-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE----- Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov Originator-Key-Asymmetric: MFgwCgYEVQgBAQICAf8DSgAwRwJAW2sNKK9AVtBzYZmr6aGjlWyK3XmZv3dTINen TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA, CLvvYTe3gZdH8Z5h/ka+uf6ZxLN/fjUrYOz4qbCuvivm0xz0xgxCwKjdfO6yeS2C FFw/JInZB8/uaydSloOedg== 0000771726-99-000168.txt : 19991018 0000771726-99-000168.hdr.sgml : 19991018 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0000771726-99-000168 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: 424B3 PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 1 FILED AS OF DATE: 19991004 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: EQUITABLE LIFE ASSURANCE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES /NY/ CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000727920 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: INSURANCE AGENTS BROKERS & SERVICES [6411] IRS NUMBER: 135570651 STATE OF INCORPORATION: NY FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: 424B3 SEC ACT: SEC FILE NUMBER: 033-89510 FILM NUMBER: 99722648 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 1290 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS CITY: NEW YORK STATE: NY ZIP: 10104 BUSINESS PHONE: 2125541234 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: 787 SEVENTH AVE CITY: NEW YORK STATE: NY ZIP: 10019 424B3 1 DEFINITIVE MATERIALS EQUI-VEST(TM) Express(sm) A combination variable and fixed deferred annuity contract Please read and keep this prospectus for future reference. It contains important information that you should know before purchasing, or taking any other action under your contract. Also, at the end of this prospectus you will find attached the prospectuses for The Hudson River Trust and EQ Advisors Trust which contain important information about their Portfolios. PROSPECTUS DATED SEPTEMBER 29, 1999 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WHAT IS EQUI-VEST EXPRESS? EQUI-VEST Express is a deferred annuity contract issued by The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. It provides for the accumulation of retirement savings and for income. The contract also offers death benefit protection and a number of payout options. You invest to accumulate value on a tax-deferred basis in one or more of our variable investment options or in our fixed maturity options ("investment options"). This contract may not currently be available in all states. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VARIABLE INVESTMENT OPTIONS - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FIXED INCOME OPTIONS: - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DOMESTIC FIXED INCOME AGGRESSIVE FIXED INCOME - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- o Alliance Intermediate o Alliance High Yield Government Securities o Alliance Money Market o Alliance Quality Bond - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EQUITY OPTIONS: - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DOMESTIC EQUITY - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- o Alliance Common Stock o MFS Growth with Income o Alliance Equity Index o MFS Research o Alliance Growth and Income o Merrill Lynch Basic Value Equity o EQ/Alliance Premier Growth o EQ/Putnam Growth & Income Value o Capital Guardian Research o T. Rowe Price Equity Income o Capital Guardian U.S. Equity - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INTERNATIONAL EQUITY - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- o Alliance Global Stock o T. Rowe Price International Stock o Alliance International o Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Equity - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AGGRESSIVE EQUITY - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- o Alliance Aggressive Stock o MFS Emerging Growth Companies o Alliance Small Cap Growth o Warburg Pincus Small Company Value Companies o EQ/Evergreen - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ASSET ALLOCATION OPTIONS: - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- o Alliance Balanced o EQ/Evergreen Foundation o Alliance Conservative o Merrill Lynch World Strategy Investors o EQ/Putnam Balanced o Alliance Growth Investors - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You may allocate amounts to any of the variable investment options. Each variable investment option is a subaccount of our Separate Account A. Each variable investment option, in turn, invests in a corresponding securities portfolio ("Portfolio") of The Hudson River Trust or EQ Advisors Trust. Your investment results in a variable investment option will depend on the investment performance of the related Portfolio. FIXED MATURITY OPTIONS. You may allocate amounts to one or more fixed maturity options. These amounts will receive a fixed rate of interest for a specified period. Interest is earned at a guaranteed rate we set. We make a market value adjustment (up or down) if you make transfers or withdrawals from a fixed maturity option before its maturity date. TYPES OF CONTRACTS. We offer the contracts for use as: o A nonqualified annuity ("NQ") for after-tax contributions only o An individual retirement annuity ("IRA"), either Traditional IRA or Roth IRA o A Traditional IRA as a conduit to hold rollover distributions ("QP IRA") from a qualified plan or a Tax-Sheltered Annuity ("TSA") A contribution of at least $50 is required to purchase a contract. Registration statements relating to this offering have been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). The statement of additional information ("SAI") dated September 29, 1999, is a part of one of the registration statements. The SAI is available free of charge. You may request one by writing to our Processing Office or calling 1 (800) 628-6673. The SAI has been incorporated by reference into this prospectus. This prospectus and the SAI can also be obtained from the SEC's Web site at http://www.sec.gov. The table of contents for the SAI appears at the back of this prospectus. The SEC has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is accurate or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. The contracts are not insured by the FDIC or any other agency. They are not deposits or other obligations of any bank and are not bank guaranteed. They are subject to investment risks and possible loss of principal. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 CONTENTS OF THIS PROSPECTUS - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contents of this prospectus - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EQUI-VEST(TM) EXPRESS(SM) - --------------------------------------------------------------- Index of key words and phrases 4 Who is Equitable Life? 5 How to reach us 6 EQUI-VEST Express at a glance -- key features 9 - --------------------------------------------------------------- FEE TABLE 11 - --------------------------------------------------------------- Examples 14 - --------------------------------------------------------------- 1 CONTRACT FEATURES AND BENEFITS 16 - --------------------------------------------------------------- How you can purchase and contribute to your contract 16 Owner and annuitant requirements 18 How you can make your contributions 18 What are your investment options under the contract? 18 Allocating your contributions 22 Your right to cancel within a certain number of days 22 - --------------------------------------------------------------- 2 DETERMINING YOUR CONTRACT'S VALUE 23 - --------------------------------------------------------------- Your account value 23 Your contract's value in the variable investment options 23 Your contract's value in the fixed maturity options 23 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "We," "our" and "us" refer to Equitable Life. When we address the reader of this prospectus with words such as "you" and "your," we mean the person who has the right or responsibility that the prospectus is discussing at that point. This is usually the contract owner. When we use the word "contract" it also includes certificates that are issued under group contracts in some states. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONTENTS OF THIS PROSPECTUS 3 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - --------------------------------------------------------- 3 TRANSFERRING YOUR MONEY AMONG INVESTMENT OPTIONS 24 - --------------------------------------------------------- Transferring your account value 24 Automatic transfer options 24 - --------------------------------------------------------- 4 ACCESSING YOUR MONEY 26 - --------------------------------------------------------- Withdrawing your account value 26 Surrender of your contract to receive its cash value 27 When we may terminate your contract 27 When to expect payments 27 Choosing your annuity payout options 28 - --------------------------------------------------------- 5 CHARGES AND EXPENSES 30 - --------------------------------------------------------- Charges that Equitable Life deducts 30 Charges that the trusts deduct 32 Group or sponsored arrangements 32 Other distribution arrangements 33 - --------------------------------------------------------- 6 PAYMENT OF DEATH BENEFIT 34 - --------------------------------------------------------- Your beneficiary and payment of benefit 34 How death benefit payment is made 35 Beneficiary continuation option under Traditional IRA and QP IRA contracts 35 - --------------------------------------------------------- 7 TAX INFORMATION 36 - --------------------------------------------------------- Overview 36 Transfers among investment options 36 Taxation of nonqualified annuities 36 Special rules for NQ contracts issued in Puerto Rico 37 Individual retirement arrangements ("IRAs") 38 Federal and state income tax withholding and information reporting 48 Impact of taxes to Equitable Life 49 - --------------------------------------------------------- 8 MORE INFORMATION 50 - --------------------------------------------------------- About our Separate Account A 50 About The Hudson River Trust and EQ Advisors Trust 50 About our fixed maturity options 51 About the general account 53 About other methods of payment 53 Dates and prices at which contract events occur 54 About your voting rights 54 About our year 2000 progress 55 About legal proceedings 56 About our independent accountants 56 Transfers of ownership, collateral assignments, loans, and borrowing 56 Distribution of the contracts 56 - --------------------------------------------------------- 9 INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE 57 - --------------------------------------------------------- Benchmarks 57 Communicating performance data 67 - --------------------------------------------------------- 10 INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE 68 - --------------------------------------------------------- APPENDIX - --------------------------------------------------------- Market value adjustment example A-1 - --------------------------------------------------------- STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TABLE OF CONTENTS - --------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 INDEX OF KEY WORDS AND PHRASES - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Index of key words and phrases - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This index should help you locate more information on the terms used in this prospectus. PAGE PAGE account value 23 annuitant 16 IRA cover annuity payout options 28 IRS 36 beneficiary 34 investment options 18 business day 53 market adjusted amount 21 cash value 23 market value adjustment 21 conduit IRA 42 maturity value 21 contract date 10 NQ cover contract date anniversary 10 Portfolio cover contract year 10 Processing Office 6 contributions 16 QP IRAs cover Contributions to Roth IRAs rate to maturity 21 Regular contribution 45 recharacterized 41 Rollover contributions 45 regular contribution 39 Conversion contributions 46 Required Beginning Date 42 Direct custodian-to-custodian Roth IRA cover transfers 46 SAI cover Contributions to Traditional IRAs SEC cover Regular contributions 39 Substitution 51 Rollover contributions 41 TOPS 6 Direct custodian-to-custodian Traditional IRA cover transfers 41 TSA cover financial professional 56 unit 23 fixed maturity amount 21 unit investment trust 50 fixed maturity options 21 variable investment options 18 To make this prospectus easier to read, we sometimes use different words than in the contract. This is illustrated below. Although we do use different words, they have the same meaning in this prospectus as in the contract or supplemental materials. Your Equitable associate can provide further explanation about your contract. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ PROSPECTUS CONTRACT OR SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ fixed maturity options Guarantee Periods or Fixed Maturity Accounts variable investment options Investment Funds or Investment Divisions account value Annuity Account Value rate to maturity Guaranteed Rates unit Accumulation Unit unit value Accumulation Unit Value ------------------------------------------------------------------------ - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WHO IS EQUITABLE LIFE? 5 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Who is Equitable Life? - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We are The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States ("Equitable Life"), a New York stock life insurance corporation. We have been doing business since 1859. Equitable Life is a wholly owned subsidiary of AXA Financial, Inc. (previously, The Equitable Companies Incorporated). The majority shareholder of AXA Financial, Inc. is AXA, a French holding company for an international group of insurance and related financial services companies. As a majority shareholder, and under its other arrangements with Equitable Life and Equitable Life's parent, AXA exercises significant influence over the operations and capital structure of Equitable Life and its parent. No company other than Equitable Life, however, has any legal responsibility to pay amounts that Equitable Life owes under the contracts. During 1999, Equitable Companies plans to change its name to AXA Financial, Inc. AXA Financial, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries managed approximately $390.8 billion in assets as of June 30, 1999. For over 100 years Equitable Life has been among the largest insurance companies in the United States. We are licensed to sell life insurance and annuities in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Our home office is located at 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N.Y. 10104. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6 WHO IS EQUITABLE LIFE? - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOW TO REACH US You may communicate with our Processing Office as listed below for any of the following purposes: - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FOR NQ AND IRA OWNERS WHO SEND CONTRIBUTIONS INDIVIDUALLY BY REGULAR MAIL: - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Equitable Life EQUI-VEST Express Individual Collections P.O. Box 13459 Newark, NJ 07188-0459 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FOR NQ AND IRA OWNERS WHO SEND CONTRIBUTIONS INDIVIDUALLY BY EXPRESS DELIVERY: - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Equitable Life c/o Bank One, N.A. 300 Harmon Meadow Boulevard, 3rd Floor Secaucus, NJ 07094 Attn: Box 13459 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FOR ALL OTHER COMMUNICATIONS (E.G., REQUESTS FOR TRANSFERS, WITHDRAWALS, OR REQUIRED NOTICES) SENT BY REGULAR MAIL: - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Equitable Life EQUI-VEST Express P.O. Box 2996 New York, NY 10116-2996 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FOR ALL OTHER COMMUNICATIONS (E.G., REQUESTS FOR TRANSFERS, WITHDRAWALS, OR REQUIRED NOTICES) SENT BY EXPRESS DELIVERY: - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Equitable Life EQUI-VEST Express 200 Plaza Drive, 2nd Floor Secaucus, NJ 07094 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FOR NQ AND IRA CONTRIBUTIONS REMITTED BY EMPLOYERS AND SENT BY REGULAR MAIL: - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Equitable Life EQUI-VEST Express Unit Collections P.O. Box 13463 Newark, New Jersey 07188-0463 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FOR NQ AND IRA CONTRIBUTIONS REMITTED BY EMPLOYERS AND SENT BY EXPRESS DELIVERY: - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Equitable Life c/o Bank One, N.A. 300 Harmon Meadow Boulevard, 3rd Floor Secaucus, NJ 07094 Attn: Box 13463 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- REPORTS WE PROVIDE: - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- o written confirmation of financial transactions; o annual statement of your contract values as of the close of the calendar year; and o statement of your contract values as of the last day of the contract year. We reserve the right to change the frequency of these reports. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TELEPHONE OPERATED PROGRAM SUPPORT ("TOPS") SYSTEM: - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TOPS is designed to provide you with up-to-date information via touch-tone telephone. You can obtain information on: o your current account value; o your current allocation percentages; o the number of units you have in the variable investment options; and o unit values. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WHO IS EQUITABLE LIFE? 7 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You can also: o change your allocation percentages and/or transfer among the variable investment options; o elect general dollar-cost averaging; and o change your personal identification number ("PIN"). TOPS is normally available seven days a week, 24 hours a day, by calling toll free 1 (800) 755-7777. Of course, for reasons beyond our control, the service may sometimes be unavailable. We have established procedures to reasonably confirm that the instructions communicated by telephone are genuine. For example, we will require certain personal identification information before we will act on telephone instructions and we will provide written confirmation of your transfers. We will not be liable for following telephone instructions we reasonably believe to be genuine. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BY INTERNET: - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You can also access information about your contract on the Internet. Please visit our Web site at http://www.equitable.com, and click on EQAccess. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE: - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You may also use our toll-free number 1 (800) 628-6673 to speak with one of our customer service representatives. Our customer service representatives are available on each business day Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and on Fridays until 5:00 p.m. Eastern time. You should send all contributions, notices, and requests to our Processing Office at an address above. WE REQUIRE THAT THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF COMMUNICATIONS BE ON SPECIFIC FORMS WE PROVIDE FOR THAT PURPOSE: (1) conversion of your Traditional IRA contract to a Roth IRA contract; (2) cancellation of your Roth IRA contract and return to a Traditional IRA contract; (3) election of the automatic investment program; (4) election of general dollar-cost averaging; (5) election of the rebalancing program; (6) election of required minimum distribution option; (7) election of beneficiary continuation option; (8) tax withholding election; (9) request for a transfer/rollover of assets or 1035 exchange to another carrier; and (10) contract surrender and withdrawal requests. WE ALSO HAVE SPECIFIC FORMS THAT WE RECOMMEND YOU USE FOR THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF REQUESTS: (1) address changes; (2) beneficiary changes; (3) transfers among investment options; and (4) change of ownership. TO CHANGE OR CANCEL ANY OF THE FOLLOWING WE REQUIRE WRITTEN NOTIFICATION GENERALLY AT LEAST SEVEN CALENDAR DAYS BEFORE THE NEXT SCHEDULED TRANSACTION: (1) automatic investment program; (2) general dollar-cost averaging; and (3) rebalancing program. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8 WHO IS EQUITABLE LIFE? - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You must sign and date all these requests. Any written request that is not on one of our forms must include your name and your contract number along with adequate details about the notice you wish to give or the action you wish us to take. SIGNATURES: The proper person to sign forms, notices and requests would normally be the owner. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EQUI-VEST EXPRESS AT A GLANCE -- KEY FEATURES 9 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EQUI-VEST Express at a glance -- key features - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PROFESSIONAL EQUI-VEST Express variable investment options invest in 30 different Portfolios managed by INVESTMENT professional investment advisers. MANAGEMENT - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ FIXED MATURITY o 10 fixed maturity options with maturities ranging from approximately 1 to 10 years. OPTIONS o Each fixed maturity option offers a guarantee of principal and interest rate if you hold it to maturity. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you make withdrawals or transfers from a fixed maturity option before maturity, there will be a market value adjustment due to differences in interest rates. This may increase or decrease any value that you have left in that fixed maturity option. If you surrender your contract, a market value adjustment may also apply. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TAX ADVANTAGES o ON EARNINGS INSIDE THE No tax on any dividends, interest or capital gains until you CONTRACT make withdrawals from your contract or receive annuity payments. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- o ON TRANSFERS INSIDE THE No tax on transfers among investment options. CONTRACT ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you are buying a contract to fund a retirement plan that already provides tax deferral under the Internal Revenue Code (any type of IRA) you should do so for the contract's features and benefits other than tax deferral. In such situations, the tax deferral of the contract does not provide additional benefits. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ MINIMUM CONTRIBUTION $50 ($20 under our automatic investment program) AMOUNTS Maximum contribution limits may apply. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ACCESS TO YOUR MONEY o Lump sum withdrawals o Withdrawals on a periodic basis o Contract surrender You may be subject to a withdrawal charge for certain withdrawals. You may also incur income tax and a penalty tax. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PAYOUT ALTERNATIVES o Annuity payout options - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ADDITIONAL FEATURES o General dollar-cost averaging o Automatic investment program o Account value rebalancing (quarterly, semiannually, and annually) o No charge on transfers among investment options - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 EQUI-VEST EXPRESS AT A GLANCE -- KEY FEATURES - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FEES AND CHARGES o Daily charge on amounts invested in variable investment options for mortality and expense risks and other expenses at an annual rate of 0.95% o If your account value at the end of the contract year is less than $25,000 for NQ contracts (or less than $20,000 IRA contracts), we deduct an annual administrative charge equal to $30 or during the first two contract years 2% of your account value, if less. If your account value is $25,000 or more for NQ contracts (or $20,000 or more for IRA contracts), we will not deduct the charge. o Charge for third-party transfer (such as in the case of a trustee-to-trustee transfer for an IRA contract) or exchange (if your contract is exchanged for a contract issued by another insurance company) -- $25 currently ($65 maximum) per occurrence. o No sales charge deducted when you make contributions. o During the first seven contract years following each contribution, a charge will be deducted from amounts that you withdraw that exceed 10% of your account value. We use the account value on the date of the withdrawal to calculate the 10% amount available. The charge begins at 7% in the first contract year following each contribution. It declines each year to 1% in the seventh contract year. There is no withdrawal charge in the eighth and later contract years following a contribution. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The 12-month period beginning on your contract date and each 12-month period after that date is a "contract year." The end of each 12-month period is your "contract date anniversary." The "contract date" is the effective date of a contract. This usually is the business day we receive your initial contribution. Your contract date will be shown in your contract. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- o We deduct a charge for taxes such as premium taxes that may be imposed in your state. The charge is generally deducted from the amount applied to an annuity payout option. o We generally deduct a $350 annuity administrative fee from amounts applied to purchase certain life annuity payout options. o Annual expenses of The Hudson River Trust and EQ Advisors Trust Portfolios are calculated as a percentage of the average daily net assets invested in each Portfolio. These expenses include management and advisory fees ranging from 0.31% to 1.15% annually, 12b-1 fees of 0.25% annually and other expenses. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ANNUITANT NQ 0-79 ISSUE AGES QP IRA 0-79 Traditional IRA 0-70 Roth IRA 0-79 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For Traditional IRAs, the maximum issue age is 70, but we will issue up to age 79 if the contribution is a rollover contribution. For all other IRAs we will issue contracts up to annuitant ages 80-83 with our prior approval. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ THE ABOVE IS NOT A COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF ALL MATERIAL PROVISIONS OF THE CONTRACT. IN SOME CASES RESTRICTIONS OR EXCEPTIONS APPLY. MAXIMUM EXPENSE LIMITATIONS APPLY TO CERTAIN VARIABLE INVESTMENT OPTIONS, AND RIGHTS ARE RESERVED TO CHANGE OR WAIVE CERTAIN CHARGES WITHIN SPECIFIED LIMITS. ALSO, ALL FEATURES OF THE CONTRACT ARE NOT NECESSARILY AVAILABLE IN YOUR STATE OR AT CERTAIN AGES. For more detailed information we urge you to read the contents of this prospectus, as well as your contract. Please feel free to speak with your financial professional, or call us, if you have any questions.
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FEE TABLE 11 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fee table - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The fee table below will help you understand the various charges and expenses that apply to your contract. The table reflects charges you will directly incur under the contract, as well as charges and expenses of the Portfolios that you will bear indirectly. Charges for taxes, such as premium taxes, may also apply. Also, an annuity administrative fee may apply when your annuity payments are to begin. Each of the charges and expenses is more fully described under "Charges and expenses" later in this prospectus. For a complete description of Portfolio charges and expenses, please see the attached prospectuses for The Hudson River Trust and EQ Advisors Trust. The fixed maturity options are not covered by the fee table and examples. However, the annual administrative charge, the withdrawal charge, and the third-party transfer or exchange charge do apply to the fixed maturity options. Also, an annuity administrative fee may apply when your annuity payments are to begin. A market value adjustment (up or down) may apply as a result of a withdrawal, transfer or surrender of amounts from a fixed maturity option.
CHARGES WE DEDUCT FROM YOUR VARIABLE INVESTMENT OPTIONS (SEPARATE ACCOUNT A) EXPRESSED AS AN ANNUAL PERCENTAGE OF DAILY NET ASSETS - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mortality and expense risk(1) 0.70% Other expenses 0.25% ----- Total Separate Account A annual expenses(2) 0.95% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHARGES WE DEDUCT FROM YOUR ACCOUNT VALUE ON EACH CONTRACT DATE ANNIVERSARY - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Annual administrative charge(3) If your account value on a contract date anniversary is less than $25,000 for NQ contracts (or less than $20,000 for IRA contracts) $30 If your account value on a contract date anniversary is $25,000 or more for NQ contracts (or $20,000 or more for IRA contracts) $0 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHARGES WE DEDUCT FROM YOUR ACCOUNT VALUE AT THE TIME YOU REQUEST CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Withdrawal charge as a percentage of contributions (deducted if you Contract surrender your contract or make certain withdrawals. The withdrawal charge year percentage we use is determined by the contract year in which you make the 1 7.00% withdrawal or surrender your contract. For each contribution, we consider 2 6.00% the contract year in which we receive that contribution to be "contract 3 5.00% year 1")(4) 4 4.00% 5 3.00% 6 2.00% 7 1.00% 8+ 0.00% Charge for third-party transfer or exchange(5) $25 for each occurrence Charge if you elect a life annuity payout option $ 350 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 FEE TABLE - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE HUDSON RIVER TRUST ANNUAL EXPENSES (AS A PERCENTAGE OF AVERAGE DAILY NET ASSETS IN EACH PORTFOLIO) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TOTAL ANNUAL INVESTMENT EXPENSES MANAGEMENT & OTHER (AFTER EXPENSE ADVISORY FEES 12B-1 FEE(6) EXPENSES LIMITATION)(7)(8) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alliance Aggressive Stock 0.54% 0.25% 0.03% 0.82% Alliance Balanced 0.41% 0.25% 0.04% 0.70% Alliance Common Stock 0.36% 0.25% 0.03% 0.64% Alliance Conservative Investors 0.48% 0.25% 0.05% 0.78% Alliance Equity Index 0.31% 0.25% 0.03% 0.59% Alliance Global 0.64% 0.25% 0.07% 0.96% Alliance Growth and Income 0.55% 0.25% 0.03% 0.83% Alliance Growth Investors 0.51% 0.25% 0.04% 0.80% Alliance High Yield 0.60% 0.25% 0.03% 0.88% Alliance Intermediate Government Securities 0.50% 0.25% 0.05% 0.80% Alliance International 0.90% 0.25% 0.16% 1.31% Alliance Money Market 0.35% 0.25% 0.02% 0.62% Alliance Quality Bond 0.53% 0.25% 0.03% 0.81% Alliance Small Cap Growth 0.90% 0.24% 0.06% 1.20% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EQ ADVISORS TRUST ANNUAL EXPENSES (AS A PERCENTAGE OF AVERAGE DAILY NET ASSETS IN EACH PORTFOLIO) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TOTAL OTHER ANNUAL INVESTMENT EXPENSES EXPENSES MANAGEMENT & (AFTER EXPENSE (AFTER EXPENSE ADVISORY FEES 12B-1 FEE(6) LIMITATION)(8) LIMITATION)(8) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ EQ/Alliance Premier Growth 0.90% 0.25% 0.00% 1.15% Capital Guardian Research 0.65% 0.25% 0.05% 0.95% Capital Guardian U.S. Equity 0.65% 0.25% 0.05% 0.95% EQ/Evergreen 0.75% 0.25% 0.05% 1.05% EQ/Evergreen Foundation 0.63% 0.25% 0.07% 0.95% MFS Emerging Growth Companies 0.55% 0.25% 0.05% 0.85% MFS Growth with Income 0.55% 0.25% 0.05% 0.85% MFS Research 0.55% 0.25% 0.05% 0.85% Merrill Lynch Basic Value Equity 0.55% 0.25% 0.05% 0.85% Merrill Lynch World Strategy 0.70% 0.25% 0.25% 1.20% Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Equity 1.15% 0.25% 0.35% 1.75% EQ/Putnam Balanced 0.55% 0.25% 0.10% 0.90% EQ/Putnam Growth & Income Value 0.55% 0.25% 0.05% 0.85% T. Rowe Price Equity Income 0.55% 0.25% 0.05% 0.85% T. Rowe Price International Stock 0.75% 0.25% 0.20% 1.20% Warburg Pincus Small Company Value 0.65% 0.25% 0.10% 1.00% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FEE TABLE 13 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notes: (1) A portion of this charge is for providing the death benefit. (2) We reserve the right