decline in the value of the  underlying  bonds in the Fund  portfolio
could more than offset the positive  impact of any gains from  compounding.  But
your thinking  when you buy the Fund should be the  philosophy of the long haul:
dollar cost  averaging,  plus interest on interest,  plus time,  may conspire to
build growth. If you invest when you have the funds, over the long haul you will
hit some markets, you will miss some markets.  Your bet is that time and regular
investing will smooth out the bumps. No guarantee, just a fighting chance.

         Count The Shares,  Give It Time. With automatic dividend  reinvestment,
every month your shares spin off new shares.  And the next month those shares do
the same thing. So the number of shares you own accumulates and builds.

         The  accumulation  of shares by itself is no  guarantee  of  investment
success.  But it stands  to reason  that the more  shares  you have  accumulated
through  reinvestment  over time, the bigger the multiplier that will be working
for you when you decide to sell.

         So,  if you go into a fund and sign up for  reinvestment  for long term
saving goals, don the mantle of the long term saver. When you get your statement
every month showing current share value,  count the growing number of shares you
own,  not just  price.  And  give it time.  Time is the  soulmate  of  automatic
reinvestment--and the best friend a long term saver's got.



                                      -42-


                              LEBENTHAL FUNDS, INC.
                            LETTER OF INTENT (L.O.I.)

Although I am not obligated to invest and  Lebenthal  Funds Inc. (the "Fund") is
not obligated to sell, it is my intention to invest over a 13-month  period (the
"L.O.I.  Period") in an aggregate amount of shares of the Fund at least equal to
that which is checked  below,  thereby  entitling  me to the reduced  sales load
applicable to such aggregate amount.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                  Sales                                                  Sales
     Aggregate Amount                             Load               Aggregate Amount                    Load
Lebenthal New York Municipal Bond Fund
<S>    <C>                                        <C>         <C>    <C>                                 <C>  
/ /    $50,000.00 - $99,999.99                    4.00%       / /    $100,000.00 - $249,999.99           3.50%
/ /    $250,000.00 - $499,999.99                  2.75%       / /    $500,000.00 - $999,999.99           2.00%
/ /    $1,000,000.00 - $2,499,999.00              1.00%       / /    $2,500,000.00 or more                .50%
Lebenthal New Jersey Municipal Bond Fund
/ /    $50,000.00 - $99,999.99                    4.00%       / /    $100,000.00 - $249,999.99           3.50%
/ /    $250,000.00 - $499,999.99                  2.75%       / /    $500,000.00 - $999,999.99           2.00%
/ /    $1,000,000.00 - $2,499,999.00              1.00%       / /    $2,500,000.00 or more                .50%
Lebenthal Taxable Municipal Bond Fund
/ /    $50,000.00 - $99,999.99                    4.00%       / /    $100,000.00 - $249,999.99           3.50%
/ /    $250,000.00 - $499,999.99                  2.75%       / /    $500,000.00 - $999,999.99           2.00%
/ /    $1,000,000.00 - $2,499,999.00              1.00%       / /    $2,500,000.00 or more                .50%
</TABLE>

I  understand  that  purchases  made within the last 90 days will be included as
part of my intended  investment.  In  addition,  I  understand  that a number of
shares  with a value equal to 4.50% of the dollar  amount of intended  purchases
specified  herein will be held in escrow (the "Escrowed  Shares") by Lebenthal &
Co.,  Inc.  (the  "Distributor")  until the  purchases  are  completed  and that
dividends and  distributions  on the Escrowed  Shares will be paid to me. During
the  escrow  period,  I grant to the  Distributor  a  security  interest  in the
Escrowed Shares.  If the intended  purchases are not completed during the L.O.I.
Period,  I understand  that I will be required to pay the  Distributor an amount
equal to the  difference  between the regular sales load  applicable to a single
purchase of the number of shares actually  purchased and the sales load actually
paid. If such payment is not made within 20 days after written  request to me by
the  Distributor,  I agree  that  the  Distributor  has the  right  to  redeem a
sufficient  number of Escrowed  Shares to effect  payment of the amount due. Any
remaining Escrowed Shares will be released to my account.

Lebenthal New York Municipal Bond Fund
<TABLE>
<S>                                 <C>                                <C>                         <C>
- ---------------------------------   --------------------------------   -------------------------   ---------------
         Shareholder Name                 Authorized Signature              Account Number              Date

Lebenthal New Jersey Municipal Bond Fund
- ---------------------------------   --------------------------------   -------------------------   ---------------
         Shareholder Name                 Authorized Signature              Account Number              Date

Lebenthal Taxable Municipal Bond Fund

- ---------------------------------   --------------------------------   -------------------------   ---------------
         Shareholder Name                 Authorized Signature              Account Number              Date
</TABLE>


                                      -43-

<PAGE>

                                TABLE OF CONTENTS
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table of Fees and Expenses....................   3
Selected Financial Information................   5
Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks.....   8
New York Risk Factors.........................  13
New Jersey Risk Factors.......................  14
Management of the Fund........................  17
Dividends and Distributions...................  18
How to Purchase and Redeem Shares.............  19
Reductions or Eliminations of Sales Loads.....  20
Sales and Redemptions.........................  22
     Direct Purchase and Redemption Procedures  23
     Initial Purchases of Shares..............  24
          Mail................................  24
          Bank Wire...........................  24
     Subsequent Purchases of Shares...........  24
     Redemption of Shares.....................  24
          Written Requests....................  24
     Investments Through Participating
        Organizations.........................  24
          Bank Wire...........................  26
          Purchase By Check...................  26
Systematic Investment Plan....................  26
Systematic Withdrawal Plan....................  26
Exchange Privilege............................  27
Dollar Cost Averaging Program.................  27
Telephone Exchanges and Redemptions...........  27
Distribution and Service Plan.................  28
     The New York Portfolio...................  28
     The New Jersey Portfolio and
        The Taxable Portfolio.................  29
Federal Income Taxes..........................  30
New York Income Taxes.........................  31
New Jersey Income Taxes.......................  31
Description of Common Stock...................  32
General Information...........................  33
Fund Performance..............................  33
Net Asset Value...............................  34
Custodian, Transfer Agent and Dividend Agent..  35
More Information on the Municipal Market......  36
Lebenthal Funds, Inc. Letter of Intent........  43

Lebenthal New York,
New Jersey & 
Taxable 
Municipal 
Bonds Funds

PROSPECTUS MARCH 31, 1998

Distributor & Shareholder Servicing Agent
     Lebenthal & Co., Inc.
     120 Broadway
     New York, New York 10271
     (212) 425-6116

Manager
     Lebenthal Asset Management, Inc.
     120 Broadway
     New York, New York 10271
     (212) 425-6116

Administrator
     State Street Bank & Trust
     225 Franklin Street
     Boston, Massachusetts 02110
     (617) 985-3000

                        120 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10271
                                 (212) 425-6116
                          OUTSIDE OF NYC 1-800-221-5822



<PAGE>
LEBENTHAL
FUNDS, INC.
                                                120 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10271
                                                                    212-425-6116
                                            OUTSIDE NYC TOLL FREE 1-800-221-5822

                       STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
                                 March 31, 1998

This Statement of Additional Information, although not in itself a prospectus,
expands upon and supplements the information contained in the current Prospectus
of Lebenthal  Funds,  Inc. (the "Fund").  Lebenthal New York Municipal Bond Fund
(the "New York Portfolio"),  Lebenthal Taxable Municipal Bond Fund (the "Taxable
Portfolio")  and  Lebenthal  New  Jersey  Municipal  Bond Fund (the "New  Jersey
Portfolio")  (the New York Portfolio,  the Taxable  Portfolio and the New Jersey
Portfolio   together  are  referred  to  herein  as  the   "Portfolio"   or  the
"Portfolios"),  dated March 31, 1998, and should be read in conjunction with the
Prospectus.  The Portfolios'  Prospectus may be obtained from any  Participating
Organization  or by writing or calling the Fund.  This  Statement of  Additional
Information is incorporated by reference into the Prospectus in its entirety.


The Portfolios and Their Objectives                         2
   Investment Objectives, Policies and
     Risks of the New York and New Jersey Portfolios        2
   Investment Objectives, Policies
     and Risks of the Taxable Portfolio                     3
Description of the Portfolios' Investment Securities        4
   Municipal Obligations                                    4
   Floating Rate and Variable Rate Securities               5
   When-Issued Securities                                   6
   Stand-by Commitments                                     6
   Taxable Securities                                       7
   Repurchase Agreements                                    7
New York Risk Factors                                       8
New Jersey Risk Factors                                    12
Investment Restrictions                                    23
Portfolio Transactions                                     24
How to Purchase and Redeem Shares                          24
Net Asset Value                                            25
Fund Performance                                           25
Manager                                                    27
Management of the Fund                                     29
Distribution and Service Plans                             30
Description of Common Stock                                32
Federal Income Taxes                                       33
New York Income Taxes                                      36
New Jersey Income Taxes                                    36
Custodian, Transfer Agent and Dividend Agent               36
Independent Auditor's Report                               36
Financial Statements                                       36
Description of Security Ratings and Notes                  37
Advertising Material                                       40
Tax Equivalent Yield Tables                                41



                                TABLE OF CONTENTS


THE PORTFOLIOS AND THEIR OBJECTIVES

The New  York  Portfolio  and  the  New  Jersey  Portfolio  are  non-diversified
portfolios,  whereas the Taxable Portfolio is a diversified  portfolio.  The New
York Portfolio currently offers two classes of shares to investors,  the Class A
Shares  and the Class B Shares.  The  investment  objectives  of the  Portfolios
described in this section may not be changed unless approved by the holders of a
majority of the  outstanding  shares of the  respective  Portfolio that would be
affected by such a change. As used in this Prospectus, the term "majority of the
outstanding  shares" of the Portfolio means the vote of the lesser of (i) 67% or
more of the shares of the Portfolio present at a meeting, if the holders of more
than 50% of the  outstanding  shares of the Portfolio are present or represented
by proxy or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Portfolio.

As  non-diversified  investment  companies,  the New York  Portfolio and the New
Jersey  Portfolio  are  not  subject  to any  statutory  restriction  under  the
Investment  Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act") with respect to investing their
assets in one or relatively few issuers.  This  non-diversification  may present
greater  risks  than in the  case of a  diversified  company.  As a  diversified
investment company, 75% of the assets of the Taxable Portfolio is subject to the
following  limitations:  (a) the  Portfolio  may not invest  more than 5% of its
total assets in the  securities  of any one issuer,  except  obligations  of the
United States  government  and its agencies and  instrumentalities,  and (b) the
Portfolio may not own more than 10% of the outstanding  voting securities of any
one  issuer.  The  classification  of the  Taxable  Portfolio  as a  diversified
investment  company is a fundamental  policy of the Portfolio and may be changed
only  with  the  approval  of the  holders  of a  majority  of such  Portfolio's
outstanding shares.

The Fund  intends to  maintain  its  qualification  as a  "regulated  investment
company"  under  Subchapter M of the Internal  Revenue Code of 1986,  as amended
("the  Code").  The Fund will be restricted in that at the close of each quarter
of the taxable year,  at least 50% of the value of the assets of each  Portfolio
must  be  represented  by  cash,  government   securities,   investment  company
securities and other securities limited in respect of any one issuer to not more
than 5% in value of the assets of each Portfolio and to not more than 10% of the
outstanding voting securities of such issuer. In addition,  at the close of each
quarter  of its  taxable  year,  not more than 25% in value of each  Portfolio's
total  assets  may be  invested  in  securities  of one  issuer  other than U.S.
government  securities.  The limitations  described in this paragraph  regarding
qualification as a "regulated  investment company" are not fundamental  policies
and may be revised to the extent applicable  Federal income tax requirements are
revised. (See "Federal Income Taxes" herein.)

Investment  Objectives,  Policies  and  Risks  of the New  York  and New  Jersey
Portfolios  The New York and New Jersey  Portfolios  are each a  municipal  bond
fund.  The New  York  and New  Jersey  Portfolios'  investment  objective  is to
maximize  income exempt from regular  Federal income tax and from New York State
and New York City  personal  income  taxes  (the "New York  Income  Tax"),  with
respect to the New York  Portfolio,  and from New Jersey gross income tax,  with
respect to the New Jersey  Portfolio,  consistent with  preservation of capital,
with consideration  given to opportunities for capital gain. No assurance can be
given that these objectives will be achieved.  The following  discussion expands
upon  the  description  of the New York and New  Jersey  Portfolios'  investment
objective,  policies  and risks in the  Prospectus.  The New York and New Jersey
Portfolios  each provide tax free income that,  when  reinvested into additional
shares  of the  New  York  and New  Jersey  Portfolios,  respectively,  provides
investors growth by increasing the value of their total investment.

The New York and New Jersey  Portfolios'  assets will be invested  primarily  in
long term investment grade tax-exempt  securities  issued by or on behalf of the
State of New York with respect to the New York  Portfolio,  and the State of New
Jersey, with respect to the New Jersey Portfolio,  and other states, Puerto Rico
and other United States  territories  and  possessions,  and their  authorities,
agencies,    instrumentalities    and   political    subdivisions    ("Municipal
Obligations").  The average  maturity of the Municipal  Obligations in which the
New York and New Jersey  Portfolios will invest is 15-25 years. The New York and
New  Jersey  Portfolios  each  attempts  to  invest  100%,  and as a  matter  of
fundamental  policy  invests  at least  80%,  of the value of its net  assets in
securities  with remaining  maturities of one year or more the interest on which
is, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer at the date of issuance, exempt
from  regular  Federal  income  tax and from New York  State  and New York  City
personal income taxes ("New York Municipal Obligations") with respect to the New
York  Portfolio,  and from New Jersey gross  income tax ("New  Jersey  Municipal
Obligations")  with  respect to the New Jersey  Portfolio.  The New York and New
Jersey  Portfolios  may each also  invest in  tax-exempt  securities  of issuers
outside  New  York  State  or the  State of New  Jersey,  respectively,  if such
securities bear interest which is exempt from regular Federal income tax and New
York State and City  personal  income  taxes or New  Jersey  gross  income  tax,
respectively.  The New York and New Jersey  Portfolios  each also  reserves  the
right to  invest up to 20% of the value of its net  assets  in  securities,  the
interest on which is exempt  from  regular  Federal  income tax but not New York
State and City personal income taxes with respect to the New York Portfolio, and
New Jersey gross income tax with respect to the New Jersey Portfolio,  and other
taxable obligations. Although the Supreme Court has determined that Congress has
the  authority  to subject the  interest on  municipal  bonds to Federal  income
taxation,  existing law excludes such interest from regular  Federal income tax.
However,  such  tax-exempt  interest  may be subject to the Federal  alternative
minimum  tax.  Securities,  the  interest  income on which may be subject to the
Federal alternative minimum tax, may be purchased by the New York and New Jersey
Portfolios without limit. (See "Federal Income Taxes" herein.)


                                       -2-

<PAGE>

The  New  York  and New  Jersey  Portfolios  will  invest  principally,  without
percentage limitations, in tax-exempt securities which on the date of investment
are within the four highest credit ratings of Moody's  Investors  Service,  Inc.
("Moody's") (Aaa, Aa, A, Baa for bonds;  MIG-1,  MIG-2,  MIG-3, MIG-4 for notes;
P-1, P-2, P-3 for commercial paper; VMIG-1,  VMIG-2, VMIG-3, VMIG-4 for variable
and floating demand notes), Standard & Poor's Rating Services, a division of The
McGraw-Hill  Companies ("S&P") (AAA, AA, A, BBB for bonds;  SP-1, SP-2, SP-3 for
notes  and for  variable  and  floating  demand  notes;  A-1,  A-2,  A-3,  B for
commercial paper) or Fitch Investors  Service,  Inc.  ("Fitch") (AAA, AA, A, BBB
for bonds;  F-1,  F-2, F-3 for notes,  variable  and  floating  demand notes and
commercial  paper).  Although  bonds and notes rated in the fourth credit rating
category are commonly referred to as investment grade, they may have speculative
characteristics.   In  addition,   changes  in  economic   conditions  or  other
circumstances  are more likely to lead to a weakened  capacity to make principal
and interest  payments  than is the case with higher grade bonds.  The Fund will
not necessarily dispose of a security that falls below investment grade upon the
Manager's determination as to whether retention of such a security is consistent
with  the  Fund's  investment   objectives.   A  detailed   discussion  of  such
characteristics  and  circumstances  and their  effect upon the New York and New
Jersey Portfolios appears under the heading "Description of the New York and New
Jersey Portfolios'  Investment  Securities." A description of the credit ratings
appears under the heading  "Description of Ratings." The New York and New Jersey
Portfolios may invest in tax-exempt  securities  which are not rated or which do
not fall into the credit  ratings noted above if, based upon credit  analysis by
the Adviser, it is believed that such securities are of comparable quality.

In unusual circumstances during adverse market conditions,  as determined by the
Manager,  the New York and New Jersey  Portfolios  may each  assume a  temporary
defensive position in which the New York or New Jersey Portfolio,  respectively,
may  invest up to 100% of the value of its net  assets on a  temporary  basis in
securities, the interest on which is exempt from regular Federal income tax, but
not New York State and City personal income taxes,  with respect to the New York
Portfolio,  and New Jersey  gross  income  tax,  with  respect to the New Jersey
Portfolio, and in fixed-income  securities,  the interest on which is subject to
regular  Federal,   state  or  local  income  tax,  pending  the  investment  or
reinvestment in tax-exempt securities of proceeds of sales of shares or sales of
portfolio securities or in order to avoid the necessity of liquidating portfolio
investments  to  meet  redemptions  of  shares  by  investors  or  where  market
conditions  due to  rising  interest  rates or  other  adverse  factors  warrant
temporary  investing for defensive  purposes.  Investments in taxable securities
will be  substantially  in securities  issued or guaranteed by the United States
government (such as bills, notes and bonds), its agencies,  instrumentalities or
authorities;  highly-rated  corporate debt securities (rated AA or better by S&P
and Fitch, or Aa3 or better by Moody's);  prime  commercial paper (rated A-1+ by
S&P, F-1+ by Fitch or P-1 by Moody's);  and  certificates  of deposit of the 100
largest  domestic  banks (in terms of assets)  which are  subject to  regulatory
supervision  by the United  States  government or state  governments  and the 50
largest  foreign  banks (in terms of assets)  with  branches  or agencies in the
United  States.  Investments  in  certificates  of deposit of foreign  banks and
foreign  branches of United States banks may involve  certain  risks,  including
different  regulations,  use of different  accounting  procedures,  political or
other  economic   developments,   exchange  controls,  or  possible  seizure  or
nationalization of foreign deposits.

Investment in the Portfolios  should be made with an  understanding  of the risk
which an investment in New York Municipal  Obligations  or New Jersey  Municipal
Obligations,   as  the  case  may  be,  may  entail.  Payment  of  interest  and
preservation  of capital are dependent upon the  continuing  ability of New York
and New Jersey issuers and/or obligors of state,  municipal and public authority
debt obligations to meet their obligations thereunder. Investors should consider
the greater risk of the Portfolio's  concentration  versus the safety that comes
with a less concentrated investment portfolio.

Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks of the Taxable Portfolio
The Taxable Portfolio is a taxable municipal bond fund. The Taxable  Portfolio's
investment  objective is to maximize  income  consistent  with  preservation  of
capital,  with  consideration  given  to  opportunities  for  capital  gain.  No
assurance  can be given that this  objective  will be  achieved.  The  following
discussion  expands upon the description of the Taxable  Portfolio's  investment
objective, policies and risks in the Prospectus.

The  Taxable  Portfolio's  assets  will  be  invested  primarily  in  long  term
investment  grade  taxable  securities  issued by or on  behalf  of  states  and
municipal  governments,  other United States  territories and possessions of the
United States, and their authorities, agencies,  instrumentalities and political
subdivisions  ("Taxable  Municipal  Obligations").  The average  maturity of the
Taxable Municipal Obligations in which the Taxable Portfolio will invest is over
10 years.  The Taxable  Portfolio  attempts to invest  100%,  and as a matter of
fundamental  policy  invests at least 65%,  of the value of its total  assets in
taxable  securities with remaining  maturities of one year or more. The interest
on the Taxable  Municipal  Obligations is includable in gross income for federal
income tax purposes and may be subject to personal  income taxes  imposed by any
state of the  United  States or any  political  subdivision  thereof,  or by the
District of Columbia. (See "Federal Income Taxes" herein.)

The Taxable Portfolio will invest principally,  without percentage  limitations,
in securities which on the date of investment are within the four highest credit
ratings of Moody's (Aaa, Aa, A, Baa for bonds;  MIG-1,  MIG-2,  MIG-3, MIG-4 for
notes; P-1, P-2, P-3 for commercial paper; VMIG-1,  VMIG-2,  VMIG-3,  VMIG-4 for
variable and floating demand notes), S&P (AAA, AA, A, BBB for bonds; SP-1, SP-2,
SP-3 for notes and for variable and floating demand notes;  A-1, A-2, A-3, B for
commercial  paper) or Fitch (AAA, AA, A, BBB for bonds; F-1, F-2, F-3 for notes,
variable and floating demand notes and commercial paper).


                                       -3-

<PAGE>

Although bonds and notes rated in the fourth credit rating category are commonly
referred to as investment  grade they may have speculative  characteristics.  In
addition,  changes in economic conditions or other circumstances are more likely
to lead to a weakened  capacity to make principal and interest  payments than is
the case with higher grade  bonds.  The Fund will not  necessarily  dispose of a
security that falls below investment  grade upon the Manager's  determination as
to whether retention of such a security is consistent with the Fund's investment
objectives.  A detailed discussion of such characteristics and circumstances and
their effect upon the Taxable Portfolio  appears under the heading  "Description
of the Taxable Portfolio's  Investment  Securities." A description of the credit
ratings  appears  under  the  heading  "Description  of  Ratings."  The  Taxable
Portfolio may invest in securities which are not rated or which do not fall into
the credit ratings noted above if, based upon credit analysis by the Manager, it
is believed that such securities are of comparable quality.

In unusual circumstances during adverse market conditions,  as determined by the
Manager,  the Taxable  Portfolio  may assume a temporary  defensive  position in
which the Taxable Portfolio may invest up to 100% of the value of its net assets
on a temporary  basis in  securities  issued or  guaranteed by the United States
government (such as bills, notes and bonds), its agencies,  instrumentalities or
authorities,  tax-exempt  securities;  highly-rated  corporate  debt  securities
(rated AA or  better by S&P and  Fitch,  or Aa3 or  better  by  Moody's);  prime
commercial  paper  (rated  A-1+ by S&P,  F-1+ by  Fitch or P-1 by  Moody's)  and
certificates  of deposit of the 100 largest  domestic banks (in terms of assets)
which are subject to regulatory  supervision by the United States  government or
state  governments  and the 50 largest  foreign  banks (in terms of assets) with
branches  or agencies  in the United  States.  Investments  in  certificates  of
deposit of foreign banks and foreign branches of United States banks may involve
certain risks,  including  different  regulations,  use of different  accounting
procedures,  political or other economic  developments,  exchange  controls,  or
possible seizure or nationalization of foreign deposits.

Investment in the Portfolio  should be made with an  understanding  of the risks
which an investment in Municipal  Obligations  may entail.  However,  payment of
interest and preservation of principal are dependent upon the continuing ability
of the obligors of state,  municipal and public  authority  debt  obligations to
meet their obligations thereunder.


DESCRIPTION OF THE PORTFOLIOS' INVESTMENT SECURITIES

Municipal Obligations

(1)  Municipal Bonds include long term, and for the Taxable Portfolio, taxable,
     obligations that are rated Baa or better at the date of purchase by
     Moody's, or BBB or better by S&P or Fitch or, if not rated, are of
     comparable quality as determined by the Manager on the basis of the
     Manager's credit evaluation of the obligor, or credit enhancement issued in
     support of the obligation. Municipal Bonds are debt obligations of states,
     cities, counties, municipalities and municipal agencies (all of which are
     generally referred to as "municipalities") which generally have a maturity
     at the time of issue of one year or more and which are issued to raise
     funds for various public purposes such as construction of a wide range of
     public facilities, to refund outstanding obligations and to obtain funds
     for institutions and facilities.

   The two principal classifications of Municipal Bonds are "general obligation"
and "revenue" bonds. General obligation bonds are secured by the issuer's pledge
of its faith, credit and taxing power for the payment of principal and interest.
Issuers of general obligation bonds include states, counties,  cities, towns and
other  governmental  units.  The  principal of and interest on revenue bonds are
payable from the income of specific  projects or  authorities  and generally are
not  supported  by the  issuer's  general  power to levy  taxes.  In some cases,
revenues  derived  from  specific  taxes are  pledged to support  payments  on a
revenue bond.

   In addition,  certain kinds of "private  activity bonds" are issued by public
authorities  to  provide  funding  for  various  privately  operated  industrial
facilities  (hereinafter  referred to as "industrial  revenue bonds" or "IRBs").
Interest  on the  IRBs  contained  in the New  York  Portfolio  and  New  Jersey
Portfolio is generally  exempt,  with certain  exceptions,  from regular Federal
income tax  pursuant  to  Section  103(a) of the Code,  provided  the issuer and
corporate  obligor thereof  continue to meet certain  conditions.  (See "Federal
Income  Taxes"  herein.)  IRBs are, in most  cases,  revenue  bonds,  and do not
generally  constitute the pledge of the credit of the issuer of such bonds.  The
payment of the principal of and interest on IRBs usually  depends  solely on the
ability  of the  user of the  facilities  financed  by the  bonds  or the  other
guarantor to meet its financial  obligations and, in certain  instances,  on the
pledge of real and personal  property as security  for  payment.  If there is no
established  secondary market for a particular IRB, the IRB or the participation
certificates in the IRB purchased by the Portfolios will be supported by letters
of  credit,  guarantees  or  insurance  that meet the  quality  criteria  of the
Portfolio and provide a demand  feature which may be exercised by the Portfolios
at any time to provide liquidity.  Shareholders  should note that the Portfolios
may  invest  in  IRBs  acquired  in   transactions   involving  a  Participating
Organization.

(2)  Municipal Notes include notes with remaining maturities of one year or less
     that are rated MIG-1, MIG-2, MIG-3 or MIG-4 at the date of purchase by
     Moody's; SP-1, SP-2 or SP-3 by S&P; or F-1, F-2 or F-3 by Fitch or, if not
     rated, are of comparable quality as determined by the Board of Directors of
     the Fund. The principal kinds of Municipal Notes include tax anticipation
     notes, bond anticipation notes, revenue anticipation notes and project
     notes. Notes sold in anticipation of collection of taxes, a bond sale or
     receipt of other revenues are usually general obligations of the issuing
     municipality or


                                       -4-

<PAGE>

agency.  Project  notes are issued by local  agencies and are  guaranteed by the
United  States  Department of Housing and Urban  Development.  Project notes are
also secured by the full faith and credit of the United States.

(3)  Municipal Commercial Paper includes commercial paper that is rated Prime-1
     or Prime-2 by Moody's, A-1 or A-2 by S&P, or F-1 or F-2 by Fitch or, if not
     rated, is of comparable quality as determined by the Board of Directors of
     the Fund. Issues of Municipal Commercial Paper typically represent very
     short-term, unsecured, negotiable promissory notes. These obligations are
     often issued to meet seasonal working capital needs of municipalities or to
     provide interim construction financing, and are paid from general revenues
     of municipalities or are refinanced with long-term debt. In most cases
     Municipal Commercial Paper is backed by letters of credit, lending
     agreements, note repurchase agreements or other credit facility agreements
     offered by banks or other institutions which may be called upon in the
     event of default by the issuer of the Commercial Paper.

