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EXHIBIT 10.1    CENTRUE FINANCIAL CORPORATION,
as Issuer INDENTURE
Dated as of April 22, 2004 U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
as Trustee FLOATING RATE JUNIOR SUBORDINATED DEFERRABLE INTEREST DEBENTURES DUE 2034    Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture




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TABLE OF CONTENTS PageARTICLE I. DEFINITIONS
    
    
    1Section 1.1. Definitions
    
    
    1ARTICLE II. DEBENTURES
    
    
    7Section 2.1. Authentication and Dating
    
    
    8Section 2.2. Form of Trustees Certificate of Authentication
    
    
    8Section 2.3. Form and Denomination of Debentures
    
    
    8Section 2.4. Execution of Debentures
    
    
    9Section 2.5. Exchange and Registration of Transfer of Debentures
    
    
    9Section 2.6. Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Debentures
    
    
    11Section 2.7. Temporary Debentures
    
    
    12Section 2.8. Payment of Interest and Additional Interest
    
    
    12Section 2.9. Cancellation of Debentures Paid, etc.
    
    
    13Section 2.10. Computation of Interest
    
    
    13Section 2.11. Extension of Interest Payment Period
    
    
    15Section 2.12. CUSIP Numbers
    
    
    16ARTICLE III. PARTICULAR COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY
    
    
    16Section 3.1. Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest; Agreed Treatment of the Debentures
    
    
    16Section 3.2. Offices for Notices and Payments, etc.
    
    
    17Section 3.3. Appointments to Fill Vacancies in Trustees Office
    
    
    17Section 3.4. Provision as to Paying Agent
    
    
    17Section 3.5. Certificate to Trustee
    
    
    18Section 3.6. Additional Sums
    
    
    18Section 3.7. Compliance with Consolidation Provisions
    
    
    19Section 3.8. Limitation on Dividends
    
    
    19Section 3.9. Covenants as to the Trust
    
    
    19Section 3.10. Additional Junior Indebtedness
    
    
    19ARTICLE IV. SECURITYHOLDERS LISTS AND REPORTS BY THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE
    
    
    20Section 4.1. Securityholders Lists
    
    
    20Section 4.2. Preservation and Disclosure of Lists
    
    
    20ARTICLE V. REMEDIES OF THE TRUSTEE AND SECURITYHOLDERS UPON AN EVENT OF DEFAULT
    
    
    21Section 5.1. Events of Default
    
    
    21Section 5.2. Payment of Debentures on Default; Suit Therefor
    
    
    22Section 5.3. Application of Moneys Collected by Trustee
    
    
    24Section 5.4. Proceedings by Securityholders
    
    
    24Section 5.5. Proceedings by Trustee
    
    
    25Section 5.6. Remedies Cumulative and Continuing; Delay or Omission Not a Waiver
    
    
    25Section 5.7. Direction of Proceedings and Waiver of Defaults by Majority of Securityholders
    
    
    25
 Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture i




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PageSection 5.8. Notice of Defaults
    
    
    26Section 5.9. Undertaking to Pay Costs
    
    
    26ARTICLE VI. CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE
    
    
    26Section 6.1. Duties and Responsibilities of Trustee
    
    
    26Section 6.2. Reliance on Documents, Opinions, etc.
    
    
    27Section 6.3. No Responsibility for Recitals, etc.
    
    
    28Section 6.4. Trustee, Authenticating Agent, Paying Agents, Transfer Agents or Registrar May Own Debentures
    
    
    28Section 6.5. Moneys to be Held in Trust
    
    
    28Section 6.6. Compensation and Expenses of Trustee
    
    
    28Section 6.7. Officers Certificate as Evidence
    
    
    29Section 6.8. Eligibility of Trustee
    
    
    29Section 6.9. Resignation or Removal of Trustee
    
    
    30Section 6.10. Acceptance by Successor Trustee
    
    
    31Section 6.11. Succession by Merger, etc.
    
    
    31Section 6.12. Authenticating Agents
    
    
    32ARTICLE VII. CONCERNING THE SECURITYHOLDERS
    
    
    33Section 7.1. Action by Securityholders
    
    
    33Section 7.2. Proof of Execution by Securityholders
    
    
    33Section 7.3. Who Are Deemed Absolute Owners
    
    
    33Section 7.4. Debentures Owned by Company Deemed Not Outstanding
    
    
    34Section 7.5. Revocation of Consents; Future Holders Bound
    
    
    34ARTICLE VIII. SECURITYHOLDERS MEETINGS
    
    
    34Section 8.1. Purposes of Meetings
    
    
    34Section 8.2. Call of Meetings by Trustee
    

    
    35Section 8.3. Call of Meetings by Company or Securityholders
    
    
    35Section 8.4. Qualifications for Voting
    
    
    35Section 8.5. Regulations
    
    
    35Section 8.6. Voting
    
    
    36Section 8.7. Quorum; Actions
    
    
    36ARTICLE IX. SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
    
    
    37Section 9.1. Supplemental Indentures without Consent of Securityholders
    
    
    37Section 9.2. Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Securityholders
    
    
    38Section 9.3. Effect of Supplemental Indentures
    
    
    38Section 9.4. Notation on Debentures
    
    
    39Section 9.5. Evidence of Compliance of Supplemental Indenture to be Furnished to Trustee
    
    
    39ARTICLE X. REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES
    
    
    39Section 10.1. Optional Redemption
    
    
    39Section 10.2. Special Event Redemption
    
    
    39Section 10.3. Notice of Redemption; Selection of Debentures
    
    
    39Section 10.4. Payment of Debentures Called for Redemption
    
    
    40
 Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture ii




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PageARTICLE XI. CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, SALE, CONVEYANCE AND LEASE
    
    
    40Section 11.1. Company May Consolidate, etc., on Certain Terms
    
    
    40Section 11.2. Successor Entity to be Substituted
    
    
    41Section 11.3. Opinion of Counsel to be Given to Trustee
    
    
    41ARTICLE XII. SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE
    
    
    41Section 12.1. Discharge of Indenture
    
    
    41Section 12.2. Deposited Moneys to be Held in Trust by Trustee
    
    
    42Section 12.3. Paying Agent to Repay Moneys Held
    
    
    42Section 12.4. Return of Unclaimed Moneys
    
    
    42ARTICLE XIII. IMMUNITY OF INCORPORATORS, STOCKHOLDERS, OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
    
    
    42Section 13.1. Indenture and Debentures Solely Corporate Obligations
    
    
    42ARTICLE XIV. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
    
    
    43Section 14.1. Successors
    
    
    43Section 14.2. Official Acts by Successor Entity
    
    
    43Section 14.3. Surrender of Company Powers
    
    
    43Section 14.4. Addresses for Notices, etc.
    
    
    43Section 14.5. Governing Law
    
    
    43Section 14.6. Evidence of Compliance with Conditions Precedent
    
    
    43Section 14.7. Table of Contents, Headings, etc.
    
    
    44Section 14.8. Execution in Counterparts
    
    
    44Section 14.9. Separability
    
    
    44Section 14.10. Assignment
    
    
    44Section 14.11. Acknowledgment of Rights
    
    
    44ARTICLE XV. SUBORDINATION OF DEBENTURES
    
    
    44Section 15.1. Agreement to Subordinate
    
    
    44Section 15.2. Default on Senior Indebtedness
    
    
    45Section 15.3. Liquidation, Dissolution, Bankruptcy
    
    
    45Section 15.4. Subrogation
    
    
    46Section 15.5. Trustee to Effectuate Subordination
    
    
    47Section 15.6. Notice by the Company
    
    
    47Section 15.7. Rights of the Trustee; Holders of Senior Indebtedness
    
    
    47Section 15.8. Subordination May Not Be Impaired
    
    
    48Exhibit A Form of Floating Rate Junior Subordinated Deferrable Interest Debenture
 Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture iii




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THIS INDENTURE, dated as of April 22, 2004, between Centrue Financial
Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the Company), and U.S. Bank National
Association, a national banking association organized under the laws of the
United States of America, as debenture trustee (the Trustee). WITNESSETH: WHEREAS, for its lawful corporate purposes, the Company has duly
authorized the issuance of its Floating Rate Junior Subordinated Deferrable
Interest Debentures due 2034 (the Debentures) under this Indenture to
provide, among other things, for the execution and authentication, delivery and
administration thereof, and the Company has duly authorized the execution of
this Indenture; and WHEREAS, all acts and things necessary to make this Indenture a valid
agreement according to its terms, have been done and performed; NOW, THEREFORE, This Indenture Witnesseth: In consideration of the premises, and the purchase of the Debentures by
the holders thereof, the Company covenants and agrees with the Trustee for the
equal and proportionate benefit of the respective holders from time to time of
the Debentures as follows: ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS Section 1.1. Definitions. The terms defined in this Section 1.1 (except
as herein otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise
requires) for all purposes of this Indenture and of any indenture supplemental
hereto shall have the respective meanings specified in this Section 1.1. All
accounting terms used herein and not expressly defined shall have the meanings
assigned to such terms in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles and the term generally accepted accounting principles means such
accounting principles as are generally accepted in the United States at the
time of any computation. The words herein, hereof and hereunder and
other words of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any
particular Article, Section or other subdivision. Additional Interest has the meaning set forth in Section 2.11. Additional Junior Indebtedness means, without duplication and other than
the Debentures, any indebtedness, liabilities or obligations of the Company, or
any Subsidiary of the Company, under debt securities (or guarantees in respect
of debt securities) initially issued after the date of this Indenture to any
trust, or a trustee of a trust, partnership or other entity affiliated with the
Company that is, directly or indirectly, a finance subsidiary (as such term is
defined in Rule 3a-5 under the Investment Company Act of 1940) or other
financing vehicle of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company in connection
with the issuance by that entity of preferred securities or other securities
that are eligible to qualify for Tier 1 capital treatment (or its then
equivalent) for purposes of the capital adequacy guidelines of the Federal
Reserve, as then in effect and applicable to the Company (or, if the Company is
not a bank holding company, such guidelines applied to the Company as if the
Company were subject to such guidelines); provided, however, that the inability
of the Company to treat all or any portion of the Additional Junior
Indebtedness as Tier 1 capital shall not disqualify it as Additional Junior
Indebtedness if such inability results from the Company having cumulative
preferred stock, minority interests in consolidated subsidiaries, or any other
class of security or interest which the Federal Reserve now or may hereafter
accord Tier 1 capital treatment (including the Debentures) in excess of
the amount which may qualify for treatment as Tier 1 capital under applicable
capital adequacy guidelines. Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 1




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Additional Sums has the meaning set forth in Section 3.6. Affiliate has the same meaning as given to that term in Rule 405 of the
Securities Act or any successor rule thereunder. Authenticating Agent means any agent or agents of the Trustee which at
the time shall be appointed and acting pursuant to Section 6.12. Bankruptcy Law means Title 11, U.S. Code, or any similar federal or
state law for the relief of debtors. Board of Directors means the board of directors or the executive
committee or any other duly authorized designated officers of the Company. Board Resolution means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary
or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by the Board
of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of such
certification and delivered to the Trustee. Business Day means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or any other
day on which banking institutions in New York City or Hartford, Connecticut are
permitted or required by any applicable law or executive order to close. Capital Securities means undivided beneficial interests in the assets of
the Trust which rank pari passuwith Common Securities issued by the Trust;
provided, however, that upon the occurrence and continuance of an Event of
Default (as defined in the Declaration), the rights of holders of such Common
Securities to payment in respect of distributions and payments upon
liquidation, redemption and otherwise are subordinated to the rights of holders
of such Capital Securities. Capital Securities Guarantee means the guarantee agreement that the
Company enters into with U.S. Bank National Association, as guarantee trustee,
or other Persons that operates directly or indirectly for the benefit of
holders of Capital Securities of the Trust. Capital Treatment Event means the receipt by the Company and the Trust
of an opinion of counsel experienced in such matters to the effect that, as a
result of the occurrence of any amendment to, or change (including any
announced prospective change) in, the laws, rules or regulations of the United
States or any political subdivision thereof or therein, or as the result of any
official or administrative pronouncement or action or decision interpreting or
applying such laws, rules or regulations, which amendment or change is
effective or which pronouncement, action or decision is announced on or after
the date of original issuance of the Debentures, there is more than an
insubstantial risk that the Company will not, within 90 days of the date of
such opinion, be entitled to treat an amount equal to the aggregate liquidation
amount of the Capital Securities as Tier 1 Capital (or its then equivalent)
for purposes of the capital adequacy guidelines of the Federal Reserve, as then
in effect and applicable to the Company (or if the Company is not a bank
holding company, such guidelines applied to the Company as if the Company were
subject to such guidelines); provided, however, that the inability of the
Company to treat all or any portion of the liquidation amount of the Capital
Securities as Tier l Capital shall not constitute the basis for a Capital
Treatment Event, if such inability results from the Company having cumulative
preferred stock, minority interests in consolidated subsidiaries, or any other
class of security or interest which the Federal Reserve or OTS, as applicable,
may now or hereafter accord Tier 1 Capital treatment in excess of the amount
which may now or hereafter qualify for treatment as Tier 1 Capital under
applicable capital adequacy guidelines; provided further, however, that the distribution of
Debentures in connection with the liquidation of the Trust shall not in and of
itself constitute a Capital Treatment Event unless such liquidation shall have
occurred in connection with a Tax Event or an Investment Company Event. Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 2




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Certificate means a certificate signed by any one of the principal
executive officer, the principal financial officer or the principal accounting
officer of the Company. Common Securities means undivided beneficial interests in the assets of
the Trust which rank pari passuwith Capital Securities issued by the Trust;
provided, however, that upon the occurrence and continuance of an Event of
Default (as defined in the Declaration), the rights of holders of such Common
Securities to payment in respect of distributions and payments upon
liquidation, redemption and otherwise are subordinated to the rights of holders
of such Capital Securities. Company means Centrue Financial Corporation, a Delaware corporation,
and, subject to the provisions of Article XI, shall include its successors and
assigns. Coupon Rate has the meaning set forth in Section 2.8. Debenture or Debentures has the meaning stated in the first recital of
this Indenture. Debenture Register has the meaning specified in Section 2.5. Declaration means the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of the
Trust, as amended or supplemented from time to time. Default means any event, act or condition that with notice or lapse of
time, or both, would constitute an Event of Default. Defaulted Interest has the meaning set forth in Section 2.8. Distribution Period means (i) with respect to interest paid on the first
Interest Payment Date, the period beginning on (and including) the date of
original issuance and ending on (but excluding) the Interest Payment Date in
September 2004 and (ii) thereafter, with respect to interest paid on each
successive Interest Payment Date, the period beginning on (and including) the
preceding Interest Payment Date and ending on (but excluding) such current
Interest Payment Date. Determination Date has the meaning set forth in Section 2.10. Event of Default means any event specified in Section 5.1, continued for
the period of time, if any, and after the giving of the notice, if any, therein
designated. Extension Period has the meaning set forth in Section 2.11. Federal Reserve means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System, or its designated district bank, as applicable, and any successor
federal agency that is primarily responsible for regulating the activities of
bank holding companies. Indenture means this instrument as originally executed or, if amended or
supplemented as herein provided, as so amended or supplemented, or both. Institutional Trustee has the meaning set forth in the Declaration. Interest Payment Date means March 17, June 17, September 17 and December
17 of each year during the term of this Indenture, or if such day is not a
Business Day, then the next succeeding Business Day, commencing in September
2004. Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 3




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Interest Rate means for the Distribution Period beginning on (and
including) the date of original issuance and ending on (but excluding) the
Interest Payment Date in September 2004 the rate per annum of 3.81875%, and for
each Distribution Period beginning on or after the Interest Payment Date in
September 2004, the Coupon Rate for such Distribution Period. Investment Company Event means the receipt by the Company and the Trust
of an opinion of counsel experienced in such matters to the effect that, as a
result of the occurrence of a change in law or regulation or written change
(including any announced prospective change) in interpretation or application
of law or regulation by any legislative body, court, governmental agency or
regulatory authority, there is more than an insubstantial risk that the Trust
is or, within 90 days of the date of such opinion will be considered an
investment company that is required to be registered under the Investment
Company Act of 1940, as amended which change or prospective change becomes
effective or would become effective, as the case may be, on or after the date
of the issuance of the Debentures. Liquidation Amount means the stated amount of $1,000.00 per Trust
Security. Maturity Date means June 17, 2034. Officers Certificate means a certificate signed by the Chairman of the
Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the Vice Chairman, the President, any
Managing Director or any Vice President, and by the Treasurer, an Assistant
Treasurer, the Comptroller, an Assistant Comptroller, the Secretary or an
Assistant Secretary of the Company, and delivered to the Trustee. Each such
certificate shall include the statements provided for in Section 14.6 if and to
the extent required by the provisions of such Section. Opinion of Counsel means an opinion in writing signed by legal counsel,
who may be an employee of or counsel to the Company, or may be other counsel
reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee. Each such opinion shall include the
statements provided for in Section 14.6 if and to the extent required by the
provisions of such Section. OTS means the Office of Thrift Supervision and any successor federal
agency that is primarily responsible for regulating the activities of savings
and loan holding companies. The term outstanding, when used with reference to Debentures, means,
subject to the provisions of Section 7.4, as of any particular time, all
Debentures authenticated and delivered by the Trustee or the Authenticating
Agent under this Indenture, except: (a) Debentures theretofore canceled by the Trustee or the Authenticating
Agent or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; (b) Debentures, or portions thereof, for the payment or redemption of
which moneys in the necessary amount shall have been deposited in trust with
the Trustee or with any paying agent (other than the Company) or shall have
been set aside and segregated in trust by the Company (if the Company shall act
as its own paying agent); provided, however, that, if such Debentures, or
portions thereof, are to be redeemed prior to maturity thereof, notice of such
redemption shall have been given as provided in Section 10.3 or provision
satisfactory to the Trustee shall have been made for giving such notice; and (c) Debentures paid pursuant to Section 2.6 or in lieu of or in
substitution for which other Debentures shall have been authenticated and
delivered pursuant to the terms of Section 2.6 unless proof
satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee is presented that any such
Debentures are held by bona fide holders in due course. Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 4




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Person means any individual, corporation, limited liability company,
partnership, joint venture, association, joint-stock company, trust,
unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political
subdivision thereof. Predecessor Security of any particular Debenture means every previous
Debenture evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced by
such particular Debenture; and, for purposes of this definition, any Debenture
authenticated and delivered under Section 2.6 in lieu of a lost, destroyed or
stolen Debenture shall be deemed to evidence the same debt as the lost,
destroyed or stolen Debenture. Principal Office of the Trustee, or other similar term, means the office
of the Trustee, at which at any particular time its corporate trust business
shall be principally administered, which at the time of the execution of this
Indenture shall be 225 Asylum Street, Goodwin Square, Hartford, Connecticut
06103. Redemption Date has the meaning set forth in Section 10.1. Redemption Price means 100% of the principal amount of the Debentures
being redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest (including any Additional
Interest) on such Debentures to the Redemption Date. Responsible Officer means, with respect to the Trustee, any officer
within the Principal Office of the Trustee, including any vice-president, any
assistant vice-president, any secretary, any assistant secretary, the
treasurer, any assistant treasurer, any trust officer or other officer of the
Principal Trust Office of the Trustee customarily performing functions similar
to those performed by any of the above designated officers and also means, with
respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom such
matter is referred because of that officers knowledge of and familiarity with
the particular subject. Securities Act means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to
time or any successor legislation. Securityholder, holder of Debentures, or other similar terms, means
any Person in whose name at the time a particular Debenture is registered on
the register kept by the Company or the Trustee for that purpose in accordance
with the terms hereof. Senior Indebtedness means, with respect to the Company, (i) the
principal, premium, if any, and interest in respect of (A) indebtedness of the
Company for money borrowed and (B) indebtedness evidenced by securities,
debentures, notes, bonds or other similar instruments issued by the Company;
(ii) all capital lease obligations of the Company; (iii) all obligations of the
Company issued or assumed as the deferred purchase price of property, all
conditional sale obligations of the Company and all obligations of the Company
under any title retention agreement; (iv) all obligations of the Company for
the reimbursement of any letter of credit, any bankers acceptance, any
security purchase facility, any repurchase agreement or similar arrangement,
any interest rate swap, any other hedging arrangement, any obligation under
options or any similar credit or other transaction; (v) all obligations of the
type referred to in clauses (i) through (iv) above of other Persons for the
payment of which the Company is responsible or liable as obligor, guarantor or
otherwise; and (vi) all obligations of the type referred to in clauses (i)
through (v) above of other Persons secured by any lien on any property or asset
of the Company (whether or not such obligation is assumed by the Company),
whether incurred on or prior to the date of this Indenture or thereafter
incurred. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Senior Indebtedness shall not
include (1) any Additional Junior Indebtedness, (2) Debentures issued pursuant to
this Indenture and guarantees in respect of such Debentures, (3) trade accounts
payable of the Company arising in the ordinary course of business (such trade
accounts payable being pari passuin right of payment to the Debentures), or Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 5




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(4) obligations with respect to which (a) in the instrument creating or
evidencing the same or pursuant to which the same is outstanding, it is
provided that such obligations are pari passu, junior or otherwise not superior
in right of payment to the Debentures and (b) the Company, prior to the
issuance thereof, has notified (and, if then required under the applicable
guidelines of the regulating entity, has received approval from) the Federal
Reserve (if the Company is a bank holding company) or the OTS (if the Company
is a savings and loan holding company). Senior Indebtedness shall continue to
be Senior Indebtedness and be entitled to the subordination provisions
irrespective of any amendment, modification or waiver of any term of such
Senior Indebtedness. Special Event means any of a Capital Treatment Event, an Investment
Company Event or a Tax Event. Special Redemption Date has the meaning set forth in Section 10.2. Special Redemption Price means the price set forth in the following
table for any Special Redemption Date that occurs on the date indicated below
(or if such day is not a Business Day, then the next succeeding Business Day),
expressed as the percentage of the principal amount of the Debentures being
redeemed: Month in which SpecialRedemption Date Occurs
    