to increase the total Separate Account A annual expenses, but they will not exceed a maximum of 2%. (3) During the first two contract years, this charge is equal to the lesser of $30 or 2% of your account value if it applies. Thereafter, the charge is $30 for each contract year. We reserve the right to increase this charge to an annual maximum of $65. (4) Deducted upon a withdrawal of amounts in excess of the 10% free withdrawal amount. Important exceptions and limitations may eliminate or reduce this charge. (5) We reserve the right to increase this charge to a maximum of $65 for each occurrence. (6) The Class IB shares of The Hudson River Trust and EQ Advisors Trust are subject to fees imposed under distribution plans (the "Rule 12b-1 Plans") adopted by The Hudson River Trust and EQ Advisors Trust pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The 12b-1 fee will not be increased for the life of the contracts. The Rule 12b-1 Plan for the Alliance Small Cap Growth Portfolio provides that AXA Advisors, LLC ("AXA Advisors"), will receive an annual fee not to exceed the lesser of (a) 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Portfolio attributable to Class IB shares and (b) an amount that, when added to certain other expenses of the Class IB shares, would result in the ratio of expenses to average daily net assets attributable to Class IB shares equaling 1.20%. Absent the expense limitation, the total annual expenses for 1998 for the Alliance Small Cap Growth Portfolio would have been 1.21%. (7) The fees and expenses shown for all Portfolios are for the year ended December 31, 1998. The investment management and advisory fee for each Portfolio of The Hudson River Trust may vary from year to year depending upon the average daily net assets of the respective Portfolio. The maximum investment management and advisory fees, however, cannot be increased without a vote of that Portfolio's shareholders. See the prospectus for The Hudson River Trust. The other direct operating expenses will also fluctuate from year to year depending on actual expenses. The fees and expenses shown for Class IB shares of the Alliance Balanced Portfolio and Alliance Quality Bond Portfolio are annualized for the year ended December 31, 1998. These shares were first offered on July 8, 1998. (8) The investment management and advisory fees for each Portfolio of EQ Advisors Trust cannot be increased without a vote of that Portfolio's shareholders. The amounts shown as "Other Expenses" will fluctuate from year to year depending on actual expenses. However, Equitable Life, EQ Advisors Trust's manager, has entered into an expense limitation agreement with respect to each Portfolio. Under this agreement Equitable Life has agreed to waive or limit its fees and assume other expenses. Under the expense limitation agreement, total annual operating expenses of each Portfolio (other than interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, capitalized expenditures, extraordinary expenses and 12b-1 fees) are limited for the average daily net assets of each Portfolio as follows: 0.60% for EQ/Putnam Growth & Income Value, MFS Emerging Growth Companies, MFS Growth with Income, MFS Research, Merrill Lynch Basic Value Equity, and T. Rowe Price Equity Income; 0.65% for EQ/Putnam Balanced; 0.70% for Capital Guardian Research, Capital Guardian U.S. Equity, and EQ/Evergreen Foundation; 0.75% for Warburg Pincus Small Company Value; 0.80% for EQ/Evergreen; 0.90% for EQ/Alliance Premier Growth; 0.95% for Merrill Lynch World Strategy and T. Rowe Price International Stock; and 1.50% for Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Equity. Absent the expense limitation, "Other Expenses" for 1998 on an annualized basis for each of the Portfolios would have been as follows: 0.24% for MFS Emerging Growth Companies, EQ/Putnam Growth & Income Value, and T. Rowe Price Equity Income; 0.25% for MFS Research; 0.26% for Merrill Lynch Basic Value Equity; 0.66% for Merrill Lynch World Strategy; 1.23% for Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Equity, 0.45% for EQ/Putnam Balanced; 0.40% for T. Rowe Price International Stock; and 0.27% for Warburg Pincus Small Company Value. For the following Portfolios, the "Other Expenses" for 1999, absent the expense limitation, are estimated to be as follows: 0.74% for EQ/Alliance Premier Growth, Capital Guardian Research and Capital Guardian U.S. Equity; 0.76% for EQ/Evergreen; 0.86% for EQ/Evergreen Foundation; 0.59% for MFS Growth with Income. Initial seed capital was invested on December 31, 1998 for the EQ/Evergreen, EQ/Evergreen Foundation, and MFS Growth with Income Portfolios; and on April 30, 1999 for the EQ/Alliance Premier Growth, Capital Guardian U.S. Equity, and Capital Guardian Research Portfolios and therefore expenses have been estimated. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 FEE TABLE - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Each Portfolio may at a later date make a reimbursement to Equitable Life for any of the management fees waived or limited and other expenses assumed and paid by Equitable Life pursuant to the expense limitation agreement provided, that among other things, such Portfolio has reached sufficient size to permit such reimbursement to be made and provided that the Portfolio's current annual operating expenses do not exceed the operating expense limit determined for such Portfolio. For more information, see the prospectus for EQ Advisors Trust. EXAMPLES The examples below show the expenses that a hypothetical contract owner would pay in the situations illustrated. We assume a $1,000 contribution is invested in one of the variable investment options listed, and a 5% annual return is earned on the assets in that option(1). The annual administrative charge is based on the charges that apply to a mix of estimated contract sizes, resulting in an estimated administrative charge for the purpose of these examples of $0.57 per $1,000. We calculate the annual administrative charge by using the total actual annual administrative charges for 1998 under other EQUI-VEST contracts that we issue, as a percentage of the total assets held under those EQUI-VEST contracts. These examples should not be considered a representation of past or future expenses for each option. Actual expenses may be greater or less than those shown. Similarly, the annual rate of return assumed in the examples is not an estimate or guarantee of future investment performance.