(4)  Municipal Leases, which may take the form of a lease or an installment
     purchase or conditional sale contract, are issued by state and local
     governments and authorities to acquire a wide variety of equipment and
     facilities, such as fire and sanitation vehicles, telecommunications
     equipment and other capital assets. These types of municipal leases are
     considered illiquid and are subject to the 15% limitation on investments in
     illiquid securities as set forth under "Investment Restrictions" herein.
     (See "Investment Restrictions" herein.) Municipal leases frequently have
     special risks not normally associated with general obligation or revenue
     bonds. Leases and installment purchase or conditional sale contracts (which
     normally provide for title to the leased asset to pass eventually to the
     governmental issuer) have evolved as a means for governmental issuers to
     acquire property and equipment without meeting the constitutional and
     statutory requirements for the issuance of debt. The debt-issuance
     limitations of many state constitutions and statutes are deemed to be
     inapplicable because of the inclusion in many leases or contracts of
     "non-appropriation" clauses that provide that the governmental issuer has
     no obligation to make future payments under the lease or contract unless
     money is appropriated for such purpose by the appropriate legislative body
     on a yearly or other periodic basis. To reduce this risk, the Portfolios
     will only purchase municipal leases subject to a non-appropriation clause
     where the payment of principal and accrued interest is backed by an
     unconditional irrevocable letter of credit, a guarantee, insurance or other
     comparable undertaking of an approved financial institution. These types of
     municipal leases may be considered illiquid and are subject to the 15%
     limitation of investments in illiquid securities set forth under
     "Investment Restrictions" herein. The Board of Directors may adopt
     guidelines and delegate to the Adviser or the Manager of the Portfolios, as
     the case may be, the daily function of determining and monitoring the
     liquidity of municipal leases. In making such determination, the Board and
     the Adviser or the Manager of the Portfolios, as the case may be, may
     consider such factors as the frequency of trades for the obligation, the
     number of other potential buyers and the nature of the marketplace for the
     obligations, including the time needed to dispose of the obligations and
     the method of soliciting offers. If the Board determines that any municipal
     leases are illiquid, such leases will be subject to the 15% limitation on
     investments in illiquid securities.

(5)  Each Portfolio may also purchase any other Federal tax-exempt and, where
     applicable, New York or New Jersey income tax-exempt obligations issued by
     or on behalf of states and municipal governments and their authorities,
     agencies, instrumentalities and political subdivisions, whose inclusion in
     a Portfolio would be consistent with such Portfolio's investment objectives
     and policies. Subsequent to its purchase by a Portfolio, a rated Municipal
     Obligation may cease to be rated or its rating may be reduced below the
     minimum required for purchase by the Portfolio. Neither event will require
     sale of such Municipal Obligation by the applicable Portfolio, but the
     Adviser (as defined below) will consider such event in determining whether
     such Portfolio should continue to hold the Municipal Obligation. To the
     extent that the ratings given to the Municipal Obligation or other
     securities held by such Portfolios are altered due to changes in either the
     Moody's, S&P or Fitch ratings systems (see "Description of Ratings" herein
     for an explanation of S&P, Moody and Fitch ratings), the Adviser will adopt
     such changed ratings as standards for its future investments in accordance
     with the investment policies contained in the Prospectus.

Floating Rate and Variable Rate Securities
The  Portfolios  may  purchase  floating  rate  and  variable  rate  put  option
securities,  or participation interests therein.  Floating and variable rate put
option securities bear a variable interest rate which generally is determined by
the bond remarketing agent based on current market conditions,  although certain
issuers may set rates  using a  designated  base rate or a specified  percentage
thereof.  The rate of  interest  used will be that rate which  would  enable the
securities to be remarketed.  These  securities  have a put feature which allows
the  holder to demand  payment  of the  obligation  on short  notice at par plus
accrued interest.  Frequently,  these securities are backed by letters of credit
or similar liquidity facilities provided by banks.

The New York Portfolio and the New Jersey  Portfolio may invest in participation
interests purchased from banks in variable-rate  tax-exempt  securities owned by
banks. A participation interest gives the purchaser an undivided interest in the
tax-exempt  security  in the  proportion  that  such  Portfolio's  participation
interest  bears to the total  principal  amount of the  tax-exempt  security and
provides the demand  repurchase  feature  described  above.  Participations  are
frequently backed by an irrevocable letter of credit or guarantee of a bank that
the  Manager has  determined  meets the  prescribed  quality  standards  for the
Portfolio.  The Portfolio has the right to sell the instrument  back to the bank
and draw on the letter of credit on demand,


                                       -5-

<PAGE>

on seven days'  notice,  for all or any part of such  Portfolio's  participation
interest  in the  tax-exempt  security,  plus  accrued  interest.  The New  York
Portfolio and the New Jersey  Portfolio  intend to exercise the demand under the
letter of credit only (1) upon a default under the terms of the documents of the
tax-exempt  security,  (2) as  needed  to  provide  liquidity  in  order to meet
redemptions,  or (3) to maintain the investment quality of the portfolio.  Banks
will retain a service and letter of credit fee and a fee for issuing  repurchase
commitments  in an  amount  equal  to the  excess  of the  interest  paid on the
tax-exempt  securities  over the negotiated  yield at which the  instruments are
purchased by the Portfolio.

The Manager will monitor the pricing, quality and liquidity of the variable rate
demand instruments held by the Portfolios,  on the basis of published  financial
information,  reports of rating agencies and other analytical  services to which
the Manager may subscribe. Participation interests will be purchased only if, in
the opinion of counsel,  interest  income on such  interests  will be tax-exempt
when distributed as dividends to shareholders.

When-Issued Securities
New  issues  of  certain  Municipal  Obligations  frequently  are  offered  on a
when-issued  basis.  The payment  obligation  and the interest rate that will be
received  on the  Municipal  Obligations  are each  fixed at the time the  buyer
enters  into the  commitment  although  delivery  and  payment of the  Municipal
Obligations normally take place within 45 days after the date of the Portfolio's
commitment to purchase.  Although each Portfolio  will only make  commitments to
purchase  when-issued  Municipal  Obligations  with the  intention  of  actually
acquiring them, each Portfolio may sell these  securities  before the settlement
date if deemed advisable by the Manager.

Municipal  Obligations  purchased on a when-issued basis and the securities held
in a Portfolio are subject to changes in value (both  generally  changing in the
same way, that is, both  experiencing  appreciation  when interest rates decline
and depreciation when interest rates rise) based upon the public's perception of
the  creditworthiness  of the issuer and changes,  real or  anticipated,  in the
level of interest rates. Purchasing Municipal Obligations on a when-issued basis
can involve a risk that the yields  available  in the market  when the  delivery
takes  place  may  actually  be  higher  or lower  than  those  obtained  in the
transaction  itself.  A  segregated  account of the Fund  consisting  of cash or
liquid  high-grade  debt  securities  equal  to the  amount  of the  when-issued
commitments will be established at the respective  Portfolio's  custodian banks.
For the purpose of  determining  the adequacy of the  securities in the account,
the deposited  securities will be valued at market value. If the market value of
such securities  declines,  additional cash or highly liquid  securities will be
placed in the  account  daily so that the value of the  account  will  equal the
amount of such  commitments  by the  Portfolio.  On the  settlement  date of the
when-issued   securities,   the  Portfolio  will  meet  its   obligations   from
then-available cash flow, sale of securities held in the separate account,  sale
of other  securities  or,  although it would not normally  expect to do so, from
sale of the when-issued securities themselves (which may have a value greater or
lesser than the  Portfolio's  payment  obligations).  Sale of securities to meet
such obligations may result in the realization of capital gains or losses, which
are not exempt from Federal income tax.

Stand-by Commitments
When each Portfolio purchases Municipal Obligations it may also acquire stand-by
commitments  from banks and other  financial  institutions  with respect to such
Municipal  Obligations.  Under a stand-by  commitment,  a bank or  broker-dealer
agrees to purchase at the Portfolio's option a specified Municipal Obligation at
a  specified  price  with same day  settlement.  A  stand-by  commitment  is the
equivalent of a "put" option acquired by one of the Portfolios with respect to a
particular Municipal Obligation held in such Portfolio.

The amount  payable to a Portfolio  upon its  exercise of a stand-by  commitment
normally  would  be  (1)  the  acquisition  cost  of  the  Municipal  Obligation
(excluding  any accrued  interest that the Portfolio  paid on the  acquisition),
less any amortized  market premium or plus an amortized market or original issue
discount  during the  period  the  Portfolio  owned the  security,  plus (2) all
interest accrued on the security since the last interest payment date during the
period the security was owned by the  Portfolio.  Absent  unusual  circumstances
relating to a change in market value,  the Portfolio  would value the underlying
Municipal  Obligation at amortized  cost.  Accordingly,  the amount payable by a
bank or dealer  during the time a stand-by  commitment is  exercisable  would be
substantially  the  same  as  the  market  value  of  the  underlying  Municipal
Obligation.

The  right  of each  Portfolio  to  exercise  a  stand-by  commitment  would  be
unconditional and unqualified.  A stand-by  commitment would not be transferable
by the Portfolio although it could sell the underlying Municipal Obligation to a
third party at any time.

Each  Portfolio  expects that stand-by  commitments  generally will be available
without  the  payment  of any  direct or  indirect  consideration.  However,  if
necessary and advisable,  the Portfolio may pay for stand-by  commitments either
separately  in cash or by paying a higher price for portfolio  securities  which
are acquired  subject to such a commitment  (thus reducing the yield to maturity
otherwise  available for the same  securities).  The total amount paid in either
manner for  outstanding  stand-by  commitments  held in each Portfolio would not
exceed  2 of 1% of  the  value  of  such  Portfolio's  total  assets  calculated
immediately after each stand-by commitment was acquired.


                                       -6-

<PAGE>

Each Portfolio would enter into stand-by  commitments  only with banks and other
financial  institutions that, in the Adviser's  opinion,  present minimal credit
risks  and,  where  the  issuer  of the  Municipal  Obligation  does  not have a
sufficient  quality  rating,  only if the issuer of the stand-by  commitment has
received a sufficient quality rating from an unaffiliated  nationally recognized
rating  organization  or, if not rated,  presents  a minimal  risk of default as
determined by the Board of Directors.  Each Portfolio's reliance upon the credit
of these  banks  and  broker-dealers  would  be  supported  by the  value of the
underlying Municipal Obligations held by such Portfolio that were subject to the
commitment.

Each  Portfolio  intends to acquire  stand-by  commitments  solely to facilitate
portfolio  liquidity and does not intend to exercise its rights  thereunder  for
trading  purposes.  The purpose of this  practice is to permit a Portfolio to be
fully  invested  in  securities  the  interest on which,  excluding  the Taxable
Portfolio,  is exempt from regular  Federal income taxes,  while  preserving the
necessary  liquidity to purchase  securities  on a  when-issued  basis,  to meet
unusually large  redemptions  and to purchase at a later date  securities  other
than those subject to the stand-by commitment.

The  acquisition  of a stand-by  commitment  would not affect the  valuation  or
assumed maturity of the underlying Municipal Obligations, which will continue to
be valued in accordance  with the amortized  cost method.  Stand-by  commitments
acquired  by each  Portfolio  would be valued at zero in  determining  net asset
value. In those cases in which one of the Portfolios paid directly or indirectly
for  a  stand-by   commitment,   its  cost  would  be  reflected  as  unrealized
depreciation  for  the  period  during  which  the  commitment  is  held by such
Portfolio.  Stand-by  commitments would not affect the  dollar-weighted  average
maturity of the  Portfolio.  The  maturity  of a security  subject to a stand-by
commitment is longer than the stand-by repurchase date.

The  stand-by  commitments  that each  Portfolio  may enter into are  subject to
certain risks,  which include the ability of the issuer of the commitment to pay
for the  securities at the time the  commitment is exercised,  the fact that the
commitment  is not  marketable by such  Portfolio,  and that the maturity of the
underlying security will generally be different from that of the commitment.

In addition, a Portfolio may apply to the Internal Revenue Service for a ruling,
or seek from its counsel an opinion,  that  interest  on  Municipal  Obligations
subject to stand-by  commitments  will be exempt  from  regular  Federal  income
taxation (see "Federal Income Taxes" herein).  In the absence of a favorable tax
ruling or opinion of  counsel,  a Portfolio  will not engage in the  purchase of
securities subject to stand-by  commitments.  The New Jersey Portfolio may apply
to the New  Jersey  Division  of  Taxation  for a ruling  that  income  from the
stand-by commitments will be exempt from the New Jersey Gross Income Tax.

Taxable Securities
Although the New York  Portfolio  and the New Jersey  Portfolio  will attempt to
invest 100% of their net assets in  tax-exempt  Municipal  Obligations,  the New
York  Portfolio and the New Jersey  Portfolio may invest up to 100% of the value
of its net assets on a temporary  basis, and the Money Fund may invest up to 20%
of the value of its net assets,  in securities of the kind described  below, the
interest  income on which is subject to Federal  and New Jersey  income  tax, as
determined by the Manager that the  Portfolio  may assume a temporary  defensive
position due to adverse market conditions. The Taxable Portfolio will attempt to
invest 100% and as a matter of  fundamental  policy  invests at least 65% of its
total assets in Taxable Municipal Obligations.

For purposes of the New York Portfolio and the New Jersey Portfolio, investments
in taxable  securities will be substantially in securities  issued or guaranteed
by the United States government (such as bills,  notes and bonds), its agencies,
instrumentalities or authorities,  highly-rated corporate debt securities (rated
AA or better by S&P or Fitch,  or Aa3 or better by  Moody's);  prime  commercial
paper (rated A-1+ by S&P, P-1 by Moody's or F-1+ by Fitch);  and certificates of
deposit of the 100 largest domestic banks (in terms of assets) which are subject
to regulatory  supervision by the United States  government or state governments
and the 50 largest  foreign banks (in terms of assets) with branches or agencies
in the United States.  Investments in  certificates  of deposit of foreign banks
and foreign branches of United States banks may involve certain risks, including
different  regulations,  use of different  accounting  procedures,  political or
other  economic   developments,   exchange  controls,  or  possible  seizure  or
nationalization of foreign deposits.  (See "Federal Income Taxes.") For purposes
of the Taxable  Portfolio,  taxable  securities will be substantially in Taxable
Municipal Obligations as well as in the securities described in this paragraph.

Repurchase Agreements
Each Portfolio may invest in instruments  subject to repurchase  agreements with
securities  dealers or member  banks of the Federal  Reserve  System.  Under the
terms  of a  typical  repurchase  agreement,  the  Portfolio  would  acquire  an
underlying debt instrument for a relatively  short period (usually not more than
one week) subject to an obligation of the seller to repurchase and the Portfolio
to resell the  instrument  at a fixed price and time,  thereby  determining  the
yield during the  Portfolio's  holding  period.  This results in a fixed rate of
return  insulated  from market  fluctuation  during such  period.  A  repurchase
agreement  is subject to the risk that the  seller  may fail to  repurchase  the
security.  Repurchase  agreements  may be deemed to be loans under the 1940 Act.
All  repurchase  agreements  entered  into  by each  Portfolio  shall  be  fully
collateralized at all times during the period of the agreement in that the value
of the  underlying  security  shall be at least equal to the amount of the loan,
including the accrued interest thereon, and the Portfolio or its custodian shall
have possession of the collateral, which the


                                       -7-

<PAGE>

Fund's  Board of Directors  believes  will give it a valid,  perfected  security
interest  in the  collateral.  In the event of  default  by the  seller  under a
repurchase  agreement  construed to be a  collateralized  loan,  the  underlying
securities are not owned by the Portfolio but only constitute collateral for the
seller's  obligation to pay the repurchase price.  Therefore,  the Portfolio may
suffer time delays and incur costs in  connection  with the  disposition  of the
collateral.   The  Fund's  Board  of  Directors  believes  that  the  collateral
underlying  repurchase  agreements  may be more  susceptible  to  claims  of the
seller's  creditors  than  would  be  the  case  with  securities  owned  by the
Portfolio.  It is expected that  repurchase  agreements will give rise to income
which will not qualify as tax-exempt  income when  distributed by the Portfolio.
Each Portfolio will not invest in a repurchase  agreement  maturing in more than
seven days if any such investment together with illiquid securities held by such
Portfolio   exceeds  15%  of  such  Portfolio's  net  assets.   (See  Investment
Restriction  Number 6 herein.)  Repurchase  agreements  are  subject to the same
risks described herein for stand-by commitments.


NEW YORK RISK FACTORS

This summary is included for the purpose of providing a general  description  of
New York  State's  (the  "State")  and New York City's (the  "City")  credit and
financial  condition.  The  information  set  forth  below is  derived  from the
official statements and/or preliminary drafts of official statements prepared in
connection with the issuance of State and City municipal bonds. The Fund has not
independently verified this information.

State Economic  Trends.  Over the long term, the State of New York (the "State")
and the City of New York (the "City") face serious potential  economic problems.
The City accounts for approximately  41% of the State's  population and personal
income,  and the City's financial health affects the State in numerous ways. The
State  historically  has been one of the  wealthiest  states in the nation.  For
decades,  however,  the State has grown more  slowly than the nation as a whole,
gradually eroding its relative economic affluence. Statewide, urban centers have
experienced  significant changes involving migration of the more affluent to the
suburbs and an influx of generally  less  affluent  residents.  Regionally,  the
older Northeast  cities have suffered  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  competition as other major cities have developed  financial
and business  capabilities  which make them less  dependent  on the  specialized
services traditionally available 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 State and its localities  have used these taxes to develop
and maintain their transportation networks,  public schools and colleges, public
health systems, other social services and recreational facilities. Despite these
benefits,  the burden of State and local taxation,  in combination with the many
other causes of regional economic  dislocation,  has contributed to the decision
of some  businesses and individuals to relocate  outside,  or not locate within,
the State.

Notwithstanding  the numerous  initiatives that the State and its localities may
take to encourage  economic growth and achieve balanced  budgets,  reductions in
Federal spending could  materially and adversely affect the financial  condition
and budget projections of the State and its localities.

New York City. The City, with a population of approximately  7.3 million,  is an
international center of business and culture. Its  non-manufacturing  economy is
broadly based, with the banking and securities, life insurance,  communications,
publishing, fashion design, retailing and construction industries accounting for
a significant portion of the City's total employment earnings. Additionally, the
City is the  nation's  leading  tourist  destination.  The City's  manufacturing
activity is conducted primarily in apparel and printing.

The national economic  downturn which began in July 1990 adversely  affected the
local economy,  which had been declining since late 1989. As a result,  the City
experienced job losses in 1990 and 1991 and real Gross City Product ("GCP") fell
in those two years.  Beginning in calendar  year 1992,  the  improvement  in the
national  economy helped  stabilize  conditions in the City.  Employment  losses
moderated toward year-end and real GCP increased,  boosted by strong wage gains.
After  noticeable  improvements in the City's economy during calendar year 1994,
economic  growth slowed in calendar year 1995,  and thereafter  improved  during
calendar  year  1996,  reflecting  improved  securities  industry  earnings  and
employment in other sectors. The City's current four-year financial plan assumes
that moderate  economic  growth will continue  through  calendar year 2001, with
moderating job growth and wage increases.

For each of the 1981  through  1996 fiscal  years,  the City  achieved  balanced
operating results as reported in accordance with generally  accepted  accounting
principles ("GAAP"). The City has been required to close substantial budget gaps
between  forecast  revenues  and  forecast  expenditures  in order  to  maintain
balanced  operating  results.  There  can be no  assurance  that the  City  will
continue  to  maintain  a  balanced  budget as  required  by State  law  without
additional  tax or other  revenue  increases or  additional  reductions  in City
services  or  entitlement  programs,  which  could  adversely  affect the City's
economic base.

Pursuant to the New York State Financial Emergency Act for the City of New York,
the City  prepares an annual  four-year  financial  plan,  which is reviewed and
revised on a quarterly basis and which includes the City's capital,  revenue and
expense  projections and outlines proposed  gap-closing  programs for years with
projected budget gaps. The City's current four-year


                                       -8-

<PAGE>

financial plan projects a surplus in the 1998 fiscal year (before  discretionary
transfers)  and  substantial  budget  gaps for each of the  1999,  2000 and 2001
fiscal years. This pattern of current year surplus and projected subsequent year
budget gaps has been consistent  through virtually the entire period since 1982,
during which the City has achieved  balanced  operating  results for each fiscal
year.  The City is  required  to submit its  financial  plans to review  bodies,
including the New York State Financial Control Board ("Control Board").

The City  depends on State aid both to enable the City to balance its budget and
to meet its cash requirements.  There can be no assurance that there will not be
reductions  in State aid to the City from  amounts  currently  projected or that
State  budgets in future  fiscal  years will be adopted by the April 1 statutory
deadline and that such reductions or delays will not have adverse effects on the
City's cash flow or expenditures.  In addition,  the Federal Budget  negotiation
process  could  result in a  reduction  in or a delay in the  receipt of Federal
grants which could have  additional  adverse  effects on the City's cash flow or
revenues.

The Mayor is  responsible  for preparing the City's  four-year  financial  plan,
including  the City's  current  financial  plan for the 1998 through 2001 fiscal
years  (the  "1998-2001   Financial  Plan"  or  "Financial  Plan").  The  City's
projections set forth in the Financial Plan are based on various assumptions and
contingencies  which are  uncertain  and which may not  materialize.  Changes in
major 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 condition of the
regional and local economies, the impact on real estate tax revenues of the real
estate market,  wage increases for City employees  consistent with those assumed
in the Financial  Plan,  employment  growth,  the ability to implement  proposed
reductions in City personnel and other cost reduction  initiatives,  the ability
of the New York City Health and Hospitals  Corporation  ("HHC") and the Board of
Education  ("BOE") to take actions to offset  potential budget  shortfalls,  the
ability to complete  revenue  generating  transactions,  provision  of State and
Federal aid and mandate relief, and the impact on City revenues and expenditures
of  Federal  and State  welfare  reform  and any  future  legislation  affecting
Medicare or other entitlements.

Implementation  of the Financial  Plan is also dependent upon the City's ability
to market its securities  successfully.  The City's financing program for fiscal
years 1998  through  2001  contemplates  the issuance of $4.9 billion of general
obligation bonds and $7.1 billion of bonds to be issued by the proposed New York
City  Infrastructure  Finance  Authority  ("Finance  Authority") to finance City
capital projects. The Finance Authority was created as part of the City's effort
to assist in keeping the City's  indebtedness  within the forecast  level of the
constitutional  restrictions  on the  amount of debt the City is  authorized  to
incur.  In  addition,  the City  issues  revenue and tax  anticipation  notes to
finance its  seasonal  working  capital  requirements.  The success of projected
public sales of City bonds and notes, New York Municipal Water Finance Authority
("Water  Authority")  bonds and  Finance  Authority  bonds  will be  subject  to
prevailing  market   conditions.   The  City's  planned  capital  and  operating
expenditures  are dependent  upon the sale of its general  obligation  bonds and
notes and the Water Authority and Finance Authority bonds.  Future  developments
concerning  the City and  public  discussion  of such  developments,  as well as
prevailing market conditions, may affect the market for outstanding City general
obligation bonds and notes.

The  City's  operating  results  for the  1996  fiscal  year  were  balanced  in
accordance with GAAP, after taking into account a discretionary transfer of $224
million, the sixteenth consecutive year of GAAP-balanced results.

On June 10, 1997, the City submitted to the Control Board the Financial Plan for
the 1998 through 2001 fiscal years,  which relates to the City, BOE and the City
University  of New York  ("CUNY") and  reflects  the City's  expense and capital
budgets  for the 1998  fiscal  year,  which were  adopted  on June 6, 1997.  The
Financial  Plan  projects  revenues  and  expenditures  for the 1998 fiscal year
balanced in  accordance  with GAAP.  The Financial  Plan includes  increased tax
revenue  projections;  reduced debt service  costs;  the assumed  restoration of
Federal  funding  for  programs  assisting  certain  legal  aliens;   additional
expenditures for textbooks,  computers,  improved education programs and welfare
reform, law enforcement,  immigrant naturalization,  initiatives proposed by the
City Council and other initiatives; and a proposed discretionary transfer to the
1998 fiscal year of $300 million of debt service due in the 1999 fiscal year for
budget  stabilization  purposes.  In addition,  the Financial  Plan reflects the
discretionary  transfer to the 1997 fiscal year of $1.3  billion of debt service
due in the 1998 and 1999  fiscal  years,  and  includes  actions to  eliminate a
previously  projected  budget gap for the 1998  fiscal  year.  These gap closing
actions include (i) additional  agency actions  totaling $621 million;  (ii) the
proposed sale of various  assets;  (iii)  additional  State aid of $294 million,
including a proposal that the State  accelerate a $142 million  revenue  sharing
payment  to the City from  March  1999;  and (iv)  entitlement  savings  of $128
million which would result from certain of the  reductions in Medicaid  spending
proposed in the Governor's  1997-1998 Executive Budget and from the State making
available  to the City $77  million of  additional  Federal  block grant aid, as
proposed in the Governor's  1997-1998  Executive Budget. The Financial Plan also
sets forth  projections for the 1999 through 2001 fiscal years and projects gaps
of $1.8 billion,  $2.8 billion and $2.6 billion for the 1999 through 2001 fiscal
years, respectively.

The Financial Plan assumes approval by the State Legislature and the Governor of
(i) a tax reduction  program  proposed by the City  totaling $272 million,  $435
million,  $465 million, and $481 million, in the 1998 through 2001 fiscal years,
respectively,  which includes a proposed elimination of the 4% City sales tax on
clothing  items costing  under $500 as of December 1, 1997,  and (ii) a proposed
State tax relief program,  which would reduce the City property tax and personal
income tax, and which


                                       -9-

<PAGE>

the  Financial  Plan  assumes  will be offset by  proposed  increased  State aid
totaling $47 million,  $254 million, $472 million, and $722 million, in the 1998
through 2001 fiscal years, respectively.

The  Financial  Plan also  assumes (i)  approval by the  Governor  and the State
Legislature of the extension of the 14% personal income tax surcharge,  which is
scheduled  to expire on December  31,  1999,  and which is  projected to provide
revenue of $166  million  and $494  million in the 2000 and 2001  fiscal  years,
respectively,  and of the extension of the 12.5% personal  income tax surcharge,
which is scheduled  to expire on December  31,  1998,  and which is projected to
provide  revenue of $188 million,  $527 million,  and $554 million,  in the 1999
through 2001 fiscal years,  respectively;  (ii) collection of the projected rent
payments for the City's airports,  totaling $385 million, $175 million, and $170
million, in the 1999, 2000 and 2001 fiscal years, respectively, which may depend
on the successful  completion of negotiations  with the Port Authority or on the
enforcement of the City's rights under the existing leases through pending legal
actions; and (iii) State approval of the cost containment  initiatives and State
aid proposed by the City for the 1998 fiscal year, and $115 million in State aid
which  is  assumed  in the  Financial  Plan  but  was  not  provided  for in the
Governor's 1997-1998 Executive Budget. The Financial Plan reflects the increased
costs  which the City is  prepared  to incur as a result of welfare  legislation
recently  enacted by Congress.  The Financial  Plan provides no additional  wage
increases for City employees after their  contracts  expire in fiscal years 2000
and 2001. In addition,  the economic and financial  condition of the City may be
affected by various  financial,  social,  economic and  political  factors which
could have a material effect on the City.