    Special Redemption PriceSeptember 2004
    
    
    104.625
    %December 2004
    
    
    104.300
    %March 2005
    
    
    104.000
    %June 2005
    
    
    103.650
    %September 2005
    
    
    103.350
    %December 2005
    
    
    103.000
    %March 2006
    
    
    102.700
    %June 2006
    
    
    102.350
    %September 2006
    
    
    102.050
    %December 2006
    
    
    101.700
    %March 2007
    
    
    101.400
    %June 2007
    
    
    101.050
    %September 2007
    
    
    100.750
    %December 2007
    
    
    100.450
    %March 2008
    
    
    100.200
    %June 2008 and thereafter
    
    
    100.000
    %
 plus, in each case, accrued and unpaid interest (including any Additional
Interest) on such Debentures to the Special Redemption Date. Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 6




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Subsidiary means with respect to any Person, (i) any corporation at
least a majority of the outstanding voting stock of which is owned, directly or
indirectly, by such Person or by one or more of its Subsidiaries, or by such
Person and one or more of its Subsidiaries, (ii) any general partnership, joint
venture or similar entity, at least a majority of the outstanding partnership
or similar interests of which shall at the time be owned by such Person, or by
one or more of its Subsidiaries, or by such Person and one or more of its
Subsidiaries and (iii) any limited partnership of which such Person or any of
its Subsidiaries is a general partner. For the purposes of this definition,
voting stock means shares, interests, participations or other equivalents in
the equity interest (however designated) in such Person having ordinary voting
power for the election of a majority of the directors (or the equivalent) of
such Person, other than shares, interests, participations or other equivalents
having such power only by reason of the occurrence of a contingency. Tax Event means the receipt by the Company and the Trust of an opinion
of counsel experienced in such matters to the effect that, as a result of any
amendment to or change (including any announced prospective change) in the laws
or any regulations thereunder of the United States or any political subdivision
or taxing authority thereof or therein, or as a result of any official
administrative pronouncement (including any private letter ruling, technical
advice memorandum, field service advice, regulatory procedure, notice or
announcement, including any notice or announcement of intent to adopt such
procedures or regulations) (an Administrative Action) or judicial decision
interpreting or applying such laws or regulations, regardless of whether such
Administrative Action or judicial decision is issued to or in connection with a
proceeding involving the Company or the Trust and whether or not subject to
review or appeal, which amendment, clarification, change, Administrative Action
or decision is enacted, promulgated or announced, in each case on or after the
date of original issuance of the Debentures, there is more than an
insubstantial risk that: (i) the Trust is, or will be within 90 days of the
date of such opinion, subject to United States federal income tax with respect
to income received or accrued on the Debentures; (ii) interest payable by the
Company on the Debentures is not, or within 90 days of the date of such
opinion, will not be, deductible by the Company, in whole or in part, for
United States federal income tax purposes; or (iii) the Trust is, or will be
within 90 days of the date of such opinion, subject to more than a de minimis
amount of other taxes, duties or other governmental charges. 3-Month LIBOR has the meaning set forth in Section 2.10. Telerate Page 3750 has the meaning set forth in Section 2.10. Trust shall mean Centrue Statutory Trust II, a Connecticut statutory
trust, or any other similar trust created for the purpose of issuing Capital
Securities in connection with the issuance of Debentures under this Indenture,
of which the Company is the sponsor. Trust Securities means Common Securities and Capital Securities of the
Trust. Trustee means U.S. Bank National Association, and, subject to the
provisions of Article VI hereof, shall also include its successors and assigns
as Trustee hereunder. Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 7




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ARTICLE II.
DEBENTURES Section 2.1. Authentication and Dating.Upon the execution and delivery
of this Indenture, or from time to time thereafter, Debentures in an aggregate
principal amount not in excess of $10,310,000.00 may be executed and delivered
by the Company to the Trustee for authentication, and the Trustee shall
thereupon authenticate and make available for delivery said Debentures to or
upon the written order of the Company, signed by its Chairman of the Board of
Directors, Chief Executive Officer, Vice Chairman, the President, one of its
Managing Directors or one of its Vice Presidents without any further action by
the Company hereunder. In authenticating such Debentures, and accepting the
additional responsibilities under this Indenture in relation to such
Debentures, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and (subject to Section
6.1) shall be fully protected in relying upon: (a) a copy of any Board Resolution or Board Resolutions relating thereto
and, if applicable, an appropriate record of any action taken pursuant to such
resolution, in each case certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary
of the Company, as the case may be; and (b) an Opinion of Counsel prepared in accordance with Section 14.6 which
shall also state: (1) that such Debentures, when authenticated and delivered by
the Trustee and issued by the Company in each case in the manner
and subject to any conditions specified in such Opinion of Counsel,
will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the
Company, subject to or limited by applicable bankruptcy,
insolvency, reorganization, conservatorship, receivership,
moratorium and other statutory or decisional laws relating to or
affecting creditors rights or the reorganization of financial
institutions (including, without limitation, preference and
fraudulent conveyance or transfer laws), heretofore or hereafter
enacted or in effect, affecting the rights of creditors generally;
and (2) that all laws and requirements in respect of the execution
and delivery by the Company of the Debentures have been complied
with and that authentication and delivery of the Debentures by the
Trustee will not violate the terms of this Indenture. The Trustee shall have the right to decline to authenticate and deliver
any Debentures under this Section if the Trustee, being advised in writing by
counsel, determines that such action may not lawfully be taken or if a
Responsible Officer of the Trustee in good faith shall determine that such
action would expose the Trustee to personal liability to existing holders. The definitive Debentures shall be typed, printed, lithographed or
engraved on steel engraved borders or may be produced in any other manner, all
as determined by the officers executing such Debentures, as evidenced by their
execution of such Debentures. Section 2.2. Form of Trustees Certificate of Authentication.The
Trustees certificate of authentication on all Debentures shall be in
substantially the following form: This is one of the Debentures referred to in the within-mentioned
Indenture. U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Trustee By  Section 2.3. Form and Denomination of Debentures.The Debentures shall be
substantially in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto. The Debentures shall
be in registered, certificated form without coupons and in minimum
denominations of $100,000.00 and any multiple of $1,000.00 in excess thereof. Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 8




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Any attempted transfer of the Debentures in a block having an aggregate
principal amount of less than $100,000.00 shall be deemed to be void and of no
legal effect whatsoever. Any such purported transferee shall be deemed not to
be a holder of such Debentures for any purpose, including, but not limited to
the receipt of payments on such Debentures, and such purported transferee shall
be deemed to have no interest whatsoever in such Debentures. The Debentures
shall be numbered, lettered, or otherwise distinguished in such manner or in
accordance with such plans as the officers executing the same may determine
with the approval of the Trustee as evidenced by the execution and
authentication thereof. Section 2.4. Execution of Debentures.The Debentures shall be signed in
the name and on behalf of the Company by the manual or facsimile signature of
its Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer, Vice Chairman,
President, one of its Managing Directors or one of its Executive Vice
Presidents, Senior Vice Presidents or Vice Presidents. Only such Debentures as
shall bear thereon a certificate of authentication substantially in the form
herein before recited, executed by the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent by
the manual signature of an authorized signer, shall be entitled to the benefits
of this Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose. Such certificate
by the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent upon any Debenture executed by the
Company shall be conclusive evidence that the Debenture so authenticated has
been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder and that the holder is entitled
to the benefits of this Indenture. In case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the
Debentures shall cease to be such officer before the Debentures so signed shall
have been authenticated and delivered by the Trustee or the Authenticating
Agent, or disposed of by the Company, such Debentures nevertheless may be
authenticated and delivered or disposed of as though the Person who signed such
Debentures had not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and any Debenture
may be signed on behalf of the Company by such Persons as, at the actual date
of the execution of such Debenture, shall be the proper officers of the
Company, although at the date of the execution of this Indenture any such
person was not such an officer. Every Debenture shall be dated the date of its authentication. Section 2.5. Exchange and Registration of Transfer of Debentures.The
Company shall cause to be kept, at the office or agency maintained for the
purpose of registration of transfer and for exchange as provided in Section
3.2, a register (the Debenture Register) for the Debentures issued hereunder
in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the
Company shall provide for the registration and transfer of all Debentures as in
this Article II provided. The Debenture Register shall be in written form or
in any other form capable of being converted into written form within a
reasonable time. Debentures to be exchanged may be surrendered at the Principal Office of
the Trustee or at any office or agency to be maintained by the Company for such
purpose as provided in Section 3.2, and the Company shall execute, the Company
or the Trustee shall register and the Trustee or the Authenticating
Agent shall authenticate and make available for delivery in exchange
therefor the Debenture or Debentures which the Securityholder making the
exchange shall be entitled to receive. Upon due presentment for registration
of transfer of any Debenture at the Principal Office of the Trustee or at any
office or agency of the Company maintained for such purpose as provided in
Section 3.2, the Company shall execute, the Company or the Trustee shall
register and the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent shall authenticate and
make available for delivery in the name of the transferee or transferees a new
Debenture for a like aggregate principal amount. Registration or registration
of transfer of any Debenture by the Trustee or by any agent of the Company
appointed pursuant to Section 3.2, and delivery of such Debenture, shall be
deemed to complete the registration or registration of transfer of such
Debenture. Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 9




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All Debentures presented for registration of transfer or for exchange or
payment shall (if so required by the Company or the Trustee or the
Authenticating Agent) be duly endorsed by, or be accompanied by a written
instrument or instruments of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and
the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent duly executed by the holder or his
attorney duly authorized in writing. No service charge shall be made for any exchange or registration of
transfer of Debentures, but the Company or the Trustee may require payment of a
sum sufficient to cover any tax, fee or other governmental charge that may be
imposed in connection therewith. The Company or the Trustee shall not be required to exchange or register a
transfer of any Debenture for a period of 15 days next preceding the date of
selection of Debentures for redemption. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, Debentures may not be
transferred except in compliance with the restricted securities legend set
forth below, unless otherwise determined by the Company, upon the advice of
counsel expert in securities law, in accordance with applicable law: THIS SECURITY IS NOT A SAVINGS ACCOUNT OR DEPOSIT AND IT IS NOT INSURED BY
THE UNITED STATES OR ANY AGENCY OR FUND OF THE UNITED STATES, INCLUDING THE
FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION. THIS SECURITY HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS
AMENDED (THE SECURITIES ACT), ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS OR ANY OTHER
APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAW. NEITHER THIS SECURITY NOR ANY INTEREST OR
PARTICIPATION HEREIN MAY BE REOFFERED, SOLD, ASSIGNED, TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED,
ENCUMBERED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH REGISTRATION OR
UNLESS SUCH TRANSACTION IS EXEMPT FROM, OR NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION
REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS.
THE HOLDER OF THIS SECURITY BY ITS ACCEPTANCE HEREOF AGREES TO OFFER, SELL OR
OTHERWISE TRANSFER THIS SECURITY ONLY (A) TO THE COMPANY, (B) PURSUANT TO A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT THAT HAS BEEN DECLARED EFFECTIVE UNDER THE SECURITIES
ACT, (C) TO A PERSON WHOM THE SELLER REASONABLY BELIEVES IS A QUALIFIED
INSTITUTIONAL BUYER IN A TRANSACTION MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS OF RULE 144A SO
LONG AS THIS SECURITY IS ELIGIBLE FOR RESALE PURSUANT TO RULE 144A IN
ACCORDANCE WITH RULE 144A, (D) TO A NON-U.S. PERSON IN AN OFFSHORE TRANSACTION
IN ACCORDANCE WITH RULE 903 OR RULE 904 (AS APPLICABLE) OF REGULATION S UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT, (E) TO AN INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITED INVESTOR WITHIN THE
MEANING OF SUBPARAGRAPH (A) OF RULE 501 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT THAT IS
ACQUIRING THIS SECURITY FOR ITS OWN ACCOUNT, OR FOR THE ACCOUNT OF SUCH AN
INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITED INVESTOR, FOR INVESTMENT PURPOSES AND NOT WITH A VIEW
TO, OR FOR OFFER OR SALE IN CONNECTION WITH, ANY DISTRIBUTION IN VIOLATION OF
THE SECURITIES ACT, OR (F) PURSUANT TO ANY OTHER AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM THE
REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT, SUBJECT TO THE COMPANYS RIGHT
PRIOR TO ANY SUCH OFFER, SALE OR TRANSFER TO REQUIRE THE DELIVERY OF AN OPINION
OF COUNSEL, CERTIFICATION AND/OR OTHER INFORMATION SATISFACTORY TO IT IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE INDENTURE, A COPY OF WHICH MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE
COMPANY. THE HOLDER OF THIS SECURITY BY ITS ACCEPTANCE HEREOF ALSO AGREES,
REPRESENTS AND WARRANTS THAT IT IS NOT AN EMPLOYEE BENEFIT, INDIVIDUAL
RETIREMENT ACCOUNT OR OTHER PLAN OR ARRANGEMENT SUBJECT TO TITLE I OF THE Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 10




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EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT INCOME SECURITY ACT OF 1974, AS AMENDED (ERISA), OR
SECTION 4975 OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE OF 1986, AS AMENDED (THE CODE)
(EACH A PLAN), OR AN ENTITY WHOSE UNDERLYING ASSETS INCLUDE PLAN ASSETS BY
REASON OF ANY PLANS INVESTMENT IN THE ENTITY, AND NO PERSON INVESTING PLAN
ASSETS OF ANY PLAN MAY ACQUIRE OR HOLD THE SECURITIES OR ANY INTEREST THEREIN,
UNLESS SUCH PURCHASER OR HOLDER IS ELIGIBLE FOR EXEMPTIVE RELIEF AVAILABLE
UNDER U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR PROHIBITED TRANSACTION CLASS EXEMPTION 96-23,
95-60, 91-38, 90-1 OR 84-14 OR ANOTHER APPLICABLE EXEMPTION OR ITS PURCHASE AND
HOLDING OF THIS SECURITY IS NOT PROHIBITED BY SECTION 406 OF ERISA OR SECTION
4975 OF THE CODE WITH RESPECT TO SUCH PURCHASE OR HOLDING. ANY PURCHASER OR
HOLDER OF THE SECURITIES OR ANY INTEREST THEREIN WILL BE DEEMED TO HAVE
REPRESENTED BY ITS PURCHASE AND HOLDING THEREOF THAT EITHER (i) IT IS NOT AN
EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN WITHIN THE MEANING OF SECTION 3(3) OF ERISA, OR A PLAN TO
WHICH SECTION 4975 OF THE CODE IS APPLICABLE, A TRUSTEE OR OTHER PERSON ACTING
ON BEHALF OF AN EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN OR PLAN, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY
USING THE ASSETS OF ANY EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN OR PLAN TO FINANCE SUCH PURCHASE,
OR (ii) SUCH PURCHASE WILL NOT RESULT IN A PROHIBITED TRANSACTION UNDER SECTION
406 OF ERISA OR SECTION 4975 OF THE CODE FOR WHICH THERE IS NO APPLICABLE
STATUTORY OR ADMINISTRATIVE EXEMPTION. THIS SECURITY WILL BE ISSUED AND MAY BE TRANSFERRED ONLY IN BLOCKS HAVING
AN AGGREGATE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF NOT LESS THAN $100,000.00 AND MULTIPLES OF
$1,000.00 IN EXCESS THEREOF. ANY ATTEMPTED TRANSFER OF THIS SECURITY IN A
BLOCK HAVING AN AGGREGATE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF LESS THAN $100,000.00 SHALL BE
DEEMED TO BE VOID AND OF NO LEGAL EFFECT WHATSOEVER. THE HOLDER OF THIS SECURITY AGREES THAT IT WILL COMPLY WITH THE FOREGOING
RESTRICTIONS. Section 2.6. Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Debentures.In case any
Debenture shall become mutilated or be destroyed, lost or stolen, the Company
shall execute, and upon its written request the Trustee shall authenticate and
deliver, a new Debenture bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding, in
exchange and substitution for the mutilated Debenture, or in lieu of and in
substitution for the Debenture so destroyed, lost or stolen. In every case the
applicant for a substituted Debenture shall furnish to the Company and the
Trustee such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save each of
them harmless, and, in every case of destruction, loss or theft, the applicant
shall also furnish to the Company and the Trustee evidence to their
satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of such Debenture and of the
ownership thereof. The Trustee may authenticate any such substituted Debenture and deliver
the same upon the written request or authorization of any officer of the
Company. Upon the issuance of any substituted Debenture, the Company may
require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental
charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses connected
therewith. In case any Debenture which has matured or is about to mature or
has been called for redemption in full shall become mutilated or be destroyed,
lost or stolen, the Company may, instead of issuing a substitute Debenture, pay
or authorize the payment of the same (without surrender thereof except in the
case of a mutilated Debenture) if the applicant for such payment shall furnish
to the Company and the Trustee such security or indemnity as may be required by
them to save each of them harmless and, in case of destruction, loss or theft,
evidence satisfactory to the Company and to the Trustee of the destruction,
loss or theft of such Debenture and of the ownership thereof. Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 11




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Every substituted Debenture issued pursuant to the provisions of this
Section 2.6 by virtue of the fact that any such Debenture is destroyed, lost or
stolen shall constitute an additional contractual obligation of the Company,
whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Debenture shall be found at any
time, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and
proportionately with any and all other Debentures duly issued hereunder. All
Debentures shall be held and owned upon the express condition that, to the
extent permitted by applicable law, the foregoing provisions are exclusive with
respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen
Debentures and shall preclude any and all other rights or remedies
notwithstanding any law or statute existing or hereafter enacted to the
contrary with respect to the replacement or payment of negotiable instruments
or other securities without their surrender. Section 2.7. Temporary Debentures.Pending the preparation of definitive
Debentures, the Company may execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and make
available for delivery temporary Debentures that are typed, printed or
lithographed. Temporary Debentures shall be issuable in any authorized
denomination, and substantially in the form of the definitive Debentures in
lieu of which they are issued but with such omissions, insertions and
variations as may be appropriate for temporary Debentures, all as may be
determined by the Company. Every such temporary Debenture shall be executed by
the Company and be authenticated by the Trustee upon the same conditions and in
substantially the same manner, and with the same effect, as the definitive
Debentures. Without unreasonable delay the Company will execute and deliver to
the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent definitive Debentures and thereupon any
or all temporary Debentures may be surrendered in exchange therefor, at the
principal corporate trust office of the Trustee or at any office or agency
maintained by the Company for such purpose as provided in Section 3.2, and the
Trustee or the Authenticating Agent shall authenticate and make available for
delivery in exchange for such temporary Debentures a like aggregate principal
amount of such definitive Debentures. Such exchange shall be made by the
Company at its own expense and without any charge therefor except that in case
of any such exchange involving a registration of transfer the Company may
require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax, fee or other governmental
charge that may be imposed in relation thereto. Until so exchanged, the
temporary Debentures shall in all respects be entitled to the same benefits
under this Indenture as definitive Debentures authenticated and delivered
hereunder. Section 2.8. Payment of Interest and Additional Interest.Interest at the
Interest Rate and any Additional Interest on any Debenture that is payable, and
is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date for
Debentures shall be paid to the Person in whose name said Debenture (or one or
more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the
regular record date for such interest installment except that interest and any
Additional Interest payable on the Maturity Date shall be paid to the Person to
whom principal is paid. Each Debenture shall bear interest for the period beginning on (and
including) the date of original issuance and ending on (but excluding) the
Interest Payment Date in September 2004 at a rate per annum of 3.81875%, and
shall bear interest for each successive Distribution Period beginning on or
after the Interest Payment Date in September 2004 at a rate per annum equal to
the 3-Month LIBOR, determined as described in Section 2.10, plus 2.65% (the
Coupon Rate), applied to the principal amount thereof, until the principal
thereof becomes due and payable, and on any overdue principal and to the extent
that payment of such interest is enforceable under applicable law (without
duplication) on any overdue installment of interest (including Additional
Interest) at the Interest Rate in effect for each applicable period compounded
quarterly. Interest shall be payable (subject to any relevant Extension
Period) quarterly in arrears on each Interest Payment Date with the first
installment of interest to be paid on the Interest Payment Date in September
2004. Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 12




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Any interest on any Debenture, including Additional Interest, that is
payable, but is not punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest
Payment Date (herein called Defaulted Interest) shall forthwith cease to be
payable to the registered holder on the relevant regular record date by virtue
of having been such holder; and such Defaulted Interest shall be paid by the
Company to the Persons in whose names such Debentures (or their respective
Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on a special
record date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest, which shall be fixed in
the following manner: the Company shall notify the Trustee in writing at least
25 days prior to the date of the proposed payment of the amount of Defaulted
Interest proposed to be paid on each such Debenture and the date of the
proposed payment, and at the same time the Company shall deposit with the
Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be paid in
respect of such Defaulted Interest or shall make arrangements satisfactory to
the Trustee for such deposit prior to the date of the proposed payment, such
money when deposited to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons
entitled to such Defaulted Interest as in this clause provided. Thereupon the
Trustee shall fix a special record date for the payment of such Defaulted
Interest which shall not be more than 15 nor less than 10 days prior to the
date of the proposed payment and not less than 10 days after the receipt by the
Trustee of the notice of the proposed payment. The Trustee shall promptly
notify the Company of such special record date and, in the name and at the
expense of the Company, shall cause notice of the proposed payment of such
Defaulted Interest and the special record date therefor to be mailed, first
class postage prepaid, to each Securityholder at its address as it appears in
the Debenture Register, not less than 10 days prior to such special record
date. Notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the
special record date therefor having been mailed as aforesaid, such Defaulted
Interest shall be paid to the Persons in whose names such Debentures (or their
respective Predecessor Securities) are registered on such special record date
and shall be no longer payable. The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest on any Debentures
in any other lawful manner after notice given by the Company to the Trustee of
the proposed payment method; provided, however, the Trustee in its sole
discretion deems such payment method to be practical. Any interest (including Additional Interest) scheduled to become payable
on an Interest Payment Date occurring during an Extension Period shall not be
Defaulted Interest and shall be payable on such other date as may be specified
in the terms of such Debentures. The term regular record date as used in this Section shall mean the
close of business on the 15th calendar day next preceding the applicable
Interest Payment Date. Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section, each Debenture
delivered under this Indenture upon registration of transfer of or in exchange
for or in lieu of any other Debenture shall carry the rights to interest
accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, that were carried by such other Debenture. Section 2.9. Cancellation of Debentures Paid, etc.


