In an upcoming article in the Journal of Retirement Planning, money manager Steven Abernathy offers investors a stark warning about the advice of financial experts: "Don't follow any advice to invest somewhere unless the person recommending it has more invested in it than you do. Then, ask for written verification." The advice is simple, brutal and contrary to a Wall Street culture that routinely sees annual profits -- even when money managers lose money for investors.

Abernathy, named by Nelson's Financial Information as one of the nation's top money managers every year since 1994, is a strong advocate of financial firms adopting policies that perfectly align their own interests with those of their investors. "It doesn't make any sense for financial advisers not to be participating in the products they recommend. If you had a medical condition that needed specialist care, would you go to a specialist if your doctor refused to send his own family members there? Would you eat at a restaurant if you knew that the cooks themselves never eat there? Of course not. So why would you invest in anything that the person recommending it isn't heavily invested in themselves?"

Money managers themselves often have only a small percentage of their overall net worth invested in the funds they are managing. Abernathy finds this troubling.

"The last thing you want to worry about is whether your fund manager is going to lose your money, then turn around and start a new fund next month with new investors' money. It happens. And it could affect the risks a money manager takes with your money if there's no personal downside for him. Elite money managers, on the other hand, are willing to put significant percentages of their own money right beside their clients' money."

Abernathy's own firm, The Abernathy Group, requires that every portfolio manager maintain at least 50% of their investible net worth in the funds that they manage. Even lower level analysts, the funds' employees who conduct research and make recommendations but do not make final decisions, are required by corporate charter to maintain 25% of their investible net worth in the funds.

"I'd like to see everyone do what we're doing," Abernathy says.

For additional information, contact The Abernathy Group at 212 293 3403.

About The Abernathy Group:
The Abernathy Group has been named by Nelson's as one of the nation's top performing money managers every year since 1994, including seven #1 rankings. The firm is located in New York's Wall Street district and stresses the importance of growing assets through safeguarding capital first. The firm caters to accredited investors only. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

For more information, please visit at www.abbygroup.com