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EX-99.CERT
CERTIFICATIONS
Pursuant to Section 302 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
I, Robert S. Dow, certify that:
1. I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture
Fund, Inc.;
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue
statements of material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary
to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which
such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period
covered by this report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
information included in this report, fairly present in all material
respects the financial condition, results of operations, changes in net
assets, and cash flows (if the financial statements are required to
include a statement of cash flows) of the registrant as of, and for,
the periods presented in this report;
4. The registrant's other certifying officers and I are responsible for
establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as
defined in Rule 30a-2(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) for
the registrant and have:
a) designated such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure
that material information relating to the registrant,
including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us
by others within those entities, particularly during the
period in which this report is being prepared;
b) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure
controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days prior to
the filing date of this report (the "Evaluation Date"); and
c) presented in this report our conclusions about the
effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based
on our evaluation as of the Evaluation Date;
5. The registrant's other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based
on our most recent evaluation, to the registrant's auditors and the
audit committee or the registrant's board of DIRECTORS (or persons
performing the equivalent functions):
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a) all significant deficiencies in the design or operation of
internal controls which could adversely affect the
registrant's ability to record, process, summarize, and report
financial data and have identified for the registrant's
auditors any material weaknesses in internal controls; and
b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management
or other employees who have a significant role in the
registrant's internal controls; and
6. The registrant's other certifying officers and I have indicated in this
report whether or not there were significant changes in internal
controls or in other factors that could significantly affect internal
controls subsequent to the date of our most recent evaluation,
including any corrective actions with regard to significant
deficiencies and material weaknesses.
Date: August 21, 2003
/s/ Robert S. Dow
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Robert S. Dow
Chief Executive Officer,
Chairman and President
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CERTIFICATIONS
Pursuant to Section 302 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
I, Joan A. Binstock, certify that:
1. I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture
Fund, Inc.;
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue
statements of material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary
to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which
such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period
covered by this report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
information included in this report, fairly present in all material
respects the financial condition, results of operations, changes in net
assets, and cash flows (if the financial statements are required to
include a statement of cash flows) of the registrant as of, and for,
the periods presented in this report;
4. The registrant's other certifying officers and I are responsible for
establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as
defined in Rule 30a-2(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) for
the registrant and have:
a) designated such disclosure controls and procedures
to ensure that material information relating to the
registrant, including its consolidated
subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within
those entities, particularly during the period in
which this report is being prepared;
b) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's
disclosure controls and procedures as of a date
within 90 days prior to the filing date of this
report (the "Evaluation Date"); and
c) presented in this report our conclusions about the
effectiveness of the disclosure controls and
procedures based on our evaluation as of the
Evaluation Date;
5. The registrant's other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based
on our most recent evaluation, to the registrant's auditors and the
audit committee or the registrant's board of DIRECTORS (or persons
performing the equivalent functions):
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a) all significant deficiencies in the design or
operation of internal controls which could
adversely affect the registrant's ability to
record, process, summarize, and report financial
data and have identified for the registrant's
auditors any material weaknesses in internal
controls; and
b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves
management or other employees who have a
significant role in the registrant's internal
controls; and
6. The registrant's other certifying officers and I have indicated in this
report whether or not there were significant changes in internal
controls or in other factors that could significantly affect internal
controls subsequent to the date of our most recent evaluation,
including any corrective actions with regard to significant
deficiencies and material weaknesses.
Date: August 21, 2003
/s/ Joan A. Binstock
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Joan A. Binstock
Chief Financial Officer and Vice President