 All Debentures surrendered for the purpose of payment, redemption,
exchange or registration of transfer, shall, if surrendered to the Company or
any paying agent, be surrendered to the Trustee and promptly canceled by it,
or, if surrendered to the Trustee or any Authenticating Agent, shall be
promptly canceled by it, and no Debentures shall be issued in lieu thereof
except as expressly permitted by any of the provisions of this Indenture. All
Debentures canceled by any Authenticating Agent shall be delivered to the
Trustee. The Trustee shall destroy all canceled Debentures unless the Company
otherwise directs the Trustee in writing. If the Company shall acquire any of
the Debentures, however, such acquisition shall not operate as a redemption or
satisfaction of the indebtedness represented by such Debentures unless and
until the same are surrendered to the Trustee for cancellation. Section 2.10. Computation of Interest.The amount of interest payable for
each Distribution Period will be calculated by applying the Interest Rate to
the principal amount outstanding at the Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 13




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commencement of the Distribution Period
on the basis of the actual number of days in the Distribution Period concerned
divided by 360. All percentages resulting from any calculations on the
Debentures will be rounded, if necessary, to the nearest one hundred-thousandth
of a percentage point, with five one-millionths of a percentage point rounded
upward (e.g., 9.876545% (or .09876545) being rounded to 9.87655% (or .0987655),
and all dollar amounts used in or resulting from such calculation will be
rounded to the nearest cent (with one-half cent being rounded upward)). (a) 3-Month LIBOR means the London interbank offered interest rate for
three-month, U.S. dollar deposits determined by the Trustee in the following
order of priority: (1) the rate (expressed as a percentage per annum) for U.S. dollar
deposits having a three-month maturity that appears on Telerate Page 3750
as of 11:00 a.m. (London time) on the related Determination Date (as
defined below). Telerate Page 3750 means the display designated as
Page 3750 on the Dow Jones Telerate Service or such other page as may
replace Page 3750 on that service or such other service or services as
may be nominated by the British Bankers Association as the information
vendor for the purpose of displaying London interbank offered rates for
U.S. dollar deposits; (2) if such rate cannot be identified on the related Determination
Date, the Trustee will request the principal London offices of four
leading banks in the London interbank market to provide such banks
offered quotations (expressed as percentages per annum) to prime banks in
the London interbank market for U.S. dollar deposits having a three-month
maturity as of 11:00 a.m. (London time) on such Determination Date. If
at least two quotations are provided, 3-Month LIBOR will be the
arithmetic mean of such quotations; (3) if fewer than two such quotations are provided as requested in
clause (2) above, the Trustee will request four major New York City banks
to provide such banks offered quotations (expressed as percentages per
annum) to leading European banks for loans in U.S. dollars as of 11:00
a.m. (London time) on such Determination Date. If at least two such
quotations are provided, 3-Month LIBOR will be the arithmetic mean of
such quotations; and (4) if fewer than two such quotations are provided as requested in
clause (3) above, 3-Month LIBOR will be a 3-Month LIBOR determined with
respect to the Distribution Period immediately preceding such current
Distribution Period. If the rate for U.S. dollar deposits having a three-month maturity that
initially appears on Telerate Page 3750 as of 11:00 a.m. (London time) on the
related Determination Date is superseded on the Telerate Page 3750 by a
corrected rate by 12:00 noon (London time) on such Determination Date, then
the corrected rate as so substituted on the applicable page will be the
applicable 3-Month LIBOR for such Determination Date. (b) The Interest Rate for any Distribution Period will at no time be
higher than the maximum rate then permitted by New York law as the same may be
modified by United States law. (c) Determination Date means the date that is two London Banking Days
(i.e., a business day in which dealings in deposits in U.S. dollars are
transacted in the London interbank market) preceding the particular
Distribution Period for which a Coupon Rate is being determined. (d) The Trustee shall notify the Company, the Institutional Trustee and
any securities exchange or interdealer quotation system on which the Capital
Securities are listed, of the Coupon Rate and the Determination Date for each
Distribution Period, in each case as soon as practicable after the
determination thereof but in no event later than the thirtieth (30th) day of
the relevant Distribution Period. Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 14




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Failure to notify the Company, the
Institutional Trustee or any securities exchange or interdealer quotation
system, or any defect in said notice, shall not affect the obligation of the
Company to make payment on the Debentures at the applicable Coupon Rate. Any
error in the calculation of the Coupon Rate by the Trustee may be corrected at
any time by notice delivered as above provided. Upon the request of a holder
of a Debenture, the Trustee shall provide the Coupon Rate then in effect and,
if determined, the Coupon Rate for the next Distribution Period. (e) Subject to the corrective rights set forth above, all certificates,
communications, opinions, determinations, calculations, quotations and
decisions given, expressed, made or obtained for the purposes of the provisions
relating to the payment and calculation of interest on the Debentures and
distributions on the Capital Securities by the Trustee or the Institutional
Trustee will (in the absence of willful default, bad faith and manifest error)
be final, conclusive and binding on the Trust, the Company and all of the
holders of the Debentures and the Capital Securities, and no liability shall
(in the absence of willful default, bad faith or manifest error) attach to the
Trustee or the Institutional Trustee in connection with the exercise or
non-exercise by either of them or their respective powers, duties and
discretion. Section 2.11. Extension of Interest Payment Period.So long as no Event
of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Company shall have the right,
from time to time, and without causing an Event of Default, to defer payments
of interest on the Debentures by extending the interest payment period on the
Debentures at any time and from time to time during the term of the Debentures,
for up to 20 consecutive quarterly periods (each such extended interest payment
period, an Extension Period), during which Extension Period no interest
(including Additional Interest) shall be due and payable (except any Additional
Sums that may be due and payable). No Extension Period may end on a date other
than an Interest Payment Date. During an Extension Period, interest will
continue to accrue on the Debentures, and interest on such accrued interest
will accrue at an annual rate equal to the Interest Rate in effect for such
Extension Period, compounded quarterly from the date such interest would have
been payable were it not for the Extension Period, to the extent permitted by
law (such interest referred to herein as Additional Interest).At the end of
any such Extension Period the Company shall pay all interest then accrued and
unpaid on the Debentures (together with Additional Interest thereon); provided,
however, that no Extension Period may extend beyond the Maturity Date; provided
further, however, that during any such Extension Period, the Company shall not
and shall not permit any Affiliate to (i) declare or pay any dividends or
distributions on, or redeem, purchase, acquire, or make a liquidation payment
with respect to, any of the Companys or such Affiliates capital stock (other
than payments of dividends or distributions to the Company) or make any
guarantee payments with respect to the foregoing or (ii) make any payment of
principal of or interest or premium, if any, on or repay, repurchase or redeem
any debt securities of the Company or any Affiliate that rank pari passuin all
respects with or junior in interest to the Debentures (other than, with respect
to clauses (i) or (ii) above, (a) repurchases, redemptions or other acquisitions of shares of capital
stock of the Company in connection with any employment contract, benefit plan
or other similar arrangement with or for the benefit of one or more employees,
officers, directors or consultants, in connection with a dividend reinvestment
or stockholder stock purchase plan or in connection with the issuance of
capital stock of the Company (or securities convertible into or exercisable for
such capital stock) as consideration in an acquisition transaction entered into
prior to the applicable Extension Period, (b) as a result of any exchange or
conversion of any class or series of the Companys capital stock (or any
capital stock of a subsidiary of the Company) for any class or series of the
Companys capital stock or of any class or series of the Companys indebtedness
for any class or series of the Companys capital stock, (c) the purchase of
fractional interests in shares of the Companys capital stock pursuant to the
conversion or exchange provisions of such capital stock or the security being
converted or exchanged, (d) any declaration of a dividend in connection with
any stockholders rights plan, or the issuance of rights, stock or other
property under any stockholders rights plan, or the redemption or repurchase
of rights pursuant thereto, (e) any dividend in the form of stock, warrants,
options or other rights where the dividend stock or the stock issuable upon
exercise of such Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 15




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warrants, options or other rights is the same stock as that on
which the dividend is being paid or ranks pari passuwith or junior to such
stock and any cash payments in lieu of fractional shares issued in connection
therewith, or (f) payments under the Capital Securities Guarantee). Prior to
the termination of any Extension Period, the Company may further extend such
period, provided that such period together with all such previous and further
consecutive extensions thereof shall not exceed 20 consecutive quarterly
periods, or extend beyond the Maturity Date. Upon the termination of any
Extension Period and upon the payment of all accrued and unpaid interest and
Additional Interest, the Company may commence a new Extension Period, subject
to the foregoing requirements. No interest or Additional Interest shall be due
and payable during an Extension Period, except at the end thereof, but each
installment of interest that would otherwise have been due and payable during
such Extension Period shall bear Additional Interest to the extent permitted by
applicable law. The Company must give the Trustee notice of its election to
begin or extend an Extension Period at least 5 Business Days prior to the
regular record date (as such term is used in Section 2.8) immediately preceding
the Interest Payment Date with respect to which interest on the Debentures
would have been payable except for the election to begin or extend such
Extension Period. The Trustee shall give notice of the Companys election to
begin a new Extension Period to the Securityholders. Section 2.12. CUSIP Numbers.The Company in issuing the Debentures may
use CUSIP numbers (if then generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall
use CUSIP numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Securityholders;
provided, however, that any such notice may state that no representation is
made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Debentures
or as contained in any notice of a redemption and that reliance may be placed
only on the other identification numbers printed on the Debentures, and any
such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such
numbers. The Company will promptly notify the Trustee in writing of any change
in the CUSIP numbers. ARTICLE III.
PARTICULAR COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY Section 3.1. Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest; Agreed Treatment
of the Debentures. (a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will duly and punctually pay
or cause to be paid the principal of and premium, if any, and interest and any
Additional Interest and other payments on the Debentures at the place, at the
respective times and in the manner provided in this Indenture and the
Debentures. Each installment of interest on the Debentures may be paid (i) by
mailing checks for such interest payable to the order of the holders of Debentures entitled
thereto as they appear on the registry books of the Company if a request for a
wire transfer has not been received by the Company or (ii) by wire transfer to
any account with a banking institution located in the United States designated
in writing by such Person to the paying agent no later than the related record
date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, so long as the holder of this Debenture
is the Institutional Trustee, the payment of the principal of and interest on
this Debenture will be made in immediately available funds at such place and to
such account as may be designated by the Institutional Trustee. (b) The Company will treat the Debentures as indebtedness, and the amounts
payable in respect of the principal amount of such Debentures as interest, for
all United States federal income tax purposes. All payments in respect of such
Debentures will be made free and clear of United States withholding tax to any
beneficial owner thereof that has provided an Internal Revenue Service Form W8
BEN (or any substitute or successor form) establishing its non-United States
status for United States federal income tax purposes. Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 16




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(c) As of the date of this Indenture, the Company has no present intention
to exercise its right under Section 2.11 to defer payments of interest on the
Debentures by commencing an Extension Period. (d) As of the date of this Indenture, the Company believes that the
likelihood that it would exercise its right under Section 2.11 to defer
payments of interest on the Debentures by commencing an Extension Period at any
time during which the Debentures are outstanding is remote because of the
restrictions that would be imposed on the Companys ability to declare or pay
dividends or distributions on, or to redeem, purchase or make a liquidation
payment with respect to, any of its outstanding equity and on the Companys
ability to make any payments of principal of or interest on, or repurchase or
redeem, any of its debt securities that rank pari passuin all respects with
(or junior in interest to) the Debentures. Section 3.2. Offices for Notices and Payments, etc.So long as any of the
Debentures remain outstanding, the Company will maintain in Hartford,
Connecticut, an office or agency where the Debentures may be presented for
payment, an office or agency where the Debentures may be presented for
registration of transfer and for exchange as in this Indenture provided and an
office or agency where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of
the Debentures or of this Indenture may be served. The Company will give to
the Trustee written notice of the location of any such office or agency and of
any change of location thereof. Until otherwise designated from time to time
by the Company in a notice to the Trustee, or specified as contemplated by
Section 2.5, such office or agency for all of the above purposes shall be the
office or agency of the Trustee. In case the Company shall fail to maintain
any such office or agency in Hartford, Connecticut, or shall fail to give such
notice of the location or of any change in the location thereof, presentations
and demands may be made and notices may be served at the Principal Office of
the Trustee. In addition to any such office or agency, the Company may from time to
time designate one or more offices or agencies outside Hartford, Connecticut,
where the Debentures may be presented for registration of transfer and for
exchange in the manner provided in this Indenture, and the Company may from
time to time rescind such designation, as the Company may deem desirable or
expedient; provided, however, that no such designation or rescission shall in
any manner relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain any such office or
agency in Hartford, Connecticut, for the purposes above mentioned. The Company
will give to the Trustee prompt written notice of any such designation or
rescission thereof. Section 3.3. Appointments to Fill Vacancies in Trustees Office.


The Company, whenever necessary to avoid or fill a vacancy in the office
of Trustee, will appoint, in the manner provided in Section 6.9, a Trustee, so
that there shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder. Section 3.4. Provision as to Paying Agent. (a) If the Company shall appoint a paying agent other than the Trustee, it
will cause such paying agent to execute and deliver to the Trustee an
instrument in which such agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the
provision of this Section 3.4, (1) that it will hold all sums held by it as such agent for the
payment of the principal of and premium, if any, or interest, if
any, on the Debentures (whether such sums have been paid to it by
the Company or by any other obligor on the Debentures) in trust for
the benefit of the holders of the Debentures; (2) that it will give the Trustee prompt written notice of any
failure by the Company (or by any other obligor on the Debentures)
to make any payment of the principal of and premium, if any, or
interest, if any, on the Debentures when the same shall be due and
payable; and Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 17




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(3) that it will, at any time during the continuance of any Event
of Default, upon the written request of the Trustee, forthwith pay
to the Trustee all sums so held in trust by such paying agent. (b) If the Company shall act as its own paying agent, it will, on or
before each due date of the principal of and premium, if any, or interest or
other payments, if any, on the Debentures, set aside, segregate and hold in
trust for the benefit of the holders of the Debentures a sum sufficient to pay
such principal, premium, interest or other payments so becoming due and will
notify the Trustee in writing of any failure to take such action and of any
failure by the Company (or by any other obligor under the Debentures) to make
any payment of the principal of and premium, if any, or interest or other
payments, if any, on the Debentures when the same shall become due and payable. Whenever the Company shall have one or more paying agents for the
Debentures, it will, on or prior to each due date of the principal of and
premium, if any, or interest, if any, on the Debentures, deposit with a paying
agent a sum sufficient to pay the principal, premium, interest or other
payments so becoming due, such sum to be held in trust for the benefit of the
Persons entitled thereto and (unless such paying agent is the Trustee) the
Company shall promptly notify the Trustee in writing of its action or failure
to act. (c) Anything in this Section 3.4 to the contrary notwithstanding, the
Company may, at any time, for the purpose of obtaining a satisfaction and
discharge with respect to the Debentures, or for any other reason, pay, or
direct any paying agent to pay to the Trustee all sums held in trust by the
Company or any such paying agent, such sums to be held by the Trustee upon the
trusts herein contained. (d) Anything in this Section 3.4 to the contrary notwithstanding, the
agreement to hold sums in trust as provided in this Section 3.4 is subject to
Sections 12.3 and 12.4. Section 3.5. Certificate to Trustee.The Company will deliver to the
Trustee on or before 120 days after the end of each fiscal year, so long as
Debentures are outstanding hereunder, a Certificate stating that in the course
of the performance by the signers of their duties as officers of the Company
they would normally have knowledge of any default during such fiscal year by the Company in the
performance of any covenants contained herein, stating whether or not they have
knowledge of any such default and, if so, specifying each such default of which
the signers have knowledge and the nature and status thereof. Section 3.6. Additional Sums.If and for so long as the Trust is the
holder of all Debentures and the Trust is required to pay any additional taxes
(including withholding taxes), duties, assessments or other governmental
charges as a result of a Tax Event, the Company will pay such additional
amounts (Additional Sums) on the Debentures as shall be required so that the
net amounts received and retained by the Trust after paying taxes (including
withholding taxes), duties, assessments or other governmental charges will be
equal to the amounts the Trust would have received if no such taxes, duties,
assessments or other governmental charges had been imposed. Whenever in this
Indenture or the Debentures there is a reference in any context to the payment
of principal of or interest on the Debentures, such mention shall be deemed to
include mention of payments of the Additional Sums provided for in this
paragraph to the extent that, in such context, Additional Sums are, were or
would be payable in respect thereof pursuant to the provisions of this
paragraph and express mention of the payment of Additional Sums (if applicable)
in any provisions hereof shall not be construed as excluding Additional Sums in
those provisions hereof where such express mention is not made; provided,
however, that the deferral of the payment of interest during an Extension
Period pursuant to Section 2.11 shall not defer the payment of any Additional
Sums that may be due and payable. Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 18




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Section 3.7. Compliance with Consolidation Provisions.The Company will
not, while any of the Debentures remain outstanding, consolidate with, or merge
into, or merge into itself, or sell or convey all or substantially all of its
property to any other Person unless the provisions of Article XI hereof are
complied with. Section 3.8. Limitation on Dividends.If Debentures are initially issued
to the Trust or a trustee of such Trust in connection with the issuance of
Trust Securities by the Trust (regardless of whether Debentures continue to be
held by such Trust) and (i) there shall have occurred and be continuing an
Event of Default, (ii) the Company shall be in default with respect to its
payment of any obligations under the Capital Securities Guarantee, or (iii) the
Company shall have given notice of its election to defer payments of interest
on the Debentures by extending the interest payment period as provided herein
and such period, or any extension thereof, shall be continuing, then the
Company shall not, and shall not allow any Affiliate of the Company to, (x)
declare or pay any dividends or distributions on, or redeem, purchase, acquire,
or make a liquidation payment with respect to, any of the Companys capital
stock or its Affiliates capital stock (other than payments of dividends or
distributions to the Company) or make any guarantee payments with respect to
the foregoing or (y) make any payment of principal of or interest or premium,
if any, on or repay, repurchase or redeem any debt securities of the Company or
any Affiliate that rank pari passuin all respects with or junior in interest
to the Debentures (other than, with respect to clauses (x) and (y) above, (1)
repurchases, redemptions or other acquisitions of shares of capital stock of
the Company in connection with any employment contract, benefit plan or other
similar arrangement with or for the benefit of one or more employees, officers,
directors or consultants, in connection with a dividend reinvestment or
stockholder stock purchase plan or in connection with the issuance of capital
stock of the Company (or securities convertible into or exercisable for such
capital stock) as consideration in an acquisition transaction entered into
prior to the applicable Extension Period, if any, (2) as a result of any
exchange or conversion of any class or series of the Companys capital stock
(or any capital stock of a subsidiary of the Company) for any class or series
of the Companys capital stock or of any class or series of the Companys
indebtedness for any class or series of the Companys capital stock, (3) the
purchase of fractional interests in shares of the Companys capital stock pursuant to
the conversion or exchange provisions of such capital stock or the security
being converted or exchanged, (4) any declaration of a dividend in connection
with any stockholders rights plan, or the issuance of rights, stock or other
property under any stockholders rights plan, or the redemption or repurchase
of rights pursuant thereto, (5) any dividend in the form of stock, warrants,
options or other rights where the dividend stock or the stock issuable upon
exercise of such warrants, options or other rights is the same stock as that on
which the dividend is being paid or ranks pari passuwith or junior to such
stock and any cash payments in lieu of fractional shares issued in connection
therewith, or (6) payments under the Capital Securities Guarantee). Section 3.9. Covenants as to the Trust.For so long as the Trust
Securities remain outstanding, the Company shall maintain 100% ownership of the
Common Securities; provided, however, that any permitted successor of the
Company under this Indenture may succeed to the Companys ownership of such
Common Securities. The Company, as owner of the Common Securities, shall,
except in connection with a distribution of Debentures to the holders of Trust
Securities in liquidation of the Trust, the redemption of all of the Trust
Securities or certain mergers, consolidations or amalgamations, each as
permitted by the Declaration, cause the Trust (a) to remain a statutory trust,
(b) to otherwise continue to be classified as a grantor trust for United States
federal income tax purposes, and (c) to cause each holder of Trust Securities
to be treated as owning an undivided beneficial interest in the Debentures. Section 3.10. Additional Junior Indebtedness. The Company shall not, and
it shall not cause or permit any Subsidiary of the Company to, incur, issue or
be obligated on any Additional Junior Indebtedness, either directly or
indirectly, by way of guarantee, suretyship or otherwise, other than Additional
Junior Indebtedness (i) that, by its terms, is expressly stated to be either
junior and subordinate Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 19




