<Page>


Ex-99.CERT

                                 CERTIFICATIONS

I, Jeffrey J. Diermeier, President of FORT DEARBORN INCOME SECURITIES, INC.,
certify that:

1.   I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of FORT DEARBORN INCOME
     SECURITIES, INC.;

2.   Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of
     a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the
     statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements
     were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this
     report;

3.   Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
     information included in this report, fairly present in all material
     respects the financial condition, results of operations, changes in net
     assets, and cash flows (if the financial statements are required to include
     a statement of cash flows) of the registrant as of, and for, the periods
     presented in this report;

4.   The registrant's other certifying officers and I are responsible for
     establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined
     in Rule 30a-2(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) for the
     registrant and have:

     a)   designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that
          material information relating to the registrant, including its
          consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those
          entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being
          prepared;

     b)   evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls
          and procedures as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of
          this report (the "Evaluation Date"); and

     c)   presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of
          the disclosure controls and procedures based on our evaluation as of
          the Evaluation Date;

5.   The registrant's other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on
     our most recent evaluation, to the registrant's auditors and the audit

<Page>


     committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the
     equivalent functions):

     a)   all significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal
          controls which could adversely affect the registrant's ability to
          record, process, summarize, and report financial data and have
          identified for the registrant's auditors any material weaknesses in
          internal controls; and

     b)   any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other
          employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal
          controls; and

6.   The registrant's other certifying officers and I have indicated in this
     report whether or not there were significant changes in internal controls
     or in other factors that could significantly affect internal controls
     subsequent to the date of our most recent evaluation, including any
     corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material
     weaknesses.

By:      /s/ Jeffrey J. Diermeier
         ------------------------
         Jeffrey J. Diermeier
         President

Date:    June 4, 2003



<Page>



Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, the undersigned officer of FORT DEARBORN
INCOME SECURITIES, INC. (the "Registrant"), hereby certifies, to the best of his
knowledge, that the Registrant's report on Form N-CSR for the period ended March
31, 2003 (the "Report") fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or
15(d), as applicable, of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and
that the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material
respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Registrant.

Dated:   June 4, 2003

By:      /s/ Jeffrey J. Diermeier
         Jeffrey J. Diermeier
         President

This certification is being furnished solely pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350
and is not being filed as part of the Report or as a separate disclosure
document.


<Page>


I, Paul H. Schubert, Chief Financial Officer of FORT DEARBORN INCOME SECURITIES,
INC., certify that:

1.   I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of FORT DEARBORN INCOME
     SECURITIES, INC.;

2.   Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of
     a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the
     statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements
     were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this
     report;

3.   Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
     information included in this report, fairly present in all material
     respects the financial condition, results of operations, changes in net
     assets, and cash flows (if the financial statements are required to include
     a statement of cash flows) of the registrant as of, and for, the periods
     presented in this report;

4.   The registrant's other certifying officers and I are responsible for
     establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined
     in Rule 30a-2(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) for the
     registrant and have:

     a)   designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that
          material information relating to the registrant, including its
          consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those
          entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being
          prepared;

     b)   evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls
          and procedures as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of
          this report (the "Evaluation Date"); and

     c)   presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of
          the disclosure controls and procedures based on our evaluation as of
          the Evaluation Date;

5.   The registrant's other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on
     our most recent evaluation, to the registrant's auditors and the audit
     committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the
     equivalent functions):

<Page>


     a)   all significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal
          controls which could adversely affect the registrant's ability to
          record, process, summarize, and report financial data and have
          identified for the registrant's auditors any material weaknesses in
          internal controls; and

     b)   any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other
          employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal
          controls; and

6.   The registrant's other certifying officers and I have indicated in this
     report whether or not there were significant changes in internal controls
     or in other factors that could significantly affect internal controls
     subsequent to the date of our most recent evaluation, including any
     corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material
     weaknesses.

By:      /s/ Paul H. Schubert
         --------------------
         Paul H. Schubert
         Chief Financial Officer

Date:    June 4, 2003


<Page>



Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, the undersigned officer of FORT DEARBORN
INCOME SECURITIES, INC.. (the "Registrant"), hereby certifies, to the best of
his knowledge, that the Registrant's report on Form N-CSR for the period ended
March 31, 2003 (the "Report") fully complies with the requirements of
Section 13(a) or 15(d), as applicable, of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended, and that the information contained in the Report fairly presents,
in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations
of the Registrant.

Dated:   June 4, 2003

By:      /s/ Paul H. Schubert
         --------------------
         Paul H. Schubert
         Chief Financial Officer

This certification is being furnished solely pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350
and is not being filed as part of the Report or as a separate disclosure
document.