The City annually  prepares a  modification  to its financial plan in October or
November  which  amends the  financial  plan to  accommodate  any  revisions  to
forecast  revenues and  expenditures  and to specify any additional  gap-closing
initiatives to the extent required to offset decreases in projected  revenues or
increases in projected expenditures.  The Major is expected to publish the first
quarter  modification (the "Modification") for the 1998 fiscal year in November.
Since the  preparation  of the Financial  Plan, the State has adopted its budget
for the  1997-1998  fiscal year.  The State budget  enacted a smaller  sales tax
reduction  than the tax reduction  program  assumed by the City in the Financial
Plan, which will increase projected City sales tax revenues;  provided for State
aid to the City which was less than assumed in the Financial Plan; and enacted a
State funded tax relief  program which begins a year later than reflected in the
Financial  Plan.  In  addition,  the net effect of tax law  changes  made in the
Federal Balanced Budget Act of 1997 are expected to increase tax revenues in the
1998 fiscal year. These changes will be reflected in the Modification.

The  projections for the 1998 through 2001 fiscal years reflect the costs of the
settlements  with the United  Federation of Teachers  ("UFT") and a coalition of
unions headed by District Council 37 of the American Federation of State, County
and Municipal  Employees  ("District  Council  37"),  which  together  represent
approximately  two-thirds of the City's workforce, and they assume that the City
will reach agreement with its remaining  municipal  unions under terms which are
generally  consistent with such settlements.  The settlements provide for a wage
freeze in the first two years,  followed by a cumulative effective wage increase
of 11% by the end of the five-year  period  covered by the proposed  agreements,
ending in fiscal years 2000 and 2001.  Additional  benefit increases would raise
the total  cumulative  effective  increase  to 13% above  present  costs.  Costs
associated with similar  settlements  for all City-funded  employees would total
$49 million,  $459  million and $1.2  billion in the 1997,  1998 and 1999 fiscal
years,  respectively,  and exceed $2 billion in each  fiscal year after the 1999
fiscal year. Subsequently,  the City reached settlements,  through agreements or
statutory impasse procedures, with bargaining units which, together with the UFT
and District Council 37, represent approximately 86% of the City's workforce.

In 1975, Standard & Poor's suspended its A rating of City bonds. This suspension
remained  in  effect  until  March  1981,  at which  time the City  received  an
investment grade rating of BBB from Standard & Poor's. On July 2, 1985, Standard
& Poor's  revised its rating of City bonds  upward to BBB+,  and on November 19,
1987,  to A-. On July 10,  1995,  Standard & Poor's  revised  its rating of City
bonds downward to BBB+.

Moody's  ratings of City bonds were  revised in November  1981 from B (in effect
since 1977) to Ba1, in November  1983 to Baa, in December  1985 to Baa1,  in May
1988 to A and again in February 1991 to Baa1. On July 17, 1997,  Moody's changed
its outlook on City bonds from stable to positive.  Since July 15,  1993,  Fitch
has rated City bonds A-.  Since July 8, 1997,  IBCA Limited has rated City bonds
A.

New York State and its Authorities. The State's budget for the State's 1997-1998
fiscal year,  commencing  on April 1, 1997,  was adopted by the  Legislature  on
August 4,  1997.  Prior to  adoption  of the  budget,  the  Legislature  enacted
appropriations  for disbursements for its 1997-1998 fiscal year considered to be
necessary for State operations and other purposes.  The State Financial Plan for
the 1997-1998  fiscal year was formulated on August 11, 1997 and is based on the
State's budget as enacted by the Legislature,  as well as actual results for the
first quarter of the current fiscal year. The 1997-1998  State Financial Plan is
expected to be updated in October and January.  The  1997-1998  State  Financial
Plan is projected to be balanced on a cash basis.  Total  General Fund  receipts
and transfers from other funds are projected to be $35.09  billion,  while total
General Fund  disbursements  and  transfers  to other funds are  projected to be
$34.60 billion. The adopted 1997-1998 budget projects a year-over-year  increase
in General  Fund  disbursements  of 5.2 percent.  As compared to the  Governor's
proposed  budget  amended in  February  1997,  the  State's  adopted  budget for
1997-1998  increases  General Fund  spending by $1.7  billion,  primarily due to
increases for local  assistance  ($1.3  billion).  Resources  used to fund these
additional expendi-


                                       -10-

<PAGE>

tures  include  increased  revenues  projected  for the  1997-1998  fiscal year,
increased  resources produced in the 1996-1997 fiscal year that will be utilized
in 1997-1998,  reestimates of social service, fringe benefit and other spending,
and certain non-recurring resources.

The 1997-1998  adopted budget includes  multi-year tax  reductions,  including a
State funded property and local income tax reduction program, estate tax relief,
utility gross receipts tax reductions,  permanent  reductions in the State sales
tax on clothing,  and  elimination  of  assessments  on medical  providers.  The
various  elements  of the State and local  tax and  assessment  reductions  have
little  or no  impact  on the  1997-1998  Financial  Plan,  and do not  begin to
materially  affect the out-year  projections  until the State's 1999-2000 fiscal
year.

The  economic  and  financial  condition of the State may be affected by various
financial,  social,  economic and political  factors.  Those factors can be very
complex, may vary from fiscal year to fiscal year, and are frequently the result
of actions  taken not only by the State and its agencies and  instrumentalities,
but also by  entities,  such as the Federal  government,  that are not under the
control  of the  State.  In  addition,  the State  Financial  Plan is based upon
forecasts of national  and State  economic  activity.  Economic  forecasts  have
frequently  failed to predict  accurately the timing and magnitude of changes in
the national and the State economies. Actual results could differ materially and
adversely from projections and those  projections may be changed  materially and
adversely from time to time.

The State closed  projected  budget gaps of $5.0 billion,  $3.9 billion and $2.3
billion for its 1995-1996,  1996-1997 and 1997-1998 fiscal years,  respectively.
The 1998-1999  budget gap was projected at $1.68 billion (before the application
of any  assumed  efficiencies)  in the  out-year  projections  submitted  to the
Legislature in February 1997. As a result of changes made in the adopted budget,
the  1998-1999  gap is now expected by the State to be about the same or smaller
than the amount  previously  projected,  after  application  of the $530 million
reserve for future  needs.  The Governor has  indicated  that he will propose to
close  any  potential  imbalance  primarily  through  General  Fund  expenditure
reductions  and  without  increases  in  taxes or  deferrals  of  scheduled  tax
reductions.  The revised  expectations for the 1998-1999 fiscal year reflect the
loss of $1.4 billion in surplus  resources  from 1996-1997  operations  that are
being  utilized to finance  current  year  spending,  an  incremental  effect of
approximately  $300 million in legislated  State and local tax reductions in the
out-year, and other factors.

In  recent   years,   State   actions   affecting  the  level  of  receipts  and
disbursements,  the relative strength of the State and regional economy, actions
of the Federal  government,  and other factors,  have created  structural budget
gaps for the State.  These gaps resulted from a  significant  disparity  between
recurrent  revenues  and the costs of  maintaining  or  increasing  the level of
support for State programs. To address a potential imbalance in any given fiscal
year,  the State would be required to take actions to increase  receipts  and/or
reduce  disbursements as it enacts the budget for that year, and under the State
Constitution,  the Governor is required to propose a balanced  budget each year.
There  can be no  assurance,  however,  that  the  Legislature  will  enact  the
Governor's  proposals or that the State's actions will be sufficient to preserve
budgetary  balance in a given  fiscal year or to align  recurring  receipts  and
disbursements in future fiscal years.

Other  actions  taken in the 1997-1998  adopted  budget add further  pressure to
future State budget balance.  For example,  the fiscal effects of tax reductions
adopted in the 1997-1998 budget are projected to grow more substantially  beyond
the  1998-1999  fiscal year.  The full annual cost of the enacted tax  reduction
package is  estimated  by the State at  approximately  $4.8  billion  when fully
effective in State fiscal year  2001-2002.  In addition,  the  1997-1998  budget
included  multi-year  commitments  for  school  aid and  pre-kindergarten  early
learning  programs  which could add as much as $1.4  billion in costs when fully
annualized in fiscal year 2001-2002.  These spending  commitments are subject to
annual appropriation.

On September  11,  1997,  the New York State  Comptroller  issued a report which
noted  that  the  ability  to deal  with  future  budget  gaps  could  become  a
significant  issue in the State's  2000-2001  fiscal year,  when the cost of tax
cuts increases by $1.9 billion. The report contained  projections that, based on
current economic conditions and current law for taxes and spending, showed a gap
in the  2000-2001  State  fiscal year of $5.6 billion and of $7.4 billion in the
2001-2002  State fiscal year.  The report noted that these gaps would be smaller
if recurring  spending  reductions  produce savings in earlier years.  The State
Comptroller has also stated that if Wall Street earnings  moderate and the State
experiences a moderate  recession,  the gap for the 2001-2002  State fiscal year
could grow to nearly $12 billion.

In recent  years,  the State has failed to adopt a budget prior to the beginning
of this fiscal  year. A prolonged  delay in the  adoption of the State's  budget
beyond the statutory April 1 deadline without interim appropriations could delay
the  projected  receipt by the City of State aid,  and there can be no assurance
that  State  budgets  in future  fiscal  years  will be  adopted  by the April 1
statutory deadline.

On August 28, 1997, Standard & Poor's revised its ratings on the State's general
obligation  bonds from A- to A and,  in  addition,  revised  its  ratings on the
State's moral obligation, lease purchase,  guaranteed and contractual obligation
debt.  On  January  6,  1992,   Moody's   reduced  its  ratings  on  outstanding
limited-liability  State lease purchase and  contractual  obligations  from A to
Baa1.  On February  10,  1997,  Moody's  confirmed  its A2 rating on the State's
general obligation long-term indebtedness.


                                      -11-

<PAGE>

Litigation.  The  court  actions  in which the  State is a  defendant  generally
involve State  programs and  miscellaneous  tort,  real  property,  and contract
claims.  While the ultimate  outcome and fiscal impact,  if any, on the State of
those   proceedings   and  claims  are  not   currently   predictable,   adverse
determinations  in certain of them might have a material adverse effect upon the
State's ability to maintain a balanced 1997-98 State Financial Plan.

The claims  involving the City other than routine  litigation  incidental to the
performance  of  their  governmental  and  other  functions  and  certain  other
litigation arise out of alleged  constitutional  violations,  torts, breaches of
contract and other  violations of law and  condemnation  proceedings.  While the
ultimate outcome and fiscal impact, if any, on the City of those proceedings and
claims are not currently predictable,  adverse determinations in certain of them
might have a material  adverse  effect upon the City's  ability to carry out the
1998-2001  Financial  Plan.  The City has estimated  that its  potential  future
liability  on  account of  outstanding  claims  against  it as of June 30,  1996
amounted to approximately $2.8 billion.


NEW JERSEY RISK FACTORS

The information  summarized below describes some of the more significant aspects
relating to New Jersey's  credit and  financial  condition.  The sources of such
information are the official statements of issuers located in New Jersey as well
as other publicly available documents.

Certain  Economic  Information.  New  Jersey  is  the  ninth  largest  state  in
population and the fifth smallest in land area.  With an average of 1,077 people
per square mile, it is the most densely populated of all the states. The State's
economic  base  is  diversified,  consisting  of  a  variety  of  manufacturing,
construction and service industries,  supplemented by rural areas with selective
commercial agriculture. Historically, New Jersey's average per capita income has
been well above the national average,  and in 1996 the State ranked second among
the states in per capita personal income ($31,053).

The Fund is susceptible to political,  economic or regulatory  factors affecting
issuers of the New Jersey securities.  The following information provides only a
brief summary of some of the complex factors  affecting the financial  situation
in New Jersey (the  "State")  and is derived  from  sources  that are  generally
available to  investors,  and  believed to be  accurate.  It is based in part on
information  obtained  from various State and local  agencies in New Jersey.  No
independent verification has been made of any of the following information.

The  onset of the  national  recession  (which  officially  began in July  1990,
according to the National Bureau of Economic Research) caused an acceleration of
New Jersey's job losses in  construction  and  manufacturing.  In addition,  the
national  recession  caused an employment  downturn in such  previously  growing
sectors as wholesale trade,  retail trade,  finance,  utilities and trucking and
warehousing. Reflecting the downturn, the rate of unemployment in the State rose
from a low of 3.6% during the first  quarter of 1989 to a  recessionary  peak of
8.5%  during  1992.  Since  then,  the  unemployment  rate  fell to 5.5% for the
six-month period from January 1997 through June 1997.

New Jersey's  Budget and  Appropriation  System.  The State operates on a fiscal
year beginning July 1 and ending June 30. Pursuant to the State Constitution, no
money may be drawn from the State  Treasury  except for  appropriations  made by
law. In addition,  all monies for the support of State  government and all other
State  purposes,  as far as can be ascertained or reasonably  foreseen,  must be
provided for in one general  appropriation  law covering one and the same fiscal
year. No general  appropriations  law or other law  appropriating  money for any
State  purpose  shall be enacted if the  amount of money  appropriated  therein,
together  with all other prior  appropriations  made for the same  fiscal  year,
exceeds the total amount of revenue on hand and  anticipated to be available for
such  fiscal  year,   as  certified  by  the   Governor.

In addition to the  Constitutional  provisions,  the New Jersey Statutes contain
provisions  concerning the budget and appropriation system. On or before October
1 in each year, each department,  board, commission,  officer or other agency of
the State must file with the  Budget  Director a request  for  appropriation  or
permission to spend,  specifying  all  expenditures  proposed to be made by such
spending  agency  during the  following  fiscal year.  The Budget  Director then
examines  each  request and  determines  the  necessity or  advisability  of the
appropriation  request.  On or  before  December  31 of each  year,  the  Budget
Director  submits  the  requests,  together  with  her  findings,  comments  and
recommendations,  to the Governor. It is then the responsibility of the Governor
to examine and consider all requests and formulate her budget recommendations.

The  Governor's  Budget  Message  must embody the  proposed  complete  financial
program of the State  government  for the next ensuing  fiscal year and must set
forth  in  detail  each  source  of  anticipated  revenue  and the  purposes  of
recommended   expenditures  for  each  spending  agency.   After  a  process  of
legislative committee review, the budget, in the form of an appropriations bill,
must be  approved  by the  Senate  and  Assembly  and must be  submitted  to the
Governor for review.  Upon such submissions,  the Governor may approve the bill,
revise the estimate of anticipated revenues contained therein,  delete or reduce
appropriation  items contained in the bill through the exercise of her line-item
veto power, or veto the bill in its entirety.  Like any gubernatorial veto, such
action  may be  reversed  by a  two-thirds  vote  of  each  House  of the  State
Legislature.

During the  course of the fiscal  year,  the  Governor  may take steps to reduce
State  expenditures  if  it  appears  that  revenues  have  fallen  below  those
originally  anticipated.  There are  additional  means by which the Governor may
ensure that the State


                                      -12-

<PAGE>

does  not  incur a  deficit.  Under  the  State  Constitution,  no  supplemental
appropriation  may be enacted  after  adoption of an  appropriations  act except
where there are sufficient revenues on hand or anticipated,  as certified by the
Governor, to meet such appropriation.

General  Obligation  Bonds.  The State finances certain capital projects through
the sale of the general obligation bonds of the State. These bonds are backed by
the full faith and credit of the State.  Certain  State tax revenues and certain
other fees are  pledged to meet the  principal  and  interest  payments  and, if
provided,  redemption premium payments,  if any, required to repay the bonds. As
of  June  30,  1997,  there  was  a  total   authorized  bond   indebtedness  of
approximately   $10.315   billion,   of  which  $3.44  billion  was  issued  and
outstanding, $5.002 billion was retired (including bonds for which provision for
payment has been made  through the sale and issuance of  refunding  bonds),  and
$1.88  billion was  unissued.  The  recommended  appropriation  for debt service
obligation on outstanding  projected  indebtedness  is $506.1 million for Fiscal
Year 1999. In addition to payment from bond proceeds,  capital  construction can
also be funded by appropriation of current revenues on a pay-as-you go basis. In
Fiscal Year 1999, the amount appropriated to this purpose is $617.9 million.

All  appropriations  for  capital  projects  and all  proposals  for State  bond
authorizations  are subject to the review and  recommendation  of the New Jersey
Commission on Capital  Budgeting and Planning.  This  permanent  commission  was
established in November  1975, and is charged with the  preparation of the State
Capital  Improvement  Plan,  which  contains  proposals  for State  spending for
capital projects.

Tax and Revenue  Anticipation  Notes. In fiscal year 1992 New Jersey initiated a
program  under  which it issued  tax and  revenue  anticipation  notes to aid in
providing  effective cash flow management to fund imbalances  which occur in the
collection  and  disbursement  of the General  Fund and Property Tax Relief Fund
revenues. There are presently $800 million of tax and revenue anticipation notes
outstanding.  These notes shall  mature on June 15,  1998.  Such tax and revenue
anticipation  notes do not  constitute a general  obligation  of New Jersey or a
debt or liability within the meaning of the New Jersey Constitution.  Such notes
constitute  special  obligations  of New Jersey  payable  solely  from moneys on
deposit in the General Fund and Property Tax Relief Fund, and legally  available
for such payment.

Lease  Financing.  The State has entered into a number of leases relating to the
financing of certain real property and  equipment.  The State leases the Richard
J.  Hughes  Justice  Complex  in  Trenton  from the  Mercer  County  Improvement
Authority  (the   "Authority").   On  August  8,  1991  the  Authority  defeased
outstanding lease bonds originally issued to finance construction of the Richard
J. Hughes Justice Complex through the issuance of custody receipts (the "Custody
Receipts")  in the  aggregate  principal  amount of  $98,760,000.  The rental is
sufficient to cover the debt service on the Authority's  Custody  Receipts.  The
State's obligation to pay the rentals is subject to appropriations being made by
the State Legislature.

The State has also  entered  into a lease  agreement,  as  lessee,  with the New
Jersey  Economic  Development  Authority  (the "EDA"),  as lessor,  to lease (i)
office  buildings  that house the New Jersey  Division  of Motor  Vehicles,  New
Jersey Network (the State's public television  station),  a branch of the United
States Postal Service,  and a parking facility,  and (ii) approximately 13 acres
of real property and certain infrastructure  improvements thereon located in the
City of Newark.  In addition,  in December  1995,  the State  entered into lease
agreements,  as lessee, with the EDA, as lessor, to lease (i) an office building
and (ii) certain  energy  saving  equipment  which shall be installed in various
buildings  used by the State.  The State has also, in July 1996,  entered into a
lease  agreement,  as lessee,  with the EDA, as lessor,  to lease the New Jersey
Performing Arts Facility in the City of Newark.  The rental payments required to
be made by the State under such lease  agreements  are  sufficient to cover debt
service on bonds issued by the EDA to finance the acquisition  and  construction
of such  projects  and  other  amounts  payable  to the EDA,  including  certain
administrative  expenses  of the EDA,  and such rental  payments  are subject to
annual appropriation by the State Legislature.

The State has also  entered  into a sublease  with the EDA to lease two  parking
lots,  certain  infrastructure  improvements  and  related  elements  located at
Liberty State Park in the City of Jersey City. The rental  payments  required to
be made by the State under such sublease  agreement  will be sufficient to cover
debt  service on bonds issued by the EDA and other  amounts  payable to the EDA,
and such rental payments are subject to appropriation by the State Legislature.

The State also leases several office buildings, facilities and improvements from
the New Jersey Building Authority (the "Building  Authority") on a basis similar
to that  described  above.  The Building  Authority  bonds are secured by annual
rentals  from  the  State  which  are  subject  to  and  dependent  upon  annual
appropriations by the State legislature.

Beginning in April 1984, the State,  acting through the Director of the Division
of Purchase and  Property,  entered into a series of lease  purchase  agreements
which provide for the acquisition of equipment, services and real property to be
used by various  departments  and agencies of the State.  To date, the State has
completed  eleven lease purchase  agreements which have resulted in the issuance
of  Certificates  of  Participation  totaling  $749,350,000.  A  Certificate  of
Participation  evidences a  proportionate  interest of the owner  thereof in the
lease  payments  to be made by the State under the terms of the  agreement.  The
agreements  relating  to  these  transactions  provide  for  semi-annual  rental
payments.  The State's  obligation  to pay  rentals  due under  these  leases is
subject  to  annual  appropriations  being  made by the State  Legislature.  The
majority of proceeds


                                      -13-

<PAGE>

from  these  transactions  have  been or will be used to  acquire  equipment  or
services for the State and its  agencies.  The State  intends to continue to use
this  financing  technique  for a  substantial  portion of its future  equipment
requirements.

State Supported School and County College Bonds. Legislation provides for future
appropriations  for State aid to local school districts equal to debt service on
a maximum  principal amount of $280,000,000 of bonds issued by such local school
districts for construction and renovation of school facilities and for State aid
to  counties  equal to debt  service  on up to  $80,000,000  of bonds  issued by
counties  for  construction  of  county  college  facilities.   The  New  Jersey
Legislature  is not legally  bound to make such future  appropriations,  but has
done so to date on all outstanding obligations issued under these laws.

"Moral Obligation" Financing. The authorizing legislation for certain New Jersey
entities  provides for  specific  budgetary  procedures  with respect to certain
obligations issued by such entities.  Pursuant to such legislation, a designated
official is required to certify any  deficiency  in a debt service  reserve fund
maintained to meet payments of principal of and interest on the obligations, and
a State  appropriation  in the amount of the deficiency is to be made.  However,
the New Jersey  Legislature is not legally bound to make such an  appropriation.
Bonds issued  pursuant to  authorizing  legislation  of this type are  sometimes
referred to as "moral obligation" bonds. There is no statutory limitation on the
amount of "moral  obligation"  bonds which may be issued by eligible  New Jersey
entities.

The following table sets forth the "moral obligation" bonded indebtedness issued
by New Jersey entities as of June 30, 1997


                                                     Maximum Annual Debt Service
                                       Outstanding   Subject to Moral Obligation

New Jersey Housing and Mortgage
  Finance Agency                       $399,224,305.59     $37,344,151.04

South Jersey Port Corporation            78,715,000.00       7,002,815.00

Higher Education Assistance Authority   136,385,000.00      23,155,400.00
                                       ---------------    ---------------

                                       $614,324,305.59     $67,502,366.04
                                       ===============    ===============


Higher Education Assistance Authority. The Higher Education Assistance Authority
("HEAA") has issued $149,996,064 aggregate principal amount of revenue bonds. It
is anticipated that the HEAA's revenues will be sufficient to cover debt service
on its bonds.

New Jersey Housing and Mortgage  Finance Agency.  Neither the New Jersey Housing
and Mortgage Finance Agency nor its predecessors, the New Jersey Housing Finance
Agency and the New Jersey Mortgage  Finance  Agency,  have had a deficiency in a
debt service reserve fund which required New Jersey to appropriate funds to meet
its "moral  obligation."  It is  anticipated  that this  agency's  revenues will
continue to be sufficient to cover debt service on its bonds.

South Jersey Port  Corporation.  New Jersey has periodically  provided the South
Jersey Port Corporation (the "Corporation") with funds to cover all debt service
and property  tax  requirements,  when earned  revenues  are  anticipated  to be
insufficient to cover these  obligations.  For calendar years 1986 through 1993,
the State has made appropriations totaling $18,137,565 to pay property taxes and
for calendar years 1989 through 1997, the State has made appropriations totaling
$31,485,971.25 to pay debt service.

New Jersey Sports and  Exposition  Authority.  On March 2, 1992,  the New Jersey
Sports and Exposition  Authority ("Sports Authority") issued $147,490,000 in New
Jersey  guaranteed  bonds and defeased  all  previously  outstanding  New Jersey
guaranteed bonds of the Sports  Authority.  New Jersey officials have stated the
belief that the revenue of the Sports  Authority  will be  sufficient to provide
for the payment of debt  service on these  obligations  without  recourse to New
Jersey's guarantee.

Legislation  enacted in 1992 authorizes the Sports  Authority to issue bonds for
various  purposes  payable  from New  Jersey  appropriations.  Pursuant  to this
legislation, the Sports Authority and the New Jersey Treasurer have entered into
an agreement (the "State Contract")  pursuant to which the Sports Authority will
undertake certain projects, including the refunding of certain outstanding bonds
of the Sports Authority,  and the New Jersey Treasurer will credit to the Sports
Authority Fund amounts from the General Fund  sufficient to pay debt service and
other costs  related to the bonds.  The  payment of all amounts  under the State
Contract is subject to and dependent upon  appropriations  being made by the New
Jersey  Legislature.  As of June 30, 1997 there were approximately  $458,890,000
aggregate  principal  amount of Sports  Authority  bonds  outstanding,  the debt
service on which is payable from amounts under the State Contract.


                                      -14-

<PAGE>

New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund Authority. In July 1984, New Jersey created
the  New  Jersey   Transportation   Trust  Fund  Authority   (the  "TTFA"),   an
instrumentality  of New  Jersey  organized  and  existing  under the New  Jersey
Transportation  Trust Fund Authority Act of 1984, as amended (the "TFA Act") for
the  purpose  of  funding  a  portion  of New  Jersey's  share  of the  cost  of
improvements to New Jersey's transportation system. Pursuant to the TFA Act, the
TTFA, the New Jersey Treasurer and the Commissioner of Transportation executed a
contract (the  "Contract")  which provides for the payment of certain amounts to
the TTFA.  The  payment of all such  amounts is  subject to and  dependent  upon
appropriations  being made by the New Jersey  Legislature  and there is no legal
obligation that the Legislature make such appropriations.

Pursuant to the TFA Act, the  aggregate  principal  amount of the TTFA's  bonds,
notes or other  obligations which may be issued in any one fiscal year generally
may not exceed $700 million plus amounts  carried over from prior fiscal  years.
These bonds are special  obligations  of the TTFA payable from the payments made
by New Jersey pursuant to the Contract.

Economic  Recovery  Fund Bonds.  Legislation  enacted  during 1992 by New Jersey
authorizes  the EDA to issue bonds for various  economic  development  purposes.
Pursuant to that legislation, EDA and the New Jersey Treasurer have entered into
an agreement (the "ERF Contract")  through which EDA has agreed to undertake the
financing of certain  projects and the New Jersey Treasurer has agreed to credit
to the  Economic  Recovery  Fund from the General  Fund  amounts  equivalent  to
payments  due to New Jersey under an  agreement  with the Port  Authority of New
York and New  Jersey.  The  payment of all  amounts  under the ERF  Contract  is
subject  to and  dependent  upon  appropriations  being  made by the New  Jersey
Legislature.

Market Transition  Facility Bonds.  Legislation  enacted in June 1994 authorizes
the EDA to issue  bonds  to pay the  current  and  anticipated  liabilities  and
expenses of the Market  Transition  Facility,  which  issued  private  passenger
automobile  insurance  policies  for drivers who could not be insured by private
insurance  companies  on a  voluntary  basis.  On July 26,  1994 the EDA  issued
$705,270,000  aggregate  principal amount of Market  Transition  Facility Senior
Lien Revenue  Bonds.  The EDA and the New Jersey  Treasurer have entered into an
agreement which provides for the payment to the EDA of amounts on deposit in the
DMV Surcharge  Fund to pay debt service on the bonds.  Such payments are subject
to and dependent upon appropriations being made by the New Jersey Legislature.