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ IF YOU SURRENDER YOUR CONTRACT AT THE END IF YOU DO NOT SURRENDER YOUR CONTRACT AT OF EACH PERIOD SHOWN, THE EXPENSES WOULD THE END OF EACH PERIOD SHOWN, THE BE: EXPENSES WOULD BE: ------------------------------------------ -------------------------------------------- 1 YEAR 3 YEARS 5 YEARS 10 YEARS 1 YEAR 3 YEARS 5 YEARS 10 YEARS - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ THE HUDSON RIVER TRUST OPTIONS - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alliance Aggressive Stock $89.17 $109.32 $131.97 $220.66 $19.17 $59.32 $101.97 $220.66 Alliance Balanced $87.92 $105.49 $125.51 $207.37 $17.92 $55.49 $ 95.51 $207.37 Alliance Common Stock $87.29 $103.57 $122.27 $200.66 $17.29 $53.57 $ 92.27 $200.66 Alliance Conservative Investors $88.76 $108.04 $129.82 $216.24 $18.76 $58.04 $ 99.82 $216.24 Alliance Equity Index $86.76 $101.97 $119.57 $195.04 $16.76 $51.97 $ 89.57 $195.04 Alliance Global $90.64 $113.77 $139.46 $235.96 $20.64 $63.77 $109.46 $235.96 Alliance Growth and Income $89.28 $109.63 $132.51 $221.76 $19.28 $59.63 $102.51 $221.76 Alliance Growth Investors $88.97 $108.68 $130.90 $218.45 $18.97 $58.68 $100.90 $218.45 Alliance High Yield $89.80 $111.23 $135.19 $227.24 $19.80 $61.23 $105.19 $227.24 Alliance Intermediate Government Securities $88.97 $108.68 $130.90 $218.45 $18.97 $58.68 $100.90 $218.45 Alliance International $94.32 $124.84 $157.99 $273.29 $24.32 $74.84 $127.99 $273.29 Alliance Money Market $87.08 $102.93 $121.19 $198.42 $17.08 $52.93 $ 91.19 $198.42 Alliance Quality Bond $89.07 $109.00 $131.43 $219.56 $19.07 $59.00 $101.43 $219.56 Alliance Small Cap Growth $93.16 $121.37 $152.20 $261.70 $23.16 $71.37 $122.20 $261.70 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FEE TABLE 15 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ IF YOU SURRENDER YOUR CONTRACT AT THE END IF YOU DO NOT SURRENDER YOUR CONTRACT AT OF EACH PERIOD SHOWN, THE EXPENSES WOULD THE END OF EACH PERIOD SHOWN, THE BE: EXPENSES WOULD BE: ------------------------------------------ -------------------------------------------- 1 YEAR 3 YEARS 5 YEARS 10 YEARS 1 YEAR 3 YEARS 5 YEARS 10 YEARS - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ EQ ADVISORS TRUST OPTIONS - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ EQ/Alliance Premier Growth $92.64 $119.79 -- -- $22.64 $69.79 -- -- Capital Guardian Research $90.54 $113.45 -- -- $20.54 $63.45 -- -- Capital Guardian U.S. Equity $90.54 $113.45 -- -- $20.54 $63.45 -- -- EQ/Evergreen $91.59 $116.62 -- -- $21.59 $66.62 -- -- EQ/Evergreen Foundation $90.54 $113.45 -- -- $20.54 $63.45 -- -- MFS Emerging Growth Companies $89.49 $110.27 $133.58 $223.95 $19.49 $60.27 $103.58 $223.95 MFS Growth with Income $89.49 $110.27 -- -- $19.49 $60.27 -- -- MFS Research $89.49 $110.27 $133.58 $223.95 $19.49 $60.27 $103.58 $223.95 Merrill Lynch Basic Value Equity $89.49 $110.27 $133.58 $223.95 $19.49 $60.27 $103.58 $223.95 Merrill Lynch World Strategy $93.16 $121.37 $152.20 $261.70 $23.16 $71.37 $122.20 $261.70 Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Equity $98.93 $138.64 $180.90 $318.37 $28.93 $88.64 $150.90 $318.37 EQ/Putnam Balanced $90.01 $111.86 $136.26 $229.43 $20.01 $61.86 $106.26 $229.43 EQ/Putnam Growth & Income Value $89.49 $110.27 $133.58 $223.95 $19.49 $60.27 $103.58 $223.95 T. Rowe Price Equity Income $89.49 $110.27 $133.58 $223.95 $19.49 $60.27 $103.58 $223.95 T. Rowe Price International Stock $93.16 $121.37 $152.20 $261.70 $23.16 $71.37 $122.20 $261.70 Warburg Pincus Small Company Value $91.06 $115.04 $141.59 $240.29 $21.06 $65.04 $111.59 $240.29 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) The amount accumulated from the $1,000 contribution could not be paid in the form of an annuity payout option at the end of any of the periods shown in the examples. This is because if the amount applied to purchase an annuity payout option is less than $2,000, or the initial payment is less than $20, we may pay the amount to you in a single sum instead of as payments under an annuity payout option. See "Accessing your money." IF YOU ELECT AN ANNUITY PAYOUT OPTION: Assuming an annuity payout option could be issued, (see Note (1) above), and you elect a life annuity payout option, the expenses shown in the above example for "if you do not surrender your contract" would, in each case, be increased by $4.43 based on the average amount applied to annuity payout options in 1998. See "Annuity administrative fee" under "Charges and expenses." - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 CONTRACT FEATURES AND BENEFITS - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Contract features and benefits - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOW YOU CAN PURCHASE AND CONTRIBUTE TO YOUR CONTRACT You may purchase a contract by making payments to us that we call "contributions." We require a minimum contribution amount of $50 to purchase a contract. The minimum contribution amount under our automatic investment program is $20. We discuss the automatic investment program under "About other methods of payment" under "More information" later in this prospectus. The following table summarizes our rules regarding contributions to your contract. All ages in the table refer to the age of the annuitant named in the contract. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The "annuitant" is the person who is the measuring life for determining contract benefits. The annuitant is not necessarily the contract owner. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTRACT AVAILABLE FOR SOURCE OF LIMITATIONS ON TYPE ANNUITANT ISSUE AGES* CONTRIBUTIONS CONTRIBUTIONS - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NQ 0 through 79 o After-tax money. Not applicable. o Paid to us by check or transfer of contract value in a tax deferred exchange under Section 1035 of the Internal Revenue Code. o Paid to us by an employer who establishes a payroll deduction program. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Traditional IRA 0 through 70 o "Regular" traditional IRA o For all types of IRAs, regular IRA contributions either made by contributions may not exceed you or paid to us by an $2,000 for a year. employer who establishes a payroll deduction program. o No regular IRA contributions in the year you turn age 70 1/2 and o Rollovers from a qualified plan. thereafter. o Rollovers from a TSA. o Rollover and direct transfer contributions after age 70 1/2 o Rollovers from another must be net of required traditional individual retirement minimum distributions. arrangement. o Direct custodian-to-custodian transfers from other traditional individual retirement arrangements. