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                   DAMEN FINANCIAL CORPORATION

               1996 RECOGNITION AND RETENTION PLAN


     1. Plan Purpose.  The purpose of the Plan is to promote the
long-term interests of the Corporation and its stockholders by
providing a means for attracting and retaining directors,
executive officers and employees of the Corporation and its
Affiliates.

    2. Definitions.  The following definitions are applicable to
the Plan:

   "Award" - means the grant of Restricted Stock pursuant to the
terms of Section 12 of the Plan or by the Committee, as provided
in the Plan.

   "Affiliate" - means any "parent corporation" or "subsidiary
corporation" of the Corporation, as such terms are defined in
Section 424(e) and (f), respectively, of the Code.

   "Bank" - means Damen Federal Bank for Savings, a savings
institution and its successors.

   "Beneficiary" - means the person or persons designated by a
Participant to receive any benefits payable under the Plan in the
event of such Participant's death.  Such person or persons shall
be designated in writing on forms provided for this purpose by
the Committee and may be changed from time to time by similar
written notice to the Committee.  In the absence of a written
designation, the Beneficiary shall be the Participant's surviving
spouse, if any, or if none, his estate.

   "Code" - means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. 
   "Committee" - means the Committee of the Board of Directors of
the Corporation referred to in Section 6 hereof.

   "Continuous Service" - means the absence of any interruption
or termination of service as a director, director emeritus,
advisory director, executive officer or employee of the
Corporation or any Affiliate.  Service shall not be considered
interrupted in the case of sick leave, military leave or any
other leave of absence approved by the Corporation or any
Affiliate or in the case of transfers between payroll locations
of the Corporation or its Affiliates or between the Corporation,
its Affiliates or its successor.  With respect to any director
emeritus or advisory director, continuous service shall mean
availability to perform such functions as may be required of such
individuals. 

   "Conversion" - means the conversion of the Bank from the
mutual to the stock form of organization.

   "Corporation" - means Damen Financial Corporation, a Delaware
corporation.

   "Disability" - means any physical or mental impairment which
qualifies an employee, director, director emeritus or advisor
director for disability benefits under any applicable long-term
disability plan maintained by the Bank or an Affiliate, or, if no
such plan applies to such individual, which renders such employee
or director, in the judgment of the Committee, unable to perform
his customary duties and responsibilities.

   "Disinterested Person" - means any member of the Board of
Directors of the Corporation who is not being and within the
prior year has not been granted any awards related to the shares
under this Plan or any other plan of the Corporation or any of
its Affiliates except for awards which (i) are calculated in
accordance with a formula as contemplated in paragraph (c)(ii) of
Rule 16b-3 ("Rule 16b-3") under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended; (ii) result from participation in an ongoing
securities acquisition plan meeting the conditions of
paragraph (d)(2) of Rule 16b-3; or (iii) arise from an election
by a director to
 

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receive all or part of his board fees in securities.  No Participant of
an Award granted pursuant to Section 12 shall fail to meet the definition
of Disinterested Person solely by reason of such Award.

   "ERISA" - means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of
1974, as amended.

   "Participant" - means any director, director emeritus,
advisory director, executive officer or employee of the
Corporation or any Affiliate who is selected by the Committee to
receive an Award or a director who is granted an Award pursuant
to Section 12.

   "Plan" - means the 1996 Recognition and Retention Plan of the
Corporation.

   "Restricted Period" - means the period of time selected by the
Committee for the purpose of determining when restrictions are in
effect under Section 3 hereof with respect to Restricted Stock
awarded under the Plan.

   "Restricted Stock" - means Shares which have been
contingently awarded to a Participant by the Committee subject to
the restrictions referred to in Section 3 hereof, so long as such
restrictions are in effect.

   "Shares" - means the common stock, par value $0.01 per share,
of the Corporation.