Educational  Facilities  Authority.  Legislation  enacted in 1993 authorizes the
Educational  Facilities Authority ("EFA") to issue bonds to finance the purchase
of equipment to be leased to institutions of higher learning. On August 17, 1994
the EFA  issued  $100,000,000  aggregate  principal  amount of Higher  Education
Leasing Fund Program  bonds.  The EFA and the New Jersey  Treasurer have entered
into an agreement which provides to the EFA amounts required to pay debt service
on the bonds.  Such  payments are subject to and dependent  upon  appropriations
being made by the State Legislature.  Other legislation  enacted in 1993 created
the Higher  Education  Facilities  Trust Fund from which the EFA makes grants to
institutions of higher  education.  The legislation  authorizes the EFA to issue
bonds to finance the grants,  and limits the total outstanding  principal amount
of such bonds to $220,000,000.  On November 29, 1995 the EFA issued $220,000,000
aggregate  principal  amount of Higher  Education  Facilities  Trust Fund Bonds.
These  bonds are  secured by  payments  made to the EFA by the State,  which are
subject to annual appropriation by the State Legislature.

State Pension Funding Bonds. Legislation enacted in June 1997 authorizes the EDA
to  issue  bonds  to pay a  portion  of the  State's  unfunded  accrued  pension
liability for the State's  retirement  systems (the  "Unfunded  Accrued  Pension
Liability"),  which,  together  with  amounts  derived from the  revaluation  of
pension assets pursuant to companion  legislation enacted at the same time, will
be sufficient to fully fund the Unfunded Accrued Pension Liability. The Unfunded
Accrued  Pension  Liability  represents  pension  benefits earned in prior years
which,  pursuant to standard actuarial  practices,  are not yet fully funded. On
June 30, 1997, the EDA issued  $2,803,042,498.56  aggregate  principal amount of
State Pension Funding Bonds, Series 1997A-1997C. The EDA and the State Treasurer
have  entered  into an  agreement  which  provides for the payment to the EDA of
monies sufficient to pay debt service on the bonds. Such payments are subject to
and dependent upon appropriations being made by the State Legislature.

Municipal  Finance.  New Jersey's  local finance  system is regulated by various
statutes  designed  to assure  that all  local  governments  and  their  issuing
authorities remain on a sound financial basis.  Regulatory and remedial statutes
are enforced by the Division of Local  Government  Services (the  "Division") in
the State Department of Community Affairs.

Counties and  Municipalities.  The Local Budget Law (N.J.S.A.  4OA: 4-1 et seq.)
imposes specific budgetary  procedures upon counties and municipalities  ("local
units").  Every local unit must adopt an operating budget which is balanced on a
cash  basis,  and items of revenue  and  appropriation  must be  examined by the
Director of the Division (the "Director").  The accounts of each local unit must
be  independently  audited  by a  registered  municipal  accountant.  State  law
provides  that budgets must be submitted in a form  promulgated  by the Division
and further  provides for  limitations  on estimates of tax  collection  and for
reserves in the event of any  shortfalls in  collections  by the local unit. The
Division  reviews all municipal and county annual  budgets prior to adoption for
compliance  with the Local  Budget Law.  The  Director is  empowered  to require
changes  for  compliance  with law as a condition  of  approval;  to  disapprove
budgets not in  accordance  with law; and to prepare the budget of a local unit,
within the  limits of the  adopted  budget of the  previous  year with  suitable
adjustments for legal compliance, if the


                                      -15-

<PAGE>

local unit fails to adopt a budget in accordance  with law. This process insures
that every  municipality  and county annually adopts a budget balanced on a cash
basis,  within  limitations on appropriations or tax levies,  respectively,  and
making adequate provision for principal of and interest on indebtedness  falling
due in the  fiscal  year,  deferred  charges  and  other  statutory  expenditure
requirements. The Director also oversees changes to local budgets after adoption
as permitted by law, and enforces regulations pertaining to execution of adopted
budgets and financial administration.  In addition to the exercise of regulatory
and oversight  functions,  the Division  offers expert  technical  assistance to
local  units in all  aspects  of  financial  administration,  including  revenue
collection  and  cash  management  procedures,   contracting  procedures,   debt
management and administrative analysis.

The Local  Government  Cap Law  (N.J.S.A.  4OA:  4-45.1 et seq.) (the "Cap Law")
generally limits the year-to-year  increase of the total  appropriations  of any
municipality  and the tax levy of any  county  to  either  5% or an  index  rate
determined annually by the Director, whichever is less. However, where the index
percentage  rate  exceeds  5%, the Cap Law  permits  the  governing  body of any
municipality or county to approve the use of a higher  percentage rate up to the
index rate.  Further,  where the index  percentage rate is less than 5%, the Cap
Law also permits the governing body of any municipality or county to approve the
use of a higher  percentage  rate up to 5%.  Regardless  of the  rate  utilized,
certain   exceptions   exist  to  the  Cap  Law's  limitation  on  increases  in
appropriations. The principal exceptions to these limitations are: municipal and
county appropriations to pay debt service  requirements;  to comply with certain
other State or federal mandates;  appropriations of private and public dedicated
funds; amounts approved by referendum;  and, in the case of municipalities only,
to fund the preceding year's cash deficit with the approval of the Local Finance
Board or to reserve for  shortfalls  in tax  collections,  and amounts  required
pursuant to  contractual  obligations  for specified  services.  The Cap Law was
re-enacted in 1990 with  amendments  and made a permanent  part of the Municipal
Finance System.

State law also  regulates the issuance of debt by local units.  The Local Budget
Law  limits  the  amount of tax  anticipation  notes that may be issued by local
units and requires the repayment of such notes within 120 days of the end of the
fiscal year (six months in the case of the counties) in which issued.  The Local
Bond Law (N.J.S.A.  4OA: 2-1 et seq.) governs the issuance of bonds and notes by
the local  units.  No local unit is  permitted to issue bonds for the payment of
current  expenses (other than Fiscal Year Adjustment  Bonds described more fully
below).  Local units may not issue bonds to pay  outstanding  bonds,  except for
refunding purposes,  and then only with the approval of the Local Finance Board.
Local  units  may  issue  bond  anticipation  notes for  temporary  periods  not
exceeding in the aggregate approximately ten years from the date of first issue.
The debt that any local unit may  authorize  is limited to a  percentage  of its
equalized  valuation  basis,  which is the average of the equalized value of all
taxable real property and improvements  within the geographic  boundaries of the
local unit, as annually  determined by the Director of the Division of Taxation,
for each of the three most recent years.  In the  calculation  of debt capacity,
the Local Bond Law and certain  other  statutes  permit the deduction of certain
classes of debt ("statutory  deductions")  from all authorized debt of the local
unit ("gross  capital debt") in computing  whether a local unit has exceeded its
statutory debt limit.  Statutory  deductions  from gross capital debt consist of
bonds or notes (i) authorized for school  purposes by a regional school district
or by a municipality or a school district with boundaries  coextensive with such
municipality to the extent  permitted under certain  percentage  limitations set
forth in the School  Bond Law (as  hereinafter  defined);  (ii)  authorized  for
purposes  which are self  liquidating,  but only to the extent  permitted by the
Local Bond Law; (ii) authorized by a public body,  other than the local unit the
principal of and interest on which is guaranteed by the local unit,  but only to
the extent  permitted by law;  (iv) that are bond  anticipation  notes;  (v) for
which  provision  for payment has been made;  or (vi)  authorized  for any other
purpose for which a deduction is permitted by law.  Authorized  net capital debt
(gross  capital  debt  minus  statutory  deductions)  is  limited to 3.5% of the
equalized  valuation basis in the case of municipalities and 2% of the equalized
valuation  basis  in the  case of  counties.  The  debt  limit  of a  county  or
municipality, with certain exceptions, may be exceeded only with the approval of
the Local Finance Board.

Chapter  75 of the  Pamphlet  Laws of 1991  signed  into law on March  28,  1991
required certain  municipalities  and permits all other  municipalities to adopt
the  State  fiscal  year  in  place  of  the  existing   calendar  fiscal  year.
Municipalities  that change fiscal years must adopt a six month  transition year
budget funded by Fiscal Year Adjustment  Bonds.  Notes issued in anticipation of
Fiscal Year Adjustment Bonds,  including renewals,  can only be issued for up to
one year unless the Local Finance Board permits the  municipality  to renew them
for a further  period of time.  The Local  Finance Board must confirm the actual
deficit experienced by the municipality.  The municipality then may issue Fiscal
Year Adjustment Bonds to finance the deficit on a permanent basis.

State law authorizes State officials to supervise fiscal  administration  in any
municipality  which is in default on its obligations;  which experiences  severe
tax collection  problems for two successive  years;  which has a deficit greater
than 4% of its tax levy for two  successive  years;  which  has  failed  to make
payments due and owing to the State, county, school district or special district
for two consecutive  years;  which has an appropriation in its annual budget for
the liquidation of debt which exceeds 25% of its total operating  appropriations
(except dedicated revenue appropriations) for the previous budget year; or which
has been subject to a judicial determination of gross failure to comply with the
Local Bond Law,  the Local  Budget  Law or the Local  Fiscal  Affairs  Law which
substantially  jeopardizes its fiscal integrity.  State officials are authorized
to continue  such  supervision  for as long as any of the  conditions  exist and
until the municipality operates for a fiscal year without incurring a cash


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<PAGE>

deficit.  In September  1996,  the Township of Irvington  requested  supervision
which was approved by the Local Finance Board and is expected to continue for at
least one year.

There are 567  municipalities  and 21 counties in New Jersey.  During 1993, 1994
and 1995 no county  exceeded its statutory  debt  limitations or incurred a cash
deficit  in  excess of 4% of its tax levy.  Only two  municipalities  had a cash
deficit  greater  than 4% of their tax levies  for 1994 and 1995.  The number of
municipalities  which exceeded  statutory debt limits was six as of December 31,
1995.  No New Jersey  municipality  or county has  defaulted  on the  payment of
interest or principal on any outstanding debt obligation since the 1930's.

School  Districts.  All New Jersey  school  districts are  coterminous  with the
boundaries of one or more  municipalities.  They are characterized by the manner
in which the board of  education,  the  governing  body of the school  district,
takes office.  Type I school  districts,  most commonly found in cities,  have a
board of education  appointed by the mayor or the chief executive officer of the
municipality constituting the school district. In a Type II school district, the
board of education is elected by the voters of the district. Nearly all regional
and consolidated school districts are Type II school districts.

The State  Department  of Education  has been  empowered  with the necessary and
effective   authority  to  abolish  an  existing   school  board  and  create  a
State-operated  school district where the existing school board has failed or is
unable to take the  corrective  actions  necessary  to  provide a  thorough  and
efficient  system of  education  in that  school  district  pursuant to N.J.S.A.
18A:7A-15  et seq.  (the  "School  Act").  The State  operated  school  district
operated under the direction of a State-appointed  superintendent has all of the
powers and authority of the local board of education  and of the local  district
superintendent.  Pursuant  to the  authority  granted  under the School  Act, on
October 4, 1989,  the State Board of  Education  ordered the creation of a State
operated  school  district in the City of Jersey City.  Similarly,  on August 7,
1991,  the State Board of  Education  ordered the  creation of a State  operated
school district in the City of Paterson and on July 5, 1995 ordered the creation
of a State-operated school district in the City of Newark.

School Budgets. In every school district having a board of school estimate,  the
board of school estimate examines the budget request and fixes the appropriation
amounts for the next year's operating budget after a public hearing at which the
taxpayers  and other  interested  persons  shall  have an  opportunity  to raise
objections  and to be heard  with  respect  to the  budget.  This  board,  whose
composition is fixed by statute, certifies the budget to the municipal governing
bodies and to the local  board of  education.  If the local  board of  education
disagrees,   it  must  appeal  to  the  State  Commissioner  of  Education  (the
"Commissioner") to request changes.

In Type II school  districts  without a board of school  estimate,  the  elected
board of  education  develops the budget  proposal  and,  after public  hearing,
submits it to the voters of such  district for approval.  Previously  authorized
debt  service is not subject to  referendum  in the annual  budget  process.  If
approved,  the budget goes into effect. If defeated,  the governing body of each
municipality  in the school  district must determine the amount  necessary to be
appropriated  for each item appearing in such budget.  Should the governing body
fail to certify an amount  determined by the board of education to be necessary,
the board of education may appeal the action to the Commissioner.

The State laws governing the distribution of State aid to local school districts
limit the annual increase of a school district's net current expense budget. The
Commissioner certifies the allowable amount of increase for each school district
but may grant a higher level of increase in certain limited instances.  A school
district  may also  submit a proposal to the voters to raise  amounts  above the
allowable amount of increase. If defeated, such a proposal is subject to further
review or appeal to the Commission only if the County Superintendent  determines
that  additional  funds  are  required  to  provide  a  thorough  and  efficient
education.

In Type I or Type II school districts which have failed monitoring over a period
of time by the State  because of  continued  educational  deficiencies,  and are
implementing an approved corrective action plan, the Commissioner is required to
determine  the  cost to the  school  district  of the  implementation  of  those
portions of the  corrective  action plan which are  directly  responsive  to the
district's   deficiencies  as  identified  in  the  monitoring  process.   Where
appropriate,  the  Commissioner  is  required  to  reallocate  funds  within the
district's  budget to support the corrective  action plan. The  Commissioner  is
also required to determine the amount of additional  revenue needed to implement
the corrective action plan, and to recertify the budget for the district.

In State operated school districts,  the State District  Superintendent  has the
responsibility  for the  development  of the  budget  subject  to  appeal by the
governing body of the  municipality to the  Commissioner and the Director of the
Division of Local  Government  Services  in the State  Department  of  Community
Affairs.  Based upon his review,  the Director is required to certify the amount
of  revenues  which can be raised  locally  to  support  the budget of the State
operated  district.  Any  difference  between  the  amount  which  the  Director
certifies,  and the  total  amount  of local  revenues  required  by the  budget
approved by the  Commissioner,  is to be paid by the State in the fiscal year in
which the expenditures are made subject to the availability of appropriations.


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<PAGE>

School District  Bonds.  School district bonds and temporary notes are issued in
conformity  with N.J.S.A 18A: 24-1 et seq. (the "School Bond Law") which closely
parallels the Local Bond Law. Although school districts are exempted from the 5%
down payment provision  generally applied to bonds issued by municipalities  and
counties,  they are subject to debt limits (which vary  depending on the type of
school system  provided) and to State  regulation of their  borrowing.  The debt
limitation  on school  district  bonds  depends upon the  classification  of the
school  district  but may be as high as 4% of the  average  equalized  valuation
basis  of the  constituent  municipality.  In  certain  cases  involving  school
districts in cities with populations  exceeding 100,000, the debt limit is 8% of
the average equalized  valuation basis of the constituent  municipality,  and in
cities with population in excess of 80,000 the debt limit is 6% of the aforesaid
average equalized valuation.

School bonds are authorized by (i) an ordinance adopted by the governing body of
a municipality  within a Type I school district;  (ii) adoption of a proposal by
resolution by the board of education of a Type II school district having a board
of school  estimate;  (iii) adoption of a proposal by resolution by the board of
education  and approval of the proposal by the legal voters of any other Type II
school  district;  or (iv)  adoption  of a proposal by  resolution  by a capital
project  control  board for projects in a State  operated  school  district.  If
school  bonds will  exceed  the school  district  borrowing  capacity,  a school
district  (other  than a regional  school  district)  may use the balance of the
municipal  borrowing  capacity.  If the total  amount of debt exceeds the school
district's  borrowing capacity and any available  remaining  municipal borrowing
capacity, the Commissioner and the Local Finance Board must approve the proposed
authorization  before it is submitted to the voters.  All authorizations of debt
in a Type II  school  district  without a board of school  estimate  require  an
approving  referendum,  except where,  after hearing,  the  Commissioner and the
State Board of Education  determine  that the issuance of such debt is necessary
to meet the constitutional obligation to provide a thorough and efficient system
of public schools.  When such obligations are issued, they are issued by, and in
the name of, the school district.

In Type I and II school  districts with a board of school  estimate,  that board
examines the capital proposal of the board of education and certifies the amount
of bonds to be authorized. When it is necessary to exceed the borrowing capacity
of the municipality,  the approval of a majority of the legally qualified voters
of the municipality is required,  together with the approval of the Commissioner
and the Local  Finance  Board.  When such  bonds are  issued for a Type I school
district,  they are issued by the  municipality  and identified as school bonds.
When  bonds are  issued by a Type II  school  district  having a board of school
estimate, they are issued by, and in the name of, the school district.

All  authorizations of debt must be reported to the Division of Local Government
Services by a supplemental debt statement prior to final approval.

School District Lease Purchase Financings.  In 1982, school districts were given
an alternative to the traditional method of bond financing capital  improvements
pursuant to  N.J.S.A.  18A:  20-4.2(f)  (the "Lease  Purchase  Law").  The Lease
Purchase  Law permits  school  districts  to acquire a site and school  building
through a lease purchase agreement with a private lessor corporation.  The lease
purchase   agreement  does  not  require  voter  approval.   The  rent  payments
attributable to the lease purchase agreement are subject to annual appropriation
by the school district and are required,  pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6: 22A-1.2(h), to
be  included  in the  annual  current  expense  budget of the  school  district.
Furthermore,  the rent payments  attributable to the lease purchase agreement do
not  constitute  debt of the school  district and therefore do not impact on the
school district's debt limitation.  Lease purchase  agreements in excess of five
years require the approval of the Commissioner and the Local Finance Board.

Qualified  Bonds. In 1976,  legislation was enacted (P.L. 1976, c. 38 and c. 39)
which  provides  for the  issuance by  municipalities  and school  districts  of
"qualified  bonds." Whenever a local board of education or the governing body of
a municipality  determines to issue bonds,  it may file an application  with the
Local  Finance  Board,  and,  in the  case of a local  board of  education,  the
Commissioner,  to qualify  bonds  pursuant  to P.L.  1976,  c. 38 or c. 39. Upon
approval of such an application  and after receipt of a certificate  stating the
name and address of the paying  agent for such  bonds,  the  maturity  schedule,
interest  rates and payment dates,  the State  Treasurer  shall,  in the case of
qualified  bonds for school  districts,  withhold from the school aid payable to
such  municipality  or school  district and, in the case of qualified  bonds for
municipalities,  withhold  from the amount of  business  personal  property  tax
replacement  revenues,  gross  receipts  tax  revenues,  municipal  purposes tax
assistance fund distributions,  State urban aid, State revenue sharing,  and any
other funds  appropriated  as State aid and not otherwise  dedicated to specific
municipal  programs,  payable to such  municipalities,  an amount  sufficient to
cover debt  service  on such  bonds.  These  "qualified  bonds" are not  direct,
guaranteed  or moral  obligations  of the State,  and debt service on such bonds
will be provided  by the State only if the above  mentioned  appropriations  are
made by the State.  Total  outstanding  indebtedness for "qualified bonds" as of
June 30,  1996  consisted  of  $208,642,750  by  various  school  districts  and
$899,586,220 by various municipalities.

New Jersey  School Bond  Reserve  Act.  The New Jersey  School Bond  Reserve Act
(N.J.S.A.  18A:  56-17 et seq.)  establishes  a school bond  reserve  within the
constitutionally  dedicated Fund for the Support of Free Public  Schools.  Under
this law the reserve is  maintained  at an amount equal to 1.5% of the aggregate
outstanding bonded indebtedness of counties,  municipalities or school districts
for school purposes  (exclusive of bonds whose debt service is provided by State
appropriations),  but not in excess  of  monies  available  in such  Fund.  If a
municipality, county or school district is unable to meet payment of


                                      -18-

<PAGE>

the  principal  of or  interest on any of its school  bonds,  the trustee of the
school bond reserve will purchase  such bonds at the face amount  thereof or pay
the holders  thereof the interest  due or to become due. At June 30,  1996,  the
book value of the Fund's assets aggregated $88,816,968 and the reserve, computed
as of June 30, 1996,  amounted to $40,363,607.  There has never been an occasion
to call upon this Fund.

Local Financing Authorities.  The Local Authorities Fiscal Control Law (N.J.S.A.
4OA: 5A-l et seq.) provides for State  supervision of the fiscal  operations and
debt issuance  practices of  independent  local  authorities  and special taxing
districts by the State Department of Community  Affairs.  The Local  Authorities
Fiscal Control Law applies to all  autonomous  public bodies created by counties
or  municipalities,  which are empowered to issue bonds,  to impose  facility or
service  charges,  or to levy taxes in their  districts.  This  encompasses most
autonomous local authorities (sewerage,  municipal utilities, parking, pollution
control,  improvement,  etc.) and special taxing districts (fire,  water, etc.).
Authorities   which  are  subject  to  differing  state  or  federal   financial
restrictions are exempted, but only to the extent of that difference.

Financial control  responsibilities over local authorities and special districts
are  assigned to the Local  Finance  Board and the  Director of the  Division of
Local Government Services. The Local Finance Board exercises approval power over
the  creation  of new  authorities  and  special  districts  as  well  as  their
dissolution.  The Local Finance Board also reviews, conducts public hearings and
issues  findings and  recommendations  on any proposed  project  financing of an
authority  or  district,  and on any  proposed  financing  agreement  between  a
municipality or county and an authority or special  district.  The Local Finance
Board  prescribes  minimum audit  requirements to be followed by authorities and
special  districts in the conduct of their annual audits.  The Director  reviews
and approves annual budgets of authorities and special districts. As of June 30,
1995,  there  were 195  locally  created  authorities  with a total  outstanding
capital debt of $7.14 billion  (figures do not include  housing  authorities and
redevelopment agencies). This amount reflects outstanding bonds, notes and loans
payable by the authorities as of their respective  fiscal years ended nearest to
June 30, 1995.

Litigation.  The  following  are cases  pending or threatened as of February 24,
1998 in which the State  has the  potential  for  either a  significant  loss of
revenue or a significant unanticipated expenditure.


Tort, Contract and Other Claims

At any given time, there are various numbers of claims and cases pending against
the State,  State agencies and employees,  seeking  recovery of monetary damages
that are primarily paid out of the fund created  pursuant to the New Jersey Tort
Claims Act (N.J.S.A. 59: 1-1, et seq.). The State does not formally estimate its
reserve representing potential exposure for these claims and cases. The State is
unable to estimate its exposure for these claims and cases. In addition,  at any
given time,  there are various  numbers of contract and other claims against the
State and State agencies,  including  environmental  claims asserted against the
State,  among other  parties,  arising  from the alleged  disposal of  hazardous
waste.  Claimants  in such matters are seeking  recovery of monetary  damages or
other relief which,  if granted,  would require the  expenditure  of funds.  The
State is unable to estimate its exposure for these claims.

At any given time, there are various numbers of claims and cases pending against
the University of Medicine and Dentistry and its employees,  seeking recovery of
monetary damages that are primarily paid out of the Self Insurance  Reserve Fund
created  pursuant  to the New Jersey  Tort  Claims  Act.  An  independent  study
estimated an aggregate  potential exposure of $90.8 million for tort and medical
malpractice claims pending as of June 30, 1997. In addition,  at any given time,
there are various numbers of contract and other claims against the University of
Medicine and  Dentistry,  seeking  recovery of monetary  damages or other relief
which, if granted,  would require the expenditure of funds.  The State is unable
to estimate its exposure for these claims.

Interfaith  Community  Organization v. Shinn, et al. In late October,  1993, the
Interfaith  Community  Organization  ("ICO") a coalition  of churches and church
leaders in Hudson County,  filed suit on behalf of the ICO's  membership and the
citizens  of  Hudson  County  against  the  Governor,  the  Commissioner  of the
Department of Environmental  Protection ("DEP"),  Commissioner of the Department
of  Health  ("DOH"),  and  Lance  Miller,  Assistant  Commissioner  of DEP.  The
multicount  complaint alleged violations of numerous laws,  allegedly  resulting
from the existence of chromium  contamination  in the State-owned  Liberty State
Park in Jersey  City.  It also  asserted  the alleged  failure by DEP and DOH to
properly  conduct  remediation  and health  screens in Hudson County  concerning
chromium  contamination.  No immediate  relief was sought,  but  injunctive  and
monetary relief was asked for.

In June 1994,  ICO hired a law firm to  represent  it in this  matter.  The firm
filed amended  complaints,  naming only  Commissioner  Shinn of DEP and Governor
Whitman as defendants and alleges only Clean Water Act and Resource Conservation
Recovery Act ("RCRA") violations at Liberty State Park. Under the "citizen suit"
provisions  of these  federal  acts,  plaintiff is seeking  remediation,  health
studies and  attorneys'  fees.  The State is unable to estimate its exposure for
this claim. In March, 1995, ICO filed another lawsuit over the shipments of soil
from the I-287 Wetlands Mitigation Project to Liberty State Park. The defendants
in that suit are Commissioner  Shinn,  Governor Whitman,  Commissioner Wilson of
the Department of


                                      -19-

<PAGE>

Transportation  ("DOT") and R.W.  Vogel,  Inc., the transporter of the soil. The
new  suit  seeks a  declaration  that  the CWA is  being  violated  and  demands
cessation of all construction at Liberty State Park and penalties against Vogel.
The State intends to defend these suits vigorously.

American Trucking  Associations,  Inc. and Tri-State Motor Transit, Co. v. State
of New Jersey:  The American Trucking  Associations,  Inc. ("ATA") and Tri-State
Motor Transit,  Co. filed a complaint in the Tax Court on March 23, 1994 against
the  State  of  New  Jersey  and  certain  state   officials   challenging   the
constitutionality  of annual A-901 hazardous and solid waste  licensure  renewal
fees  collected by the Department of  Environmental  Protection  ("DEP").  A-901
refers to the Assembly  bill number which was adopted in 1983 as an amendment to
the Solid  Waste  Management  Act  N.J.S.A.  13:1E-1 et seq.,  and  codified  at
N.J.S.A.  13:1E-126 et seq.,  establishing  a  requirement  that all persons and
entities  engaged in solid and  hazardous  waste  activities in the State of New
Jersey be  investigated  prior to the  issuance  of a  license.  Plaintiffs  are
alleging that the A-901 renewal fees discriminate against interstate commerce in
violation of the Commerce  Clause of the United  States  Constitution;  that the
fees are not used for the purposes for which they are levied;  and that the fees
do not  reflect the  duration  or  complexity  of the  services  rendered by the
government  entities  receiving  the fees as required  under the A-901  statute.
Plaintiffs  are  seeking a  declaration  that the fees are  unconstitutional;  a
permanent  injunction  enjoining the future  collection of the fees; a refund of
all annual A-901 renewal fees and all fines and penalties  collected pursuant to
enforcement of these provisions;  and attorneys' fees and costs.  Plaintiffs are
also seeking  class  certification  of their  action.  On October 2, 1997,  oral
argument was conducted on the parties' cross motions for summary judgment in the
Tax Court.

The DEP  currently  collects  approximately  $3.5 to $4  million  in A-901  fees
annually.  In previous  years,  the total  amount of fees  collected  was higher
because  the number of  applicants  and  licensees  subject to the fees was much
larger.  It is  presently  unknown  what  portion  of the A-901 fees are paid by
haulers  engaged in interstate  commerce,  and what percentage of the monies are
renewal fees as opposed to initial application fees. Consequently,  the State is
unable to estimate  its  exposure for this claim and intends to defend this suit
vigorously.

