Chitwood & Harley Sues Edward D. Jones Co. on Behalf of Purchasers of Certain Edward Jones Mutual Funds between January 25, 1999 Through January 9, 2004.

Business Editors

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 9, 2004

Chitwood & Harley, LLP announces that it has filed a class action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, on behalf of all individuals or entities who purchased shares of the following mutual fund families (the "Preferred Funds") through Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P. between January 25, 1999 and January 9, 2004, inclusive (the "Class Period"): Lord Abbett Funds, American Funds, Federated Funds, Goldman Sachs Funds, Hartford Mutual Funds, Putnam Funds, and Van Kampen Funds.

The suit is brought against Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P. ("Edward Jones"), John W. Bachmann, Douglas E. Hill, Michael R. Holmes, Richie L. Malone, Steven Novik, Darryl L. Pope, and Robert Virgil, Jr. The deadline for filing lead plaintiff papers is March 23, 2004. The civil action number is 4:04CV00282DJS. A copy of the complaint is available on our website www.classlaw.com. If you have questions about this case or wish to inquire about representation, you may contact us through our website by clicking on "Edward Jones" or by contacting Cleo Anderson, Esq. at [e-mail] or 1-888-873-3999 ext 6829.

The Complaint alleges that defendants violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, by issuing a series of material misrepresentations to the market during the Class Period. The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Edward Jones recommended and sold to its clients shares or units of the Preferred Funds. The Complaint alleges that although Edward Jones represented that its recommendations were based on sound financial analysis of the performance of the Preferred Funds, when in fact, Edward Jones was recommending the Preferred Funds because it was receiving valuable incentive payments-reported at more than $100 million per year-from the Preferred Funds and/or its affiliates. Thus, the Complaint alleges, Edward Jones' statements were materially false and misleading because defendants failed to disclose and/or misrepresented that Edward Jones did not actually consider its clients' "unique financial objectives" in tailoring investment strategies related to the Preferred Funds. On January 9, 2004, the Wall Street Journal revealed the extent of Edward Jones' scheme.

The deadline to file lead plaintiff papers, for those class members wishing to serve in this capacity, is March 23, 2004. There are certain legal requirements to serve as lead plaintiff, which we would be happy to discuss with you. Any member of the purported class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to remain an absent class member. If you wish to discuss this action or have any questions concerning this notice or your rights with respect to this matter, you may contact Cleo Anderson at 1-888-873-3999 (toll-free) or by e-mail at [e-mail]. You may also contact us through our website, www.classlaw.com, by clicking on Edward Jones.

Chitwood & Harley LLP is a class action firm that concentrates its practice in representing victims of securities fraud and corporate mismanagement, as well as other complex litigation. Chitwood & Harley has been appointed lead counsel in major actions throughout the United States and has been instrumental in recovering billions of dollars on behalf of its clients. Clients and courts alike have praised the results achieved by Chitwood & Harley. Recently, the federal judge in In re BankAmerica Securities Litigation, which resulted in the highest recovery in 2002 in a securities class action, commented favorably on counsel's performance stating: "Class members were well served by experienced attorneys who, through considerable time and effort, obtained a significant recovery for their clients," and, "(a)s the Court has remarked throughout this litigation, class counsel ... have performed at exceptionally high levels, and all parties have been exceedingly well represented."

For more information about Chitwood & Harley, please visit our website at www.classlaw.com or contact Cleo Anderson at 1-888-873-3999 (toll-free), by e-mail at or at 1230 Peachtree Street, Suite 2300, Atlanta, Georgia 30309.