   3. Terms and Conditions of Restricted Stock.  The Committee
shall have full and complete authority, subject to the
limitations of the Plan, to grant Awards and, in addition to the
terms and conditions contained in paragraphs (a) through (f) of
this Section 3, to provide such other terms and conditions (which
need not be identical among Participants) in respect of such 
Awards, and the vesting thereof, as the Committee shall
determine, subject to Office of Thrift Supervision Regulations. 
   (a)   At the time of an award of Restricted Stock, the
Committee shall establish for each Participant a
Restricted Period, during which or at the expiration of  
which, as the Committee shall determine and provide in     
the agreement referred to in paragraph (d) of this         
Section 3, the Shares awarded as Restricted Stock shall         
vest, and subject to any such other terms and conditions         
as the Committee shall provide, shares of Restricted         
Stock may not be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged,         
voted or otherwise encumbered by the Participant, except         
as hereinafter provided, during the Restricted Period.

    Except for such restrictions, and subject to
paragraphs (c) and (e) of this Section 3 and Section 4
hereof, the Participant as owner of such shares shall
have all the rights of a stockholder.

    No director who is not an employee of the Corporation  
shall be granted Awards with respect to more than 5% of
the total shares subject to the Plan. All non-employee
directors of the Corporation, in the aggregate, may not be  
granted Awards with respect to more than 30% of the total  
shares subject to the Plan and no individual shall be
granted Awards with respect to more than 25% of the total  
shares subject to the Plan. No Awards shall begin vesting  
earlier than one year from the date the Plan is approved by
stockholders of the Corporation and no Award shall vest at
a rate in excess of 20% per year, except in the event of
death or disability. In the event Office of Thrift
Supervision Regulations are amended (the "Amended
Regulations") to permit shorter vesting periods, any Award 
made pursuant to this Plan, which Award is subject to the   
requirements of such Amended Regulations, may vest, at the   
sole discretion of the Committee, in accordance with such   
Amended Regulations.

      Subject to compliance with Office of Thrift Supervision     
 Regulations, the Committee shall have the authority, in      
its discretion, to accelerate the time at which any or all      
of the restrictions shall lapse with respect to an Award,      
or to remove any or all of such restrictions, whenever it      
may determine that such action is appropriate by reason of      
changes in applicable tax or other laws or other changes
in circumstances occurring after the commencement of such   
Restricted Period.

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  (b) Except as provided in Section 5 hereof, if a
Participant ceases to maintain Continuous Service for any
reason (other than death or disability), unless the Committee
shall otherwise determine, all Shares of Restricted 
Stock theretofore awarded to such Participant and which 
at the time of such termination of Continuous Service 
are subject to the restrictions imposed by paragraph
(a) of this Section 3 shall upon such termination of
Continuous Service be forfeited and returned to the  
corporation.  If a Participant ceases to maintain 
Continuous Service by reason of death or disability, 
Restricted Stock then still subject to restrictions 
imposed by paragraph (a) of this Section 3 will be
free of those restrictions.

(c) Each certificate in respect of Shares of Restricted
Stock awarded under the Plan shall be registered in the
name of the Participant and deposited by the Participant,
together with a stock power endorsed in blank, with the
Corporation and shall bear the following  (or a similar) legend:

   The transferability of this certificate and the
shares of stock represented hereby are subject to the
terms and conditions (including forfeiture) contained
in the 1996 Recognition and Retention Plan of Damen
Financial Corporation.  Copies of such Plan are on file
in the offices of the Secretary of Damen Financial Corporation,
200 West Higgins Road, Schaumburg, Illinois  60195-3788.

(d) At the time of any Award, the Participant shall enter  
into an Agreement with the Corporation in a form
specified by the Committee, agreeing to the terms and  
conditions of the Award and such other matters as the    
Committee, in its sole discretion, shall determine (the   
"Restricted Stock Agreement").

(e)   At the time of an Award of shares of Restricted Stock,   
the Committee shall determine that the payment to the       
Participant of dividends declared or paid on such shares        
by the Corporation shall be deferred until the lapsing         
of the restrictions imposed under paragraph (a) of this         
Section 3, such dividends and shall be held by the         
Corporation for the account of the Participant until         
such time.  There shall be credited at the end of each         
year (or portion thereof) interest on the amount of the         
account at a rate per annum as the Committee, in its         
discretion, may determine.  Payment of deferred
dividends, together with interest accrued thereon, shall 
be made upon the earlier to occur of the lapsing of the   
restrictions imposed under paragraph (a) of this
Section 3 or upon death or disability of the
Participant.