Abbott v. Burke.  On January 6, 1997, the Education Law Center filed a motion in
aid of  litigants'  rights with the Supreme Court of New Jersey in the Abbott v.
Burke matter. In 1994, the Supreme Court ruled in Abbott v. Burke that the State
had to enact a funding  formula  that would close the  spending gap between poor
urban school  districts and wealthy  suburban  districts by Fiscal Year 1998. On
December 20, 1996 the  Comprehensive  Education  Improvement  and  Financing Act
("CEIFA")  was enacted.  CEIFA is a departure  from the  mechanisms  of previous
funding  formulas.  CEIFA was  challenged by the Education Law Center and on May
14, 1997, the Supreme Court rendered a decision in Abbott v. Burke and held that
CEIFA was  unconstitutional  as applied to the 28 Abbott districts.  The Supreme
Court  ordered  the State to  appropriate  additional  funds,  beginning  in the
1997-98 school year, so that each Abbott  district would be able to spend at the
average of the wealthy  suburban  districts.  In  addition,  the  Supreme  Court
remanded  the  matter  to the  Superior  Court to  oversee  a  directive  to the
Commissioner of Education to study and report on the special  educational  needs
of students in the Abbott districts and the facilities needs in those districts.
The Superior Court issued its recommendations to the Supreme Court in its report
on January 22, 1998. In its Report,  the Superior Court  recommended  additional
supplemental  programs be  implemented  at an estimated cost of $312 million and
indicated  that the facilities  needs  identified by the Department of Education
were  estimated  to  require  between  $1.8-$2.4  billion  in  repairs  and  new
construction  costs. The Supreme Court will hear argument on the matter on March
2, 1998. A related  action,  Buena  Regional  Commercial  Township et al. v. New
Jersey  Department  of Education et al., was filed in Superior  Court,  Chancery
Division,  Cumberland  County.  This  lawsuit was filed on December 9, 1997,  on
behalf of 17 rural school districts  seeking the same type of relief as has been
mandated to be provided to the poor urban  school  districts in Abbott v. Burke.
The plaintiffs  requested a declaratory judgment stating that the chancery court
retain jurisdiction,  pending the remanding of the matter to the Commissioner of
Education for a hearing.  The State and  plaintiffs  have entered into a consent
order to transfer the matter to the  Commissioner  of Education for  resolution.
The  chancery  court will not retain  jurisdiction.  The State is unable at this
time to estimate  its exposure for these claims and intends to defend both suits
vigorously.

Affiliated  FM  Insurance  Company,  et al. v. State of New  Jersey,  et al. The
plaintiffs  in this action are insurers  licensed or admitted to write  property
and casualty  insurance in the State of New Jersey pursuant to N.J.S.A.  17:17-1
et seq.  and are all  members  of the New  Jersey  Property-Liability  Insurance
Guaranty Association  ("PLIGA"), a private,  non-profit  organization created to
cover claims against certain insolvent  insurers.  Plaintiffs have filed suit in
the Superior Court of New Jersey,  Chancery Division,  Mercer County against the
State of New Jersey, the Commissioner of Banking,  the Department of Banking and
Insurance,  PLIGA  and  the  State  Treasurer.  Plaintiffs  contend  that  their
assessments are being used to retire debt of the Market Transition Fund ("MTF").
The  plaintiffs  argue  that  they  were  never  members  of the  MTF,  are  not
statutorily responsible for its losses, have not agreed to assume its losses and
did not  relinquish any right to repayment of loan  assessments to PLIGA.  Under
the Fair Automobile Insurance Reform Act of 1990 ("FAIRA"), PLIGA is responsible
for assessing and collecting from its member  insurers the amounts  necessary to
make certain  loans to the Auto  Guaranty  Fund (the "Auto  Guaranty  Fund"),  a
special  nonlapsing  fund  created  pursuant to FAIRA.  Plaintiffs  contend that
assessments   dating   back  to  1990  are  in   dispute   and   challenge   the
constitutionality of the assessments and legislation which allow the assessments
to be redirected to the MTF and request declaratory relief and an order that the
monies assessed since 1990 be returned as


                                      -20-

<PAGE>

well as an  accounting.  The State intends to vigorously  defend this action and
has filed a motion to dismiss this case. In a related  matter,  In the Matter of
the 1997 Assessment Made by the New Jersey Property Liability Insurance Guaranty
Association pursuant to N.J.S.A.  17:30A-8,  the American Insurance  Association
("AIA") and the Alliance of American  Insurers  ("Alliance")  filed an appeal of
administrative action in Superior Court-Appellate Division,  seeking an emergent
stay of their obligation to pay assessments to PLIGA. These assessments were due
on July 28, 1997. Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 17:30A-8a(9),  PLIGA assesses its members
in order that PLIGA can then loan these monies to the Auto Guaranty Fund for use
by the MTF to pay its  unfunded  liabilities.  PLIGA  is  required  by  N.J.S.A.
17:30A-8a(10)  to make loans in the amount of $160 million per calendar  year to
the Auto Guaranty Fund. AIA and the Alliance  allege that the assessment of $160
million for calendar year 1997 is without statutory authority. On July 28, 1997,
the court denied plaintiff's application for emergent relief, denied the State's
motion for summary disposition and granted plaintiff's motion to accelerate. The
State intends to vigorously defend this action.

C.F., et al. v. Fauver,  et al. This case is brought as a purported class action
consisting of prisoners  with serious mental  disorders who are confined  within
the  facilities of the  Department  of  Corrections  (the  "Class")  against the
Commissioner  of  the  Department  of  Corrections  and  other  officers  of the
Department  of  Corrections.  The Class  alleges  cruel and unusual  punishment,
violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, discrimination against
members of the Class, sex discrimination and violation of due process.  The suit
was brought by the Class in the United States  District Court of the District of
New Jersey.  Through this action,  the Class seeks injunctive relief in the form
of  changes  to the manner in which  mental  health  services  are  provided  to
inmates.  The Class also seeks changes in the disciplinary process to the extent
that an inmate's mental health is taken into  consideration by a hearing officer
when  adjudicating  a  disciplinary  charge.  Discovery  has  commenced  and  is
continuing. The State intends to vigorously defend this action.

Cleary v. Waldman. This case involves the spousal  impoverishment  provisions of
the Medicare  Catastrophic  Coverage Act  ("MCCA").  Under this  provision,  the
spouse of an  institutionalized  husband or wife is  allowed to have  sufficient
funds to live in the community, called the monthly needs allowance.

The State,  in  determining a spouse's  monthly needs  allowance,  uses a system
called the "income first" rule. If a community  spouse does not have  sufficient
funds to meet the  monthly  needs  allowance,  an  institutionalized  spouse  is
allowed  to shift  his or her  income  to the  community  spouse  to make up the
difference. If the institutionalized spouse's income is insufficient to meet the
monthly needs allowance,  then the institutionalized  spouse is allowed to shift
resources to the community  spouse to generate income to make up the difference.
A class action was brought in federal court in which  plaintiffs  argue that the
income first rule is disallowed under the MCCA. Rather plaintiffs claim that the
MCCA mandates the use of what is called the  "resource-first"  rule.  Under this
scheme,  before  income  is  shifted  from the  institutionalized  spouse to the
community spouse to meet the monthly needs allowance,  resources must be shifted
first and income  generated from these  resources used to meet the monthly needs
allowance.  Estimates  of  exposure  if a court  were to find that the MCAA only
allows the "resource-first"  rule have been estimated in the area of $50 million
per year from both State and Federal sources combined.

Plaintiffs filed for a preliminary  injunction  arguing that, under federal law,
only the resource  first rule was allowed under the MCCA.  The State opposed the
motion and the New Jersey  Association  of Health  Care  Facilities  and the New
Jersey  Association  for  Non-Profit  Homes for the Aging  moved for  intervenor
status,  opposing  the  plaintiffs'  motion.  The court  granted  the  motion of
intervention  and denied the motion for  preliminary  injunction,  finding  that
plaintiffs were unlikely to prevail on the merits since New Jersey's methodology
was at  least  a  permissible  application  of the  federal  law.  Subsequently,
plaintiffs filed for class certification which was granted on March 25, 1996. On
March 26, 1997,  Plaintiffs filed a Notice of Appeal to the Court of Appeals for
the  Third  Circuit.   Briefing  on  plaintiffs'   application  for  preliminary
injunction  has been  completed  and it is  anticipated  that the matter will be
argued  during  the  first  calendar  quarter  of 1998.  The  State  intends  to
vigorously defend this action.

United  Hospitals et al. v. State of New Jersey and William  Waldman.  This case
represents  a  challenge  by  18  New  Jersey  hospitals  to  Medicaid  hospital
reimbursement  since  February  1995.  The  matter  was  filed in the  Appellate
Division of the  Superior  Court of New Jersey in January  1997.  The  hospitals
challenge  all of the  following:  (i) whether the State  complied  with certain
federal  requirements  for  Medicaid  reimbursement;  (ii)  whether  the State's
reimbursement regulations,  N.J.A.C. 10:52-1 et. seq., are arbitrary, capricious
and  unreasonable;   (iii)  whether  the  Department  of  Human  Services  (DHS)
incorrectly calculated the rates; (iv) whether DHS denied hospitals a meaningful
appeal process; (v) whether the 1996-7 State  Appropriations Act (L.1996,  c.42)
violates the New Jersey  Constitution with respect to the provision for Medicaid
reimbursement  to  hospitals;  and (vi) whether DHS violated the Medicaid  State
Plan,  filed  with  the  U.S.  Department  of  Health  and  Human  Services,  in
implementing  hospital  rates in 1995 and 1996.  The State intends to vigorously
defend this action.

Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts,  Inc.  ("Trump") v. Mirage Resorts  Incorporated,
The State of New Jersey et al. An action was filed in Federal  District Court to
enjoin and  declare  unlawful  the  actions of the Mirage  Resorts  Incorporated
("Mirage"),   the  State  of  New   Jersey,   the  New  Jersey   Department   of
Transportation,   the  South  Jersey   Transportation   Authority,   the  Casino
Reinvestment Development Authority ("CRDA"), the New Jersey Transportation Trust
Fund Authority and certain  officials of the aforesaid  agencies and authorities
in their efforts to revitalize Atlantic City through the design and construction
of a high


                                      -21-

<PAGE>

way and  tunnel  funded by  Mirage,  the New  Jersey  Transportation  Trust Fund
Authority  and   $55,000,000   in  bonds  to  be  issued  by  the  South  Jersey
Transportation  Authority and  collateralized by future  alternative  investment
obligations  of casinos to be located in the marina  district of Atlantic  City.
Plaintiffs  claim that the highway  and tunnel  development  funding  violates a
provision  of the New  Jersey  State  Constitution  that  requires  the State to
dedicate all State revenues  derived from gambling to programs  benefitting  the
elderly and the disabled pursuant to the New Jersey State Constitution,  Article
IV, Section 7,  Paragraph 2. The plaintiffs  further allege that (i) the failure
to disclose the  constitutional  infirmities  alleged in the  financing  for the
highway and tunnel project will be material omissions within the meaning of Rule
10b-5 of the  Securities  and Exchange  Act of 1934;  (ii) the  defendants  have
sought to avoid the federal  requirements  of the Clean  Water Act,  the Federal
Highway  Act,  and the Clean Air Act;  and (iii) the  defendants  have sought to
avoid the  requirement of the New Jersey  Coastal Area Facility  Review Act. The
defendants filed a motion to dismiss the federal action. In an opinion filed May
1, 1997,  defendant's motion to dismiss the federal suit was granted. The matter
is now pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

While  the Trump v.  Mirage  action  was  pending,  the  State and CRDA  filed a
declaratory  judgment  action in Superior  Court of New Jersey,  Law  Division -
Atlantic County, entitled, State of New Jersey and CRDA v. Trump Hotels & Casino
Resorts,  Inc. In this action, the State and CRDA sought a declaratory  judgment
that the alternative investment program established under N.J.S.A. 5:12-144.1 of
the CRDA  legislation  and the use of parking fees and sales tax revenues  under
the CRDA  legislation  to fund  eligible  projects do not violate the New Jersey
State Constitution.  In an opinion filed May 14, 1997,  declaratory judgment was
granted  in  favor  of the  State  and  CRDA.  Trump's  application  for  direct
certification  of that decision to the New Jersey Supreme Court was denied.  The
matter is now in the Appellate Division.

United Senior  Alliance et al. v. State of New Jersey.  This matter was filed in
the Superior Court of New Jersey and represents a similar challenge as the Trump
Hotels v. Mirage Resorts case described  above. The case alleges that the Casino
Reinvestment  Development Authority funding mechanisms are illegal including the
gross  receipts tax, the parking tax and the Atlantic City fund.  The plaintiffs
in this  action have been denied a motion to  intervene  in the Trump  Hotels v.
Mirage Resorts matter in the Appellate  Division but have been granted the right
to appear and participate as an amicus.
The Superior Court has placed this matter on the inactive list.

Five  additional  cases  have been  filed in  opposition  to the road and tunnel
project which also contain related challenges.  The five matters,  Bryant et al.
v. New Jersey  Department  of  Transportation  et al.,  Merolla and Brady v. The
Casino Reinvestment Development Authority et al., Middlesex County v. The Casino
Reinvestment  Development  Authority  et al.,  Gallagher  et al.  v. The  Casino
Reinvestment  Development  Authority  et al.  and  George  Harms v. State of New
Jersey et al. are also being vigorously defended by the State. In three of these
cases  ("Merolla",  "Middlesex"  and  "Gallagher"),  the court  granted  summary
judgment in favor of the New Jersey Department of  Transportation  and the South
Jersey  Transportation  Authority on September 29, 1997.  These  plaintiffs have
filed an appeal.  On February 17, 1998 the Federal  District Court dismissed the
plaintiffs'  claim of violation of the New Jersey  Coastal Area Facility  Review
Act  in  the  "Bryant"  case  without   prejudice,   by  declining  to  exercise
jurisdiction,  and  dismissed the other claims of the "Bryant"  plaintiffs  with
prejudice.

Blecker v. State of New Jersey. This is a class action lawsuit filed in Superior
Court-Law Division, Atlantic County, on behalf of all providers of Medicare Part
B services to Qualified Medicare Beneficiaries (QMB's) seeking reimbursement for
Medicare  co-insurance  and deductibles  not paid by the State Medicaid  program
from 1988 to February 10, 1995.  QMB's are persons who are eligible for Medicare
and Medicaid  and from whom  Medicaid  pays the  premiums  for  Medicare  Part B
benefits.  From 1988 until February 10, 1995 the State did not pay providers for
co-insurance and deductibles  unless the Medicare rate plus the co-insurance and
deductibles  was equal to or less than the Medicaid  reimbursement  rate for the
service.  Plaintiff  alleges  a breach  of the  contract  between  the State and
Federal  governments  intended to benefit providers,  and a breach of a contract
between  the State  Medicaid  program  and its  providers,  as well as a claimed
violation of federal civil rights law. Plaintiff is seeking all co-insurance and
deductibles  for Medicare  Part B benefits  provided to all QMB's for the period
from 1988 to 1995.  On August 11, 1997,  the State filed a motion to dismiss the
matter and on September 15, 1997, the State filed a motion for summary judgment.
The State intends to vigorously defend this lawsuit.

Spadoro v. New Jersey Economic Development Authority,  Alan Steinberg,  Brian W.
Clymer,  Joseph Latoof and Elizabeth Randall.  The Pension Bond Financing Act of
1997 authorized the New Jersey Economic Development  Authority (the "Authority")
to issue bonds to fund the accrued  unfunded  liability  in the State's  pension
funds. Bonds in the amount of $2,803,042,498.56  were issued by the Authority on
June 30, 1997 for the purposes set forth in the Pension  Bond  Financing  Act of
1997.  This suit, a second  attempt by this  plaintiff to challenge  the Pension
Bond Act, was brought in July 1997 to challenge the validity of the  Authority's
resolution authorizing the issuance of the bonds.  Fundamentally,  the plaintiff
alleges that the resolution is invalid  because (i) the State  Treasurer and the
other ex officio  members of the Authority had a conflict of interest,  (ii) the
actions of the  Authority  violated  the public  policy of the State,  and (iii)
there  were  various  procedural  defects  in the  conduct  of the  meeting.  On
September  2, 1997,  the  defendants  filed a motion for  summary  judgment.  On
January 9, 1998, the trial court granted the State's motion for summary judgment
and  dismissed  the claim in its  entirety.  The time period for  plaintiffs  to
appeal has not yet run.


                                      -22-

<PAGE>

Camden  County  Energy   Recovery   Associates  v.  New  Jersey   Department  of
Environmental  Protection,  Board of Chosen Freeholders of the County of Camden,
et al. Plaintiff,  Camden County Energy Recovery Associates ("CCERA"), the owner
and operator of a resource  recovery  facility in South Camden since 1991, filed
suit on October 20, 1997 in Superior Court-Mercer County. Plaintiff CCERA sought
to have the county  solid  waste  reprocurement  process  halted to clarify  bid
specifications.  On  November  6, 1997,  the court  denied the claim to halt the
bidding  process but did require that the bid  specifications  be clarified.  In
responding to the complaint, the Pollution Control Financing Authority of Camden
County  ("PCFFA")  counterclaimed,  seeking  reformation of the contract between
CCERA and PCFFA. PCFFA has also cross-claimed against the State for contribution
and indemnification by the State to the extent PCFFA remains responsible for the
debt which was issued to finance the resource recovery  facility.  The State has
filed motions to dismiss the complaint and a cross-claim  which are pending with
the court. The State intends to vigorously defend this action.

Sojourner A. et al. v. Dept. of Human  Services.  The  plaintiffs in this action
filed a complaint  and motion for  preliminary  injunction on September 4, 1997,
seeking  damages and  declaratory and injunctive  relief  overturning,  on State
constitutional  grounds, the "family cap" provisions of the State Work First New
Jersey Act N.J.S.A.44:  10-1 et seq.  Damages sought are retroactive  payment of
benefits  to all  persons  who did not obtain an  increase  in welfare  benefits
because of the cap. The motion for preliminary  injunction was denied on October
28, 1997 and the State has filed an answer to the  complaint.  The State intends
to defend this suit vigorously.


INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

The Fund has adopted the following  fundamental  investment  restrictions  which
apply to each Portfolio (except where application to only a particular Portfolio
is specified) and which may not be changed unless  approved by a majority of the
outstanding shares of the Portfolio that would be affected by such a change. The
Portfolios may not:

(1  Make  portfolio  investments  other  than  as  described  under  "Investment
Objectives, Policies and Risks" of the respective Portfolio or any other form of
taxable or Federal  tax-exempt  investment,  where  applicable,  which meets the
Portfolio's quality criteria,  as determined by the Board of Directors and which
is consistent with the Portfolio's objectives and policies.

(2 Borrow Money.  This  restriction  shall not apply to borrowing from banks for
temporary or  emergency  (not  leveraging)  purposes,  including  the meeting of
redemption  requests that might  otherwise  require the untimely  disposition of
securities,  in an amount up to 15% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets
(including the amount borrowed) valued at market less liabilities (not including
the amount borrowed) at the time the borrowing was made. While borrowings exceed
5% of the value of a Portfolio's total assets,  such Portfolio will not make any
investments. Interest paid on borrowings will reduce net income.

(3 Pledge, hypothecate,  mortgage or otherwise encumber its assets, except in an
amount up to 15% of the value of its total assets and only to secure  borrowings
for temporary or emergency purposes.

(4 Sell  securities  short or purchase  securities  on margin,  or engage in the
purchase and sale of put,  call,  straddle or spread  options or in writing such
options, except to the extent that securities subject to a demand obligation and
stand-by commitments may be purchased as set forth under "Investment Objectives,
Policies and Risks" of the respective Portfolio.

(5 the  securities  of other  issuers,  except  insofar as the  Portfolio may be
deemed  an  underwriter  under  the  Securities  Act of 1933 in  disposing  of a
portfolio security.

(6  Purchase  securities  subject  to  restrictions  on  disposition  under  the
Securities Act of 1933  ("restricted  securities").  These  Portfolios  will not
invest  more  than an  aggregate  of 15% of their  net  assets  in a  repurchase
agreement  maturing in more than seven days,  variable  rate demand  instruments
exercisable  in more  than  seven  days  and  securities  that  are not  readily
marketable.

(7  Purchase  or sell real  estate,  real estate  investment  trust  securities,
commodities or commodity contracts, or oil and gas interests, but this shall not
prevent the Portfolio  from investing in Municipal  Obligations  secured by real
estate or interests in real estate.

(8 Make loans to others,  except through the purchase of portfolio  investments,
including  repurchase  agreements,  as described under  "Investment  Objectives,
Policies and Risks" of the respective Portfolio.

(9 For purposes of the New York Portfolio and the New Jersey Portfolio, purchase
more than 10% of all outstanding  voting  securities of any one issuer or invest
in companies for the purpose of exercising control.

(10 Invest more than 25% of its assets in the  securities  of  "issuers"  in any
single  industry,  provided  that there shall be no  limitation  on the New York
Portfolio  to  purchase  New York  Municipal  Obligations  or on the New  Jersey
Portfolio to pur-


                                      -23-

<PAGE>

chase  New  Jersey  Municipal   Obligations  and  other  obligations  issued  or
guaranteed by the United States government,  its agencies or  instrumentalities.
When the assets and revenues of an agency,  authority,  instrumentality or other
political  subdivision  are separate from those of the  government  creating the
issuing  entity and a security is backed only by the assets and  revenues of the
entity,  the  entity  would be  deemed to be the sole  issuer  of the  security.
Similarly,  in the case of an  industrial  revenue  bond, if that bond 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.  If,  however,  in
either case, the creating  government or some other entity, such as an insurance
company or other  corporate  obligor,  guarantees  a security or a bank issues a
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.

(11 Invest in  securities  of other  investment  companies,  except that (i) the
Portfolios  may  purchase  unit  investment  trust  securities  where  such unit
investment trusts meet the investment objectives of the Portfolios and then only
up to 5% of the Portfolios'  net assets,  except as they may be acquired as part
of a merger, consolidation or acquisition of assets and (ii) with respect to the
New York  Portfolio,  the New Jersey  Portfolio  and the  Taxable  Portfolio  as
permitted by Section 12(d) of the 1940 Act.

(12 Issue senior  securities,  except  insofar as the Fund may be deemed to have
issued a senior security in connection with any permitted borrowing.

If a percentage restriction is adhered to at the time of an investment,  a later
increase  or  decrease  in  percentage  resulting  from a change  in  values  of
portfolio  securities  or in the  amount  of the  Portfolio's  assets  will  not
constitute a violation of such restriction.


PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS

Each  Portfolio's  purchases  and  sales of  portfolio  securities  usually  are
principal  transactions.  Portfolio  securities are normally  purchased directly
from the issuer, from banks and financial institutions or from an underwriter or
market maker for the securities. There usually are no brokerage commissions paid
for such purchases.  Neither Portfolio expects to pay brokerage commissions. Any
transaction  for which a Portfolio pays a brokerage  commission will be effected
at the best  price and  execution  available.  Purchases  from  underwriters  of
portfolio  securities  include a commission or concession  paid by the issuer to
the underwriter, and purchases from dealers serving as market makers include the
spread between the bid and asked price. Each Portfolio  purchases  participation
certificates in variable rate Municipal  Obligations  with a demand feature from
banks or other financial  institutions  at a negotiated  yield to the respective
Portfolio  based  on the  applicable  interest  rate  adjustment  index  for the
security.  The interest received by the Portfolio is net of a fee charged by the
issuing  institution  for servicing the  underlying  obligation  and issuing the
participation  certificate,   letter  of  credit,  guarantee  or  insurance  and
providing the demand repurchase feature.

Allocation of  transactions,  including their  frequency,  to various dealers is
determined  by the Manager in its best  judgment  and in a manner  deemed in the
best interest of  shareholders of the respective  Portfolios  rather than by any
formula. The primary consideration is prompt execution of orders in an effective
manner at the most  favorable  price.  No  preference  in  purchasing  portfolio
securities   will  be  given  to  banks  or  dealers   that  are   Participating
Organizations.  The Manager will seek the most  favorable  price and  execution,
and,   consistent  with  such  policy,   may  give  consideration  to  research,
statistical  and other  services  furnished by brokers or dealers to the Manager
for its use.

Investment  decisions for each Portfolio will be made  independently  from those
for any other investment  companies or accounts that may be or become managed by
the  Manager  or its  affiliates.  If,  however,  the Fund and other  investment
companies or accounts managed by the Manager are  simultaneously  engaged in the
purchase or sale of the same security,  the  transactions  may be averaged as to
price and allocated  equitably to each account. In some cases, this policy might
adversely  affect the price paid or received by the Portfolio or the size of the
position obtainable for the Portfolio.  In addition,  when purchases or sales of
the same security for the Portfolio and for other investment  companies  managed
by the  Manager  occur  contemporaneously,  the  purchase  or sale orders may be
aggregated  in  order  to  obtain  any  price   advantage   available  to  large
denomination purchasers or sellers.

No portfolio transactions are executed with the Manager or its affiliates acting
as principal.  In addition,  neither  Portfolio  will buy bankers'  acceptances,
certificates of deposit or commercial paper from the Manager or its affiliates.


HOW TO PURCHASE AND REDEEM SHARES

The material relating to the purchase and redemption of shares in the Prospectus
are herein incorporated by reference.  This Statement of Additional  Information
contains additional information which may be of interest to investors.


                                      -24-

<PAGE>

Class A Shares of each of the  Portfolios are generally sold with a sales charge
payable at the time of purchase.  As used herein and unless the context requires
otherwise,  the term "Class A Shares"  includes  shares of Portfolios that offer
only one class of shares.  The prospectus  contains a table of applicable  sales
charges. Certain purchases of Class A Shares may be exempt from a sales charge.

Class B Shares are sold subject to a contingent  deferred sales charge  ("CDSC")
payable upon redemption within a specified period after purchase. The prospectus
contains a table of applicable  CDSCs. The maximum purchase of Class B shares is
$250,000.

Class B Shares will automatically  convert into Class A Shares at the end of the
month eight years  after the  purchase  date.  Class B Shares  acquired  through
reinvestment 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 B
Shares  acquired  through  reinvestment of  distributions  will be attributed to
particular purchases of Class B Shares in accordance with such procedures as the
Directors may determine  from time to time.  The conversion of Class B Shares to
Class A Shares  is  subject  to the  condition  that such  conversions  will not
constitute taxable events for federal tax purposes.

No CDSC is imposed on shares  subject to a CDSC  ("CDSC  Shares")  to the extent
that the CDSC Shares  redeemed (i) are no longer  subject to the holding  period
therefor,  (ii) resulted from  reinvestment of distributions on CDSC Shares,  or
(iii)  if  permitted  in the  future,  were  exchanged  for  shares  of  another
Portfolio,  provided  that the shares  acquired in such  exchange or  subsequent
exchanges will continue to remain subject to the CDSC, if applicable,  until the
applicable  holding period expires.  In determining  whether the CDSC applies to
each  redemption of CDSC Shares,  CDSC Shares not subject to a CDSC are redeemed
first.

