AXA Equitable Enhances Flagship Universal Life Insurance Coverage

Redesigned Product Offers Features Designed to Help Clients Navigate Today's
Tough Economy

NEW YORK, March 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AXA Equitable Life Insurance
Company announced today that it has revamped its flagship Athena Universal
Life(SM) (Athena UL) insurance policy. Today's Athena UL is an innovative,
hybrid development in universal life coverage, offering cost-effective,
long-term guaranteed protection, cash value accumulation, a long-term care
funding option and the ability to leave a charitable legacy.

Redefining Universal Life Insurance
"In today's tough economy, many Americans on tight budgets need an affordable
and flexible way to protect their families, businesses and retirement dreams,"
said Claude Methot, executive vice president and chief product officer. "Our
enhanced Athena UL helps to meet these challenges by eliminating the
traditional dilemma of universal life coverage -- having to choose between
meaningful guaranteed protection, or cash value accumulation potential.
Today's Athena UL breaks down that barrier."

"Why pay for a lifetime no-lapse guarantee, if it hampers cash value
accumulation and you only need it for 20, 30 or 40 years?" said Methot.
"Athena UL combines long-term guaranteed permanent protection and cash value
accumulation potential into one product, at competitive rates."

Athena UL is now designed with a built-in No-Lapse Guarantee Rider available
at no additional charge, ensuring coverage will not lapse for a period of up
to age 90, depending on the issue age. This rider remains intact even if the
policy's account value falls to zero and as long as a certain level of
premiums is maintained and certain policy requirements are met.

"Redesigning Athena UL to include a long-term no-lapse guarantee helps keep
the costs of insurance down and increases the policyholder's potential for
greater cash value accumulation -- money that is not subject to equities risk
and that can be used to supplement retirement needs," said Mr. Methot. "These
very same attributes also make it appealing to business owners looking to
protect and retain key employees and provide for their financial futures, at
competitive rates."

Optional Rider Helps Protect Against High Costs of Long-Term Care
Depending on current and anticipated future needs, the Athena UL product also
offers a choice of optional riders for an additional cost, including a
Long-Term Care Services(SM) Rider. Available at issue for a monthly charge to
people between the ages of 20 and 70, the Long-Term Care Services Rider
functions as an acceleration of the life insurance policy's death benefit that
can be used for qualified long-term care expenses. When electing the Long-Term
Care Services Rider, the policyowner chooses from a certain benefit percentage
of the policy's face amount, reflecting the maximum monthly payments to be
received, if he or she becomes chronically ill.

"Should the need arise, the Long-Term Care Services Rider accelerates the
Athena UL death benefit to help defray the burden of long-term care medical
expenses," said Mr. Methot. "It can be an affordable, hybrid solution to the
'use it or lose it' dilemma of traditional long-term care insurance."

A Way to Give to Charity during Economic Downturn
AXA Equitable is also helping to make it easier for individuals to continue
charitable giving through the Charitable Legacy(SM) Rider, now available at no
additional cost on an Athena UL policy. The Charitable Legacy Rider allows
clients with a policy face amount of $1,000,000 or greater to leave an
additional one percent of the death benefit to a qualified charity or two
charities of their choice, up to a maximum $100,000. The Charitable Legacy
Rider adds no additional costs to the policy, does not increase the premium,
and does not reduce cash values or cause a reduction in death benefit.

"Our new charitable rider offers Americans a convenient way to make sizable
charitable donations at no out-of-pocket cost," said Mr. Methot. "It changes
the decision from whether to support at all, to which charitable organization
to support and how much."

Athena UL(SM) (Policy forms #09-400 or state variations) is issued by AXA
Equitable Life Insurance Company, New York, NY. The Athena UL policy,
Long-Term Care Services Rider and the Charitable Legacy Rider are subject to
certain terms and conditions which may vary by jurisdiction, contain
limitations, and may not be available in all jurisdictions. In Massachusetts,
the Long-term Care Services Rider is called the Accelerated Death Benefit for
Chronic Illness Rider.

All guarantees are based on the claims-paying ability of AXA Equitable Life
Insurance Company.

About AXA Equitable
In business since 1859, AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company is a leading
financial protection company and one of the nation's premier providers of life
insurance, annuity, and investment products and services. The company's
products and services are distributed to individuals and business owners
through its retail distribution channel, AXA Advisors, LLC; to the financial
services market through its wholesale distribution channel, AXA Distributors,
LLC; and to corporations and their employees through its corporate
distribution channel, Corporate Markets.
AXA Equitable, a subsidiary of AXA Financial Inc., is part of the global AXA
Group, a worldwide leader in financial protection strategies and wealth
management. "AXA Group" refers to AXA, a French holding company for an
international group of insurance and financial services companies together
with its direct and indirect consolidated subsidiaries. While a part of the
AXA Group, AXA Equitable is solely responsible for its annuity and life
insurance obligations. For more information, visit www.axa-equitable.com.
AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company (NY, NY) issues life insurance and
annuity products. Guarantees in the life insurance and annuity products are
based on the claims-paying ability of AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company.
Variable products are co-distributed through affiliates, AXA Advisors, LLC and
AXA Distributors, LLC. AXA Equitable and AXA Advisors do not provide legal or
tax advice.

SOURCE AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company

Discretion Winter, +1-212-314-2968, discretion.winter@axa-equitable.com, or Jo
Ann Tizzano, +1-212-314-2979, joann.m.tizzano@axa-equitable.com