Parties are considered to be related if one party has the ability to control or exercise significant influence over the other party in making financial or operating decisions. Since transactions with related parties may raise potential or actual conflicts of interest between the related party and the Company, Holdings has implemented a related party transaction policy that requires related party transactions to be reviewed and approved by its Audit Committee.

Following the decrease in AXA’s ownership interest in the Company from approximately 39% to approximately 10% on November 13, 2019 (the “November Offering”), AXA and its affiliates (collectively, “AXA Affiliates”) are no longer considered related parties of the Company. Transactions with AXA Affiliates continue to be reported as related party transactions for periods prior to the November Offering. The Company also had entered into related party transactions with other related parties that are described herein.

In the second quarter of 2018, Equitable Financial entered into a general services agreement with Holdings whereby Equitable Financial will benefit from the services received by Holdings from AXA Affiliates for a limited period following the Holdings IPO under a transition services agreement. The general services agreement with Holdings replaces existing cost-sharing and general service agreements with various AXA Affiliates. Equitable Financial continues to provide services to Holdings and various AXA Affiliates under a separate existing general services agreement with Holdings. Costs allocated to the Company from Holdings totaled $41 million, $73 million and $138 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and are allocated based on cost center tracking of expenses. The cost centers are approved annually and are updated based on business area needs throughout the year.

EIM, a subsidiary of Equitable Financial, provides investment management and administrative services to EQAT, EQ Premier VIP Trust, 1290 Funds and Other AXA Trusts, all of which are considered related parties. Investment management and service fees earned are calculated as a percentage of assets under management and are recorded as revenue as the related services are performed.

AXA Investment Managers Inc. (“AXA IM”) and AXA Rosenberg Investment Management LLC (“AXA Rosenberg”) provide sub-advisory services with respect to certain portfolios of EQAT, EQ Premier VIP Trust and the Other AXA Trusts. Also, AXA IM and AXA Real Estate Investment Managers (“AXA REIM”) manage certain General Account investments. Fees paid to these affiliates are based on investment advisory service agreements with each affiliate.

Effective December 31, 2018, Equitable Financial transferred its interest in ABLP, AB Holdings and the General Partner to a newly formed subsidiary and distributed the shares of the subsidiary to its direct parent which subsequently distributed the shares to Holdings (the “AB Business Transfer”). Accordingly, AB’s related party transactions with AXA Affiliates and mutual funds sponsored by AB are reflected as a discontinued operation in the Company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2018. Investment management and other services provided by AB prior to the AB Business Transfer will continue based upon the Company’s business needs. The Company recorded investment management fee expense from AllianceBernstein of $97 million and $102 million for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. See Note 18 for further details of the AB Business Transfer and the discontinued operation.

As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, the Company held approximately $64 million and $30 million of invested assets in the form of equity interests issued in non-corporate legal entities that were determined by the Company to be VIEs, as further described in Note 2. These legal entities are related parties of Equitable Financial. The Company reflects these equity interest in the consolidated Balance Sheets as other equity investments. The net assets of these unconsolidated VIEs are approximately $623 million and $974 million as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The Company also has approximately $90 million and $20 million of unfunded commitments as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively with these legal entities.

Equitable Financial pays commissions and fees to Equitable Distribution Holding Corporation and its subsidiaries (“Equitable Distribution”) for sales of insurance products. The commissions and fees paid to Equitable Distribution are based on various selling agreements.

Prior to April 2018, Equitable Financial ceded the following to AXA RE Arizona, an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Holdings: (i) a 100% quota share of all liabilities for variable annuities with GMxB riders issued on or after January 1, 2006 and in-force on September 30, 2008 (the “GMxB Business”); (ii) a 100% quota share of all liabilities for variable annuities with GMIB riders issued on or after May 1, 1999 through August 31, 2005 in excess of the liability assumed by two unaffiliated reinsurers, which are subject to certain maximum amounts or limitations on aggregate claims; and (iii) a 90% quota share of level premium term insurance issued by Equitable Financial on or after March 1, 2003 through December 31, 2008 and lapse protection riders under certain series of universal life insurance policies issued by Equitable Financial on or after June 1, 2003 through June 30, 2007.

On April 12, 2018, Equitable Financial completed the unwind of the reinsurance previously provided to Equitable Financial by AXA RE Arizona for certain variable annuities with GMxB features (the “GMxB Unwind”). Accordingly, all of the business previously ceded to AXA RE Arizona, with the exception of the GMxB Business, was novated to EQ AZ Life Re Company (“EQ AZ Life Re”), a newly formed captive insurance company organized under the laws of Arizona, which is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Holdings. Following the novation of business to EQ AZ Life Re, AXA RE Arizona was merged with and into Equitable Financial. Following AXA RE Arizona’s merger with and into Equitable Financial, the GMxB Business is not subject to any new internal or third-party reinsurance arrangements, though in the future Equitable Financial may reinsure the GMxB Business with third parties.

AXA RE Arizona novated the Life Business from AXA RE Arizona to EQ AZ Life Re as part of the GMxB Unwind. As a result, EQ AZ Life Re reinsures a 90% quota share of level premium term insurance issued by Equitable Financial on or after March 1, 2003 through December 31, 2008 and lapse protection riders under UL insurance policies issued by Equitable Financial on or after June 1, 2003 through June 30, 2007 and the Excess Risks.