The New  York  Portfolio  will  waive  any CDSC on  redemptions,  in the case of
individual,  joint or Uniform  Transfer to Minors Act accounts,  in the event of
death or  post-purchase  disability of a shareholder,  for the purpose of paying
benefits pursuant to tax-qualified retirement plans ("Benefit Payments"), or, in
the case of living trust  accounts,  in the event of the death or  post-purchase
disability  of the settlor of the trust.  Benefit  payments  currently  include,
without  limitation,  (1) distributions  from an IRA due to death or disability,
(2) a  return  of  excess  contributions  to an  IRA or  401(k)  plan,  and  (3)
distributions  from retirement  plans qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code
or from a 403(b) plan due to death,  disability,  retirement or separation  from
service. These waivers may be changed at any time.


NET ASSET VALUE

The Fund does not determine net asset value per share on the following holidays:
New Year's Day,  Martin  Luther  King Jr. Day,  President's  Day,  Good  Friday,
Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The net  asset  value of the  shares  of the New  York  Portfolio,  the  Taxable
Portfolio  and the New Jersey  Portfolio is determined as of the earlier of 4:00
p.m.,  New York City time and the close of the New York Stock  Exchange  on each
Fund Business Day. It is computed by dividing the value of such  Portfolio's net
assets (i.e., the value of its securities and other assets less its liabilities,
including  expenses payable or accrued but excluding  capital stock and surplus)
by the total number of shares outstanding.

Municipal  Obligations,  Taxable Municipal  Obligations and New Jersey Municipal
Obligations are stated on the basis of valuations  provided by a pricing service
approved by the directors,  which uses  information with respect to transactions
in bonds,  quotations  from bond  dealers,  market  transactions  in  comparable
securities and various  relationships  between  securities in determining value.
The valuations  provided by such pricing  service will be based upon fair market
value  determined  most likely on the basis of the factors  listed  above.  If a
pricing  service  is not used,  municipal  obligations  will be valued at quoted
prices provided by municipal bond dealers.  Non tax-exempt  securities for which
transaction  prices are readily available are stated at market value (determined
on the basis of the last reported  sales price or a similar  means).  Short-term
investments  that will  mature in 60 days or less are stated at  amortized  cost
which  approximates  market value. All other securities and assets are valued at
their fair market value as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors.


FUND PERFORMANCE

Total Return and Average  Annual Total Return.  The  Portfolios may from time to
time  advertise a total return or average  annual total return.  Average  annual
total  return is a measure of the average  annual  compounded  rate of return of
$1,000  invested at the maximum  public  offering price in such Portfolio over a
specified   period,   which   assumes  that  any   dividends  or  capital  gains
distributions are automatically reinvested in such Portfolio rather than paid to
the investor in cash.  Total return is calculated with the same  assumptions and
shows the  aggregate  return on an  investment  over a  specified  period.  With
respect  to the  Class B Shares of the New York  Portfolio,  CDSCs are not taken
into account when  calculating  this  performance  information.  The formula for
total return used by the  Portfolios  includes  three  steps:  (1) adding to the
total number of shares purchased by the  hypothetical  investment in a Portfolio
of $1,000 (assuming the investment is made at a public offering price


                                      -25-

<PAGE>

that  includes  the  current  maximum  sales  load of  4.50%  for  the New  York
Portfolio,  4.50%  for the  Taxable  Portfolio  or  4.50%  for  the  New  Jersey
Portfolio) all additional shares that would have been purchased if all dividends
and distributions  paid or distributed  during the period had been automatically
reinvested;  (2) calculating the value of the hypothetical initial investment as
of the end of the period by multiplying  the total number of shares owned at the
end of the period by the net asset  value per share on the last  trading  day of
the period; and (3) dividing this account value for the hypothetical investor by
the amount of the initial  investment.  The average  annual total return for the
specified  period is then determined by calculating the annual rate required for
the hypothetical  initial  investment to grow to the account value at the end of
the specified  period.  Total return or average annual return may be stated with
or without giving effect to any expense limitations in effect for the Portfolio.
The New York  Portfolio's  total return for the twelve months ended November 30,
1997 was 3.41%. The New York Portfolio's  average annual compounded total return
from June 24, 1991  (inception)  to November 30, 1997 was 7.35%.  The New Jersey
Portfolio's total return for the twelve months ended November 30, 1997 was 3.90%
and the average annual compounded total return from December 1, 1993 (inception)
to November  30, 1997 was 3.49%.  The Taxable  Portfolio's  total return for the
twelve  months  ended  November  30,  1997,  was  5.84% and the  average  annual
compounded  total return from December 1, 1993  (inception) to November 30, 1997
was 6.80%.

Yield.  The Portfolios  compute yield by annualizing  net investment  income per
share for a recent  thirty-day  period and  dividing  that amount by a Portfolio
share's maximum public  offering price (reduced by any undeclared  earned income
expected  to be paid  shortly as a  dividend)  on the last  trading  day of that
period. With respect to the Class B Shares of the New York Portfolio,  CDSCs are
not taken into  account  when  calculating  this  performance  information.  Net
investment  income will  reflect  amortization  of any market  value  premium or
discount of fixed income securities  (except for obligations backed by mortgages
or other assets) and may include recognition of a pro rata portion of the stated
dividend rate of dividend paying portfolio securities.  A Portfolio's yield will
vary from time to time depending upon market conditions,  the composition of the
Portfolio and  operating  expenses of the  Portfolio.  These  factors,  possible
differences in the methods used in  calculating  yield and the tax exempt status
of  distributions  should be considered  when  comparing a Portfolio's  yield to
yields published for other investment  companies and other investment  vehicles.
Yield  should  also be  considered  relative  to  changes  in the  value  of the
Portfolio's  shares and to the relative  risks  associated  with the  investment
objectives  and policies of the  Portfolio.  Yield may be stated with or without
giving effect to any expense  limitations in effect for the  Portfolio.  The New
York, New Jersey and Taxable  Portfolios'  yield for the thirty-day period ended
November 30, 1997 was 4.26%, 4.37% and 5.87%, respectively.

The New York  Portfolio and the New Jersey  Portfolio  may also  advertise a tax
equivalent  yield  for  residents  of the  States  of New York  and New  Jersey,
respectively,  wherein all or substantially all of the Portfolio's dividends are
not subject to the applicable state's income tax. The Portfolio's  advertisement
of a tax  equivalent  yield  reflects  the taxable  yield that a New York or New
Jersey  investor  subject  to the  highest  Federal  marginal  tax rate and that
state's or municipality's highest marginal tax rate would have had to receive in
order to realize the same level of after-tax  yield as an  investment  in such a
Portfolio  would have produced.  Tax equivalent  yield is calculated by dividing
the  portion of the  Portfolio's  yield that is not subject to New York State or
municipal taxes or New Jersey gross income tax  (calculated as described  above)
by the result of subtracting  the sum of the highest  Federal  marginal tax rate
and the highest  marginal  state tax rate and assuming  that the state taxes are
fully deductible for Federal tax purposes, the highest marginal tax rate from 1,
and adding the  resulting  figure to that  portion,  if any, of the  Portfolio's
yield that is subject to state or  municipal  income  tax.  The New York and New
Jersey  Portfolios'  taxable  equivalent yield for the period ended November 30,
1997 was 7.52% and 7.60%, respectively.

The New York  Portfolio and the New Jersey  Portfolio  may also  advertise a tax
equivalent  yield  for one or more  states  and  municipalities  wherein  all or
substantially all of the Portfolio's dividends are not subject to Federal income
tax.  The  Portfolio's  advertisement  of a tax  equivalent  yield  reflects the
taxable yield that an investor  subject to the highest Federal marginal tax rate
would have had to receive in order to realize the same level of after-tax  yield
as an investment in such Portfolio would have produced.  Tax equivalent yield is
calculated by dividing that portion of the Portfolio's yield that is not subject
to  regular  Federal  taxes  (calculated  as  described  above) by the result of
subtracting  the  highest  Federal  marginal  tax rate  from 1, and  adding  the
resulting  figure to that  portion,  if any,  of the  Portfolio's  yield that is
subject to regular  Federal income tax. The New York and New Jersey  Portfolios'
taxable  equivalent  yield for the period ended  November 30, 1997 was 7.00% and
7.12%, respectively.

General.  At any time in the  future,  yields and total  return may be higher or
lower than past yields and total return and there can be no assurance  that past
results will continue.  Investors in a Portfolio are  specifically  advised that
share  prices,  expressed as the net asset  values per share,  will vary just as
yields  will vary.  An  investor's  focus on the yield of the  Portfolio  to the
exclusion of the consideration of the share price of the Portfolio may result in
the investor's  misunderstanding  the total return he or she may derive from the
Portfolio.

A  Portfolio  may from  time to time  include  its  yield  and  total  return in
advertisements or information furnished to present or prospective  shareholders.
A Portfolio may also from time to time include in advertisements  the ranking of
those  performance  figures  relative to such figures for groups of mutual funds
categorized  by  Lipper  Analytical  Services  as  having  the  same  investment
objectives.  A  Portfolio  may also use total  return and yield to  compare  its
performance against the U.S. Bureau of


                                      -26-

<PAGE>

Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index, which is a statistical measure of changes
over time in the prices of goods and services in major United  States  household
expenditure groups.


MANAGER
The Manager of the Fund is Lebenthal Asset  Management,  Inc. The Manager,  with
its principal  office at 120  Broadway,  New York,  New York 10271,  is a wholly
owned subsidiary of Lebenthal & Co., Inc. The Manager,  a registered  investment
adviser  providing  fixed-income  investment  advisory  services to individuals,
institutions and other investment advisers,  is under the leadership of James L.
Gammon, President and Director of the Manager. James A. Lebenthal,  Chairman and
Director of the Manager, is a "controlling  person" of the Manager.  The Manager
was at November 30, 1996 manager,  advisor or supervisor  with respect to assets
aggregating  in excess of  $176,125,595  million.  James L. Gammon is  primarily
responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund's Portfolios.  Mr. Gammon,
President and Director of the Manager since  February  1994,  has over 25 years'
experience in municipal bond portfolio management.  From March 1984 to July 1993
Mr. Gammon was Senior Vice President and Senior  Portfolio  Manager at Loews/CNA
Holdings,  Inc. with $12.5 billion  under his  management.  From 1977 to 1984 he
managed the $221 million Elfun Tax Exempt Income Fund.  The Fund's Annual Report
contains information regarding the Fund's performance and is available,  without
charge, upon request.

Pursuant to the  Management  Contracts,  the Manager  manages the  portfolio  of
securities of each of the  Portfolios  and makes  decisions  with respect to the
purchase and sale of  investments,  subject to the general control of the Fund's
Board of Directors. For its services under the Management Contracts, the Manager
is entitled to receive a management fee for its services,  calculated  daily and
payable  monthly,  equal to .25% of each of the  Portfolios'  average  daily net
assets not in excess of $50  million,  .225% of such assets  between $50 million
and $100 million and .20% of such assets in excess of $100 million.

The  Management  Contracts  for each  Portfolio  were  approved  by the Board of
Directors,  including a majority of the directors who are not interested persons
(as defined in the Act) of the Fund or the Distributor, on July 25, 1996 for the
New York  Portfolio,  the Taxable  Portfolio and the New Jersey  Portfolio.  The
Management  Contracts for the New York Portfolio,  the Taxable Portfolio and the
New Jersey  Portfolio  were  approved by a majority  of each of the  Portfolio's
shareholders at a meeting held on August 9, 1994.

The Management  Contract for each Portfolio has a term which extends to July 31,
1998,  and may be  continued in force  thereafter  for  successive  twelve-month
periods  beginning each August 1, provided that such continuance is specifically
approved annually by majority vote of each of the Portfolio's outstanding voting
securities or by its Board of Directors, and in either case by a majority of the
directors who are not parties to the Management  Contracts or interested persons
of any such  party,  by votes  cast in person at a meeting  for the  purpose  of
voting on such matter.

The Management Contract for each Portfolio is terminable without penalty by such
Portfolio on sixty days' written notice when authorized  either by majority vote
of its  outstanding  voting  shares or by a vote of a  majority  of its Board of
Directors,   or  by  the  Manager  on  sixty  days'  written  notice,  and  will
automatically terminate in the event of its assignment.  The Management Contract
for each  Portfolio  provides  that in the absence of willful  misfeasance,  bad
faith or gross negligence on the part of the Manager,  or of reckless  disregard
of its obligations thereunder, the Manager shall not be liable for any action or
failure to act in accordance with its duties thereunder.

For the New York  Portfolio's  fiscal  year ended  November  30,  1997,  the fee
payable to the Manager  was  $288,050,  none of which was  waived.  The New York
Portfolio's  net assets at the close of business on  November  30, 1997  totaled
$134,144,060.  For the New York Portfolio's fiscal year ended November 30, 1996,
the fee payable to the Manager was $266,395,  none of which was waived.  The New
York  Portfolio's  net assets at the close of  business  on  November  30,  1996
totaled  $122,611,313.  For the New York Portfolio's  fiscal year ended November
30, 1995 the fee payable to the Manager was $214,981,  none of which was waived.
The New York  Portfolio's  net assets at the close of business  on November  30,
1995  totaled  $105,579,087.  For the New Jersey  Portfolio's  fiscal year ended
November 30, 1997 the fee payable to the Manager was  $13,639,  all of which was
waived.  The New  Jersey  Portfolio's  net  assets at the close of  business  on
November 30, 1997 totaled $6,121,584. For the New Jersey Portfolio's fiscal year
ended November 30, 1996 the fee payable to the Manager was $10,708, all of which
was waived.  The New Jersey  Portfolio's  net assets at the close of business on
November 30, 1996 totaled $5,182,149. For the New Jersey Portfolio's fiscal year
ended November 30, 1995, the fee payable to the Manager was $5,987, all of which
was waived.  The New Jersey  Portfolio's  net assets at the close of business on
November 30, 1995 totaled  $3,357,883.  For the Taxable  Portfolio's fiscal year
ended  November  30, 1997,  the fee payable to the Manager was  $35,804,  all of
which was waived. The Taxable Portfolio's net assets at the close of business on
November 30, 1997 totaled $14,993,874. The Taxable Portfolio's net assets at the
close of  business  on  November  30,  1996  totaled  $14,607,185.  For  Taxable
Portfolio's  fiscal year ended November 30, 1995, the fee payable to the Manager
was $11,647,  all of which was waived. The Taxable Portfolio's net assets at the
close of business on November 30, 1995 totaled $8,685,957.


                                      -27-

<PAGE>

The  Manager  may, at its  discretion,  waive all or a portion of its fees under
each  Management  Agreement.  There can be no  assurance  that such fees will be
waived in the future.

Expense Limitation
The Manager has agreed to  reimburse  the Taxable  Portfolio  and the New Jersey
Portfolio for their  expenses  (exclusive  of interest,  taxes,  brokerage,  and
extraordinary  expenses)  which in any year  exceed  the  limits  on  investment
company expenses  prescribed by any state in which such  Portfolio's  shares are
qualified for sale. For the purpose of this obligation to reimburse expenses,  a
Portfolio's annual expenses are estimated and accrued daily, and any appropriate
estimated payments are made to it on a monthly basis. Subject to the obligations
of the Manager to  reimburse a Portfolio  for its excess  expenses as  described
above, such Portfolio has, under its respective  Management Contract,  confirmed
its obligation for payment of all its other expenses, including taxes, brokerage
fees and commissions,  commitment fees,  certain  insurance  premiums,  interest
charges and expenses of the custodian,  transfer  agent and dividend  disbursing
agent's  fees,   telecommunications   expenses,   costs  and  expenses  of  fund
bookkeeping agent, auditing and legal expenses, costs of forming the corporation
and maintaining  corporate  existence,  compensation of directors,  officers and
employees of the Fund and costs of other personnel  performing  services for the
Fund  who  are  not  officers  of  the  Manager  or  its   affiliates,   or  the
Administrator,  costs of investor services,  shareholders' reports and corporate
meetings,  Securities and Exchange  Commission  registration  fees and expenses,
state securities laws registration fees and expenses,  expenses of preparing and
printing  the Fund's  prospectus  for delivery to existing  shareholders  and of
printing  application  forms for shareholder  accounts,  the fees payable to the
Manager under the Management Contract, the fees payable to the Distributor under
the   Distribution   Agreement  and  Shareholder   Servicing   Agreement  (where
applicable) and the fees payable to the Administrator  under the  Administration
Agreement.

The Fund may  from  time to time  hire its own  employees  or  contract  to have
management   services  performed  by  third  parties  (including   Participating
Organizations) as discussed herein, and the management of the Fund intends to do
so whenever it appears  advantageous  to the Fund.  A  Portfolio's  expenses for
employees  and for such  services are among the expenses  subject to the expense
limitation  described  above.  As a result of the recent passage of the National
Securities Markets  Improvement Act of 1996, all state expense  limitations have
been eliminated at this time.

Administrator
The Administrator for the New York Portfolio,  the Taxable Portfolio and the New
Jersey Portfolio is State Street Bank and Trust Company (the "Administrator"), a
Massachusetts  trust  company,  which has its  principal  office at 225 Franklin
Street,  Boston,  Massachusetts 02111. The Administrator serves as administrator
of other mutual funds.

Pursuant  to the  Administration  Agreement  with  the New York  Portfolio,  the
Taxable Portfolio and the New Jersey Portfolio,  the Administrator  provides all
administrative  services  reasonably  necessary for such Portfolios,  other than
those provided by the Manager, subject to the supervision of the Fund's Board of
Directors.  Because of the services rendered to a Portfolio by the Administrator
and the Manager,  the Portfolio  itself may not require any employees other than
its officers, none of whom receive compensation from the Portfolio.

Under the  Administration  Agreement  with the New York  Portfolio,  the Taxable
Portfolio   and  the  New   Jersey   Portfolio,   the   Administrator   provides
administrative services including, without limitation: (i) services of personnel
competent to perform such administrative and clerical functions as are necessary
to provide  effective  administration  of the  Portfolio;  (ii)  assisting  Fund
officers in preparing  Portfolio  tax returns;  (iii) in  conjunction  with Fund
counsel,  preparing and filing all Blue Sky filings,  reports and renewals; (iv)
coordinating  the preparation  and  distribution of all materials for directors,
including  the agenda for  meetings  and all  exhibits  thereto,  and actual and
projected   quarterly   summaries;   (v)  coordinating  the  activities  of  the
Portfolio's Manager, Custodian, Legal Counsel and Independent Accountants;  (vi)
monitoring  daily and periodic  compliance with respect to all  requirements and
restrictions  of the 1940 Act,  the Internal  Revenue  Code and the  Prospectus;
(vii) monitoring daily the Portfolio's  accounting  services agent's calculation
of all income and expense  accruals,  sales and  redemptions  of capital  shares
outstanding;   (viii)  evaluating  expenses,  projecting  future  expenses,  and
processing payments of expenses;  and (ix) monitoring and evaluating performance
of bookkeeping and related  services by Investors  Fiduciary Trust Company,  the
bookkeeping agent for the Portfolio.

For the services rendered to such Portfolios by the Administrator, the Fund pays
the Administrator a fee,  computed daily and payable monthly,  equal to .08% per
annum of the average  daily net assets of the  respective  Portfolio  up to $125
million,  .06%  per  annum  of the  average  daily  net  assets  of  each of the
Portfolios  of the next  $125  million  and .04% of such  assets  of each of the
Portfolios in excess of $250 million.  There is a minimum  annual fee payable of
$165,000.  Fees  paid to the  Administrator  were as  follows:  for the New York
Portfolio's  fiscal year ended  November 30, 1997, the fee payable was $143,014,
none of which was  waived,  for the New  Jersey  Portfolio's  fiscal  year ended
November 30, 1997, the fee payable was $6,213, none of which was waived, for the
Taxable  Portfolio's  fiscal year ended  November 30, 1997, the fee was $16,453,
none of  which  was  waived,  for the New York  Portfolio's  fiscal  year  ended
November 30, 1996, the fee payable was $144,407,  none of which was waived,  for
the New Jersey  Portfolio's fiscal year ended November 30, 1996, the fee payable
was $5,398,  none of which was waived,  for the Taxable  Portfolio's fiscal year
ended November 30, 1996, the fee payable was $15,311,


                                      -28-

<PAGE>

none of which was waived.  Fees paid to Reich & Tang Asset  Management L.P., the
former Administrator under the then current  Administrative  Services Agreement,
were as follows:  for the New York  Portfolio's  fiscal year ended  November 30,
1995, the fee payable was $112,489, none of which was waived, for the New Jersey
Portfolio's fiscal year ended November 30, 1995, the fee payable was $2,994, all
of which was waived and for the Taxable  Portfolio's  fiscal year ended November
30, 1995, the fee payable was $5,824, all of which was waived.

The  Administration  Agreement  has an initial term which extends to December 1,
1998. Thereafter the Agreement is terminable at any time, without the payment of
any penalty, by the Fund or the Administrator on sixty days' written notice.


MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

The Directors and Officers of the Fund and their  principal  occupations  during
the past  five  years  are set  forth  below.  Mr.  Lebenthal  may be  deemed an
"interested person" of the Fund, as defined in the 1940 Act, on the basis of his
affiliation with Lebenthal Asset Management, Inc.

James A.  Lebenthal,  70 - Chairman of the Board and  Director of the Fund,  has
been  Chairman and Director of Lebenthal & Co.,  Inc.  since 1978,  Chairman and
Director of the Manager since 1994, President of Lebenthal,  The Ad Agency, Inc.
since 1978, and Chairman of Lebenthal the Insurance  Agency.  His address is 120
Broadway, New York, New York 10271.

Victor Chang, 60 - Director of the Fund, formed Victor Chang Associates and V.C.
Management Co., Inc. in 1980 and is President of both organizations which are in
the  business of providing  financial  analysis  and  economic  consulting.  His
address is 30 Broad Street, New York, New York 10004.

Robert R.  Godfrey,  50 - Director of the Fund,  is founder and  Chairman of N/W
Capital,  Inc., a principal and financial advisory firm since March, 1995. Prior
to that he was  Executive  Vice  President  of MBIA,  Inc.  and its  predecessor
organization from December 1985 until March 1995. His address is 1177 High Ridge
Road, Stamford, CT 06905.

Alexandra  Lebenthal,  34 - President of the Fund, President of Lebenthal & Co.,
Inc. since 1995, and President of Lebenthal the Insurance Agency.  Ms. Lebenthal
was  affiliated  with Kidder  Peabody  from 1986 to 1988 where she worked in the
unit  investment  trust  department  and  the  municipal   institutional   sales
department. She graduated from Princeton University in 1986 with an A.B. in U.S.
History. Her address is 120 Broadway, New York, New York 10271.

Hiram Lazar, 33 - Secretary of the Fund, is  Vice-President  of Lebenthal & Co.,
Inc.  where he has been employed  since 1992.  His address is 120 Broadway,  New
York, New York 10271.

James E. McGrath,  47 - Treasurer of the Fund, has been Senior Vice President of
Lebenthal & Co., Inc.  since 1990 and a director  since 1994, and Executive Vice
President and Director of the Manager since 1995.  Mr. McGrath was a Senior Vice
President of Kidder Peabody where he was  affiliated  since 1968. His address is
120 Broadway, New York, New York 10271.

The New York Portfolio,  the New Jersey Portfolio and the Taxable Portfolio paid
an  aggregate  remuneration  of $13,000 to their  disinterested  directors  with
respect to the period  ended  November  30,  1997,  pursuant to the terms of the
Investment Management Contract (see "Manager" herein).


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                     COMPENSATION TABLE

1)                  2)                     3)                     4)                5)                  
<S>                 <C>                    <C>                   <C>                 <C>                
Name of Person,     Aggregate              Pension or             Estimated Annual  Total Compensation  
Position            Compensation from      Retirement Benefits    Benefits upon     from Fund Complex   
                    from Registrant        Accrued as Part of     Retirement        Paid to Directors*  
                    for Fiscal Year        Fund Expenses

Victor Chang,       $4,000                 0                       0                 $4,000
Director

Robert F. Godfrey,  $4,000                 0                       0                 $4,000
Director

</TABLE>


- --------------------

*    The total compensation paid to such persons by the Fund for the fiscal year
     ending November 30, 1997. The Fund Complex consists of the three Portfolios
     of the Fund. Mr. Donald Conrad and Mr. Francis  Gallagher  received  $1,000
     and $4,000, respectively, during the same period.


                                      -29-

<PAGE>

Counsel and Auditors
Legal matters in connection with the issuance of shares of stock of the Fund and
New York law are passed  upon by Battle  Fowler LLP,  75 East 55th  Street,  New
York, New York 10022.

Matters in connection with New Jersey law are passed upon by McCarter & English,
LLP, Four Gateway Center, 100 Mulberry Street, Newark, New Jersey 07101-0652.

Coopers & Lybrand  L.L.P.,  1100 Main Street,  Suite 900, Kansas City, MO 64105,
independent public accountants, have been selected as auditors for the Fund.


DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE PLANS

Pursuant  to Rule  12b-1  under  the  1940  Act,  the  Securities  and  Exchange
Commission  has required  that an  investment  company which bears any direct or
indirect expense of distributing its shares must do so only in accordance with a
plan  permitted  by  the  Rule.  The  Fund's  Board  of  Directors  has  adopted
distribution  and  service  plans on  behalf  of each  Portfolio  the  "Plan" or
"Plans").

The New York Portfolio
Pursuant to its Plan,  the New York Portfolio and the  Distributor  have entered
into  a  Distribution   Agreement.   Under  the  Distribution   Agreement,   the
Distributor,  as agent for the Fund, will solicit orders for the purchase of the
New York Portfolio's shares, provided that any subscriptions and orders will not
be  binding  on the Fund  until  accepted  by the Fund as  principal.  Under the
Distribution Agreement,  the Distributor receives from the Class A Shares of the
New York  Portfolio  a fee  equal to 0.25% per  annum of the  average  daily net
assets of the Class A Shares of the  Portfolio  as a service  fee (the  "Service
Fee"). Under the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor receives from the Class
B Shares of the New York  Portfolio  an  aggregate  fee equal to 1% per annum of
such Class B Shares'  average daily net assets which includes (i) an asset based
sales  charge (the "Asset Based Sales  Charge")  equal to 0.75% per annum of its
average daily net assets to compensate  the  Distributor  for sales  commissions
paid by the  Distributor  for sales of the  Portfolio's  Class B Shares and (ii)
0.25% of its average daily net assets as the Service Fee.

These  fees are  accrued  daily  and paid  monthly.  For  providing  shareholder
servicing and the maintenance of shareholder accounts and that provides that the
Distributor  may make payment from time to time from the Service Fee received to
pay  the  costs  of,  and  to   compensate   others,   including   Participating
Organizations for performers such shareholder  servicing  functions on behalf of
the Portfolio.

The Plan and the Distribution Agreement provide that, in addition to the Service
Fee,  the  New  York  Portfolio  will  pay  for i)  telecommunications  expenses
including  the  cost of  dedicated  lines  and CRT  terminals,  incurred  by the
Distributor in carrying out its obligations under the Distribution Agreement and
ii)  preparing,  printing  and  delivering  the Fund's  prospectus  to  existing
shareholders  of the Fund and  preparing and printing  subscription  application
forms for shareholder accounts.