(f)   At the lapsing of the restrictions imposed by
paragraph (a) of this Section 3, the Corporation shall   
deliver to the Participant (or where the relevant         
provision of paragraph (b) of this Section 3 applies in         
the case of a deceased Participant, to his legal
representative, beneficiary or heir) the certificate(s)  
and stock power deposited with it pursuant to
paragraph (c) of this Section 3 and the Shares
represented by such certificate(s) shall be free of the  
restrictions referred to in paragraph (a) of this         
Section 3.

   4. Adjustments Upon Changes in Capitalization.  In the event
of any change in the outstanding Shares subsequent to the
effective date of the Plan by reason of any reorganization,
recapitalization, stock split, stock dividend, combination or
exchange of shares, merger, consolidation or any change in the
corporate structure or Shares of the Corporation, the maximum
aggregate number and class of shares as to which Awards may be
granted under the Plan and the number and class of shares with
respect to which Awards theretofore have been granted under the
Plan shall be appropriately adjusted by the Committee, whose
determination shall be conclusive.  Any shares of stock or other
securities received as a result of any of the foregoing, by a
Participant with respect to Restricted Stock shall be subject to
the same restrictions and the certificate(s) or other instruments
representing or evidencing such shares or securities shall be
legended and deposited with the Corporation in the manner
provided in Section 3 hereof.

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   5. Assignments and Transfers.  During the Restricted Period,
no Award nor any right or interest of a Participant under the
Plan in any instrument evidencing any Award under the Plan may be
assigned, encumbered or transferred except (i) in the event of
the death of a Participant, by will or the laws of descent and
distribution, or (ii) pursuant to a qualified domestic relations
order as defined in the Code or Title I of ERISA or the rules
thereunder.

   6. Administration.  The Plan shall be administered by a
Committee consisting of two or more members, each of whom shall
be a Disinterested Person.  The members of the Committee shall be
appointed by the Board of Directors of the Corporation.  Except
as limited by the express provisions of the Plan, the Committee
shall have sole and complete authority and discretion, subject to
Office of Thrift Supervision Regulations, to (i) select
Participants and grant Awards; (ii) determine the number of
Shares to be subject to types of Awards generally, as well as
individual Awards granted under the Plan; (iii) determine the
terms and conditions upon which Awards shall be granted under the
Plan; (iv) prescribe the form and terms of instruments evidencing
such grants; and (v) establish from time to time regulations for
the administration of the Plan, interpret the Plan, and make all
determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the administra-
tion of the Plan.  The Committee may maintain, and update from
time to time as appropriate, a list designating selected direc-
tors as Disinterested Persons.  The purpose of such list shall be
to evidence the status of such individuals as Disinterested
Persons, and the Board of Directors may appoint to the Committee
any individual actually qualifying as a Disinterested Person,
regardless of whether identified as such on said list.

   A majority of the Committee shall constitute a quorum, and the
acts of a majority of the members present at any meeting at which
a quorum is present, or acts approved in writing by a ma- jority
of the Committee without a meeting, shall be acts of the
Committee.

   7. Shares Subject to Plan.  Subject to adjustment by the
operation of Section 4 hereof, the maximum number of Shares with
respect to which Awards may be made under the Plan is 4% of the
total Shares issued in the Bank's Conversion.  The Shares with
respect to which Awards may be made under the Plan may be either
authorized and unissued Shares or issued Shares heretofore or
hereafter reacquired and held as treasury Shares.  An Award shall
not be considered to have been made under the Plan with respect
to Restricted Stock which is forfeited and new Awards may be
granted under the Plan with respect to the number of Shares as to
which such forfeiture has occurred.