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or pari passuin all respects to the Debentures, and
(ii) of which the Company has notified (and, if then required under the
applicable guidelines of the regulating entity, has received approval from) the
Federal Reserve, if the Company is a bank holding company, or the OTS, if the
Company is a savings and loan holding company. ARTICLE IV.
SECURITYHOLDERS LISTS AND REPORTS
BY THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE Section 4.1. Securityholders Lists.The Company covenants and agrees
that it will furnish or caused to be furnished to the Trustee: (a) on each regular record date for the Debentures, a list, in such form
as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses of the
Securityholders of the Debentures as of such record date; and (b) at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, within 30
days after the receipt by the Company of any such request, a list of similar
form and content as of a date not more than 15 days prior to the time such list
is furnished; except that no such lists need be furnished under this Section 4.1 so long as
the Trustee is in possession thereof by reason of its acting as Debenture
registrar. Section 4.2. Preservation and Disclosure of Lists. (a) The Trustee shall preserve, in as current a form as is reasonably
practicable, all information as to the names and addresses of the holders of
Debentures (1) contained in the most recent list furnished to it as provided in
Section 4.1 or (2) received by it in the capacity of Debentures registrar (if
so acting) hereunder. The Trustee may destroy any list furnished to it as
provided in Section 4.1 upon receipt of a new list so furnished. (b) In case three or more holders of Debentures (hereinafter referred to
as applicants) apply in writing to the Trustee and furnish to the Trustee
reasonable proof that each such applicant has owned a Debenture for a period of
at least 6 months preceding the date of such application, and such application
states that the applicants desire to communicate with other holders of
Debentures with respect to their rights under this Indenture or under such
Debentures and is accompanied by a copy of the form of proxy or other
communication which such applicants propose to transmit, then the Trustee shall
within 5 Business Days after the receipt of such application, at its election,
either: (1) afford such applicants access to the information preserved at
the time by the Trustee in accordance with the provisions of
subsection (a) of this Section 4.2, or (2) inform such applicants as to the approximate number of holders
of Debentures whose names and addresses appear in the information
preserved at the time by the Trustee in accordance with the
provisions of subsection (a) of this Section 4.2, and as to the
approximate cost of mailing to such Securityholders the form of
proxy or other communication, if any, specified in such
application. If the Trustee shall elect not to afford such applicants access to such
information, the Trustee shall, upon the written request of such applicants,
mail to each Securityholder whose name and address appear in the information
preserved at the time by the Trustee in accordance with the provisions of
subsection (a) of this Section 4.2 a copy of the form of proxy or other
communication which is specified Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 20




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in such request with reasonable promptness
after a tender to the Trustee of the material to be mailed and of payment, or
provision for the payment, of the reasonable expenses of mailing, unless within
five days after such tender, the Trustee shall mail to such applicants and file
with the Securities and Exchange Commission, if permitted or required by
applicable law, together with a copy of the material to be mailed, a written
statement to the effect that, in the opinion of the Trustee, such mailing would
be contrary to the best interests of the holders of all Debentures, as the case
may be, or would be in violation of applicable law. Such written statement
shall specify the basis of such opinion. If said Commission, as permitted or
required by applicable law, after opportunity for a hearing upon the objections
specified in the written statement so filed, shall enter an order refusing to
sustain any of such objections or if, after the entry of an order sustaining
one or more of such objections, said Commission shall find, after notice and
opportunity for hearing, that all the objections so sustained have been met and
shall enter an order so declaring, the Trustee shall mail copies of such
material to all such Securityholders with reasonable promptness after the entry
of such order and the renewal of such tender; otherwise the Trustee shall be
relieved of any obligation or duty to such applicants respecting their
application. (c) Each and every holder of Debentures, by receiving and holding the
same, agrees with Company and the Trustee that neither the Company nor the
Trustee nor any paying agent shall be held accountable by reason of the
disclosure of any such information as to the names and addresses of the holders
of Debentures in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of this
Section 4.2, regardless of the source from which such information was derived,
and that the Trustee shall not be held accountable by reason of mailing any
material pursuant to a request made under said subsection (b). ARTICLE V.
REMEDIES OF THE TRUSTEE AND SECURITYHOLDERS
UPON AN EVENT OF DEFAULT Section 5.1. Events of Default. Event of Default, wherever used herein,
means any one of the following events (whatever the reason for such Event of
Default and whether it shall be voluntary or involuntary or be effected by
operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any court or
any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental body): (a) the Company defaults in the payment of any interest upon any Debenture
when it becomes due and payable, and fails to cure such default for a period of
30 days; provided, however, that a valid extension of an interest payment
period by the Company in accordance with the terms of this Indenture shall not
constitute a default in the payment of interest for this purpose; or (b) the Company defaults in the payment of all or any part of the
principal of (or premium, if any, on) any Debentures as and when the same shall
become due and payable either at maturity, upon redemption, by declaration of
acceleration or otherwise; or (c) the Company defaults in the performance of, or breaches, any of its
covenants or agreements in this Indenture or in the terms of the Debentures
established as contemplated in this Indenture (other than a covenant or
agreement a default in whose performance or whose breach is elsewhere in this
Section specifically dealt with), and continuance of such default or breach for
a period of 60 days after there has been given, by registered or certified
mail, to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the
holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding
Debentures, a written notice specifying such default or breach and requiring it
to be remedied and stating that such notice is a Notice of Default hereunder;
or (d) a court of competent jurisdiction shall enter a decree or order for
relief in respect of the Company in an involuntary case under any applicable
bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law now or hereafter in
effect, or appointing a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee, Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 21




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sequestrator (or similar official) of the Company or for any substantial part
of its property, or ordering the winding-up or liquidation of its affairs and
such decree or order shall remain unstayed and in effect for a period of 90
consecutive days; or (e) the Company shall commence a voluntary case under any applicable
bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law now or hereafter in
effect, shall consent to the entry of an order for relief in an involuntary
case under any such law, or shall consent to the appointment of or taking
possession by a receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, custodian,
sequestrator (or other similar official) of the Company or of any substantial
part of its property, or shall make any general assignment for the benefit of
creditors, or shall fail generally to pay its debts as they become due; or (f) the Trust shall have voluntarily or involuntarily liquidated,
dissolved, wound-up its business or otherwise terminated its existence except
in connection with (i) the distribution of the Debentures to holders of such
Trust Securities in liquidation of their interests in the Trust, (ii) the
redemption of all of the outstanding Trust Securities or (iii) certain mergers,
consolidations or amalgamations, each as permitted by the Declaration. If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing with respect to the
Debentures, then, and in each and every such case, unless the principal of the
Debentures shall have already become due and payable, either the Trustee or the
holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Debentures
then outstanding hereunder, by notice in writing to the Company (and to
the Trustee if given by Securityholders), may declare the entire principal of
the Debentures and the interest accrued thereon, if any, to be due and payable
immediately, and upon any such declaration the same shall become immediately
due and payable. The foregoing provisions, however, are subject to the condition that if,
at any time after the principal of the Debentures shall have been so declared
due and payable, and before any judgment or decree for the payment of the
moneys due shall have been obtained or entered as hereinafter provided, (i) the
Company shall pay or shall deposit with the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay all
matured installments of interest upon all the Debentures and the principal of
and premium, if any, on the Debentures which shall have become due otherwise
than by acceleration (with interest upon such principal and premium, if any,
and Additional Interest) and such amount as shall be sufficient to cover
reasonable compensation to the Trustee and each predecessor Trustee, their
respective agents, attorneys and counsel, and all other amounts due to the
Trustee pursuant to Section 6.6, if any, and (ii) all Events of Default under
this Indenture, other than the non-payment of the principal of or premium, if
any, on Debentures which shall have become due by acceleration, shall have been
cured, waived or otherwise remedied as provided herein  then and in every
such case the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the
Debentures then outstanding, by written notice to the Company and to the
Trustee, may waive all defaults and rescind and annul such declaration and its
consequences, but no such waiver or rescission and annulment shall extend to or
shall affect any subsequent default or shall impair any right consequent
thereon. In case the Trustee shall have proceeded to enforce any right under this
Indenture and such proceedings shall have been discontinued or abandoned
because of such rescission or annulment or for any other reason or shall have
been determined adversely to the Trustee, then and in every such case the
Company, the Trustee and the holders of the Debentures shall be restored
respectively to their several positions and rights hereunder, and all rights,
remedies and powers of the Company, the Trustee and the holders of the
Debentures shall continue as though no such proceeding had been taken. Section 5.2. Payment of Debentures on Default; Suit Therefor.The Company
covenants that upon the occurrence of an Event of Default pursuant to Section
5.1(a) or Section 5.1(b) then, upon demand of the Trustee, the Company will pay
to the Trustee, for the benefit of the holders of the Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 22




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Debentures the whole
amount that then shall have become due and payable on all Debentures for
principal and premium, if any, or interest, or both, as the case may be, with
Additional Interest accrued on the Debentures (to the extent that payment of
such interest is enforceable under applicable law and, if the Debentures are
held by the Trust or a trustee of such Trust, without duplication of any other
amounts paid by the Trust or a trustee in respect thereof); and, in addition
thereto, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and
expenses of collection, including a reasonable compensation to the Trustee, its
agents, attorneys and counsel, and any other amounts due to the Trustee under
Section 6.6. In case the Company shall fail forthwith to pay such amounts upon
such demand, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust,
shall be entitled and empowered to institute any actions or proceedings at law
or in equity for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, and may
prosecute any such action or proceeding to judgment or final decree, and may
enforce any such judgment or final decree against the Company or any other
obligor on such Debentures and collect in the manner provided by law out of the
property of the Company or any other obligor on such Debentures wherever
situated the moneys adjudged or decreed to be payable. In case there shall be pending proceedings for the bankruptcy or for the
reorganization of the Company or any other obligor on the Debentures under
Bankruptcy Law, or in case a receiver or trustee shall have been appointed for
the property of the Company or such other obligor, or in the case of any
other similar judicial proceedings relative to the Company or other
obligor upon the Debentures, or to the creditors or property of the Company or
such other obligor, the Trustee, irrespective of whether the principal of the
Debentures shall then be due and payable as therein expressed or by declaration
of acceleration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Trustee shall have
made any demand pursuant to the provisions of this Section 5.2, shall be
entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceedings or otherwise,  (i)
    
    to file and prove a claim or claims for the whole amount of
principal and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the
Debentures,(ii)
    
    in case of any judicial proceedings, to file such proofs of
claim and other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable
in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for
reasonable compensation to the Trustee and each predecessor Trustee,
and their respective agents, attorneys and counsel, and for
reimbursement of all other amounts due to the Trustee under Section
6.6), and of the Securityholders allowed in such judicial
proceedings relative to the Company or any other obligor on the
Debentures, or to the creditors or property of the Company or such
other obligor, unless prohibited by applicable law and regulations,
to vote on behalf of the holders of the Debentures in any election
of a trustee or a standby trustee in arrangement, reorganization,
liquidation or other bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings or Person
performing similar functions in comparable proceedings,(iii)
    
    to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable
or deliverable on any such claims, and(iv)
    
    to distribute the same after the deduction of its charges and
expenses. Any receiver, assignee or trustee in bankruptcy or reorganization is hereby
authorized by each of the Securityholders to make such payments to the Trustee,
and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments
directly to the Securityholders, to pay to the Trustee such amounts as shall be
sufficient to cover reasonable compensation to the Trustee, each predecessor
Trustee and their respective agents, attorneys and counsel, and all other
amounts due to the Trustee under Section 6.6. Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 23




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Nothing herein contained shall be construed to authorize the Trustee to
authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Securityholder any
plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the
Debentures or the rights of any holder thereof or to authorize the Trustee to
vote in respect of the claim of any Securityholder in any such proceeding. All rights of action and of asserting claims under this Indenture, or
under any of the Debentures, may be enforced by the Trustee without the
possession of any of the Debentures, or the production thereof at any trial or
other proceeding relative thereto, and any such suit or proceeding instituted
by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as trustee of an express trust,
and any recovery of judgment shall be for the ratable benefit of the holders of
the Debentures. In any proceedings brought by the Trustee (and also any proceedings
involving the interpretation of any provision of this Indenture to which the
Trustee shall be a party), the Trustee shall be held to represent all the
holders of the Debentures, and it shall not be necessary to make any holders of
the Debentures parties to any such proceedings. Section 5.3. Application of Moneys Collected by Trustee.


Any moneys collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article V shall be
applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee for
the distribution of such moneys, upon presentation of the several Debentures in
respect of which moneys have been collected, and stamping thereon the payment,
if only partially paid, and upon surrender thereof if fully paid: First: To the payment of costs and expenses incurred by, and reasonable
fees of, the Trustee, its agents, attorneys and counsel, and of all other
amounts due to the Trustee under Section 6.6; Second: To the payment of all Senior Indebtedness of the Company if and
to the extent required by Article XV; Third: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid upon Debentures
for principal (and premium, if any), and interest on the Debentures, in respect
of which or for the benefit of which money has been collected, ratably, without
preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due on such
Debentures (including Additional Interest); and Fourth: The balance, if any, to the Company. Section 5.4. Proceedings by Securityholders.No holder of any Debenture
shall have any right to institute any suit, action or proceeding for any remedy
hereunder, unless such holder previously shall have given to the Trustee
written notice of an Event of Default with respect to the Debentures and unless
the holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the
Debentures then outstanding shall have given the Trustee a written request to
institute such action, suit or proceeding and shall have offered to the Trustee
such reasonable indemnity as it may require against the costs, expenses and
liabilities to be incurred thereby, and the Trustee for 60 days after its
receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity shall have failed to
institute any such action, suit or proceeding. Notwithstanding any other provisions in this Indenture, however, the right
of any holder of any Debenture to receive payment of the principal of, premium,
if any, and interest, on such Debenture when due, or to institute suit for the
enforcement of any such payment, shall not be impaired or affected without the
consent of such holder and by accepting a Debenture hereunder it is expressly
understood, intended and covenanted by the taker and holder of every Debenture
with every other such taker and holder and the Trustee, that no one or more
holders of Debentures shall have any right in any manner whatsoever by virtue
or by availing itself of any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or
prejudice the rights of the holders of any other Debentures, or to obtain or
seek to obtain priority over or preference to any other Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 24




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such holder, or to
enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided
and for the equal, ratable and common benefit of all holders of Debentures.
For the protection and enforcement of the provisions of this Section, each and
every Securityholder and the Trustee shall be entitled to such relief as can be
given either at law or in equity. Section 5.5. Proceedings by Trustee.In case of an Event of Default
hereunder the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce the
rights vested in it by this Indenture by such appropriate judicial proceedings
as the Trustee shall deem most effectual to protect and enforce any of such
rights, either by suit in equity or by action at law or by proceeding in
bankruptcy or otherwise, whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant
or agreement contained in this Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power
granted in this Indenture, or to enforce any other legal or equitable right
vested in the Trustee by this Indenture or by law. Section 5.6. Remedies Cumulative and Continuing; Delay or Omission Not a
Waiver.


Except as otherwise provided in Section 2.6, all powers and remedies given
by this Article V to the Trustee or to the Securityholders shall, to the extent
permitted by law, be deemed cumulative and not exclusive of any other powers
and remedies available to the Trustee or the holders of the Debentures, by
judicial proceedings or otherwise, to enforce the performance or observance of
the covenants and agreements contained in this Indenture or otherwise
established with respect to the Debentures, and no delay or omission of the
Trustee or of any holder of any of the Debentures to exercise any right, remedy
or power accruing upon any Event of Default occurring and continuing as
aforesaid shall impair any such right, remedy or power, or shall be construed
to be a waiver of any such default or an acquiescence therein; and, subject to
the provisions of Section 5.4, every power and remedy given by this Article V
or by law to the Trustee or to the Securityholders may be exercised from time
to time, and as often as shall be deemed expedient, by the Trustee (in
accordance with its duties under Section 6.1) or by the Securityholders. Section 5.7. Direction of Proceedings and Waiver of Defaults by Majority
of Securityholders.The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of
the Debentures affected (voting as one class) at the time outstanding shall
have the right to direct the time, method, and place of conducting any
proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or
power conferred on the Trustee with respect to such Debentures; provided,
however, that (subject to the provisions of Section 6.1) the Trustee shall have
the right to decline to follow any such direction if the Trustee shall
determine that the action so directed would be unjustly prejudicial to the
holders not taking part in such direction or if the Trustee being advised by
counsel determines that the action or proceeding so directed may not lawfully
be taken or if a Responsible Officer of the Trustee shall determine that the
action or proceedings so directed would involve the Trustee in personal
liability. The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Debentures
at the time outstanding may on behalf of the holders of all of the Debentures
waive (or modify any previously granted waiver of) any past default or Event of
Default, and its consequences, except a default (a) in the payment of principal
of, premium, if any, or interest on any of the Debentures, (b) in respect of
covenants or provisions hereof which cannot be modified or amended without the
consent of the holder of each Debenture affected, or (c) in respect of the
covenants contained in Section 3.9; provided, however, that if the Debentures
are held by the Trust or a trustee of such trust, such waiver or modification
to such waiver shall not be effective until the holders of a majority in
Liquidation Amount of Trust Securities of the Trust shall have consented to
such waiver or modification to such waiver, provided, further, that if the
consent of the holder of each outstanding Debenture is required, such waiver
shall not be effective until each holder of the Trust Securities of the Trust
shall have consented to such waiver. Upon any such waiver, the default covered
thereby shall be deemed to be cured for all purposes of this Indenture and the
Company, the Trustee and the holders of the Debentures shall be restored to
their former positions and rights hereunder, Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 25




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respectively; but no such waiver
shall extend to any subsequent or other default or Event of Default or impair
any right consequent thereon. Whenever any default or Event of Default
hereunder shall have been waived as permitted by this Section, said default or
Event of Default shall for all purposes of the Debentures and this Indenture be
deemed to have been cured and to be not continuing. Section 5.8. Notice of Defaults.The Trustee shall, within 90 days after
the actual knowledge by a Responsible Officer of the Trustee of the occurrence
of a default with respect to the Debentures, mail to all Securityholders, as
the names and addresses of such holders appear upon the Debenture Register,
notice of all defaults with respect to the Debentures known to the Trustee,
unless such defaults shall have been cured before the giving of such notice
(the term defaults for the purpose of this Section 5.8 being hereby defined
to be the events specified in clauses (a), (b), (c), (d), (e) and (f) of Section
5.1, not including periods of grace, if any, provided for therein); provided,
however, that, except in the case of default in the payment of the principal
of, premium, if any, or interest on any of the Debentures, the Trustee shall be
protected in withholding such notice if and so long as a Responsible Officer of
the Trustee in good faith determines that the withholding of such notice is in
the interests of the Securityholders. Section 5.9. Undertaking to Pay Costs.All parties to this Indenture
agree, and each holder of any Debenture by his acceptance thereof shall be
deemed to have agreed, that any court may in its discretion require, in any
suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any
suit against the Trustee for any action taken or omitted by it as Trustee, the
filing by any party litigant in such suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of
such suit, and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs,
including reasonable attorneys fees and expenses, against any party litigant
in such suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or
defenses made by such party litigant; provided, however, that the provisions of
this Section 5.9 shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Trustee, to any
suit instituted by any Securityholder, or group of Securityholders, holding in
the aggregate more than 10% in principal amount of the Debentures outstanding,
or to any suit instituted by any Securityholder for the enforcement of the
payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on any Debenture
against the Company on or after the same shall have become due and payable. ARTICLE VI.
CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE Section 6.1. Duties and Responsibilities of Trustee.With respect to the
holders of Debentures issued hereunder, the Trustee, prior to the occurrence of
an Event of Default with respect to the Debentures and after the curing or
waiving of all Events of Default which may have occurred, with respect to the
Debentures, undertakes to perform such duties and only such duties as are
specifically set forth in this Indenture, and no implied covenants shall be
read into this Indenture against the Trustee. In case an Event of Default with
respect to the Debentures has occurred (which has not been cured or waived),
the Trustee shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this
Indenture, and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise, as a
prudent man would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of his
own affairs. No provision of this Indenture shall be construed to relieve the Trustee
from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act
or its own willful misconduct, except that: (a) prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default with respect to
Debentures and after the curing or waiving of all Events of Default which may
have occurred (1) the duties and obligations of the Trustee with respect to
Debentures shall be determined solely by the express provisions of
this Indenture, and the Trustee shall not be liable except for the
performance of such duties and obligations with respect to the Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 26




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Debentures as are specifically set forth in this Indenture, and no
implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture
against the Trustee, and (2) in the absence of bad faith on the part of the Trustee, the
Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements
and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon any
certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to
the requirements of this Indenture; but, in the case of any such
certificates or opinions which by any provision hereof are
specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall be under a duty to examine the same to
determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this
Indenture; (b) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good
faith by a Responsible Officer or Officers of the Trustee, unless it shall be
proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts; and (c) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken or
omitted to be taken by it in good faith, in accordance with the direction of
the Securityholders pursuant to Section 5.7, relating to the time, method and
place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or
exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, under this Indenture. None of the provisions contained in this Indenture shall require the
Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur personal financial
liability in the performance of any of its duties or in the exercise of any of
its rights or powers, if there is ground for believing that the repayment of
such funds or liability is not assured to it under the terms of this Indenture
or indemnity satisfactory to the Trustee against such risk is not reasonably
assured to it. Section 6.2. Reliance on Documents, Opinions, etc.Except as otherwise
provided in Section 6.1: (a) the Trustee may conclusively rely and shall be fully protected in
acting or refraining from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement,
instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, consent, order, bond, note,
debenture or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to have
been signed or presented by the proper party or parties; (b) any request, direction, order or demand of the Company mentioned
herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by an Officers Certificate (unless
other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed); and any
Board Resolution may be evidenced to the Trustee by a copy thereof certified by
the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company; (c) the Trustee may consult with counsel of its selection and any advice
or Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection
in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good
faith and in accordance with such advice or Opinion of Counsel; (d) the Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights
or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request, order or direction of
any of the Securityholders, pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture,
unless such Securityholders shall have offered to the Trustee reasonable
security or indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities which may be
incurred therein or thereby; (e) the Trustee shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted by it
in good faith and believed by it to be authorized or within the discretion or
rights or powers conferred upon it by this Indenture; nothing contained herein
shall, however, relieve the Trustee of the obligation, upon the occurrence of
an Event of Default with respect to the Debentures (that has not been cured or
waived) to Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 27




