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AXA Equitable Helps Americans Secure Their Financial Future with More Affordable Lapse Protection Coverage

Tuesday, April 8, 2008 General News
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NEW YORK, April 7, 2008 In today's uncertaineconomy, many Americans seek financial guarantees. AXA Equitable LifeInsurance Company announced today that it's making it easier for Americans tosecure their financial future, by offering more competitive rates in approvedjurisdictions on its Athena Universal Life(SM) with a built-in LapseProtection Rider (Athena UL(SM)-LPR) product. The announcement was made todayby Claude Methot, Senior Vice President and Chief Product Officer.
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Athena UL(SM)-Lapse Protection Rider -- When Guarantees Matter Most

Athena UL(SM)-LPR can provide a guaranteed death benefit for an affordableguaranteed premium that may often be less expensive than whole life insurance.The Lapse Protection Rider, which is automatically included in every AthenaUL(SM)-LPR policy, ensures coverage will not lapse for a specific period oftime -- even if the policy's account value falls to zero. As long as certainrequirements are met, the insurance protection can last up to a lifetime --guaranteed.
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"The Lapse Protection Rider is designed for the policyholder who wants tobe in control of his or her budget now and in the future," said Mr. Methot,"Today, we've enhanced Athena UL(SM)-LPR by offering more competitive rates in'short-pay' situations, in which the policyholder makes larger but a limitednumber of planned premium payments in early policy years, rather than smallerpayments over a longer period. In essence, we're making it more attractive formany people to lock-in their guarantees sooner."

With an Athena UL(SM)-LPR policy, premiums are guaranteed not to increase,regardless of changes in interest rates or policy charges, so long as certainrequirements are met. The Lapse Protection Rider alleviates the inherentpremium payment "sensitivity" associated with current interest creditingrates, cost of insurance charges, and other non-guaranteed policy expensestraditional universal life policies have. With an Athena UL(SM)-LPR, thepremium requirements can't be increased by AXA Equitable for any reason.

Guarantees of premiums or duration of coverage can be adversely impactedby policyholder actions, such as changing planned premium payments, payingpremiums late or taking loans or withdrawals. There are costs associated withthe Lapse Protection Rider.

Optional Rider Helps Protect Against High Costs of Long-Term Care.

Depending on current and anticipated future needs, the Athena UL(SM)-LPRproduct also offers a choice of optional riders for an additional cost,including a Long-Term Care Services(SM) Rider. Available for a fee to peoplebetween the ages of 20 and 70 purchasing the AXA Equitable Athena UL(SM)-LPRproduct, the Long-Term Care Services(SM) Rider functions as an acceleration ofthe life insurance policy's death benefit to assist those who becomechronically ill and receive qualified long-term care services. When electingthe Long-Term Care Services(SM) Rider, the policyowner chooses from a certainbenefit percentage of the policy's face amount, reflecting the maximum monthlypayments to be received if he or she becomes chronically ill.

If You Don't Use It, You Don't Lose It

"Long-term care insurance can require expensive premiums, even if it'snever used," says Methot. "Our Athena UL(SM)-LPR /Long-Term Care Services(SM)Rider combination offers an affordable, hybrid solution to the 'use it or loseit' dilemma." Should the need arise, the Long-Term Care Services(SM) Rideraccelerates the life insurance death benefit, defraying the burden of long-term care medical expenses and protecting retirement assets from beingdepleted. The death benefit is reduced by the amount accelerated. But, if longterm care is never needed, the full income tax-free death benefit is paid tothe beneficiaries.

Athena UL(SM)-LPR (Policy forms #07-100 or state variations) is issued byand is a service mark of AXA Equitable Li
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