The Plan and the Management Agreement provide that the Manager may make payments
from time to time from its own  resources,  which may include the Management Fee
and past profits for the following  purposes:  i) to defray the costs of, and to
compensate  others,   including   Participating   Organizations  with  whom  the
Distributor  has entered into written  agreements,  for  performing  shareholder
servicing  and  related  administrative  functions  on  behalf  of the New  York
Portfolio,  ii) to compensate certain Participating  Organizations for providing
assistance in distributing the New York Portfolio's shares, iii) to pay the cost
of printing and distributing the New York Portfolio's  prospectus to prospective
investors,  and iv) to  defray  the  cost of the  preparation  and  printing  of
brochures and other promotional materials, mailings to prospective shareholders,
advertising,  and other  promotional  activities,  including the salaries and/or
commissions of sales  personnel in connection  with the  distribution of the New
York  Portfolio's  shares.  The  Distributor may also make payments from time to
time from its own  resources  which may include the Service Fee and past profits
for the  purposes  enumerated  in (i) above.  With respect to the Class B shares
only,  the  Distributor  may also make  payments for the purposes  enumerated in
(ii),  (iii),  and (iv) from the  Asset  Based  Sales  Charges  received  by the
Distributor.  The Distributor, in its sole discretion, will determine the amount
of such payments made pursuant to the Plan, provided that such payments will not
increase  the amount  which the New York  Portfolio  is  required  to pay to the
Distributor for any fiscal year under the  Distribution  Agreement in effect for
that year.

In  accordance  with the Rule,  the Plan  provides  that all written  agreements
relating to the Plan entered into between  either the New York  Portfolio or the
Distributor and Participating  Organizations or other organizations must be in a
form  satisfactory  to the Fund's  Board of  Directors.  In  addition,  the Plan
requires the Fund and the Distributor to prepare,  at least  quarterly,  written
reports setting forth all amounts expended for distribution  purposes by the New
York  Portfolio and the  Distributor  pursuant to the Plan and  identifying  the
distribution activities for which those expenditures were made.

The Plan provides that it may continue in effect for  successive  annual periods
provided  it is  approved  by the  shareholders  or by the  Board of  Directors,
including a majority of directors who are not interested persons of the Fund and
who have no direct


                                      -30-

<PAGE>

or indirect  interest in the operation of the Plan or in the agreements  related
to the Plan. The Board of Directors most recently approved the Plan on April 24,
1997 to be  effective  until  April  30,  1998.  The  Plan was  approved  by the
shareholders  of the Portfolio at their first meeting held on June 23, 1992. The
Board of Directors most recently approved the Plan for the Class B Shares of the
New York  Portfolio on October 30, 1997.  The Directors  first approved the Plan
for the  Class B Shares of the New York  Portfolio  on July 31,  1997.  The Plan
further  provides  that it may not be amended to increase  materially  the costs
which may be spent by the Fund for  distribution  pursuant  to the Plan  without
shareholder approval,  and the other material amendments must be approved by the
directors in the manner  described in the  preceding  sentence.  The Plan may be
terminated at any time by a vote of a majority of the disinterested directors of
the Fund or the New York Portfolio's shareholders.

For the New York  Portfolio's  fiscal year ended  November 30,  1997,  the total
amount  spent  pursuant  to the Plan was  $128,713  all of which was paid by the
Portfolio to the Distributor pursuant to the Distribution Agreement,  and all of
which was paid by the Distributor which may be deemed an indirect payment by the
Portfolio. Of the total amount paid to the Distributor, the Distributor utilized
$123,133 on compensation to sales  personnel,  $-0- on advertising and $5,580 on
Prospectus printing. For the New York Portfolio's fiscal year ended November 30,
1996,  the total amount spent pursuant to the Plan was $108,548 all of which was
paid by the Portfolio to the Distributor pursuant to the Distribution Agreement,
and all of which was paid by the  Distributor  which  may be deemed an  indirect
payment by the  Portfolio.  Of the total  amount  paid to the  Distributor,  the
Distributor  utilized  $100,282 on compensation to sales personnel and $4,856 on
advertising  and $3,410 on  Prospectus  printing.  For the New York  Portfolio's
fiscal year ended November 30, 1995, the total amount spent pursuant to the Plan
was $69,789 all of which was paid by the Portfolio to the  Distributor  pursuant
to the  Distribution  Agreement,  and all of which  was paid by the  Distributor
which may be deemed an indirect  payment by the Portfolio).  Of the total amount
paid to the  Distributor,  the Distributor  utilized  $58,172 on compensation to
sales personnel and $8,371 on advertising and $3,246 on Prospectus printing. The
New York Portfolio had no unreimbursed  expenses in a previous fiscal year which
were carried forward to a subsequent fiscal year.

The Taxable Portfolio and the New Jersey Portfolio
Pursuant to each  Portfolio's  Plan,  the Taxable  Portfolio  and the New Jersey
Portfolio  have each entered into a  Distribution  Agreement  and a  Shareholder
Servicing Agreement.

For  its  services  under  the  respective  Portfolio's   Shareholder  Servicing
Agreement,  the Distributor  receives from each of the Taxable Portfolio and the
New Jersey  Portfolio  a service  fee equal to .25% per annum of the  respective
Portfolio's  average daily net assets the "Shareholder  Servicing Fee"). The fee
is accrued daily and paid monthly and any portion of the fee may be deemed to be
used by the Distributor for purposes of i) shareholder servicing and maintenance
of shareholder accounts and ii) for payments to Participating Organizations with
respect to servicing  their  clients or customers  who are  shareholders  of the
Portfolio.

Under each Portfolio's  Distribution  Agreement,  the  Distributor,  for nominal
consideration and as agent for the respective Portfolio, will solicit orders for
the  purchase  of  the  respective   Portfolio's   shares,   provided  that  any
subscriptions  and orders will not be binding on the Portfolio until accepted by
the Portfolio as principal. In addition, the Distribution Agreement provides for
reimbursement  to  the  Distributor  by  the  Portfolio  for  its  distribution,
promotional and advertising  costs incurred in connection with the  distribution
of the respective  Portfolio's  shares in an amount not to exceed .10% per annum
of the  respective  Portfolio's  average  daily net  assets.  To the  extent the
Distributor does not take  reimbursements  for such expenses in a current fiscal
year, it is precluded from taking any reimbursement for such amounts in a future
fiscal year.

The Plan, the Shareholder  Servicing  Agreement and the  Distribution  Agreement
provide  that,  in addition to the  Shareholder  Servicing  Fee and  advertising
reimbursement,  each  Portfolio  will  pay  for i)  telecommunications  expenses
including  the  cost of  dedicated  lines  and  CRT  terminals  incurred  by the
Distributor  in carrying out its  obligations  under the  Shareholder  Servicing
Agreement,  and  ii)  typesetting,  printing  and  delivering  each  Portfolio's
prospectus to existing  shareholders of the Portfolio and preparing the printing
subscription application forms for shareholder accounts. The expenses enumerated
in this  paragraph  shall not  exceed  an amount  equal to .05% per annum of the
Portfolio's average daily net assets.

Each Portfolio's Plan and Management  Contract provide that the Manager may make
payments  from  time to time  from its own  resources,  which  may  include  the
management  fee and past profits for the  following  purposes:  i) to defray the
costs of and to compensate others,  including  participating  organizations with
whom the  Distributor  has  entered  into  written  agreements,  for  performing
shareholder  servicing  and related  administrative  functions  on behalf of the
Portfolio,  ii) to compensate certain participating  organizations for providing
assistance in  distributing  the  Portfolio's  shares;  iii) to pay the costs of
printing and distributing the Portfolio's  prospectus to prospective  investors;
and iv) to defray the cost of the  preparation  and  printing of  brochures  and
other promotional materials, mailings to prospective shareholders,  advertising,
and other promotional  activities,  including the salaries and/or commissions of
sales personnel in connection with the  distribution of the Portfolio's  shares.
The  Distributor,  in its sole  discretion,  will  determine  the amount of such
payments made pursuant to the Plan, provided that such payments made pursuant to
the Plan will not increase the amount which each Portfolio is required to pay to
the


                                      -31-

<PAGE>

Distributor or the Manager for any fiscal year under the  Shareholder  Servicing
Agreement or the Management Contract in effect for that year.

The Plan provides that it may continue in effect for  successive  annual periods
provided  it is  approved  by the  shareholders  or by the  Board of  Directors,
including a majority of directors who are not interested persons of the Fund and
who have no direct or indirect  interest in the  operation of the Plan or in the
agreements  related to the Plan. The Board of Directors  most recently  approved
the Plan on April 24, 1997 to be effective  until April 30,  1998.  The Plan was
approved by the shareholders of each Portfolio at their first meetings each held
on November 10, 1994.  The Plan further  provides  that it may not be amended to
increase  materially  the costs which may be spent by the Fund for  distribution
pursuant  to the Plan  without  shareholder  approval,  and the  other  material
amendments  must be approved by the  directors  in the manner  described  in the
preceding  sentence.  The  Plan  may be  terminated  at any  time by a vote of a
majority of the disinterested  directors of the Fund or the shareholders of each
respective Portfolio.

For the New Jersey  Portfolio's  fiscal year ended  November 30, 1997, the total
amount  spent  pursuant  to the Plan was  $5,444,  all of which  was paid by the
Portfolio to the Distributor pursuant to the Distribution Agreement,  and all of
which was paid by the Distributor which may be deemed an indirect payment by the
Portfolio. Of the total amount paid to the Distributor, the Distributor utilized
$5,167 on  compensation  to sales  personnel,  $-0- on  advertising  and $277 on
Prospectus  printing.  For the New Jersey Portfolio's fiscal year ended November
30, 1996, the total amount spent pursuant to the Plan was $11,494, none of which
was  paid by the  Portfolio  to the  Distributor  pursuant  to the  Distribution
agreement  and all of which was paid by the  Distributor  which may be deemed an
indirect payment by the Portfolio.  For the New Jersey  Portfolio's  fiscal year
ended November 30, 1995, the total amount spent pursuant to the Plan was $6,552,
none of which  was paid by the  Portfolio  to the  Distributor  pursuant  to the
Distribution agreement and all of which was paid by the Distributor which may be
deemed an indirect payment by the Portfolio). For the Taxable Portfolio's fiscal
year ended  November 30, 1997,  the total amount spent  pursuant to the Plan was
$14,414,  all of which was paid by the Portfolio to the Distributor  pursuant to
the Distribution  Agreement,  and all of which was paid by the Distributor which
may be deemed an indirect payment by the Portfolio.  Of the total amount paid to
the  Distributor,  the  Distributor  utilized  $13,829 on  compensation to sales
personnel,  $-0- on advertising and $585 on Prospectus printing. For the Taxable
Portfolio's fiscal year ended November 30, 1996, the total amount spent pursuant
to the  Plan  was  $53,012,  none of  which  was  paid by the  Portfolio  to the
Distributor pursuant to the Distribution  agreement and all of which was paid by
the Distributor  which may be deemed an indirect payment by the Portfolio).  For
the Taxable  Portfolio's  fiscal year ended  November 30, 1995, the total amount
spent  pursuant to the Plan was $8,337,  none of which was paid by the Portfolio
to the Distributor  pursuant to the Distribution  agreement and all of which was
paid  by the  Distributor  which  may  be  deemed  an  indirect  payment  by the
Portfolio).  The New Jersey and Taxable Portfolios had no unreimbursed  expenses
in a previous fiscal year which were carried over to subsequent years.


DESCRIPTION OF COMMON STOCK

The authorized  capital stock of the Fund,  which was incorporated on August 17,
1990 in Maryland,  consists of twenty billion shares of stock having a par value
of one  tenth of one cent  $.001)  per  share.  The  Fund's  Board of  Directors
reclassified its authorized but unissued shares for the New Jersey Portfolio and
the Taxable  Portfolio on August 25, 1993. The Fund's Board of Directors on July
31, 1997,  approved the Fund's Rule 18f-3  Multi-Class  Plan and the creation of
classes of shares for each of the series. Currently, only the New York Portfolio
offers  for  sale  two  classes  of  shares.  Each  share  has  equal  dividend,
distribution,  liquidation  and voting  rights and a fractional  share has those
rights in proportion to the percentage  that the fractional  share  represents a
whole share.  Shares will be voted in the aggregate.  There are no conversion or
preemptive  rights in connection  with any shares of the Fund. All shares,  when
issued in  accordance  with the terms of the  offering,  will be fully  paid and
nonassessable.  Shares are  redeemable  at net asset  value at the option of the
shareholder.  As of February 28, 1998, there were 16,920,992.980,  1,037,135.939
and 2,121,261.231  shares outstanding of the New York Portfolio,  the New Jersey
Portfolio and the Taxable Portfolio respectively.

The shares of the Fund have non-cumulative  voting rights,  which means that the
holders of more than 50% of the shares  outstanding  voting for the  election of
directors can elect 100% of the  directors if the holders  choose to do so, and,
in that event, the holders of the remaining shares will not be able to elect any
person  or  persons  to  the  Board  of  Directors.  The  Fund  does  not  issue
certificates evidencing Fund shares.

As a general  matter,  the Funds will not hold  annual or other  meetings of the
Funds' shareholders. This is because the By-laws of the Funds provide for annual
meetings  only a) for the election of  directors,  b) for approval of the Funds'
revised  investment  advisory  agreement  with respect to a particular  class or
series of  stock,  c) for  approval  of  revisions  to the  Fund's  distribution
agreement with respect to a particular class or series of stock, and d) upon the
written  request of holders of shares  entitled to cast not less than 25% of all
the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting.  Annual and other meetings may be
required with respect to such additional  matters relating to the Fund as may be
required by the Act,  including the removal of Fund directors) and communication
among  shareholders,  any  registration  of the  Fund  with the  Securities  and
Exchange  Commission or any state, or as the Directors may consider necessary or
desirable. Each Director serves until the next meeting of the


                                      -32-

<PAGE>

shareholders called for the purpose of considering the election or reelection of
such  Director or of a successor  to such  Director,  and until the election and
qualification of his or her successor,  elected at such a meeting, or until such
Director  sooner  dies,  resigns,  retires  or is  removed  by the  vote  of the
shareholders.


FEDERAL INCOME TAXES

The  following  is a general  discussion  of certain of the  Federal  income tax
consequences  of the  purchase,  ownership  and  disposition  of  shares  of the
Portfolios.  The summary is limited to investors who hold the shares as "capital
assets" generally, property held for investment), and to whom special categories
of rules do not apply, such as foreign  investors.  Shareholders  should consult
their tax advisers in determining  the Federal,  state,  local and any other tax
consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of shares.

The New York Portfolio and the New Jersey Portfolio
Each of the New York Portfolio and the New Jersey Portfolio (a "Tax-exempt Fund"
and  collectively,  the  "Tax-exempt  Funds") has  elected to qualify  under the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as amended, (the "Code"), and, with respect to the
New York Portfolio,  under New York law as a "regulated investment company" that
distributes   "exempt-interest  dividends".  Each  Tax-exempt  Fund  intends  to
continue  to qualify for  regulated  investment  company  status so long as such
qualification is in the best interests of its shareholders.  Such  qualification
relieves the Tax-exempt Fund of liability for Federal income taxes to the extent
its earnings are distributed in accordance with the applicable provisions of the
Code.

Each  Tax-exempt  Fund's policy is to distribute as dividends each year 100% and
in no event  less than 90% of its  tax-exempt  interest  income,  net of certain
deductions.  Exempt-interest dividends, as defined in the Code, are dividends or
any part thereof other than capital gain  dividends)  paid by a Tax-exempt  Fund
that are  attributable  to interest  on  obligations,  the  interest on which is
exempt from regular Federal income tax, and designated by the Tax-exempt Fund as
exempt-interest  dividends in a written notice mailed to the  Tax-exempt  Fund's
shareholders  not later than 60 days after the close of its  taxable  year.  The
percentage of the total  dividends paid by a Tax-exempt  Fund during any taxable
year  that  qualifies  as  exempt-interest  dividends  will be the  same for all
shareholders receiving dividends during the year.

Exempt-interest  dividends are to be treated by a Tax-exempt Fund's shareholders
as items of interest  excludable from their gross income under Section 103(a) of
the Code. If a shareholder receives an exempt-interest  dividend with respect to
any share and then  disposes of such share which has been held for six months or
less,  then any loss on the sale or exchange of such share will be disallowed to
the extent of the amount of such  exempt-interest  dividend.  The Code  provides
that  interest on  indebtedness  incurred,  or  continued,  to purchase or carry
certain  tax-exempt  securities  such  as  shares  of a  Tax-exempt  Fund is not
deductible.  Therefore,  among  other  consequences,  a  certain  proportion  of
interest on indebtedness incurred, or continued, to purchase or carry securities
on margin may not be deductible  during the period an investor holds shares of a
Tax-exempt Fund. For Social Security  recipients,  interest on tax-exempt bonds,
including exempt-interest dividends paid by a Tax-exempt Fund, is to be added to
adjusted  gross income for purposes of computing  the amount of Social  Security
benefits  includable  in gross  income.  Under P.L.  99-514,  the amount of such
interest received will have to be disclosed on the shareholders'  Federal income
tax returns.  Further, under P.L. 99-514,  taxpayers other than corporations are
required  to include as an item of tax  preference  for  purposes of the Federal
alternative  minimum tax all  tax-exempt  interest on "private  activity"  bonds
generally,  a bond  issue in which  more than 10% of the  proceeds  is used in a
non-governmental  trade or business) (other than Section 501(c)(3) bonds) issued
after  August 7, 1986.  Thus,  this  provision  will apply to the portion of the
exempt-interest  dividends from a Tax-exempt  Fund that is  attributable to such
post-August 7, 1986 private activity bonds, if any of such bonds are acquired by
the Tax-exempt  Fund.  Corporations  are required to increase their  alternative
minimum taxable income for purposes of calculating their alternative minimum tax
liability by 75% of the amount by which the adjusted current earnings (including
tax-exempt  interest) of the corporation exceeds the alternative minimum taxable
income  determined  without  this  provision).  In addition,  in certain  cases,
Subchapter S corporations with accumulated  earnings and profits from Subchapter
C years are  subject to a minimum  tax on excess  "passive  investment  income",
which includes tax-exempt  interest. A shareholder is advised to consult its tax
advisers with respect to whether exempt-interest  dividends retain the exclusion
under  Section  103 of the  Code if  such  shareholder  would  be  treated  as a
"substantial  user" or "related  person" under  Section  147(a) of the Code with
respect  to some  or all of the  "private  activity  bonds,"  if any,  held by a
Tax-exempt Fund.

A  Tax-exempt  Fund may  realize  capital  gains or  losses  from its  portfolio
transactions  and upon the maturity or  disposition  of  securities  acquired at
discounts  resulting  from  market  fluctuations.  In the  case  of a  Municipal
Obligation  acquired  at a  market  discount,  gain  on the  disposition  of the
Municipal  Obligation generally will be treated as ordinary income to the extent
of  accrued  market  discount.  Short-term  capital  gains  will be  taxable  to
shareholders as ordinary income when they are distributed. Any net capital gains
(the  excess  of net  realized  long-term  capital  gain  over its net  realized
short-term  capital loss) will be distributed  annually to the Tax-exempt Funds'
shareholders.  A  Tax-exempt  Fund will have no tax  liability  with  respect to
distributed  net  capital  gains  and  the  distributions  will  be  taxable  to
shareholders as long-term capital gains regardless of how


                                      -33-

<PAGE>

long the shareholders have held Tax-exempt Fund shares. However, Tax-exempt Fund
shareholders  who at the time of such a net capital gain  distribution  have not
held their  Tax-exempt Fund shares for more than 6 months,  and who subsequently
dispose  of those  shares at a loss,  will be  required  to treat such loss as a
long-term  capital  loss to the  extent of the net  capital  gain  distribution.
Distributions  of net  capital  gain  will  be  designated  as a  "capital  gain
dividend" in a written notice mailed to the Tax-exempt  Funds'  shareholders not
later than 60 days after the close of the Tax-exempt  Fund's taxable year. Under
the  Revenue  Reconciliation  Act of 1993,  for  fiscal  years  beginning  after
December 31, 1992,  ordinary income is subject to a maximum  individual tax rate
of 39.6%  distribution  of a Tax-exempt  Fund's net capital gain  (designated as
capital gain dividends by the Tax-exempt  Fund) will be taxable to  shareholders
as long-term capital gain, regardless of the length of time the shares have been
held by a shareholder. A shareholder may recognize a taxable gain or loss if the
shareholder  sells or redeems  its  shares.  Any gain or loss  arising  from (or
treated as arising from) the sale or redemption of shares will be a capital gain
or loss, except in the case of a dealer in securities. Capital gains realized by
corporations are generally taxed at the same rate as ordinary  income.  However,
capital gains are taxable at a maximum rate of 28% to non-corporate shareholders
who have a  holding  period of more than 12  months,  and 20% for  non-corporate
shareholders  who have a holding  period of more than 18  months.  Corresponding
maximum  rate and  holding  period  rules  apply with  respect to capital  gains
dividends distributed by a Tax-exempt Fund, without regard to the length of time
the shares have been held by the shareholder. The deduction of capital losses is
subject to limitations.

Each  Tax-exempt  Fund  intends  to  distribute  at least 90% of its  investment
company  taxable  income  (taxable  income  subject to certain  adjustments  and
exclusive  of the  excess  of its  net  long-term  capital  gain  over  its  net
short-term  capital loss) for each taxable year.  Each  Tax-exempt  Fund will be
subject to Federal income tax on any  undistributed  investment  company taxable
income.  To the  extent  such  income  is  distributed  it  will be  taxable  to
shareholders  as ordinary  income.  Expenses paid or incurred by the  Tax-exempt
Fund  will be  allocated  between  tax-exempt  and  taxable  income  in the same
proportion as the amount of the Tax-exempt Fund's tax-exempt income bears to the
total of such exempt  income and its gross income  (excluding  from gross income
the excess of capital gains over capital  losses).  If the Tax-exempt  Fund does
not  distribute at least 98% of its ordinary  income and 98% of its capital gain
net  income  for a  taxable  year,  the  Tax-exempt  Fund will be  subject  to a
nondeductible  4% excise  tax on the  excess of such  amounts  over the  amounts
actually distributed.

A shareholder may recognize a taxable gain or loss if the  shareholder  sells or
redeems its shares.  If the securities  held by a Tax-exempt  Fund appreciate in
value,  purchasers of shares of the Tax-exempt Fund after the occurrence of such
appreciation  will acquire such shares subject to the tax obligation that may be
incurred in the future when there is a sale of such shares.

If a  shareholder  fails to provide a  Tax-exempt  Fund with a current  taxpayer
identification number, the Tax-exempt Fund generally is required to withhold 31%
of taxable  interest,  dividend  payments,  and proceeds from the  redemption of
shares of the Tax-exempt Fund.

Dividends and  distributions to shareholders  will be treated in the same manner
for  Federal  income tax  purposes  whether  received in cash or  reinvested  in
additional shares of a Tax-exempt Fund.

With respect to the variable rate demand  instruments,  including  participation
certificates  therein,  each  Tax-exempt Fund has obtained and is relying on the
opinion of Battle Fowler LLP, counsel to the Tax-exempt  Funds,  that it will be
treated for Federal income tax purposes as the owner of the underlying Municipal
Obligations  and the interest  thereon will be tax-exempt to the Tax-exempt Fund
to the same extent as the  interest  in the  underlying  Municipal  Obligations.
Counsel has pointed out that the Internal  Revenue Service has announced that it
will not  ordinarily  issue  advance  rulings on the  question of  ownership  of
securities or participation interests therein subject to a put and, as a result,
the  Internal  Revenue  Service  could reach a  conclusion  different  from that
reached by counsel.

From time to time, proposals have been introduced before Congress to restrict or
eliminate   the  Federal   income  tax   exemption  for  interest  on  Municipal
Obligations.  If such a proposal were introduced and enacted in the future,  the
ability  of the  Tax-exempt  Funds  to pay  exempt-interest  dividends  would be
adversely  affected and each  Tax-exempt  Fund would  reevaluate  its investment
objectives and policies and consider changes in its structure.

In South  Carolina  v.  Baker,  the U.S.  Supreme  Court  held that the  Federal
government may constitutionally  require states to register bonds they issue and
may subject the  interest  on such bonds to Federal tax if not  registered,  and
that there is no  constitutional  prohibition  against the Federal  government's
taxing the interest earned on state or other municipal  bonds. The Supreme Court
decision affirms the authority of the Federal government to regulate and control
bonds such as the Municipal Obligations and to tax such bonds in the future. The
decision does not,  however,  affect the current  exemption from taxation of the
interest  earned on the Municipal  Obligations in accordance with Section 103 of
the Code.

The Taxable Portfolio
The  Taxable  Portfolio  has elected to qualify  under the Code as a  "regulated
investment company", and intends to continue to qualify for regulated investment
company  status as long as such  qualification  is in the best  interests of its
shareholders.


                                      -34-

<PAGE>

Such  qualification  relieves the Taxable  Portfolio  of  liability  for Federal
income taxes to the extent its earnings are  distributed in accordance  with the
applicable provisions of the Code.

The  Taxable  Portfolio  intends to  distribute  at least 90% of its  investment
company taxable income (taxable income subject to certain adjustments, exclusive
of the excess of its net long-term capital gain over its net short-term  capital
loss) for each taxable year.  The Taxable  Portfolio  will be subject to Federal
income tax on any undistributed investment company taxable income. To the extent
such  income is  distributed,  it will be taxable to  shareholders  as  ordinary
income.  In the  case of  corporate  shareholders,  such  distributions  are not
expected to be eligible  for the  dividends-received  deduction.  If the Taxable
Portfolio does not distribute at least 98% of its ordinary income and 98% of its
capital  gain net income  for a taxable  year,  the  Taxable  Portfolio  will be
subject to a nondeductible  4% excise tax on the excess of such amounts over the
amounts actually distributed.

The Taxable Portfolio may realize gains or losses from its portfolio transaction
and upon the  maturity  or  disposition  of  securities  acquired  at  discounts
resulting  from market  fluctuations.  A portion of such gains may be taxable as
ordinary  income to the extent of accrued market  discount.  Short-term  capital
gains  will be  taxable  to  shareholders  as  ordinary  income  when  they  are
distributed. Any net capital gains (the excess of net realized long-term capital
gain over net realized short-term capital loss) will be distributed  annually to
the Taxable  Portfolio's  shareholders.  The Taxable  Portfolio will have no tax
liability  with respect to distributed  net capital gains and the  distributions
will be taxable to  shareholders  as long-term  capital gains  regardless of how
long the  shareholders  have held Taxable  Portfolio  shares.  However,  Taxable
Portfolio  shareholders who at the time of such a net capital gain  distribution
have not held their  Taxable  Portfolio  shares for more than 6 months,  and who
subsequently  dispose of those shares at a loss,  will be required to treat such
loss  as a  long-term  capital  loss  to the  extent  of the  net  capital  gain
distribution. Distributions of net capital gain will be designated as a "capital
gain  dividend"  in  a  written   notice  mailed  to  the  Taxable   Portfolio's
shareholders  not later than 60 days after the close of the Taxable  Portfolio's
taxable year.  Under the Revenue  Reconciliation  Act of 1993,  for fiscal years
beginning  after  December  31,  1992,  ordinary  income is subject to a maximum
individual tax rate of 39.6%  distribution of a Taxable  Portfolio's net capital
gain  (designated  as capital gain dividends by the Taxable  Portfolio)  will be
taxable to shareholders as long-term  capital gain,  regardless of the length of
time the shares have been held by a shareholder.  A shareholder  may recognize a
taxable gain or loss if the shareholder sells or redeems its shares. Any gain or
loss arising from (or treated as arising  from) the sale or redemption of shares
will be a capital  gain or loss,  except in the case of a dealer in  securities.
Capital gains realized by  corporations  are generally taxed at the same rate as
ordinary income. However,  capital gains are taxable at a maximum rate of 28% to
non-corporate shareholders who have a holding period of more than 12 months, and
20% for  non-corporate  shareholders  who have a holding  period of more than 18
months.  Corresponding  maximum rate and holding period rules apply with respect
to capital gains dividends distributed by a Taxable Portfolio, without regard to
the length of time the shares have been held by the  shareholder.  The deduction
of capital losses is subject to limitations.