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exercise with respect to Debentures such of the rights and powers
vested in it by this Indenture, and to use the same degree of care and skill in
their exercise, as a prudent man would exercise or use under the circumstances
in the conduct of his own affairs; (f) the Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the
facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument,
opinion, report, notice, request, consent, order, approval, bond, debenture,
coupon or other paper or document, unless requested in writing to do so by the
holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the
outstanding Debentures affected thereby; provided, however, that if the payment
within a reasonable time to the Trustee of the costs, expenses or liabilities
likely to be incurred by it in the making of such investigation is, in the
opinion of the Trustee, not reasonably assured to the Trustee by the security
afforded to it by the terms of this Indenture, the Trustee may require
reasonable indemnity against such expense or liability as a condition to so
proceeding; (g) the Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or
perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through agents (including
any Authenticating Agent) or attorneys, and the Trustee shall not be
responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any such agent or
attorney appointed by it with due care; and (h) with the exceptions of defaults under Sections 5.1(a) or 5.1(b), the
Trustee shall not be charged with knowledge of any Default or Event of Default
with respect to the Debentures unless a written notice of such Default or Event
of Default shall have been given to the Trustee by the Company or any other
obligor on the Debentures or by any holder of the Debentures. Section 6.3. No Responsibility for Recitals, etc.The recitals contained
herein and in the Debentures (except in the certificate of authentication of
the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent) shall be taken as the statements of
the Company, and the Trustee and the Authenticating Agent assume no
responsibility for the correctness of the same. The Trustee and the
Authenticating Agent make no representations as to the validity or sufficiency
of this Indenture or of the Debentures. The Trustee and the Authenticating
Agent shall not be accountable for the use or application by the Company of any
Debentures or the proceeds of any Debentures authenticated and delivered by the
Trustee or the Authenticating Agent in conformity with the provisions of this
Indenture. Section 6.4. Trustee, Authenticating Agent, Paying Agents, Transfer Agents
or Registrar May Own Debentures.The Trustee or any Authenticating Agent or
any paying agent or any transfer agent or any Debenture registrar, in its
individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Debentures
with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee, Authenticating
Agent, paying agent, transfer agent or Debenture registrar. Section 6.5. Moneys to be Held in Trust.Subject to the provisions of
Section 12.4, all moneys received by the Trustee or any paying agent shall,
until used or applied as herein provided, be held in trust for the purpose for
which they were received, but need not be segregated from other funds except to
the extent required by law. The Trustee and any paying agent shall be under no
liability for interest on any money received by it hereunder except as
otherwise agreed in writing with the Company. So long as no Event of Default
shall have occurred and be continuing, all interest allowed on any such moneys
shall be paid from time to time upon the written order of the Company, signed
by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, the
President, a Managing Director, a Vice President, the Treasurer or an Assistant
Treasurer of the Company. Section 6.6. Compensation and Expenses of Trustee.The Company covenants
and agrees to pay or reimburse the Trustee upon its request for all reasonable
expenses, disbursements and advances incurred or made by the Trustee in
accordance with any of the provisions of this Indenture (including the Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 28




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reasonable compensation and the expenses and disbursements of its counsel and of all Persons not regularly in its
employ) except any such expense, disbursement or advance as may arise from its
negligence or willful misconduct. For purposes of clarification, this Section
6.6 does not contemplate the payment by the Company of acceptance or annual
administration fees owing to the Trustee pursuant to the services to be
provided by the Trustee under this Indenture or the fees and expenses of the
Trustees counsel in connection with the closing of the transactions
contemplated by this Indenture. The Company also covenants to indemnify each
of the Trustee or any predecessor Trustee (and its officers, agents, directors
and employees) for, and to hold it harmless against, any and all loss, damage,
claim, liability or expense including taxes (other than taxes based on the
income of the Trustee) incurred without negligence or willful misconduct on the
part of the Trustee and arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or
administration of this trust, including the costs and expenses of defending
itself against any claim of liability. The obligations of the Company under
this Section 6.6 to compensate and indemnify the Trustee and to pay or
reimburse the Trustee for expenses, disbursements and advances shall constitute
additional indebtedness hereunder. Such additional indebtedness shall be
secured by a lien prior to that of the Debentures upon all property and funds
held or collected by the Trustee as such, except funds held in trust for the
benefit of the holders of particular Debentures. Without prejudice to any other rights available to the Trustee under
applicable law, when the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services in
connection with an Event of Default specified in Section 5.1(d), Section 5.1(e)
or Section 5.1(f), the expenses (including the reasonable charges and expenses
of its counsel) and the compensation for the services are intended to
constitute expenses of administration under any applicable federal or state
bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law. The provisions of this Section shall survive the resignation or removal of
the Trustee and the defeasance or other termination of this Indenture. Notwithstanding anything in this Indenture or any Debenture to the
contrary, the Trustee shall have no obligation whatsoever to advance funds to
pay any principal of or interest on or other amounts with respect to the
Debentures or otherwise advance funds to or on behalf of the Company. Section 6.7. Officers Certificate as Evidence.Except as otherwise
provided in Sections 6.1 and 6.2, whenever in the administration of the
provisions of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it necessary or desirable
that a matter be proved or established prior to taking or omitting any action
hereunder, such matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein
specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of negligence or willful
misconduct on the part of the Trustee, be deemed to be conclusively proved and
established by an Officers Certificate delivered to the Trustee, and such
certificate, in the absence of negligence or willful misconduct on the part of
the Trustee, shall be full warrant to the Trustee for any action taken or
omitted by it under the provisions of this Indenture upon the faith thereof. Section 6.8. Eligibility of Trustee.The Trustee hereunder shall at all
times be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the
United States of America or any state or territory thereof or of the District
of Columbia or a corporation or other Person authorized under such laws to
exercise corporate trust powers, having (or whose obligations under this
Indenture are guaranteed by an affiliate having) a combined capital and surplus
of at least 50 million U.S. dollars ($50,000,000.00) and subject to supervision
or examination by federal, state, territorial, or District of Columbia
authority. If such corporation publishes reports of condition at least
annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of the aforesaid supervising
or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section 6.8 the combined
capital and surplus of such corporation shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set
forth in its most recent records of condition so published. The Company may not, nor may any Person directly or indirectly
controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Company, serve as
Trustee. Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 29




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In case at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance
with the provisions of this Section 6.8, the Trustee shall resign immediately
in the manner and with the effect specified in Section 6.9. If the Trustee has or shall acquire any conflicting interest within the
meaning of §310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, the Trustee shall either
eliminate such interest or resign, to the extent and in the manner described by
this Indenture. Section 6.9. Resignation or Removal of Trustee (a) The Trustee, or any trustee or trustees hereafter appointed, may at
any time resign by giving written notice of such resignation to the Company and
by mailing notice thereof, at the Companys expense, to the holders of the
Debentures at their addresses as they shall appear on the Debenture Register.
Upon receiving such notice of resignation, the Company shall promptly appoint a
successor trustee or trustees by written instrument, in duplicate, executed by
order of its Board of Directors, one copy of which instrument shall be
delivered to the resigning Trustee and one copy to the successor Trustee. If
no successor Trustee shall have been so appointed and have accepted appointment
within 30 days after the mailing of such notice of resignation to the affected
Securityholders, the resigning Trustee may petition any court of competent
jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee, or any Securityholder
who has been a bona fide holder of a Debenture or Debentures for at least six
months may, subject to the provisions of Section 5.9, on behalf of himself and
all others similarly situated, petition any such court for the appointment of a
successor Trustee. Such court may thereupon, after such notice, if any, as it
may deem proper and prescribe, appoint a successor Trustee. (b) In case at any time any of the following shall occur  (1) the Trustee shall fail to comply with the provisions of Section
6.8 after written request therefor by the Company or by any
Securityholder who has been a bona fide holder of a Debenture or
Debentures for at least 6 months, or (2) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the
provisions of Section 6.8 and shall fail to resign after written
request therefor by the Company or by any such Securityholder, or (3) the Trustee shall become incapable of acting, or shall be
adjudged as bankrupt or insolvent, or a receiver of the Trustee or
of its property shall be appointed, or any public officer shall
take charge or control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs
for the purpose of rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation, then, in any such case, the Company may remove the Trustee and
appoint a successor Trustee by written instrument, in duplicate,
executed by order of the Board of Directors, one copy of which
instrument shall be delivered to the Trustee so removed and one
copy to the successor Trustee, or, subject to the provisions of
Section 5.9, any Securityholder who has been a bona fide holder of
a Debenture or Debentures for at least 6 months may, on behalf of
himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of
competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the
appointment of a successor Trustee. Such court may thereupon, after such notice, if any, as it may deem
proper and prescribe, remove the Trustee and appoint successor
Trustee. (c) Upon prior written notice to the Company and the Trustee, the holders
of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Debentures at the time
outstanding may at any time remove the Trustee and nominate a successor
Trustee, which shall be deemed appointed as successor Trustee unless within 10 Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 30




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Business Days after such nomination the Company objects thereto, in which case,
or in the case of a failure by such holders to nominate a successor Trustee,
the Trustee so removed or any Securityholder, upon the terms and conditions and
otherwise as in subsection (a) of this Section 6.9 provided, may petition any
court of competent jurisdiction for an appointment of a successor. (d) Any resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a
successor Trustee pursuant to any of the provisions of this Section shall
become effective upon acceptance of appointment by the successor Trustee as
provided in Section 6.10. Section 6.10. Acceptance by Successor Trustee.Any successor Trustee
appointed as provided in Section 6.9 shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to
the Company and to its predecessor Trustee an instrument accepting such
appointment hereunder, and thereupon the resignation or removal of the retiring
Trustee shall become effective and such successor Trustee, without any further
act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers,
duties and obligations with respect to the Debentures of its predecessor
hereunder, with like effect as if originally named as Trustee herein; but,
nevertheless, on the written request of the Company or of the successor
Trustee, the Trustee ceasing to act shall, upon payment of any amounts then due
it pursuant to the provisions of Section 6.6, execute and deliver an instrument
transferring to such successor Trustee all the rights and powers of the Trustee
so ceasing to act and shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor
Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee thereunder. Upon
request of any such successor Trustee, the Company shall execute any and all
instruments in writing for more fully and certainly vesting in and confirming
to such successor Trustee all such rights and powers. Any Trustee ceasing to
act shall, nevertheless, retain a lien upon all property or funds held or
collected by such Trustee to secure any amounts then due it pursuant to the
provisions of Section 6.6. If a successor Trustee is appointed, the Company, the retiring Trustee and
the successor Trustee shall execute and deliver an indenture supplemental
hereto which shall contain such provisions as shall be deemed necessary or
desirable to confirm that all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the
retiring Trustee with respect to the Debentures as to which the predecessor
Trustee is not retiring shall continue to be vested in the predecessor Trustee,
and shall add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be
necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the Trust
hereunder by more than one Trustee, it being understood that nothing herein or
in such supplemental indenture shall constitute such Trustees co-trustees of
the same trust and that each such Trustee shall be Trustee of a trust or trusts
hereunder separate and apart from any trust or trusts hereunder administered by
any other such Trustee. No successor Trustee shall accept appointment as provided in this Section
unless at the time of such acceptance such successor Trustee shall be eligible
under the provisions of Section 6.8. In no event shall a retiring Trustee be liable for the acts or omissions
of any successor Trustee hereunder. Upon acceptance of appointment by a successor Trustee as provided in this
Section 6.10, the Company shall mail notice of the succession of such Trustee
hereunder to the holders of Debentures at their addresses as they shall appear
on the Debenture Register. If the Company fails to mail such notice
within 10 Business Days after the acceptance of appointment by the
successor Trustee, the successor Trustee shall cause such notice to be mailed
at the expense of the Company. Section 6.11. Succession by Merger, etc.Any corporation into which the
Trustee may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any
corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the
Trustee shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to all or substantially
all of the corporate trust business of the Trustee, shall be the successor of
the Trustee Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 31




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hereunder without the execution or filing of any paper or any
further act on the part of any of the parties hereto; provided such corporation
shall be otherwise eligible and qualified under this Article. In case at the time such successor to the Trustee shall succeed to the
trusts created by this Indenture any of the Debentures shall have been
authenticated but not delivered, any such successor to the Trustee may adopt
the certificate of authentication of any predecessor Trustee, and deliver such
Debentures so authenticated; and in case at that time any of the Debentures
shall not have been authenticated, any successor to the Trustee may
authenticate such Debentures either in the name of any predecessor hereunder or
in the name of the successor Trustee; and in all such cases such certificates
shall have the full force which it is anywhere in the Debentures or in this
Indenture provided that the certificate of the Trustee shall have; provided,
however, that the right to adopt the certificate of authentication of any
predecessor Trustee or authenticate Debentures in the name of any predecessor
Trustee shall apply only to its successor or successors by merger, conversion
or consolidation. Section 6.12. Authenticating Agents.There may be one or more
Authenticating Agents appointed by the Trustee upon the request of the Company
with power to act on its behalf and subject to its direction in the
authentication and delivery of Debentures issued upon exchange or registration
of transfer thereof as fully to all intents and purposes as though any such
Authenticating Agent had been expressly authorized to authenticate and deliver
Debentures; provided, however, that the Trustee shall have no liability to the
Company for any acts or omissions of the Authenticating Agent with respect to
the authentication and delivery of Debentures. Any such Authenticating Agent
shall at all times be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws
of the United States or of any state or territory thereof or of the District of
Columbia authorized under such laws to act as Authenticating Agent, having a
combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000.00 and being subject to
supervision or examination by federal, state, territorial or District of
Columbia authority. If such corporation publishes reports of condition at
least annually pursuant to law or the requirements of such authority, then for
the purposes of this Section 6.12 the combined capital and surplus of such
corporation shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth
in its most recent report of condition so published. If at any time an
Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the
provisions of this Section, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with
the effect herein specified in this Section. Any corporation into which any Authenticating Agent may be merged or
converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting
from any merger, consolidation or conversion to which any Authenticating Agent
shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to all or substantially all of
the corporate trust business of any Authenticating Agent, shall be the
successor of such Authenticating Agent hereunder, if such successor corporation
is otherwise eligible under this Section 6.12 without the execution or filing
of any paper or any further act on the part of the parties hereto or such
Authenticating Agent. Any Authenticating Agent may at any time resign by giving written notice
of resignation to the Trustee and to the Company. The Trustee may at any time
terminate the agency of any Authenticating Agent with respect to the Debentures by giving written notice of
termination to such Authenticating Agent and to the Company. Upon receiving
such a notice of resignation or upon such a termination, or in case at any time
any Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible under this Section 6.12,
the Trustee may, and upon the request of the Company shall, promptly appoint a
successor Authenticating Agent eligible under this Section 6.12, shall give
written notice of such appointment to the Company and shall mail notice of such
appointment to all holders of Debentures as the names and addresses of such
holders appear on the Debenture Register. Any successor Authenticating Agent
upon acceptance of its appointment hereunder shall become vested with all
rights, powers, duties and responsibilities with respect to the Debentures of
its predecessor hereunder, with like effect as if originally named as
Authenticating Agent herein. Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 32




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ARTICLE VII.
CONCERNING THE SECURITYHOLDERS The Company agrees to pay to any Authenticating Agent from time to time
reasonable compensation for its services. Any Authenticating Agent shall have
no responsibility or liability for any action taken by it as such in accordance
with the directions of the Trustee. Section 7.1. Action by Securityholders.Whenever in this Indenture it is
provided that the holders of a specified percentage in aggregate principal
amount of the Debentures may take any action (including the making of any
demand or request, the giving of any notice, consent or waiver or the taking of
any other action) the fact that at the time of taking any such action the
holders of such specified percentage have joined therein may be evidenced (a)
by any instrument or any number of instruments of similar tenor executed by
such Securityholders in person or by agent or proxy appointed in writing, or
(b) by the record of such holders of Debentures voting in favor thereof at any
meeting of such Securityholders duly called and held in accordance with the
provisions of Article VIII, or (c) by a combination of such instrument or
instruments and any such record of such a meeting of such Securityholders or
(d) by any other method the Trustee deems satisfactory. If the Company shall solicit from the Securityholders any request, demand,
authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action or revocation
of the same, the Company may, at its option, as evidenced by an Officers
Certificate, fix in advance a record date for such Debentures for the
determination of Securityholders entitled to give such request, demand,
authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action or revocation
of the same, but the Company shall have no obligation to do so. If such a
record date is fixed, such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice,
consent, waiver or other action or revocation of the same may be given before
or after the record date, but only the Securityholders of record at the close
of business on the record date shall be deemed to be Securityholders for the
purposes of determining whether Securityholders of the requisite proportion of
outstanding Debentures have authorized or agreed or consented to such request,
demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action or
revocation of the same, and for that purpose the outstanding Debentures shall
be computed as of the record date; provided, however, that no such
authorization, agreement or consent by such Securityholders on the record date
shall be deemed effective unless it shall become effective pursuant to the
provisions of this Indenture not later than 6 months after the record date. Section 7.2. Proof of Execution by Securityholders.Subject to the
provisions of Section 6.1, 6.2 and 8.5, proof of the execution of any
instrument by a Securityholder or his agent or proxy shall be sufficient if
made in accordance with such reasonable rules and regulations as may be
prescribed by the Trustee or in such manner as shall be satisfactory to the
Trustee. The ownership of Debentures shall be proved by the Debenture Register
or by a certificate of the Debenture registrar. The Trustee may require such additional proof of any
matter referred to in this Section as it shall deem necessary. The record of any Securityholders meeting shall be proved in the manner
provided in Section 8.6. Section 7.3. Who Are Deemed Absolute Owners.Prior to due presentment for
registration of transfer of any Debenture, the Company, the Trustee, any
Authenticating Agent, any paying agent, any transfer agent and any Debenture
registrar may deem the Person in whose name such Debenture shall be registered
upon the Debenture Register to be, and may treat him as, the absolute owner of
such Debenture (whether or not such Debenture shall be overdue) for the purpose
of receiving payment of or on account of the principal of, premium, if any, and
interest on such Debenture and for all other purposes; and neither the Company
nor the Trustee nor any Authenticating Agent nor any paying agent nor any
transfer agent nor any Debenture registrar shall be affected by any notice to
the contrary. All such payments so made to Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 33




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any holder for the time being or
upon his order shall be valid, and, to the extent of the sum or sums so paid,
effectual to satisfy and discharge the liability for moneys payable upon any
such Debenture. Section 7.4. Debentures Owned by Company Deemed Not Outstanding.In
determining whether the holders of the requisite aggregate principal amount of
Debentures have concurred in any direction, consent or waiver under this
Indenture, Debentures which are owned by the Company or any other obligor on
the Debentures or by any Person directly or indirectly controlling or
controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with the Company or
any other obligor on the Debentures shall be disregarded and deemed not to be
outstanding for the purpose of any such determination; provided, however, that
for the purposes of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in
relying on any such direction, consent or waiver, only Debentures which a
Responsible Officer of the Trustee actually knows are so owned shall be so
disregarded. Debentures so owned which have been pledged in good faith may be
regarded as outstanding for the purposes of this Section 7.4 if the pledgee
shall establish to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgees right to vote
such Debentures and that the pledgee is not the Company or any such other
obligor or Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under
direct or indirect common control with the Company or any such other obligor.
In the case of a dispute as to such right, any decision by the Trustee taken
upon the advice of counsel shall be full protection to the Trustee. Section 7.5. Revocation of Consents; Future Holders Bound.At any time
prior to (but not after) the evidencing to the Trustee, as provided in Section
7.1, of the taking of any action by the holders of the percentage in aggregate
principal amount of the Debentures specified in this Indenture in connection
with such action, any holder (in cases where no record date has been set
pursuant to Section 7.1) or any holder as of an applicable record date (in
cases where a record date has been set pursuant to Section 7.1) of a Debenture
(or any Debenture issued in whole or in part in exchange or substitution
therefor) the serial number of which is shown by the evidence to be included in
the Debentures the holders of which have consented to such action may, by
filing written notice with the Trustee at the Principal Office of the Trustee
and upon proof of holding as provided in Section 7.2, revoke such action so far
as concerns such Debenture (or so far as concerns the principal amount
represented by any exchanged or substituted Debenture). Except as aforesaid
any such action taken by the holder of any Debenture shall be conclusive and
binding upon such holder and upon all future holders and owners of such
Debenture, and of any Debenture issued in exchange or substitution therefor or
on registration of transfer thereof, irrespective of whether or not any
notation in regard thereto is made upon such Debenture or any Debenture issued
in exchange or substitution therefor. ARTICLE VIII.
SECURITYHOLDERS MEETINGS Section 8.1. Purposes of Meetings.A meeting of Securityholders may be
called at any time and from time to time pursuant to the provisions of this
Article VIII for any of the following purposes: (a) to give any notice to the Company or to the Trustee, or to give any
directions to the Trustee, or to consent to the waiving of any default
hereunder and its consequences, or to take any other action authorized to be
taken by Securityholders pursuant to any of the provisions of Article V; (b) to remove the Trustee and nominate a successor trustee pursuant to the
provisions of Article VI; (c) to consent to the execution of an indenture or indentures supplemental
hereto pursuant to the provisions of Section 9.2; or Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 34




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(d) to take any other action authorized to be taken by or on behalf of the
holders of any specified aggregate principal amount of such Debentures under
any other provision of this Indenture or under applicable law. Section 8.2. Call of Meetings by Trustee.The Trustee may at any time
call a meeting of Securityholders to take any action specified in Section 8.1,
to be held at such time and at such place as the Trustee shall determine.
Notice of every meeting of the Securityholders, setting forth the time and the
place of such meeting and in general terms the action proposed to be taken at
such meeting, shall be mailed to holders of Debentures affected at their
addresses as they shall appear on the Debentures Register and, if the Company
is not a holder of Debentures, to the Company. Such notice shall be mailed not
less than 20 nor more than 180 days prior to the date fixed for the meeting. Section 8.3. Call of Meetings by Company or Securityholders.In case at
any time the Company pursuant to a Board Resolution, or the holders of at least
10% in aggregate principal amount of the Debentures, as the case may be, then
outstanding, shall have requested the Trustee to call a meeting of
Securityholders, by written request setting forth in reasonable detail the
action proposed to be taken at the meeting, and the Trustee shall not have
mailed the notice of such meeting within 20 days after receipt of such request,
then the Company or such Securityholders may determine the time and the place
for such meeting and may call such meeting to take any action authorized in
Section 8.1, by mailing notice thereof as provided in Section 8.2. Section 8.4. Qualifications for Voting.To be entitled to vote at any
meeting of Securityholders a Person shall (a) be a holder of one or more
Debentures with respect to which the meeting is being held or (b) a Person
appointed by an instrument in writing as proxy by a holder of one or more such
Debentures. The only Persons who shall be entitled to be present or to speak
at any meeting of Securityholders shall be the Persons entitled to vote at such
meeting and their counsel and any representatives of the Trustee and its
counsel and any representatives of the Company and its counsel. Section 8.5. Regulations.


Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Indenture, the Trustee may
make such reasonable regulations as it may deem advisable for any meeting of
Securityholders, in regard to proof of the holding of Debentures and of the
appointment of proxies, and in regard to the appointment and duties of
inspectors of votes, the submission and examination of proxies, certificates
and other evidence of the right to vote, and such other matters concerning the
conduct of the meeting as it shall think fit. The Trustee shall, by an instrument in writing, appoint a temporary
chairman of the meeting, unless the meeting shall have been called by the
Company or by Securityholders as provided in Section 8.3, in which case the
Company or the Securityholders calling the meeting, as the case may be, shall
in like manner appoint a temporary chairman. A permanent chairman and a
permanent secretary of the meeting shall be elected by majority vote of the
meeting. Subject to the provisions of Section 7.4, at any meeting each holder of
Debentures with respect to which such meeting is being held or proxy therefor
shall be entitled to one vote for each $1,000.00 principal amount of Debentures
held or represented by him; provided, however, that no vote shall be cast or
counted at any meeting in respect of any Debenture challenged as not
outstanding and ruled by the chairman of the meeting to be not outstanding.
The chairman of the meeting shall have no right to vote other than by virtue of
Debentures held by him or instruments in writing as aforesaid duly designating
him as the Person to vote on behalf of other Securityholders. Any meeting of
Securityholders duly called pursuant to the provisions of Section 8.2 or 8.3
may be adjourned from time to time by a majority of those present, whether or
not constituting a quorum, and the meeting may be held as so adjourned without
further notice. Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 35




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Section 8.6. Voting.The vote upon any resolution submitted to any
meeting of holders of Debentures with respect to which such meeting is being
held shall be by written ballots on which shall be subscribed the signatures of
such holders or of their representatives by proxy and the serial number or
numbers of the Debentures held or represented by them. The permanent chairman
of the meeting shall appoint two inspectors of votes who shall count all votes
cast at the meeting for or against any resolution and who shall make and file
with the secretary of the meeting their verified written reports in triplicate
of all votes cast at the meeting. A record in duplicate of the proceedings of
each meeting of Securityholders shall be prepared by the secretary of the
meeting and there shall be attached to said record the original reports of the
inspectors of votes on any vote by ballot taken thereat and affidavits by one
or more Persons having knowledge of the facts setting forth a copy of the
notice of the meeting and showing that said notice was mailed as provided in
Section 8.2. The record shall show the serial numbers of the Debentures voting
in favor of or against any resolution. The record shall be signed and verified
by the affidavits of the permanent chairman and secretary of the meeting and
one of the duplicates shall be delivered to the Company and the other to the
Trustee to be preserved by the Trustee, the latter to have attached thereto the
ballots voted at the meeting. Any record so signed and verified shall be conclusive evidence of the
matters therein stated. Section 8.7. Quorum; Actions.The Persons entitled to vote a majority in
principal amount of the Debentures then outstanding shall constitute a quorum
for a meeting of Securityholders; provided, however, that if any action is to
be taken at such meeting with respect to a consent, waiver, request, demand,
notice, authorization, direction or other action which may be given by the
holders of not less than a specified percentage in principal amount of the
Debentures then outstanding, the Persons holding or representing such specified
percentage in principal amount of the Debentures then outstanding will
constitute a quorum. In the absence of a quorum within 30 minutes of the time
appointed for any such meeting, the meeting shall, if convened at
the request of Securityholders, be dissolved. In any other case the
meeting may be adjourned for a period of not less than 10 days as determined by
the permanent chairman of the meeting prior to the adjournment of such meeting.
In the absence of a quorum at any such adjourned meeting, such adjourned
meeting may be further adjourned for a period of not less than 10 days as
determined by the permanent chairman of the meeting prior to the adjournment of
such adjourned meeting. Notice of the reconvening of any adjourned meeting
shall be given as provided in Section 8.2, except that such notice need be
given only once not less than 5 days prior to the date on which the meeting is
scheduled to be reconvened. Notice of the reconvening of an adjourned meeting
shall state expressly the percentage, as provided above, of the principal
amount of the Debentures then outstanding which shall constitute a quorum. Except as limited by the provisos in the first paragraph of Section 9.2,
any resolution presented to a meeting or adjourned meeting duly reconvened at
which a quorum is present as aforesaid may be adopted by the affirmative vote
of the holders of a majority in principal amount of the Debentures then
outstanding; provided, however, that, except as limited by the provisos in the
first paragraph of Section 9.2, any resolution with respect to any consent,
waiver, request, demand, notice, authorization, direction or other action which
this Indenture expressly provides may be given by the holders of not less than
a specified percentage in principal amount of the Debentures then outstanding
may be adopted at a meeting or an adjourned meeting duly reconvened and at
which a quorum is present as aforesaid only by the affirmative vote of the
holders of a not less than such specified percentage in principal amount of the
Debentures then outstanding. Any resolution passed or decision taken at any meeting of holders of
Debentures duly held in accordance with this Section shall be binding on all
the Securityholders, whether or not present or represented at the meeting. Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 36




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ARTICLE IX.
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES Section 9.1. Supplemental Indentures without Consent of Securityholders.
The Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee may from
time to time and at any time enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental
hereto, without the consent of the Securityholders, for one or more of the
following purposes: (a) to evidence the succession of another Person to the Company, or
successive successions, and the assumption by the successor Person of the
covenants, agreements and obligations of the Company, pursuant to Article XI
hereof; (b) to add to the covenants of the Company such further covenants,
restrictions or conditions for the protection of the holders of Debentures as
the Board of Directors shall consider to be for the protection of the holders
of such Debentures, and to make the occurrence, or the occurrence and
continuance, of a default in any of such additional covenants, restrictions or
conditions a default or an Event of Default permitting the enforcement of all
or any of the several remedies provided in this Indenture as herein set forth;
provided, however, that in respect of any such additional covenant restriction
or condition such supplemental indenture may provide for a particular period of
grace after default (which period may be shorter or longer than that allowed in
the case of other defaults) or may provide for an immediate enforcement upon
such default or may limit the remedies available to the Trustee upon such
default; (c) to cure any ambiguity or to correct or supplement any provision
contained herein or in any supplemental indenture which may be defective or
inconsistent with any other provision contained herein or in any supplemental
indenture, or to make such other provisions in regard to matters or
questions arising under this Indenture; provided that any such action
shall not materially adversely affect the interests of the holders of the
Debentures; (d) to add to, delete from, or revise the terms of Debentures, including,
without limitation, any terms relating to the issuance, exchange, registration
or transfer of Debentures, including to provide for transfer procedures and
restrictions substantially similar to those applicable to the Capital
Securities as required by Section 2.5 (for purposes of assuring that no
registration of Debentures is required under the Securities Act); provided,
however, that any such action shall not adversely affect the interests of the
holders of the Debentures then outstanding (it being understood, for purposes
of this proviso, that transfer restrictions on Debentures substantially similar
to those that were applicable to Capital Securities shall not be deemed to
materially adversely affect the holders of the Debentures); (e) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by
a successor Trustee with respect to the Debentures and to add to or change any
of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or
facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee; (f) to make any change (other than as elsewhere provided in this
paragraph) that does not adversely affect the rights of any Securityholder in
any material respect; or (g) to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and
conditions of the Debentures, to establish the form of any certifications
required to be furnished pursuant to the terms of this Indenture or the
Debentures, or to add to the rights of the holders of Debentures. The Trustee is hereby authorized to join with the Company in the execution
of any such supplemental indenture, to make any further appropriate agreements
and stipulations which may be Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 37




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therein contained and to accept the conveyance,
transfer and assignment of any property thereunder, but the Trustee shall not
be obligated to, but may in its discretion, enter into any such supplemental
indenture which affects the Trustees own rights, duties or immunities under
this Indenture or otherwise. Any supplemental indenture authorized by the provisions of this Section
9.1 may be executed by the Company and the Trustee without the consent of the
holders of any of the Debentures at the time outstanding, notwithstanding any
of the provisions of Section 9.2. Section 9.2. Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Securityholders.
With the consent (evidenced as provided in Section 7.1) of the holders of not
less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Debentures at the
time outstanding affected by such supplemental indenture (voting as a class),
the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee may from
time to time and at any time enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental
hereto for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or
eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of any supplemental
indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the holders of the
Debentures; provided, however, that no such supplemental indenture shall
without the consent of the holders of each Debenture then outstanding and
affected thereby (i) change the fixed maturity of any Debenture, or reduce the
principal amount thereof or any premium thereon, or reduce the rate or extend
the time of payment of interest thereon, or reduce any amount payable on
redemption thereof or make the principal thereof or any interest or premium
thereon payable in any coin or currency other than that provided in the
Debentures, or impair or affect the right of any Securityholder to institute
suit for payment thereof or impair the right of repayment, if any, at the
option of the holder, or (ii) reduce the aforesaid percentage of Debentures the
holders of which are required to consent to any such supplemental indenture;
provided further, however, that if the Debentures are held by a trust or a
trustee of such trust, such supplemental indenture shall not be effective until
the holders of a majority in Liquidation Amount
of Trust Securities shall have consented to such supplemental indenture;
provided further, however, that if the consent of the Securityholder of each
outstanding Debenture is required, such supplemental indenture shall not be
effective until each holder of the Trust Securities shall have consented to
such supplemental indenture. Upon the request of the Company accompanied by a Board Resolution
authorizing the execution of any such supplemental indenture, and upon the
filing with the Trustee of evidence of the consent of Securityholders as
aforesaid, the Trustee shall join with the Company in the execution of such
supplemental indenture unless such supplemental indenture affects the Trustees
own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise, in which
case the Trustee may in its discretion, but shall not be obligated to, enter
into such supplemental indenture. Promptly after the execution by the Company and the Trustee of any
supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Section, the Trustee
shall transmit by mail, first class postage prepaid, a notice, prepared by the
Company, setting forth in general terms the substance of such supplemental
indenture, to the Securityholders as their names and addresses appear upon the
Debenture Register. Any failure of the Trustee to mail such notice, or any
defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of
any such supplemental indenture. It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Securityholders under
this Section 9.2 to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental
indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such consent shall approve the
substance thereof. Section 9.3. Effect of Supplemental Indentures.Upon the execution of any
supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Article IX, this
Indenture shall be and be deemed to be modified and amended in accordance
therewith and the respective rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties
and immunities under this Indenture of the Trustee, the Company and the holders
of Debentures shall thereafter be determined, exercised and enforced hereunder
subject in all respects to such Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 38




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modifications and amendments and all the terms
and conditions of any such supplemental indenture shall be and be deemed to be
part of the terms and conditions of this Indenture for any and all purposes. Section 9.4. Notation on Debentures.Debentures authenticated and
delivered after the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to the
provisions of this Article IX may bear a notation as to any matter provided for
in such supplemental indenture. If the Company or the Trustee shall so
determine, new Debentures so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the
Board of Directors of the Company, to any modification of this Indenture
contained in any such supplemental indenture may be prepared and executed by
the Company, authenticated by the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent and
delivered in exchange for the Debentures then outstanding. Section 9.5. Evidence of Compliance of Supplemental Indenture to be
Furnished to Trustee.The Trustee, subject to the provisions of Sections 6.1
and 6.2, shall, in addition to the documents required by Section 14.6, receive
an Officers Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel as conclusive evidence that
any supplemental indenture executed pursuant hereto complies with the
requirements of this Article IX. The Trustee shall receive an Opinion of
Counsel as conclusive evidence that any supplemental indenture executed
pursuant to this Article IX is authorized or permitted by, and conforms
to, the terms of this Article IX and that it is proper for the Trustee
under the provisions of this Article IX to join in the execution thereof. ARTICLE X.
REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES Section 10.1. Optional Redemption.The Company shall have the right
(subject to the receipt by the Company of prior approval (i) if the Company is
a bank holding company, from the Federal Reserve, if then required under
applicable capital guidelines or policies of the Federal Reserve or (ii) if the
Company is a savings and loan holding company, from the OTS, if then required
under applicable capital guidelines or policies of the OTS) to redeem the
Debentures, in whole or in part, but in all cases in a principal amount with
integral multiples of $1,000.00, on any Interest Payment Date on or after the
Interest Payment Date in June 2009 (the Redemption Date), at the Redemption
Price. Section 10.2. Special Event Redemption.If a Special Event shall occur
and be continuing, the Company shall have the right (subject to the receipt by
the Company of prior approval (i) if the Company is a bank holding company,
from the Federal Reserve, if then required under applicable capital guidelines
or policies of the Federal Reserve or (ii) if the Company is a savings and loan
holding company, from the OTS, if then required under applicable capital
guidelines or policies of the OTS) to redeem the Debentures in whole, but not
in part, at any Interest Payment Date, within 120 days following the occurrence
of such Special Event (the Special Redemption Date) at the Special Redemption
Price. Section 10.3. Notice of Redemption; Selection of Debentures.In case the
Company shall desire to exercise the right to redeem all, or, as the case may
be, any part of the Debentures, it shall cause to be mailed a notice of such
redemption at least 30 and not more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date
or the Special Redemption Date to the holders of Debentures so to be redeemed
as a whole or in part at their last addresses as the same appear on the
Debenture Register. Such mailing shall be by first class mail. The notice if
mailed in the manner herein provided shall be conclusively presumed to have
been duly given, whether or not the holder receives such notice. In any case,
failure to give such notice by mail or any defect in the notice to the holder
of any Debenture designated for redemption as a whole or in part shall not
affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any other
Debenture. Each such notice of redemption shall specify the CUSIP number, if any, of
the Debentures to be redeemed, the Redemption Date or the Special Redemption
Date, as applicable, the Redemption Price or the Special Redemption Price, as
applicable, at which Debentures are to be redeemed, the place or places Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 39




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of payment, that payment will be made upon presentation and surrender of such
Debentures, that interest accrued to the date fixed for redemption will be paid
as specified in said notice, and that on and after said date interest thereon
or on the portions thereof to be redeemed will cease to accrue. If less than
all the Debentures are to be redeemed the notice of redemption shall specify
the numbers of the Debentures to be redeemed. In case the Debentures are to be
redeemed in part only, the notice of redemption shall state the portion of the
principal amount thereof to be redeemed and shall state that on and after the
date fixed for redemption, upon surrender of such Debenture, a new Debenture or
Debentures in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion thereof will be
issued. Prior to 10:00 a.m. New York City time on the Redemption Date or Special
Redemption Date, as applicable, the Company will deposit with the Trustee or
with one or more paying agents an amount of
money sufficient to redeem on the Redemption Date or the Special
Redemption Date, as applicable, all the Debentures so called for redemption at
the appropriate Redemption Price or Special Redemption Price. If all, or less than all, the Debentures are to be redeemed, the Company
will give the Trustee notice not less than 45 nor more than 60 days,
respectively, prior to the Redemption Date or Special Redemption Date, as
applicable, as to the aggregate principal amount of Debentures to be redeemed
and the Trustee shall select, in such manner as in its sole discretion it shall
deem appropriate and fair, the Debentures or portions thereof (in integral
multiples of $1,000.00) to be redeemed. Section 10.4. Payment of Debentures Called for Redemption.If notice of
redemption has been given as provided in Section 10.3, the Debentures or
portions of Debentures with respect to which such notice has been given shall
become due and payable on the Redemption Date or Special Redemption Date, as
applicable, and at the place or places stated in such notice at the applicable
Redemption Price or Special Redemption Price and on and after said date (unless
the Company shall default in the payment of such Debentures at the Redemption
Price or Special Redemption Price, as applicable) interest on the Debentures or
portions of Debentures so called for redemption shall cease to accrue. On
presentation and surrender of such Debentures at a place of payment specified
in said notice, such Debentures or the specified portions thereof shall be paid
and redeemed by the Company at the applicable Redemption Price or Special
Redemption Price. Upon presentation of any Debenture redeemed in part only, the Company
shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and make available for
delivery to the holder thereof, at the expense of the Company, a new Debenture
or Debentures of authorized denominations, in principal amount equal to the
unredeemed portion of the Debenture so presented. ARTICLE XI.
CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, SALE, CONVEYANCE AND LEASE Section 11.1. Company May Consolidate, etc., on Certain Terms.Nothing
contained in this Indenture or in the Debentures shall prevent any
consolidation or merger of the Company with or into any other Person (whether
or not affiliated with the Company) or successive consolidations or mergers in
which the Company or its successor or successors shall be a party or parties,
or shall prevent any sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition of the
property or capital stock of the Company or its successor or successors as an
entirety, or substantially as an entirety, to any other Person (whether or not
affiliated with the Company, or its successor or successors) authorized to
acquire and operate the same; provided, however, that the Company hereby
covenants and agrees that, upon any such consolidation, merger (where the
Company is not the surviving corporation), sale, conveyance, transfer or other
disposition, the due and punctual payment of the principal of (and premium, if
any) and interest on all of the Debentures in accordance with their terms,
according to their tenor, and the due and punctual performance and observance
of all the covenants and conditions of this Indenture to be kept or performed
by the Company, Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 40




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shall be expressly assumed by supplemental indenture
satisfactory in form to the Trustee executed and delivered to the Trustee by
the entity formed by such consolidation, or into which the Company shall have
been merged, or by the entity which shall have acquired such property or
capital stock. Section 11.2. Successor Entity to be Substituted.In case of any such
consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition and upon
the assumption by the successor entity, by supplemental indenture, executed and
delivered to the Trustee and satisfactory in form to the Trustee, of the due and punctual
payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on all of the
Debentures and the due and punctual performance and observance of all of the
covenants and conditions of this Indenture to be performed or observed by the
Company, such successor entity shall succeed to and be substituted for the
Company, with the same effect as if it had been named herein as the Company,
and thereupon the predecessor entity shall be relieved of any further liability
or obligation hereunder or upon the Debentures. Such successor entity
thereupon may cause to be signed, and may issue in its own name, any or all of
the Debentures issuable hereunder which theretofore shall not have been signed
by the Company and delivered to the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent; and,
upon the order of such successor entity instead of the Company and subject to
all the terms, conditions and limitations in this Indenture prescribed, the
Trustee or the Authenticating Agent shall authenticate and deliver any
Debentures which previously shall have been signed and delivered by the
officers of the Company, to the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent for
authentication, and any Debentures which such successor entity thereafter shall
cause to be signed and delivered to the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent for
that purpose. All the Debentures so issued shall in all respects have the same
legal rank and benefit under this Indenture as the Debentures theretofore or
thereafter issued in accordance with the terms of this Indenture as though all
of such Debentures had been issued at the date of the execution hereof. Section 11.3. Opinion of Counsel to be Given to Trustee.The Trustee,
subject to the provisions of Sections 6.1 and 6.2, shall receive, in addition
to the Opinion of Counsel required by Section 9.5, an Opinion of Counsel as
conclusive evidence that any consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance, transfer
or other disposition, and any assumption, permitted or required by the terms of
this Article XI complies with the provisions of this Article XI. ARTICLE XII.
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE Section 12.1. Discharge of Indenture.When  (a)
    
    the Company shall deliver to the Trustee for cancellation all
Debentures theretofore authenticated (other than any Debentures
which shall have been destroyed, lost or stolen and which shall have
been replaced or paid as provided in Section 2.6) and not
theretofore canceled, or(b)
    
    all the Debentures not theretofore canceled or delivered to
the Trustee for cancellation shall have become due and payable, or
are by their terms to become due and payable within 1 year or are to
be called for redemption within 1 year under arrangements
satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption,
and the Company shall deposit with the Trustee, in trust, funds,
which shall be immediately due and payable, sufficient to pay at
maturity or upon redemption all of the Debentures (other than any
Debentures which shall have been destroyed, lost or stolen and which
shall have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 2.6) not
theretofore canceled or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation,
including principal and premium, if any, and interest due or to
become due to such date of maturity or redemption date, as the case
may be, but excluding, however, the amount of any moneys for the
payment of principal of, and premium, if any, or interest on the
Debentures (1) theretofore repaid to the Company in Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 41




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accordance with the provisions of Section 12.4, or (2) paid to any state or to the
District of Columbia pursuant to its unclaimed property or similar
laws, and if in the case of either clause (a) or clause (b) the Company shall also
pay or cause to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company, then
this Indenture shall cease to be of further effect except for the provisions of
Sections 2.5, 2.6, 2.8, 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 6.6, 6.8, 6.9 and 12.4 hereof shall
survive until such Debentures shall mature and be paid. Thereafter, Sections
6.6 and 12.4 shall survive, and the Trustee, on demand of the Company
accompanied by an Officers Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating
that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the satisfaction
and discharge of this Indenture have been complied with, and at the cost and
expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging
satisfaction of and discharging this Indenture. The Company agrees to
reimburse the Trustee for any costs or expenses thereafter reasonably and
properly incurred by the Trustee in connection with this Indenture or the
Debentures. Section 12.2. Deposited Moneys to be Held in Trust by Trustee.Subject to
the provisions of Section 12.4, all moneys deposited with the Trustee pursuant
to Section 12.1 shall be held in trust in a non-interest bearing account and
applied by it to the payment, either directly or through any paying agent
(including the Company if acting as its own paying agent), to the holders of
the particular Debentures for the payment of which such moneys have been
deposited with the Trustee, of all sums due and to become due thereon for
principal, and premium, if any, and interest. Section 12.3. Paying Agent to Repay Moneys Held.Upon the satisfaction
and discharge of this Indenture all moneys then held by any paying agent of the
Debentures (other than the Trustee) shall, upon demand of the Company, be
repaid to it or paid to the Trustee, and thereupon such paying agent shall be
released from all further liability with respect to such moneys. Section 12.4. Return of Unclaimed Moneys.Any moneys deposited with or
paid to the Trustee or any paying agent for payment of the principal of, and
premium, if any, or interest on Debentures and not applied but remaining
unclaimed by the holders of Debentures for 2 years after the date upon which
the principal of, and premium, if any, or interest on such Debentures, as the
case may be, shall have become due and payable, shall, subject to applicable
escheatment laws, be repaid to the Company by the Trustee or such paying agent
on written demand; and the holder of any of the Debentures shall thereafter
look only to the Company for any payment which such holder may be entitled to
collect, and all liability of the Trustee or such paying agent with respect to
such moneys shall thereupon cease. ARTICLE XIII.
IMMUNITY OF INCORPORATORS, STOCKHOLDERS,
OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS Section 13.1. Indenture and Debentures Solely Corporate Obligations.No
recourse for the payment of the principal of or premium, if any, or interest on
any Debenture, or for any claim based thereon or otherwise in respect thereof,
and no recourse under or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement of the
Company in this Indenture or in any supplemental indenture, or in any such
Debenture, or because of the creation of any indebtedness represented thereby,
shall be had against any incorporator, stockholder, employee, officer or
director, as such, past, present or future, of the Company or of any successor
Person of the Company, either directly or through the Company or any successor
Person of the Company, whether by virtue of any constitution, statute or rule
of law, or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise, it
being expressly understood that all such liability is hereby expressly waived and released as a condition of, and
as a consideration for, the execution of this Indenture and the issue of the
Debentures. Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 42