   The Corporation's obligation to deliver Shares with respect to
an Award shall, if the Committee so requests, be conditioned upon
the receipt of a representation as to the investment
intention of the Participant to whom such Shares are to be
delivered, in such form as the Committee shall determine to be
necessary or advisable to comply with the provisions of the
Securities Act of 1933 or any other Federal, state or local
securities legislation or regulation.  It may be provided that
any representation requirement shall become inoperative upon a
registration of the Shares or other action eliminating the
necessity of such representation under such Securities Act or
other securities legislation.  The Corporation shall not be re-
quired to deliver any Shares under the Plan prior to (i) the ad-
mission of such shares to listing on any stock exchange on which
Shares may then be listed, and (ii) the completion of such regis-
tration or other qualification of such Shares under any state or
Federal law, rule or regulation, as the Committee shall determine
to be necessary or advisable.

   8. Employee Rights Under the Plan.  No director, director
emeritus, advisory director, officer or employee shall have a
right to be selected as a Participant nor, having been so
selected, to be selected again as a Participant and no director,
officer, employee or other person shall have any claim or right
to be granted an Award under the Plan or under any other
incentive or similar plan of the Corporation or any Affiliate.
Neith er the Plan nor any action taken thereunder shall be
construed as giving any officer or employee any right to be
retained in the employ of the Corporation, the Bank or any
Affiliate.


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   9. Withholding Tax.  Upon the termination of the Restricted
Period with respect to any shares of Restricted Stock (or at such
earlier time, if any, that an election is made by the Participant
under Section 83(b) of the Code, or any successor provision
thereto, to include the value of such shares in taxable income),
the Corporation may, in its sole discretion, withhold from any
payment or distribution made under this Plan sufficient Shares or 
withhold sufficient cash to cover any applicable withholding and
employment taxes.  The Corporation shall have the right to deduct
from all dividends paid with respect to shares of Restricted
Stock the amount of any taxes which the Corporation is required
to withhold with respect to such dividend payments.  No
discretion or choice shall be conferred upon any Participant with
respect to the form, timing or method of any such tax
withholding.

   10.   Amendment or Termination.  The Board of Directors of the
Corporation may amend, suspend or terminate the Plan or any
portion thereof at any time, subject to Office of Thrift
Supervision Regulations but no amendment shall be made without
approval of the stockholders of the Corporation which shall (i)
increase the aggregate number of Shares with respect to which
Awards may be made under the Plan (except pursuant to Section 4),
(ii) materially increase the benefits accruing to Participants,
(iii) materially change the requirements as to eligibility for
participation in the Plan or (iv) change the class of persons
eligible to participate in the Plan; provided, however, that no
such amendment, suspension or termination shall impair the rights
of any Participant, without his consent, in any Award theretofore
made pursuant to the Plan. 

   Notwithstanding anything in this Plan to the contrary, to the
extent that the Plan provides for formula awards, as defined in
Rule 16b-3(c)(2)(ii) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended, such provisions may not be amended more than once
every six months, other than to comport with changes in the Code,
ERISA or the rules thereunder.

   11.   Term of Plan.  The Plan shall become effective upon its
ratification by the stockholders of the Corporation.  It shall
continue in effect for a term of ten years unless sooner
terminated under Section 10 hereof.

   12.   Director Awards.  By, and simultaneously with, the
ratification of this Plan by the stockholders of the Corporation,
the Chairman and each other member of the Board of Directors of
the Corporation, who is not a full-time employee of the
Corporation, is hereby granted an Award equal to 0.2% of the
shares sold in the Conversion.  In addition, each director of the
Corporation who is not a full-time employee of the Corporation
elected subsequent to the Conversion shall be issued, as of the
date he is elected and qualified, an Award equal to a like amount
of shares of Common Stock, subject to availability.  Each such
Award shall be evidenced by a Restricted Stock Agreement in a
form approved by the Corporation and shall be subject in all
respects to the terms and conditions of this Plan, which are
controlling.  All Awards granted pursuant to this Section 12
shall be rounded down to the nearest whole share to the extent
necessary to ensure that no shares of Restricted Stock
representing fractional shares are issued.  Each of the Awards
granted in this Section 12 shall be earned in five equal annual
installments, with the first installment vesting on the first 

anniversary of the date of grant, as long as the director
maintains Continuous Service with the Corporation or its
affiliates, provided, however, no Award shall be earned in any
fiscal year (and shall be carried over to the subsequent fiscal
year) in which the Bank fails to meet all of its fully phased-in
capital requirements.