A shareholder may recognize a taxable gain or loss if the  shareholder  sells or
redeems his shares. If the securities held by the Taxable  Portfolio  appreciate
in value,  purchasers of shares of the Taxable Portfolio after the occurrence of
such  appreciation  will acquire such shares subject to the tax obligation  that
may be incurred in the future when there is a sale of such shares.

The Tax Reform Act of 1986 contained a provision limiting miscellaneous itemized
deductions for individuals and certain other  shareholders,  such as estates and
trusts, to the extent such miscellaneous itemized deductions do not exceed 2% of
adjusted gross income for a taxable year.  However,  the Revenue  Reconciliation
Act of 1989  provided an  exemption  from the  limitation  for  publicly-offered
regulated  investment  companies.  The Taxable Portfolio currently qualifies and
expects  to  continue  to  qualify as a  publicly-offered  regulated  investment
company.

If a shareholder  fails to provide the Taxable Portfolio with a current taxpayer
identification  number, the Taxable Portfolio  generally is required to withhold
31% of taxable  interest,  dividend payments and proceeds from the redemption of
shares of the Taxable Portfolio.

Dividends and  distributions to shareholders  will be treated in the same manner
for  Federal  income tax  purposes  whether  received in cash or  reinvested  in
additional shares of the Taxable Portfolio.

Entities that  generally  qualify for an exemption from Federal income tax, such
as many  pension  trusts and  retirement  plans,  are  nevertheless  taxed under
Section  511 of the  Code on  "unrelated  business  taxable  income."  Unrelated
business taxable income is income from a trade or business  regularly carried on
by the  tax-exempt  entity that is  unrelated to the  entity's  exempt  purpose.
Unrelated  business  taxable  income  generally  does not  include  dividend  or
interest income or gain from the sale of investment property, unless such income
is  derived  from  property  that is  debt-financed  or is  dealer  property.  A
tax-exempt entity's dividend income from the Taxable Portfolio and gain from the
sale of shares in the  Taxable  Portfolio  or the  Taxable  Portfolio's  sale of
securities is not expected to constitute  unrelated  business  taxable income to
such   tax-exempt   entity  unless  the  acquisition  of  the  share  itself  is
debt-financed  or  constitutes  dealer  property in the hands of the  tax-exempt
entity.


                                      -35-

<PAGE>

Before investing in the Taxable Portfolio,  the trustee or investment manager of
an employee  benefit plan (e.g.,  a pension or profit sharing  retirement  plan)
should  consider  among other things (a) whether the investment is prudent under
the  Employee  Retirement  Income  Security Act of 1974  ("ERISA"),  taking into
account  the  needs of the plan and all of the facts  and  circumstances  of the
investment in the Taxable  Portfolio;  (b) whether the investment  satisfies the
diversification  requirement of Section  404(a)(1)(C) of ERISA;  and (c) whether
the  assets of the  Portfolio  are  deemed  "plan  assets"  under  ERISA and the
Department of Labor regulations regarding the definition of "plan assets."

Prospective  tax-exempt  investors  are urged to consult  their own tax advisers
prior to investing in the Taxable Portfolio.


NEW YORK INCOME TAXES

The  designation  of all or a  portion  of a  dividend  paid  by the  Fund as an
"exempt-interest  dividend"  under the Code does not  necessarily  result in the
exemption  of such amount  from tax under the laws of any state or local  taxing
authority.  However,  to the extent that  dividends are derived from interest on
New York Municipal  Obligations,  the dividends will also be excluded from a New
York  shareholder's  gross income for New York State and New York City  personal
income tax purposes.  This exclusion will not result in a corporate  shareholder
being exempt for New York State and New York City franchise tax purposes.

Shareholders  are  urged to  consult  their tax  advisers  with  respect  to the
treatment of  distributions  from each Portfolio and ownership of shares of each
Portfolio in their own states and localities.


NEW JERSEY INCOME TAXES

The  exemption  of interest  income for  Federal  income tax  purposes  does not
necessarily  result in an  exemption  under the  income or other tax laws of any
state or local  taxing  authority.  The New  Jersey  Portfolio  intends  to be a
"qualified  investment  fund"  within the meaning of the New Jersey gross income
tax. The primary  criteria for  constituting a "qualified  investment  fund" are
that 1) such fund is an investment  company  registered  with the Securities and
Exchange  Commission  which,  for the calendar year in which the distribution is
paid, has no investments other than  interest-bearing  obligations,  obligations
issued  at a  discount,  and cash  and cash  items,  including  receivables  and
financial  options,  futures,  forward  contracts,  or other  similar  financial
instruments  relating to interest-bearing  obligations,  obligations issued at a
discount or bond indexes  related thereto and 2) at the close of each quarter of
the taxable  year,  such fund has not less than 80% of the  aggregate  principal
amount of all of its investments,  excluding financial options, futures, forward
contracts,  or other similar financial  instruments relating to interest-bearing
obligations, obligations issued at a discount or bond indexes related thereto to
the extent  such  instruments  are  authorized  under the  regulated  investment
company  rules  under the Code,  cash and cash  items,  which cash  items  shall
include  receivables,  in New  Jersey  Municipal  Obligations.  Additionally,  a
qualified   investment  fund  must  comply  with  certain  continuing  reporting
requirements.

In the opinion of McCarter & English,  special New Jersey tax counsel to the New
Jersey Portfolio, assuming that the New Jersey Portfolio constitutes a qualified
investment  fund and that the New Jersey  Portfolio  complies with the reporting
obligations under New Jersey law with respect to qualified  investment funds, a)
distributions  paid  by  the  New  Jersey  Portfolio  to a New  Jersey  resident
individual shareholder will not be subject to the New Jersey gross income tax to
the  extent  that the  distributions  are  attributable  to income  received  as
interest on or gain from New Jersey  Municipal  Obligations and b) gain from the
sale of shares in the New Jersey  Portfolio by a New Jersey resident  individual
shareholder will not be subject to the New Jersey gross income tax. Shareholders
should consult their own tax advisers about the status of distributions from the
New Jersey Portfolio in their own states and localities.


CUSTODIAN, TRANSFER AGENT AND DIVIDEND AGENT

Investors  Fiduciary  Trust  Company 801  Pennsylvania,  Kansas  City,  Missouri
64105-1716, is custodian for the Fund's cash and securities.  The custodian does
not assist in, and is not responsible for, investment decisions involving assets
of the Fund.  The Fund has  retained  State Street Bank and Trust  Company,  225
Franklin Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, to perform transfer agency related
services for the Fund.


FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The audited financial statements for the Fund for the fiscal year ended November
30, 1997 are herein incorporated by reference.


                                      -36-

<PAGE>

DESCRIPTION OF SECURITY RATINGS AND NOTES1


Moody's Investors Service, Inc. (Moody's)

Bonds

Aaa: Bonds which are rated Aaa are judged to be of the best quality.  They carry
the smallest  degree of investment  risk.  Interest  payments are protected by a
large or by an  exceptionally  stable margin and principal is secure.  While the
various  protective  elements may change,  such changes as can be visualized are
most unlikely to impair the fundamentally strong position of such issues.

Aa: Bonds which are rated Aa are judged to be of high quality by all  standards.
Together with the Aaa group they comprise what are generally known as high grade
bonds. They are rated lower than Aaa bonds because margins of protection may not
be as large or fluctuation of protective  elements may be of greater  amplitude,
or there may be other  elements  present which make the  long-term  risks appear
somewhat larger than in Aaa securities.

A: Bonds which are rated A possess many favorable investment  attributes and are
to be considered as upper medium grade  obligations.  Factors giving security to
principal and interest are considered adequate but elements may be present which
suggest a susceptibility to impairment sometime in the future.

Baa: Bonds which are rated Baa are considered as medium grade obligations, i.e.,
they are neither  highly  protected nor poorly  secured.  Interest  payments and
principal  security  appear  adequate  for the present  but  certain  protective
elements may be lacking or may be  characteristically  unreliable over any great
length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding  investment  characteristics  and in
fact have speculative characteristics as well.

Moody's  applies  numerical  modifiers  (1,  2 and  3) in  each  generic  rating
classification  from Aa  through B in its  corporate  bond  rating  system.  The
modifier 1 indicates  that the  security  ranks in the higher end of its generic
rating  category;  modifier 2  indicates  a mid-range  ranking;  and  modifier 3
indicates that the issue ranks in the lower end of its generic rating category.

Notes

Moody's  ratings  for  state  and  tax-exempt  notes  and  short-term  loans are
designated  Moody's Investment Grade (MIG). The distinction is in recognition of
the difference  between  short-term and long-term credit risk. Loans bearing the
designation  MIG-1  are of the  best  quality,  enjoying  strong  protection  by
established  cash  flows of funds  for their  servicing  or by  established  and
broadbased  access to the market for  refinancing,  or both.  Loans  bearing the
designation MIG-2 are of high quality, with margins of protection ample although
not as large as in the preceding group.  Loans bearing the designation MIG-3 are
of favorable  quality,  with all security elements accounted for but lacking the
strength of the preceding grades. Market access for refinancing,  in particular,
is likely to be less well  established.  Notes bearing the designation MIG-4 are
judged to be of adequate  quality,  carrying specific risk but having protection
commonly  regarded as required of an investment  security and not  distinctly or
predominantly speculative.

Commercial Paper

Moody's Commercial Paper Ratings are opinions of the ability of issuers to repay
punctually promissory senior debt obligations not having an original maturity in
excess of one year. The designation Prime-1 or P-1 indicates the highest quality
repayment capacity of the rated issue.

The  designation  Prime-2 or P-2 indicates that the issuer has a strong capacity
for repayment of senior short-term promissory  obligations.  Earnings trends and
coverage ratios,  while sound, may be subject to some variation.  Capitalization
characteristics,  while  still  appropriate,  may be more  affected  by external
conditions. Ample alternate liquidity is maintained.

Issuers rated "Not Prime" do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.

Standard & Poor's  Rating  Services,  a division  of The  McGraw-Hill  Companies
("S&P")

Bonds

AAA:  Bonds rated AAA are highest grade  obligations.  They possess the ultimate
degree of protection as to principal and interest.

AA: Bonds rated AA also qualify as high-grade  obligations  and, in the majority
of instances, differ from AAA issues only to a small degree.



- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.  As described by the rating agencies.


                                      -37-

<PAGE>

A: Bonds rated A are  regarded as upper  medium  grade.  They have  considerable
investment strength but are not entirely free from adverse effects of changes in
economic and trade conditions. Interest and principal are regarded as safe. They
predominantly  reflect money rates in their market behavior and, to some extent,
economic conditions.

BBB: Bonds rated BBB are regarded as having an adequate capacity to pay interest
and  repay  principal.   Whereas  they  normally  exhibit  adequate   protection
parameters,  adverse  economic  conditions  or changing  circumstances  are more
likely to lead to a weakened  capacity to pay interest and repay  principal  for
bonds in this category than for bonds in higher rated categories.

Municipal Notes

SP-1: Very strong or strong capacity to pay principal and interest. Those issues
determined to possess  overwhelming safety  characteristics will be given a plus
(+) designation.

SP-2: Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest.

Commercial Paper

S&P Commercial Paper ratings are current assessments of the likelihood of timely
payment of debts  having an original  maturity of no more than 365 days.  Issues
assigned A have the  highest  rating  and are  regarded  as having the  greatest
capacity for timely payment.  The A-1  designation  indicates that the degree of
safety regarding timely payment is very strong.

The ratings  assigned  by S&P may be  modified by the  addition of a plus (+) or
minus (-) sign to show relative standing within its major rating categories.

Description of Tax-Exempt Notes

Tax-Exempt Notes generally are used to provide for short-term  capital needs and
generally have maturities of one year or less. Tax-Exempt Notes include:

Tax Anticipation  Notes:  Tax  Anticipation  Notes are issued to finance working
capital needs of municipalities.  Generally,  they are issued in anticipation of
various seasonal tax revenue, such as income, sales, use and business taxes, and
are payable from these specific future taxes.

Revenue Anticipation Notes: Revenue Anticipation Notes are issued in expectation
of receipt of other kinds of revenue,  such as Federal revenues  available under
the Federal Revenue Sharing Programs.

Bond Anticipation  Notes: Bond Anticipation  Notes are issued to provide interim
financing until long-term financing can be arranged. In most cases the long-term
bonds then provide the money for the repayment of the Notes.

Construction   Loan  Notes:   Construction   Loan  Notes  are  sold  to  provide
construction financing.  Permanent financing,  the proceeds of which are applied
to the payment of Construction Loan Notes, is sometimes provided by a commitment
by the Government National Mortgage  Association  ("GNMA") to purchase the loan,
accompanied  by a commitment  by the Federal  Housing  Administration  to insure
mortgage  advances  thereunder.  In  other  instances,  permanent  financing  is
provided by commitments of banks to purchase the loan.

Tax-Exempt Commercial Paper

Issues of Tax-Exempt Commercial Paper typically represent short-term, unsecured,
negotiable  promissory notes.  These obligations are issued by agencies of state
and  local   governments   to  finance   seasonal   working   capital  needs  of
municipalities,  or to provide interim construction  financing and are paid from
general  revenues of  municipalities,  or are refinanced with long-term debt. In
most cases,  Tax-Exempt Commercial Paper is backed by letters of credit, lending
agreements,  note  repurchase  agreements  or other credit  facility  agreements
offered by banks or other institutions.

Fitch Investors Services, Inc. ("Fitch")
Tax-Exempt Bonds

Fitch  investment grade bond ratings provide a guide to investors in determining
the credit risk associated  with a particular  security.  The ratings  represent
Fitch's assessment of the issuer's ability to meet the obligations of a specific
debt issue or class of debt in a timely manner.

The  rating  takes  into  consideration  special  features  of  the  issue,  its
relationship  to other  obligations of the issuer,  the current and  prospective
financial  condition and operating  performance of the issuer and any guarantor,
as well as the economic and political environment that might affect the issuer's
future financial strength and credit quality.

Fitch  ratings do not  reflect  any credit  enhancement  that may be provided by
insurance policies or financial guaranties unless otherwise indicated.


                                      -38-

<PAGE>

Bonds that have the same  rating are of similar  but not  necessarily  identical
credit  quality  since  the  rating   categories  do  not  fully  reflect  small
differences in the degrees of credit risk.

Fitch ratings are not recommendations to buy, sell or hold any security. Ratings
do not comment on the adequacy of market price,  the suitability of any security
for a particular  investor,  or the tax-exempt  nature or taxability of payments
made in respect of any security.

Fitch ratings are based on information  obtained from issuers,  other  obligors,
underwriters,  their experts and other  sources  Fitch  believes to be reliable.
Fitch  does not  audit or  verify  the truth or  accuracy  of such  information.
Ratings may be changed,  suspended,  or  withdrawn as a result of changes in, or
the unavailability of, information or for other reasons.

AAA: Bonds considered to be investment grade and of the highest grade and of the
highest credit quality.  The obligor has an exceptionally  strong ability to pay
interest  and repay  principal,  which is unlikely to be affected by  reasonably
foreseeable events.

AA: Bonds considered to be investment grade and of very high credit quality. The
obligor's  ability to pay interest and repay principal is very strong,  although
not quite as strong as bonds  rated AAA.  Because  bonds rated in the AAA and AA
categories are not significantly  vulnerable to foreseeable future developments,
short-term debt of these issuers is generally rated F-1+.

A: Bonds  considered  to be  investment  grade and of high credit  quality.  The
obligor's ability to pay interest and repay principal is considered to be strong
but may be more vulnerable to adverse economic conditions and circumstances than
bonds with higher ratings.

BBB: Bonds considered to be investment grade and of satisfactory credit quality.
The  obligor's  ability to pay interest and repay  principal is considered to be
adequate. Adverse changes in economic conditions and circumstances, however, are
more likely to have adverse impact on these bonds,  and therefore  impair timely
payment.  The  likelihood  that the  ratings  of these  bonds  will  fall  below
investment grade is higher than for bonds with higher ratings.

Plus (+)  Minus  (-):  Plus and minus  signs  are used  with a rating  symbol to
indicate the relative position of a credit within the rating category.  Plus and
minus signs, however, are not used in the AAA category.

Tax-Exempt Notes and Commercial Paper

Fitch's  short-term ratings apply to debt obligations that are payable on demand
or have original maturities of generally up to three years, including commercial
paper, certificates of deposit,  medium-term notes, and municipal and investment
notes.

The  short-term  rating places greater  emphasis than a long-term  rating on the
existences of liquidity  necessary to meet the issuer's  obligations in a timely
manner.

F-1+:  Exceptionally  strong  credit  quality.  Issues  assigned this rating are
regarded as having the strongest degree of assurance for timely payment.

F-1:  Very  strong  credit  quality.  Issues  assigned  this  rating  reflect an
assurance of timely payment only slightly less in degree than F-1+ issues.

F-2: Good credit quality. Issues assigned this rating have a satisfactory degree
of assurance for timely payment, but the margin of safety is not as great as for
issues assigned F-1+ and F-1 ratings.

F-3:  Fair credit  quality.  Issues  assigned  this rating have  characteristics
suggesting that the degree of assurance for timely payment is adequate; however,
near-term  adverse  changes  could  cause  these  securities  to be rated  below
investment grade.





                                      -39-

<PAGE>

Let it be said loud and clear there can be no  assurance  the Fund will  achieve
its  objectives.  But if  you've  come  into  a  lump  sum  of  money  and  want
professionals to invest it, tend it, trade it and nurture it in Municipal Bonds,
the Lebenthal Municipal Bond Funds could be for you.
================================================================================



CONVERSATIONS FROM A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A MUNICIPAL BOND SALESMAN

A businessman calls and actually says he doesn't need more income. He can hardly
spend  what he earns  now.  Here's  money he wants to put  away,  not  touch the
interest, and let it accumulate and build.

A father calls and says he's doing  better than his parents,  but only wishes he
could say the same for his kids.  He wants to do something  for them. He doesn't
want to see the interest chipped away by taxes. "Mitts off" he says. "This is my
kids' social security."

A grandfather calls. It's Peter's birthday. He could get Peter a fire truck. Any
sensible  four-year-old  would prefer a fire truck. But he wants to take care of
Peter's  education  and  watch  the  interest  pile up and  earn  more  tax-free
interest, month after month, year after year.

A man calls with the fruits of a life's  work.  He's just sold his  business and
has an employment  contract  with the new owner into the next  century.  This is
money he'll probably never have to touch. But his heirs might. He wants to build
an estate for the future and let little acorns grow.

Not everyone is concerned  with the amount of income an  investment  can provide
now. Many want to know about an  investment's  long term benefits.  For example,
how much purchasing  power will my money have tomorrow?  How much will I be able
to leave my children?  If you are as concerned  with your net worth  tomorrow as
you are with your cashflow  today,  instead of spending your interest,  consider
reinvesting it in a Lebenthal Municipal Bond Fund -- and receiving your interest
every month (or any  distributions  of  principal  or gains) in  additional fund
shares.

When you opt for automatic reinvestment, instead of taking your distributions in
cash,  they are being used to buy you more shares.  The number of shares you own
accumulates and builds on a quantity that is growing all the time.

Past  performance is no guarantee of future results,  and no particular level of
fund  performance  can be assured.  But to  illustrate  how shares grow  through
reinvestment  over  time,  at  say,  a  hypothetical  five  percent  (5%) a year
compounded  monthly,  every 1000 shares  would become 1283 shares in five years,
1647 shares in ten years, 2114 shares in fifteen years.

Compounding does not protect against  fluctuating bond prices,  and a decline in
value per share  could  negate  the  positive  effect of growth in the number of
shares owned. But time can mitigate loss,  because it stands to reason: the more
shares you have  accumulated  through  reinvestment  over  time,  the bigger the
multiple that will be working for you when you decide to sell.

Whether you make money or lose money down the road when you do sell your shares,
will  depend on the  number of shares  you then own as well as the going  resale
price per share. So count the shares. And give it time.

Time is the  soulmate  of  compound  interest  -- and the best friend a would-be
saver's got.


                                      -40-

<PAGE>

                     Lebenthal New York Municipal Bond Fund
================================================================================

                         TAXABLE EQUIVALENT YIELD TABLE

                          (New York State and Federal)

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
   1. If Your Taxable Income Bracket Is . . .
<S>                        <C>                 <C>                <C>               <C>    
   Single                  $ 25,351             61,401            128,101            278,451
   Return                    61,400            128,100            278,450           and over
   Joint                     42,351            102,301            155,951            278,451
   Return                   102,300            155,950            278,450           and over
   2. Then Your Combined Income Tax Bracket Is . . .
   Combined
   Marginal                  32.93%             35.73%             40.38%             43.74%
   Tax Rate
   3. Now Compare Your Tax Free Income Yields With Taxable Income Yields . . .
     Tax Exempt                           Equivalent Taxable Investment Yield
        Yield                                 With Taxable Income Yields
        3.25%                  4.8%               5.1%               5.5%               5.8%
        3.50%                  5.2%               5.4%               5.9%               6.2%
        4.00%                  6.0%               6.2%               6.7%               7.1%
        4.25%                  6.3%               6.6%               7.1%               7.6%
        4.50%                  6.7%               7.0%               7.5%               8.0%
        4.75%                  7.1%               7.4%               8.0%               8.4%
        5.00%                  7.5%               7.8%               8.4%               8.9%
        5.25%                  7.8%               8.2%               8.8%               9.3%
        5.50%                  8.2%               8.6%               9.2%               9.8%
        5.75%                  8.6%               8.9%               9.6%              10.2%
        6.00%                  8.9%               9.3%              10.1%              10.7%
        6.25%                  9.3%               9.7%              10.5%              11.1%
        6.50%                  9.7%              10.1%              10.9%              11.6%
</TABLE>


To use this chart, find the applicable level of taxable income based on your tax
filing  status in section one.  Then read down to section two to determine  your
combined tax bracket and, in section three, to see the equivalent taxable yields
for each of the tax free income yields given.

                                      -41-

<PAGE>

                     Lebenthal New York Municipal Bond Fund
================================================================================

                         TAXABLE EQUIVALENT YIELD TABLE

                   (Federal, New York State and New York City)

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
   1. If Your Taxable Income Bracket Is . . .
<S>                        <C>                 <C>                <C>               <C>    
   Single                  $ 25,361             61,401            128,101            278,451
   Return                    61,400            128,100            278,450           and over
   Joint                     42,351            102,301            155,951            278,451
   Return                   102,300            155,950            278,450           and over
   2. Then Your Combined Income Tax Bracket Is . . .
   Combined
   Marginal                  36.10%             38.80%             43.24%             46.43%
   Tax Rate
   3. Now Compare Your Tax Free Income Yields With Taxable Income Yields . . .
     Tax Exempt                           Equivalent Taxable Investment Yield
        Yield                                 With Taxable Income Yields
        3.25%                  5.1%               5.3%               5.7%               6.1%
        3.50%                  5.5%               5.7%               6.2%               6.5%
        4.00%                  6.3%               6.5%               7.0%               7.5%
        4.25%                  6.7%               6.9%               7.5%               7.9%
        4.50%                  7.0%               7.4%               7.9%               8.4%
        4.75%                  7.4%               7.8%               8.4%               8.9%
        5.00%                  7.8%               8.2%               8.8%               9.3%
        5.25%                  8.2%               8.6%               9.2%               9.6%
        5.50%                  8.6%               9.0%               9.7%              10.3%
        5.75%                  9.0%               9.4%              10.1%              10.7%
        6.00%                  9.4%               9.8%              10.6%              11.2%
        6.25%                  9.8%              10.2%              11.0%              11.7%
        6.50%                 10.2%              10.6%              11.5%              12.1%
</TABLE>


To use this chart, find the applicable level of taxable income based on your tax
filing  status in section one.  Then read down to section two to determine  your
combined tax bracket and, in section three, to see the equivalent taxable yields
for each of the tax free income yields given.

                                      -42-

<PAGE>

                    Lebenthal New Jersey Municipal Bond Fund
================================================================================

                         TAXABLE EQUIVALENT YIELD TABLE

                            (New Jersey and Federal)

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
  1. If Your Taxable Income Bracket Is . . .
<S>                 <C>              <C>            <C>          <C>            <C>           <C>            <C>          <C>    
  Single            $ 25,351             --         35,001        40,001         61,401        75,001        128,101       278,451
  Return              35,000             --         40,000        61,400         75,000       128,100        278,450      and over
  Joint               42,351         50,001         70,001        80,001        102,301       150,001        155,951       278,451
  Return              50,000         70,000         80,000       102,300        150,000       155,950        288,450      and over
  2. Then Your Combined Income Tax Bracket Is . . .
  Combined
  Tax Rate            29.29%         29.26%         30.52%        31.98%         34.81%        35.40%         40.08%        45.45%
  3. Now Compare Your Tax Free Income Yields With Taxable Income Yields . . .
    Tax Exempt                                           Equivalent Taxable Investment Yield
       Yield                                             Required to Match Tax Exempt Yield
       3.25%            4.6%           4.6%           4.7%          4.8%           5.0%          5.0%           5.4%          5.7%
       3.50%            4.9%           5.0%           5.0%          5.1%           5.4%          5.4%           5.8%          6.2%
       4.00%            5.7%           5.7%           5.8%          5.9%           6.1%          6.2%           6.7%          7.1%
       4.25%            6.0%           6.1%           6.1%          6.2%           6.5%          6.6%           7.1%          7.5%
       4.50%            6.4%           6.4%           6.5%          6.6%           6.9%          7.0%           7.5%          8.0%
       4.75%            6.7%           6.8%           6.8%          7.0%           7.3%          7.4%           7.9%          8.4%
       5.00%            7.1%           7.1%           7.2%          7.4%           7.7%          7.7%           8.3%          8.8%
       5.25%            7.4%           7.5%           7.6%          7.7%           8.1%          8.1%           8.8%          9.3%
       5.50%            7.8%           7.8%           7.9%          8.1%           8.4%          8.5%           9.2%          9.7%
       5.75%            8.1%           8.2%           8.3%          8.5%           8.8%          8.9%           9.6%         10.2%
       6.00%            8.5%           8.5%           8.6%          8.8%           9.2%          9.3%          10.0%         10.6%
       6.25%            8.8%           8.9%           9.0%          9.2%           9.6%          9.7%          10.4%         11.1%
       6.50%            9.2%           9.3%           9.4%          9.6%          10.0%         10.1%          10.8%         11.5%
</TABLE>

To use this chart, find the applicable level of taxable income based on your tax
filing  status in section one.  Then read down to section two to determine  your
combined tax bracket and, in section three, to see the equivalent taxable yields
for each of the tax free income yields given.

                                      -43-

<PAGE>

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