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ARTICLE XIV.
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS Section 14.1. Successors.All the covenants, stipulations, promises and
agreements of the Company in this Indenture shall bind its successors and
assigns whether so expressed or not. Section 14.2. Official Acts by Successor Entity.Any act or proceeding by
any provision of this Indenture authorized or required to be done or performed
by any board, committee or officer of the Company shall and may be done and
performed with like force and effect by the like board, committee, officer or
other authorized Person of any entity that shall at the time be the lawful
successor of the Company. Section 14.3. Surrender of Company Powers.The Company by instrument in
writing executed by authority of at least 2/3 (two-thirds) of its Board of
Directors and delivered to the Trustee may surrender any of the powers reserved
to the Company and thereupon such power so surrendered shall terminate both as
to the Company, and as to any permitted successor. Section 14.4. Addresses for Notices, etc.Any notice, consent, direction,
request, authorization, waiver or demand which by any provision of this
Indenture is required or permitted to be given, made, furnished or served by
the Trustee or by the Securityholders on or to the Company may be given or
served in writing by being deposited postage prepaid by registered or certified
mail in a post office letter box addressed (until another address is filed by
the Company, with the Trustee for the purpose) to the Company, 310 South
Schuyler, Kankakee, Illinois 60901, Attention: John A. Betts. Any notice,
consent, direction, request, authorization, waiver or demand by any
Securityholder or the Company to or upon the Trustee shall be deemed to have
been sufficiently given or made, for all purposes, if given or made in writing
at the office of the Trustee, addressed to the Trustee, 225 Asylum Street,
Goodwin Square, Hartford, Connecticut 06103 Attention: Vice President,
Corporate Trust Services Division, with a copy to the Trustee, 1 Federal Street
 3rd Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, Attention: Paul D. Allen, Corporate
Trust Services Division. Any notice, consent, direction, request,
authorization, waiver or demand on or to any Securityholder shall be deemed to
have been sufficiently given or made, for all purposes, if given or made in
writing at the address set forth in the Debenture Register. Section 14.5. Governing Law.This Indenture and each Debenture shall be
deemed to be a contract made under the law of the State of New York, and for
all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of
said State, without regard to conflict of laws principles thereof. Section 14.6. Evidence of Compliance with Conditions Precedent.Upon any
application or demand by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under
any of the provisions of this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the
Trustee an Officers Certificate stating that in the opinion of the signers all conditions precedent, if any,
provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been
complied with and an Opinion of Counsel stating that, in the opinion of such
counsel, all such conditions precedent have been complied with. Each certificate or opinion provided for in this Indenture and delivered
to the Trustee with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided
for in this Indenture shall include (1) a statement that the person making such
certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition; (2) a brief
statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon
which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are
based; (3) a statement that, in the opinion of such person, he has made such
examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an
informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been
complied with; and (4) a Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 43




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statement as to whether or not in the opinion of such
person, such condition or covenant has been complied with. Section 14.7. Table of Contents, Headings, etc.The table of contents and
the titles and headings of the articles and sections of this Indenture have
been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not to be considered a
part hereof, and shall in no way modify or restrict any of the terms or
provisions hereof. Section 14.8. Execution in Counterparts.This Indenture may be executed
in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original, but such
counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument. Section 14.9. Separability.In case any one or more of the provisions
contained in this Indenture or in the Debentures shall for any reason be held
to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity,
illegality or unenforceability shall not affect any other provisions of this
Indenture or of such Debentures, but this Indenture and such Debentures shall
be construed as if such invalid or illegal or unenforceable provision had never
been contained herein or therein. Section 14.10. Assignment.The Company will have the right at all times
to assign any of its rights or obligations under this Indenture to a direct or
indirect wholly owned Subsidiary of the Company, provided that, in the event of
any such assignment, the Company will remain liable for all such obligations.
Subject to the foregoing, this Indenture is binding upon and inures to the
benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.
This Indenture may not otherwise be assigned by the parties hereto. Section 14.11. Acknowledgment of Rights.The Company agrees that, with
respect to any Debentures held by the Trust or the Institutional Trustee of the
Trust, if the Institutional Trustee of the Trust fails to enforce its rights
under this Indenture as the holder of Debentures held as the assets of such
Trust after the holders of a majority in Liquidation Amount of the Capital
Securities of such Trust have so directed such Institutional Trustee, a holder
of record of such Capital Securities may, to the fullest extent permitted by
law, institute legal proceedings directly against the Company to enforce such
Institutional Trustees rights under this Indenture without first instituting
any legal proceedings against such trustee or any other Person.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if an Event of Default has occurred and is
continuing and such event is attributable to the failure of the Company to pay
interest (or premium, if any) or principal on the Debentures on the date
such interest (or premium, if any) or principal is otherwise payable (or
in the case of redemption, on the redemption date), the Company agrees that a
holder of record of Capital Securities of the Trust may directly institute a
proceeding against the Company for enforcement of payment to such holder
directly of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on the Debentures
having an aggregate principal amount equal to the aggregate Liquidation Amount
of the Capital Securities of such holder on or after the respective due date
specified in the Debentures. ARTICLE XV.
SUBORDINATION OF DEBENTURES Section 15.1. Agreement to Subordinate.The Company covenants and agrees,
and each holder of Debentures by such Securityholders acceptance thereof
likewise covenants and agrees, that all Debentures shall be issued subject to
the provisions of this Article XV; and each holder of a Debenture, whether upon
original issue or upon transfer or assignment thereof, accepts and agrees to be
bound by such provisions. The payment by the Company of the principal of, and premium, if any, and
interest on all Debentures shall, to the extent and in the manner hereinafter
set forth, be subordinated and junior in right Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 44




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of payment to the prior payment
in full of all Senior Indebtedness of the Company, whether outstanding at the
date of this Indenture or thereafter incurred. No provision of this Article XV shall prevent the occurrence of any
default or Event of Default hereunder. Section 15.2. Default on Senior Indebtedness.In the event and during the
continuation of any default by the Company in the payment of principal,
premium, interest or any other payment due on any Senior Indebtedness of the
Company following any grace period, or in the event that the maturity of any
Senior Indebtedness of the Company has been accelerated because of a default
and such acceleration has not been rescinded or canceled and such Senior
Indebtedness has not been paid in full, then, in either case, no payment shall
be made by the Company with respect to the principal (including redemption) of,
or premium, if any, or interest on the Debentures. In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing, any payment shall be
received by the Trustee when such payment is prohibited by the preceding
paragraph of this Section 15.2, such payment shall, subject to Section 15.7, be
held in trust for the benefit of, and shall be paid over or delivered to, the
holders of Senior Indebtedness or their respective representatives, or to the
trustee or trustees under any indenture pursuant to which any of such Senior
Indebtedness may have been issued, as their respective interests may appear,
but only to the extent that the holders of the Senior Indebtedness (or their
representative or representatives or a trustee) notify the Trustee in writing
within 90 days of such payment of the amounts then due and owing on the Senior
Indebtedness and only the amounts specified in such notice to the Trustee shall
be paid to the holders of Senior Indebtedness. Section 15.3. Liquidation, Dissolution, Bankruptcy.Upon any payment by
the Company or distribution of assets of the Company of any kind or character,
whether in cash, property or securities, to creditors upon any dissolution or
winding-up or liquidation or reorganization of the Company, whether voluntary
or involuntary or in bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or other proceedings,
all amounts due upon all Senior Indebtedness of the Company shall first be paid
in full, or payment thereof provided for in money in accordance with its
terms, before any payment is made by the Company, on account of the
principal (and premium, if any) or interest on the Debentures. Upon any such
dissolution or winding-up or liquidation or reorganization, any payment by the
Company, or distribution of assets of the Company of any kind or character,
whether in cash, property or securities, to which the Securityholders or the
Trustee would be entitled to receive from the Company, except for the
provisions of this Article XV, shall be paid by the Company, or by any
receiver, trustee in bankruptcy, liquidating trustee, agent or other Person
making such payment or distribution, or by the Securityholders or by the
Trustee under this Indenture if received by them or it, directly to the holders
of Senior Indebtedness (pro ratato such holders on the basis of the respective
amounts of Senior Indebtedness held by such holders, as calculated by the
Company) or their representative or representatives, or to the trustee or
trustees under any indenture pursuant to which any instruments evidencing such
Senior Indebtedness may have been issued, as their respective interests may
appear, to the extent necessary to pay such Senior Indebtedness in full, in
money or moneys worth, after giving effect to any concurrent payment or
distribution to or for the holders of such Senior Indebtedness, before any
payment or distribution is made to the Securityholders or to the Trustee. In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing, any payment or
distribution of assets of the Company of any kind or character, whether in
cash, property or securities, prohibited by the foregoing, shall be received by
the Trustee before all Senior Indebtedness is paid in full, or provision is
made for such payment in money in accordance with its terms, such payment or
distribution shall be held in trust for the benefit of and shall be paid over
or delivered to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness or their representative
or representatives, or to the trustee or trustees under any indenture pursuant
to which any Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 45




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instruments evidencing such Senior Indebtedness may have been
issued, as their respective interests may appear, as calculated by the Company,
for application to the payment of all Senior Indebtedness, remaining unpaid to
the extent necessary to pay such Senior Indebtedness in full in money in
accordance with its terms, after giving effect to any concurrent payment or
distribution to or for the benefit of the holders of such Senior Indebtedness. For purposes of this Article XV, the words cash, property or securities
shall not be deemed to include shares of stock of the Company as reorganized or
readjusted, or securities of the Company or any other corporation provided for
by a plan of reorganization or readjustment, the payment of which is
subordinated at least to the extent provided in this Article XV with respect to
the Debentures to the payment of all Senior Indebtedness, that may at the time
be outstanding, provided that (i) such Senior Indebtedness is assumed by the
new corporation, if any, resulting from any such reorganization or
readjustment, and (ii) the rights of the holders of such Senior Indebtedness
are not, without the consent of such holders, altered by such reorganization or
readjustment. The consolidation of the Company with, or the merger of the
Company into, another corporation or the liquidation or dissolution of the
Company following the conveyance or transfer of its property as an entirety, or
substantially as an entirety, to another corporation upon the terms and
conditions provided for in Article XI of this Indenture shall not be deemed a
dissolution, winding-up, liquidation or reorganization for the purposes of this
Section if such other corporation shall, as a part of such consolidation,
merger, conveyance or transfer, comply with the conditions stated in Article XI
of this Indenture. Nothing in Section 15.2 or in this Section shall apply to
claims of, or payments to, the Trustee under or pursuant to Section 6.6 of this
Indenture. Section 15.4. Subrogation.Subject to the payment in full of all Senior
Indebtedness, the Securityholders shall be subrogated to the rights of the
holders of such Senior Indebtedness to receive payments or distributions of
cash, property or securities of the Company, applicable to such Senior
Indebtedness until the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the
Debentures shall be paid in full. For the purposes of such subrogation, no
payments or distributions to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness of any
cash, property or securities to which the Securityholders or the Trustee would
be entitled except for the provisions of this
Article XV, and no payment over pursuant to the provisions of this Article
XV to or for the benefit of the holders of such Senior Indebtedness by
Securityholders or the Trustee, shall, as between the Company, its creditors
other than holders of Senior Indebtedness of the Company, and the holders of
the Debentures be deemed to be a payment or distribution by the Company to or
on account of such Senior Indebtedness. It is understood that the provisions
of this Article XV are and are intended solely for the purposes of defining the
relative rights of the holders of the Securities, on the one hand, and the
holders of such Senior Indebtedness, on the other hand. Nothing contained in this Article XV or elsewhere in this Indenture or in
the Debentures is intended to or shall impair, as between the Company, its
creditors other than the holders of Senior Indebtedness, and the holders of the
Debentures, the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional,
to pay to the holders of the Debentures the principal of (and premium, if any)
and interest on the Debentures as and when the same shall become due and
payable in accordance with their terms, or is intended to or shall affect the
relative rights of the holders of the Debentures and creditors of the Company,
other than the holders of Senior Indebtedness, nor shall anything herein or
therein prevent the Trustee or the holder of any Debenture from exercising all
remedies otherwise permitted by applicable law upon default under this
Indenture, subject to the rights, if any, under this Article XV of the holders
of such Senior Indebtedness in respect of cash, property or securities of the
Company, received upon the exercise of any such remedy. Upon any payment or distribution of assets of the Company referred to in
this Article XV, the Trustee, subject to the provisions of Article VI of this
Indenture, and the Securityholders shall be entitled to conclusively rely upon
any order or decree made by any court of competent jurisdiction in which such Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 46




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dissolution, winding-up, liquidation or reorganization proceedings are pending,
or a certificate of the receiver, trustee in bankruptcy, liquidation trustee,
agent or other Person making such payment or distribution, delivered to the
Trustee or to the Securityholders, for the purposes of ascertaining the Persons
entitled to participate in such distribution, the holders of Senior
Indebtedness and other indebtedness of the Company, the amount thereof or
payable thereon, the amount or amounts paid or distributed thereon and all
other facts pertinent thereto or to this Article XV. Section 15.5. Trustee to Effectuate Subordination.Each Securityholder by
such Securityholders acceptance thereof authorizes and directs the Trustee on
such Securityholders behalf to take such action as may be necessary or
appropriate to effectuate the subordination provided in this Article XV and
appoints the Trustee such Securityholders attorney-in-fact for any and all
such purposes. Section 15.6. Notice by the Company.The Company shall give prompt
written notice to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee at the Principal Office
of the Trustee of any fact known to the Company that would prohibit the making
of any payment of monies to or by the Trustee in respect of the Debentures
pursuant to the provisions of this Article XV. Notwithstanding the provisions
of this Article XV or any other provision of this Indenture, the Trustee shall
not be charged with knowledge of the existence of any facts that would prohibit
the making of any payment of monies to or by the Trustee in respect of the
Debentures pursuant to the provisions of this Article XV, unless and until a
Responsible Officer of the Trustee at the Principal Office of the Trustee shall
have received written notice thereof from the Company or a holder or holders of
Senior Indebtedness or from any trustee therefor; and before the receipt of any
such written notice, the Trustee, subject to the provisions of Article VI of
this Indenture, shall be entitled in all respects to assume that no such facts
exist; provided, however, that if the Trustee shall not have received the
notice provided for in this Section at least 2 Business Days prior to the date
upon which by the terms hereof any money may become payable for any purpose
(including, without limitation, the payment of the principal of (or
premium, if any) or interest on any Debenture), then, anything herein
contained to the contrary notwithstanding, the Trustee shall have full power
and authority to receive such money and to apply the same to the purposes for
which they were received, and shall not be affected by any notice to the
contrary that may be received by it within 2 Business Days prior to such date. The Trustee, subject to the provisions of Article VI of this Indenture,
shall be entitled to conclusively rely on the delivery to it of a written
notice by a Person representing himself to be a holder of Senior Indebtedness
(or a trustee or representative on behalf of such holder), to establish that
such notice has been given by a holder of such Senior Indebtedness or a trustee
or representative on behalf of any such holder or holders. In the event that
the Trustee determines in good faith that further evidence is required with
respect to the right of any Person as a holder of such Senior Indebtedness to
participate in any payment or distribution pursuant to this Article XV, the
Trustee may request such Person to furnish evidence to the reasonable
satisfaction of the Trustee as to the amount of such Senior Indebtedness held
by such Person, the extent to which such Person is entitled to participate in
such payment or distribution and any other facts pertinent to the rights of
such Person under this Article XV, and, if such evidence is not furnished, the
Trustee may defer any payment to such Person pending judicial determination as
to the right of such Person to receive such payment. Section 15.7. Rights of the Trustee; Holders of Senior Indebtedness.The
Trustee in its individual capacity shall be entitled to all the rights set
forth in this Article XV in respect of any Senior Indebtedness at any time held
by it, to the same extent as any other holder of Senior Indebtedness, and
nothing in this Indenture shall deprive the Trustee of any of its rights as
such holder. With respect to the holders of Senior Indebtedness, the Trustee undertakes
to perform or to observe only such of its covenants and obligations as are
specifically set forth in this Article XV, and no Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 47




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implied covenants or
obligations with respect to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness shall be
read into this Indenture against the Trustee. The Trustee shall not be deemed
to owe any fiduciary duty to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness and,
subject to the provisions of Article VI of this Indenture, the Trustee shall
not be liable to any holder of such Senior Indebtedness if it shall pay over or
deliver to Securityholders, the Company or any other Person money or assets to
which any holder of such Senior Indebtedness shall be entitled by virtue of
this Article XV or otherwise. Nothing in this Article XV shall apply to claims of, or payments to, the
Trustee under or pursuant to Section 6.6. Section 15.8. Subordination May Not Be Impaired.No right of any present
or future holder of any Senior Indebtedness to enforce subordination as herein
provided shall at any time in any way be prejudiced or impaired by any act or
failure to act on the part of the Company, or by any act or failure to act, in
good faith, by any such holder, or by any noncompliance by the Company, with
the terms, provisions and covenants of this Indenture, regardless of any
knowledge thereof that any such holder may have or otherwise be charged with. Without in any way limiting the generality of the foregoing paragraph, the
holders of Senior Indebtedness may, at any time and from time to time, without
the consent of or notice to the Trustee or the Securityholders, without
incurring responsibility to the Securityholders and without impairing or
releasing the subordination provided in this Article XV or the obligations
hereunder of the holders of the Debentures to the holders of such Senior
Indebtedness, do any one or more of the following: (i) change the manner,
place or terms of payment or extend the time of payment of, or renew or alter,
such Senior Indebtedness, or otherwise amend or supplement in any manner such
Senior Indebtedness or any instrument evidencing the same or any agreement under which such Senior
Indebtedness is outstanding; (ii) sell, exchange, release or otherwise deal
with any property pledged, mortgaged or otherwise securing such Senior
Indebtedness; (iii) release any Person liable in any manner for the collection
of such Senior Indebtedness; and (iv) exercise or refrain from exercising any
rights against the Company, and any other Person. Signatures appear on the following page Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 48




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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be
duly executed by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized, as of the
day and year first above written. CENTRUE FINANCIAL CORPORATIONByName:Title:U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as TrusteeByName:Title:
 Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture 49




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EXHIBIT A FORM OF FLOATING RATE JUNIOR SUBORDINATED DEFERRABLE INTEREST DEBENTURE [FORM OF FACE OF SECURITY] THIS SECURITY IS NOT A SAVINGS ACCOUNT OR DEPOSIT AND IT IS NOT INSURED BY
THE UNITED STATES OR ANY AGENCY OR FUND OF THE UNITED STATES, INCLUDING THE
FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION. THIS SECURITY HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS
AMENDED (THE SECURITIES ACT), ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS OR ANY OTHER
APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAW. NEITHER THIS SECURITY NOR ANY INTEREST OR
PARTICIPATION HEREIN MAY BE REOFFERED, SOLD, ASSIGNED, TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED,
ENCUMBERED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH REGISTRATION OR
UNLESS SUCH TRANSACTION IS EXEMPT FROM, OR NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION
REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS.
THE HOLDER OF THIS SECURITY BY ITS ACCEPTANCE HEREOF AGREES TO OFFER, SELL OR
OTHERWISE TRANSFER THIS SECURITY ONLY (A) TO THE COMPANY, (B) PURSUANT TO A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT THAT HAS BEEN DECLARED EFFECTIVE UNDER THE SECURITIES
ACT, (C) TO A PERSON WHOM THE SELLER REASONABLY BELIEVES IS A QUALIFIED
INSTITUTIONAL BUYER IN A TRANSACTION MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS OF RULE 144A SO
LONG AS THIS SECURITY IS ELIGIBLE FOR RESALE PURSUANT TO RULE 144A IN
ACCORDANCE WITH RULE 144A, (D) TO A NON-U.S. PERSON IN AN OFFSHORE TRANSACTION
IN ACCORDANCE WITH RULE 903 OR RULE 904 (AS APPLICABLE) OF REGULATION S UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT, (E) TO AN INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITED INVESTOR WITHIN THE
MEANING OF SUBPARAGRAPH (A) OF RULE 501 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT THAT IS
ACQUIRING THIS SECURITY FOR ITS OWN ACCOUNT, OR FOR THE ACCOUNT OF SUCH AN
INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITED INVESTOR, FOR INVESTMENT PURPOSES AND NOT WITH A VIEW
TO, OR FOR OFFER OR SALE IN CONNECTION WITH, ANY DISTRIBUTION IN VIOLATION OF
THE SECURITIES ACT, OR (F) PURSUANT TO ANY OTHER AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM THE
REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT, SUBJECT TO THE COMPANYS RIGHT
PRIOR TO ANY SUCH OFFER, SALE OR TRANSFER TO REQUIRE THE DELIVERY OF AN OPINION
OF COUNSEL, CERTIFICATION AND/OR OTHER INFORMATION SATISFACTORY TO IT IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE INDENTURE, A COPY OF WHICH MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE
COMPANY. THE HOLDER OF THIS SECURITY BY ITS ACCEPTANCE HEREOF ALSO AGREES,
REPRESENTS AND WARRANTS THAT IT IS NOT AN EMPLOYEE BENEFIT, INDIVIDUAL
RETIREMENT ACCOUNT OR OTHER PLAN OR ARRANGEMENT SUBJECT TO TITLE I OF THE
EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT INCOME SECURITY ACT OF 1974, AS AMENDED (ERISA), OR
SECTION 4975 OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE OF 1986, AS AMENDED (THE CODE)
(EACH A PLAN), OR AN ENTITY WHOSE UNDERLYING ASSETS INCLUDE PLAN ASSETS BY
REASON OF ANY PLANS INVESTMENT IN THE ENTITY, AND NO PERSON INVESTING PLAN
ASSETS OF ANY PLAN MAY ACQUIRE OR HOLD THE SECURITIES OR ANY INTEREST THEREIN,
UNLESS SUCH PURCHASER OR HOLDER IS ELIGIBLE FOR EXEMPTIVE RELIEF AVAILABLE
UNDER U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR PROHIBITED TRANSACTION CLASS EXEMPTION 96-23,
95-60, 91-38, 90-1 OR 84-14 OR ANOTHER APPLICABLE EXEMPTION OR ITS PURCHASE AND
HOLDING OF THIS SECURITY IS NOT PROHIBITED BY Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture A-1