The GMxB Unwind was considered a pre-existing relationship required to be effectively settled at fair value. The loss relating to this relationship resulted from the settlement of the reinsurance contracts at fair value and the write-off of previously recorded assets and liabilities related to this relationship recorded in the Company’s historical accounts. The pre-tax loss recognized in the second quarter of 2018 was $2.6 billion ($2.1 billion net of tax). The Company wrote-off a $1.8 billion deferred cost of reinsurance asset which was previously reported in other assets. Additionally, the remaining portion of the loss was determined by calculating the difference between the fair value of the assets received compared to the fair value of the assets and liabilities already recorded within the Company’s consolidated financial statements. The Company’s primary assets previously recorded were reinsurance recoverables, including the reinsurance recoverable associated with GMDB business. There was an approximate $400 million difference between the fair value of the GMDB recoverable compared to its carrying value which is accounted for under ASC 944.


	As of April 12, 2018
	(in millions)
	Assets Received		Assets Removed
Assets at fair value:
Fixed income securities	$	7,083
Short-term investments	205
Money market funds	2
Accrued interest	43
Derivatives	282
Cash and cash equivalents	1,273
Total	$	8,888

Deferred cost of reinsurance asset			$	1,839
GMDB ceded reserves			2,317
GMIB reinsurance contract asset			7,463
Payable to AXA RE Arizona			270
Total			$	11,889

Significant non-cash transactions involved in the GMxB Unwind included: (a) the increase in total investments includes non-cash activities of $7.6 billion for assets received related to the recapture transaction; (b) cancellation of the $300 million surplus note between the Company and AXA RE Arizona; and (c) settlement of the intercompany receivables/payables to AXA RE Arizona of $270 million. In addition, upon merging the remaining assets of AXA Re Arizona into Equitable Financial, $1.2 billion of deferred tax assets were recorded on the balance sheet through an adjustment to Capital in excess of par value.

The reinsurance arrangements with EQ AZ Life Re provide important capital management benefits to Equitable Financial. As of December 31, 2020, the Company’s GMIB reinsurance contract asset with EQ AZ Life Re had carrying values of $327 million and is reported in GMIB contract reinsurance asset, at fair value in the consolidated balance sheets. Ceded premiums and policy fee income in 2020, 2019 and 2018 totaled approximately $51 million, $62 million and $100 million, respectively. Ceded claims paid in 2020, 2019 and 2018 were $72 million, $52 million and $78 million, respectively.

Prior to 2019, AGL retroceded a quota share portion of certain life and health risks of various AXA Affiliates to Equitable Financial and Equitable America on a one-year term basis. The agreement was closed effective December 31, 2018. Also, AXA Life Insurance Company Ltd. cedes a portion of its variable deferred annuity business to Equitable Financial.

The Company’s subsidiaries entered into a Life Catastrophe Excess of Loss Reinsurance Agreement (the “Excess of Loss Agreement”) with a number of subscribing reinsurers, which included AGL. AGL participated as a subscribing reinsurer with 5% of the pool, pro rata, across the upper and lower layers through the contract period ending March 31, 2018.

As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, the Company held approximately $218 million and $229 million of invested assets in the form of equity interests issued in non-corporate legal entities that were determined by the Company to be VIEs, as further described in Note 2. These legal entities are related parties of Equitable Financial. The Company reflects these equity interest in the consolidated Balance Sheets as other equity investments. The net assets of these unconsolidated VIEs are approximately $13 billion and $10 billion as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The Company also has approximately $163 million and $205 million of unfunded commitments as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively with these legal entities.

In April 2018, Equitable Financial made a $800 million loan to Holdings. The loan has an interest rate of 3.69% and matures in April 2021. During the years ended December 2020, 2019 and 2018 Holdings repaid $300 million, $200 million, and $300 million in principal, respectively. As of December 31, 2020, the loan was repaid in full with no amount outstanding.

In November 2019, Equitable Financial made a $900 million loan to Holdings. The loan has an interest rate of one-month LIBOR plus 1.33%. The loan matures on November 24, 2024. As of December 31, 2020, the amount outstanding was $900 million.

On October 1, 2018, AXA Financial merged with and into its direct parent, Holdings, with Holdings continuing as the surviving entity. As a result, Holdings assumed AXA Financial’s obligations with respect to the Company, including obligations related to certain benefit plans.

In March 2018, Equitable Financial sold its interest in two consolidated real estate joint ventures to AXA France for a total purchase price of approximately $143 million, which resulted in a pre-tax loss of $0.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2018.


	Year Ended December 31,
	2019		2018
	(in millions)
Revenue received or accrued for:
General services provided to affiliates (1)	460		463
Total	$	460	$	463

Expenses paid or accrued for:
General services provided by affiliates (1)	76		109
Investment management services provided by AXA IM, AXA REIM and AXA Rosenberg	5		2
Total	$	81	$	111


	Year Ended December 31,
	2020		2019		2018
	(in millions)
Revenue received or accrued for:
Investment management and administrative services provided to EQAT, EQ Premier VIP Trust, 1290 Funds and Other AXA Trusts	$	724	$	669	$	727
Amounts received or accrued for commissions and fees earned for sale of Equitable America’s insurance products	38		39		44
Total	$	762	$	708	$	771

Expenses paid or accrued for:
Paid or accrued commission and fee expenses for sale of insurance products by Equitable Network	$	625	$	573	$	613
Total	$	625	$	573	$	613