<PAGE>
COLUMBIA FUNDS MANAGEMENT COMPANY
1300 S.W. Sixth Avenue
Portland, OR 97201
March 1, 1999
Securities and Exchange Commission
450 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20549
Re: Columbia Balanced Fund, Inc.
File Nos. 33-41401, CIK 0000876613
Pursuant to Rule 497 (j) under the Securities Act of 1993, the undersigned
certifies on behalf of the Registrant that the form of Prospectuses and
Statements of Additional Information that would have been filed pursuant to Rule
497 (c) under the Securities Act of 1993, as amended, would not have differed
from those contained in Post-Effective Amendment to the Registration Statement
on Form N-1A for the above Registrant as filed electronically with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on February 24, 1999.
Any questions regarding this transmission can be directed to Mark Wentzien
at (503) 795-6397.
Very truly yours,
Mark A. Wentzien
Columbia Funds Management Company