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SECTION 406 OF ERISA OR SECTION 4975 OF THE CODE WITH RESPECT TO SUCH
PURCHASE OR HOLDING. ANY PURCHASER OR HOLDER OF THE SECURITIES OR ANY INTEREST
THEREIN WILL BE DEEMED TO HAVE REPRESENTED BY ITS PURCHASE AND HOLDING THEREOF
THAT EITHER (i) IT IS NOT AN EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN WITHIN THE MEANING OF
SECTION 3(3) OF ERISA, OR A PLAN TO WHICH SECTION 4975 OF THE CODE IS
APPLICABLE, A TRUSTEE OR OTHER PERSON ACTING ON BEHALF OF AN EMPLOYEE BENEFIT
PLAN OR PLAN, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY USING THE ASSETS OF ANY EMPLOYEE
BENEFIT PLAN OR PLAN TO FINANCE SUCH PURCHASE, OR (ii) SUCH PURCHASE WILL NOT
RESULT IN A PROHIBITED TRANSACTION UNDER SECTION 406 OF ERISA OR SECTION 4975
OF THE CODE FOR WHICH THERE IS NO APPLICABLE STATUTORY OR ADMINISTRATIVE
EXEMPTION. THIS SECURITY WILL BE ISSUED AND MAY BE TRANSFERRED ONLY IN BLOCKS HAVING
AN AGGREGATE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF NOT LESS THAN $100,000.00 AND MULTIPLES OF
$1,000.00 IN EXCESS THEREOF. ANY ATTEMPTED TRANSFER OF THIS SECURITY IN A
BLOCK HAVING AN AGGREGATE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF LESS THAN $100,000.00 SHALL BE
DEEMED TO BE VOID AND OF NO LEGAL EFFECT WHATSOEVER. THE HOLDER OF THIS SECURITY AGREES THAT IT WILL COMPLY WITH THE FOREGOING
RESTRICTIONS. IN CONNECTION WITH ANY TRANSFER, THE HOLDER WILL DELIVER TO THE REGISTRAR
AND TRANSFER AGENT SUCH CERTIFICATES AND OTHER INFORMATION AS MAY BE REQUIRED
BY THE INDENTURE TO CONFIRM THAT THE TRANSFER COMPLIES WITH THE FOREGOING
RESTRICTIONS. Floating Rate Junior Subordinated Deferrable Interest Debenture of Centrue Financial Corporation April 22, 2004 Centrue Financial Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the Company which
term includes any successor Person under the Indenture hereinafter referred
to), for value received promises to pay to U.S. Bank National Association, not
in its individual capacity but solely as Institutional Trustee for Centrue
Statutory Trust II (the Holder) or registered assigns, the principal sum of
ten million three hundred ten thousand dollars ($10,310,000.00) on June 17,
2034, and to pay interest on said principal sum from April 22, 2004, or from
the most recent Interest Payment Date (as defined below) to which interest has
been paid or duly provided for, quarterly (subject to deferral as set forth
herein) in arrears on March 17, June 17, September 17 and December 17 of each
year or if such day is not a Business Day, then the next succeeding Business
Day (each such date, an Interest Payment Date) (it being understood that
interest accrues for any such non-Business Day), commencing on the Interest
Payment Date in September 2004, at an annual rate equal to 3.81875% beginning
on (and including) the date of original issuance and ending on (but excluding)
the Interest Payment Date in September 2004 and at an annual rate for each
successive period beginning on (and including) the Interest Payment Date in
September 2004, and each succeeding Interest Payment Date, and ending on (but
excluding) the next succeeding Interest Payment Date (each a Distribution
Period), equal to 3-Month LIBOR, determined as described below, plus 2.65%
(the Coupon Rate), applied to the principal amount hereof, until the
principal hereof is paid or duly provided for or made available for payment,
and on any overdue principal and (without duplication and to the extent that
payment of such interest is enforceable under applicable law) on any overdue
installment of Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture A-2




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interest (including Additional Interest) at the Interest Rate in effect
for each applicable period, compounded quarterly, from the dates such amounts
are due until they are paid or made available for payment. The amount of
interest payable for any period will be computed on the basis of the actual
number of days in the Distribution Period concerned divided by 360. The
interest installment so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on
any Interest Payment Date will, as provided in the Indenture, be paid to the
Person in whose name this Debenture (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is
registered at the close of business on the regular record date for such
interest installment, which shall be fifteen days prior to the day on which the
relevant Interest Payment Date occurs. Any such interest installment not so
punctually paid or duly provided for shall forthwith cease to be payable to the
Holder on such regular record date and may be paid to the Person in whose name
this Debenture (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the
close of business on a special record date. 3-Month LIBOR as used herein, means the London interbank offered
interest rate for three-month U.S. dollar deposits determined by the Trustee in
the following order of priority: (i) the rate (expressed as a percentage per
annum) for U.S. dollar deposits having a three-month maturity that appears on
Telerate Page 3750 as of 11:00 a.m. (London time) on the related Determination
Date (Telerate Page 3750 means the display designated as Page 3750 on the
Dow Jones Telerate Service or such other page as may replace Page 3750 on that
service or such other service or services as may be nominated by the British
Bankers Association as the information vendor for the purpose of displaying
London interbank offered rates for U.S. dollar deposits); (ii) if such rate
cannot be identified on the related Determination Date, the Trustee will
request the principal London offices of four leading banks in the London
interbank market to provide such banks offered quotations (expressed as
percentages per annum) to prime banks in the London interbank market for U.S.
dollar deposits having a three-month maturity as of 11:00 a.m. (London time) on
such Determination Date. If at least two quotations are provided, 3-Month
LIBOR will be the arithmetic mean of such quotations; (iii) if fewer than two
such quotations are provided as requested in clause (ii) above, the Trustee
will request four major New York City banks to provide such banks offered
quotations (expressed as percentages per annum) to leading European banks for
loans in U.S. dollars as of 11:00 a.m. (London time) on such Determination
Date. If at least two such quotations are provided, 3-Month LIBOR will be the
arithmetic mean of such quotations; and (iv) if fewer than two such quotations
are provided as requested in clause (iii) above, 3-Month LIBOR will be a
3-Month LIBOR determined with respect to the Distribution Period immediately
preceding such current Distribution Period. If the rate for U.S. dollar
deposits having a three-month maturity that initially appears on Telerate Page
3750 as of 11:00 a.m. (London time) on the related Determination Date is
superseded on the Telerate Page 3750 by a corrected rate by 12:00 noon (London
time) on such Determination Date, then the corrected rate as so substituted on
the applicable page will be the applicable 3-Month LIBOR for such Determination
Date. As used herein, Determination Date means the date that is two London
Banking Days (i.e., a business day in which dealings in deposits in U.S.
dollars are transacted in the London interbank market) preceding the
commencement of the relevant Distribution Period. The Interest Rate for any Distribution Period will at no time be higher
than the maximum rate then permitted by New York law as the same may be
modified by United States law. All percentages resulting from any calculations on the Debentures will be
rounded, if necessary, to the nearest one hundred-thousandth of a percentage
point, with five one-millionths of a percentage point rounded upward (e.g.,
9.876545% (or .09876545) being rounded to 9.87655% (or .0987655), and all
dollar amounts used in or resulting from such calculation will be rounded to
the nearest cent (with one-half cent being rounded upward)). The principal of and interest on this Debenture shall be payable at the
office or agency of the Trustee (or other paying agent appointed by the
Company) maintained for that purpose in any coin or Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture A-3




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currency of the United States of America that at the time of payment is
legal tender for payment of public and private debts; provided, however, that
payment of interest may be made by check mailed to the registered holder at
such address as shall appear in the Debenture Register if a request for a wire
transfer by such holder has not been received by the Company or by wire
transfer to an account appropriately designated by the holder hereof.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, so long as the holder of this Debenture is the
Institutional Trustee, the payment of the principal of and interest on this
Debenture will be made in immediately available funds at such place and to such
account as may be designated by the Trustee. So long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Company
shall have the right, from time to time, and without causing an Event of
Default, to defer payments of interest on the Debentures by extending the
interest payment period on the Debentures at any time and from time to time
during the term of the Debentures, for up to 20 consecutive quarterly periods
(each such extended interest payment period, an Extension Period), during
which Extension Period no interest (including Additional Interest) shall be due
and payable (except any Additional Sums that may be due and payable). No
Extension Period may end on a date other than an Interest Payment Date. During
an Extension Period, interest will continue to accrue on the Debentures, and
interest on such accrued interest will accrue at an annual rate equal to the
Interest Rate in effect for such Extension Period, compounded quarterly from
the date such interest would have been payable were it not for the Extension
Period, to the extent permitted by law (such interest referred to herein as
Additional Interest). At the end of any such Extension Period the Company
shall pay all interest then accrued and unpaid on the Debentures (together with
Additional Interest thereon); provided, however, that no Extension Period may
extend beyond the Maturity Date; provided further, however, that during any
such Extension Period, the Company shall not and shall not permit any Affiliate
to engage in any of the activities or transactions described on the reverse
side hereof and in the Indenture. Prior to the termination of any Extension
Period, the Company may further extend such period, provided that such period
together with all such previous and further consecutive extensions thereof
shall not exceed 20 consecutive quarterly periods, or extend beyond the
Maturity Date. Upon the termination of any Extension Period and upon the
payment of all accrued and unpaid interest and Additional Interest, the Company
may commence a new Extension Period, subject to the foregoing requirements. No
interest or Additional Interest shall be due and payable during an Extension
Period, except at the end thereof, but each installment of interest that would
otherwise have been due and payable during such Extension Period shall bear
Additional Interest. The Company must give the Trustee notice of its election
to begin or extend an Extension Period at least 5 Business Days prior to the
regular record date (as such term is used in Section 2.8 of the Indenture)
immediately preceding the Interest Payment Date with respect to which interest
on the Debentures would have been payable except for the election to begin or
extend such Extension Period. The indebtedness evidenced by this Debenture is, to the extent provided in
the Indenture, subordinate and junior in right of payment to the prior payment
in full of all Senior Indebtedness, and this Debenture is issued subject to the
provisions of the Indenture with respect thereto. Each holder of this
Debenture, by accepting the same, (a) agrees to and shall be bound by such
provisions, (b) authorizes and directs the Trustee on his or her behalf to take
such action as may be necessary or appropriate to acknowledge or effectuate the
subordination so provided and (c) appoints the Trustee his or her
attorney-in-fact for any and all such purposes. Each holder hereof, by his or
her acceptance hereof, hereby waives all notice of the acceptance of the
subordination provisions contained herein and in the Indenture by each holder
of Senior Indebtedness, whether now outstanding or hereafter incurred, and
waives reliance by each such holder upon said provisions. This Debenture shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture
hereinafter referred to, be valid or become obligatory for any purpose until
the certificate of authentication hereon shall have been signed by or on behalf
of the Trustee. Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture A-4




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The provisions of this Debenture are continued on the reverse side hereof
and such provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as though fully
set forth at this place. Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture A-5




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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has duly executed this certificate. CENTRUE FINANCIAL CORPORATIONByName:Title:
 CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION This is one of the Debentures referred to in the within-mentioned
Indenture. U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as TrusteeBy:Authorized Officer
 Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture A-6




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[FORM OF REVERSE OF DEBENTURE] This Debenture is one of the floating rate junior subordinated deferrable
interest debentures of the Company, all issued or to be issued under and
pursuant to the Indenture dated as of April 22, 2004 (the Indenture), duly
executed and delivered between the Company and the Trustee, to which Indenture
reference is hereby made for a description of the rights, limitations of
rights, obligations, duties and immunities thereunder of the Trustee, the
Company and the holders of the Debentures. The Debentures are limited in
aggregate principal amount as specified in the Indenture. Upon the occurrence and continuation of a Special Event prior to the
Interest Payment Date in June 2009, the Company shall have the right to redeem
the Debentures in whole, but not in part, at any Interest Payment Date, within
120 days following the occurrence of such Special Event, at the Special
Redemption Price. In addition, the Company shall have the right to redeem the Debentures, in
whole or in part, but in all cases in a principal amount with integral
multiples of $1,000.00, on any Interest Payment Date on or after the Interest
Payment Date in June 2009, at the Redemption Price. Prior to 10:00 a.m. New York City time on the Redemption Date or Special
Redemption Date, as applicable, the Company will deposit with the Trustee or
with one or more paying agents an amount of money sufficient to redeem on the
Redemption Date or the Special Redemption Date, as applicable, all the
Debentures so called for redemption at the appropriate Redemption Price or
Special Redemption Price. If all, or less than all, the Debentures are to be redeemed, the Company
will give the Trustee notice not less than 45 nor more than 60 days,
respectively, prior to the Redemption Date or Special Redemption Date, as
applicable, as to the aggregate principal amount of Debentures to be redeemed
and the Trustee shall select, in such manner as in its sole discretion it shall
deem appropriate and fair, the Debentures or portions thereof (in integral
multiples of $1,000.00) to be redeemed. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any redemption of Debentures by the Company
shall be subject to the receipt of any and all required regulatory approvals. In case an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, upon
demand of the Trustee, the principal of all of the Debentures shall become due
and payable in the manner, with the effect and subject to the conditions
provided in the Indenture. The Indenture contains provisions permitting the Company and the Trustee,
with the consent of the holders of not less than a majority in aggregate
principal amount of the Debentures at the time outstanding, to execute
supplemental indentures for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing
in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of any
supplemental indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the holders
of the Debentures; provided, however, that no such supplemental indenture shall
without the consent of the holders of each Debenture then outstanding and
affected thereby (i) change the fixed maturity of any Debenture, or reduce the
principal amount thereof or any premium thereon, or reduce the rate or extend
the time of payment of interest thereon, or reduce any amount payable on
redemption thereof or make the principal thereof or any interest or premium
thereon payable in any coin or currency other than that provided in the
Debentures, or impair or affect the right of any Securityholder to institute
suit for payment thereof or impair the right of repayment, if any, at the
option of the holder, or (ii) reduce the aforesaid percentage of Debentures the
holders of which are required to consent to any such supplemental indenture. Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture A-7




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The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the holders of a
majority in aggregate principal amount of the Debentures at the time
outstanding on behalf of the holders of all of the Debentures to waive (or
modify any previously granted waiver of) any past default or Event of Default,
and its consequences, except a default (a) in the payment of principal of,
premium, if any, or interest on any of the Debentures, (b) in respect of
covenants or provisions hereof or of the Indenture which cannot be modified or
amended without the consent of the holder of each Debenture affected, or (c) in
respect of the covenants contained in Section 3.9 of the Indenture; provided,
however, that if the Debentures are held by the Trust or a trustee of such
trust, such waiver or modification to such waiver shall not be effective until
the holders of a majority in Liquidation Amount of Trust Securities of the
Trust shall have consented to such waiver or modification to such waiver,
provided, further, that if the consent of the holder of each outstanding
Debenture is required, such waiver shall not be effective until each holder of
the Trust Securities of the Trust shall have consented to such waiver. Upon
any such waiver, the default covered thereby shall be deemed to be cured for
all purposes of the Indenture and the Company, the Trustee and the holders of
the Debentures shall be restored to their former positions and rights
hereunder, respectively; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or
other default or Event of Default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Whenever any default or Event of Default hereunder shall have been waived as
permitted by the Indenture, said default or Event of Default shall for all
purposes of the Debentures and the Indenture be deemed to have been cured and
to be not continuing. No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Debenture or
of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is
absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of and premium, if any, and
interest, including Additional Interest, on this Debenture at the time and
place and at the rate and in the money herein prescribed. The Company has agreed that if Debentures are initially issued to the
Trust or a trustee of such Trust in connection with the issuance of Trust
Securities by the Trust (regardless of whether Debentures continue to be held
by such Trust) and (i) there shall have occurred and be continuing an Event of
Default, (ii) the Company shall be in default with respect to its payment of
any obligations under the Capital Securities Guarantee, or (iii) the Company
shall have given notice of its election to defer payments of interest on the
Debentures by extending the interest payment period as provided herein and such
Extension Period, or any extension thereof, shall be continuing, then the
Company shall not, and shall not allow any Affiliate of the Company to, (x)
declare or pay any dividends or distributions on, or redeem, purchase, acquire,
or make a liquidation payment with respect to, any of the Companys capital
stock or its Affiliates capital stock (other than payments of dividends or
distributions to the Company) or make any guarantee payments with respect to
the foregoing or (y) make any payment of principal of or interest or premium,
if any, on or repay, repurchase or redeem any debt securities of the Company or
any Affiliate that rank pari passuin all respects with or junior in interest
to the Debentures (other than, with respect to clauses (x) and (y) above, (1)
repurchases, redemptions or other acquisitions of shares of capital stock of
the Company in connection with any employment contract, benefit plan or other
similar arrangement with or for the benefit of one or more employees, officers,
directors or consultants, in connection with a dividend reinvestment or
stockholder stock purchase plan or in connection with the issuance of capital
stock of the Company (or securities convertible into or exercisable for such
capital stock) as consideration in an acquisition transaction entered into
prior to the applicable Extension Period, if any, (2) as a result of any
exchange or conversion of any class or series of the Companys capital stock
(or any capital stock of a subsidiary of the Company) for any class or series
of the Companys capital stock or of any class or series of the Companys
indebtedness for any class or series of the Companys capital stock, (3) the
purchase of fractional interests in shares of the Companys capital stock
pursuant to the conversion or exchange provisions of such capital stock or the
security being converted or exchanged, (4) any declaration of a dividend in
connection with any stockholders rights plan, or the issuance of rights, stock
or other property under any stockholders rights plan, or the redemption or
repurchase of rights pursuant thereto, (5) any dividend in the form of stock,
warrants, options or other rights where the Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture A-8




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dividend stock or the stock issuable upon exercise of such warrants,
options or other rights is the same stock as that on which the dividend is
being paid or ranks pari passuwith or junior to such stock and any cash
payments in lieu of fractional shares issued in connection therewith, or (6)
payments under the Capital Securities Guarantee). The Debentures are issuable only in registered, certificated form without
coupons and in minimum denominations of $100,000.00 and any multiple of
$1,000.00 in excess thereof. As provided in the Indenture and subject to the
transfer restrictions and limitations as may be contained herein and therein
from time to time, this Debenture is transferable by the holder hereof on the
Debenture Register of the Company. Upon due presentment for registration of
transfer of any Debenture at the Principal Office of the Trustee or at any
office or agency of the Company maintained for such purpose as provided in
Section 3.2 of the Indenture, the Company shall execute, the Company or the
Trustee shall register and the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent shall
authenticate and make available for delivery in the name of the transferee or
transferees a new Debenture for a like aggregate principal amount. All
Debentures presented for registration of transfer or for exchange or payment
shall (if so required by the Company or the Trustee or the Authenticating
Agent) be duly endorsed by, or be accompanied by a written instrument or
instruments of transfer in form satisfactory to, the Company and the Trustee or
the Authenticating Agent duly executed by the holder or his attorney duly
authorized in writing. No service charge shall be made for any exchange or
registration of transfer of Debentures, but the Company or the Trustee may
require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax, fee or other governmental
charge that may be imposed in connection therewith. Prior to due presentment for registration of transfer of any Debenture,
the Company, the Trustee, any Authenticating Agent, any paying agent, any
transfer agent and any Debenture registrar may deem the Person in whose name
such Debenture shall be registered upon the Debenture Register to be, and may
treat him as, the absolute owner of such Debenture (whether or not such
Debenture shall be overdue) for the purpose of receiving payment of or on
account of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on such Debenture
and for all other purposes; and neither the Company nor the Trustee nor any
Authenticating Agent nor any paying agent nor any transfer agent nor any
Debenture registrar shall be affected by any notice to the contrary. All such
payments so made to any holder for the time being or upon his order shall be
valid, and, to the extent of the sum or sums so paid, effectual to satisfy and
discharge the liability for moneys payable upon any such Debenture. No recourse for the payment of the principal of or premium, if any, or
interest on any Debenture, or for any claim based thereon or otherwise in
respect thereof, and no recourse under or upon any obligation, covenant or
agreement of the Company in the Indenture or in any supplemental indenture, or
in any such Debenture, or because of the creation of any indebtedness
represented thereby, shall be had against any incorporator, stockholder,
employee, officer or director, as such, past, present or future, of the Company
or of any successor Person of the Company, either directly or through the
Company or any successor Person of the Company, whether by virtue of any
constitution, statute or rule of law, or by the enforcement of any assessment
or penalty or otherwise, it being expressly understood that all such liability
is hereby expressly waived and released as a condition of, and as a
consideration for, the execution of the Indenture and the issue of the
Debentures. Capitalized terms used and not defined in this Debenture shall have the
meanings assigned in the Indenture dated as of the date of original issuance of
this Debenture between the Trustee and the Company. THE INDENTURE AND THE DEBENTURES SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO CONFLICT OF
LAW PRINCIPLES THEREOF. Centrue Financial Corporation/Indenture A-9