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONTRACT FEATURES AND BENEFITS 17 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTRACT AVAILABLE FOR SOURCE OF LIMITATIONS ON TYPE ANNUITANT ISSUE AGES* CONTRIBUTIONS CONTRIBUTIONS - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Roth IRA 0 through 79 o Regular after-tax contributions o For all types of IRAs, regular IRA either made by you or paid to us contributions may not exceed by an employer who establishes $2,000 for a year. a payroll deduction program. o Contributions are subject to o Rollovers from another Roth income limits and other tax IRA. rules. See "Tax information -- Contributions to Roth IRAs." o Conversion rollovers from a traditional IRA. o Direct transfers from another Roth IRA. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ QP Traditional 0 through 79 o Rollovers from a qualified plan. o Rollover contributions after age IRA 70 1/2 must be net of required o Rollovers from a TSA. minimum distributions. o The EQUI-VEST QP Traditional o Regular after-tax contributions IRA contract is intended to be a are not permitted. conduit IRA. Only rollovers from a qualified plan or TSA are permitted. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* For Traditional IRAs, the maximum issue age is 70, but we will issue up to age 79 if the contribution is a rollover contribution. For all other IRAs we will issue contracts up to annuitant ages 80-83 with our prior approval. See "Tax information" for a more detailed discussion of sources of contributions and certain contribution limitations. We may refuse to accept any contribution if the sum of all contributions under all EQUI-VEST contracts with the same annuitant would then total more than $1,000,000. We may also refuse to accept any contribution if the sum of all contributions under all Equitable Life annuity accumulation contracts that you own would then total more than $2,500,000. For information on when contributions are credited see "Dates and prices at which contract events occur" under "More information" later in this prospectus. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18 CONTRACT FEATURES AND BENEFITS - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OWNER AND ANNUITANT REQUIREMENTS Under NQ contracts, the annuitant can be different than the owner. Under any type of the IRA contract, the owner and annuitant must be the same person. HOW YOU CAN MAKE YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS Except as indicated below, contributions must be by check drawn on a U.S. bank in U.S. dollars, and made payable to Equitable Life. We do not accept third-party checks endorsed to us except for rollover contributions, tax-free exchanges or trustee checks that involve no refund. All checks are subject to our ability to collect the funds. We reserve the right to reject a payment if it is received in an unacceptable form. You may also make contributions by wire transfer or our automatic investment program. See "About other methods of payment" under "More information" later in this prospectus. Your initial contribution must generally be accompanied by an application and any other form we need to process the payments. If any information is missing or unclear, we will try to obtain that information. If we are unable to obtain all of the information we require within five business days after we receive an incomplete application or form, we will inform the financial professional submitting the application on your behalf. We will then return the contribution to you unless you specifically direct us to keep your contribution until we receive the required information. Generally, you may make additional contributions at any time. You may do so in single sum amounts, on a regular basis, or as your financial situation permits. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Generally our "business day" is any day on which Equitable Life is open and the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading. - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- SECTION 1035 EXCHANGES You may apply the value of an existing nonqualified deferred annuity contract (or life insurance or endowment contract) to purchase an NQ contract in a tax-free exchange if you follow certain procedures as shown in the form that we require you to use. Also see "Tax information" later in this prospectus. WHAT ARE YOUR INVESTMENT OPTIONS UNDER THE CONTRACT? Your investment options are the variable investment options and the fixed maturity options. VARIABLE INVESTMENT OPTIONS Your investment results in any one of the 30 variable investment options will depend on the investment performance of the underlying Portfolios. Listed below are the currently available Portfolios, their investment objectives, and their advisers. - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- You can choose from among 30 variable investment options. - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONTRACT FEATURES AND BENEFITS 19 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PORTFOLIOS OF THE HUDSON RIVER TRUST
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PORTFOLIO NAME OBJECTIVE ADVISER - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alliance Aggressive Stock Long-term growth of capital Alliance Capital Management L.P. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alliance Balanced High return through a combination of current Alliance Capital Management L.P. income and capital appreciation - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alliance Common Stock Long-term growth of capital and increasing Alliance Capital Management L.P. income - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alliance Conservative Investors High total return without, in the adviser's Alliance Capital Management L.P. opinion, undue risk to principal - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alliance Equity Index Total return (before The Hudson River Trust and Alliance Capital Management L.P. Separate Account A annual expenses) that approximates the total return performance of the Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Price Index - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alliance Global Long-term growth of capital Alliance Capital Management L.P. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alliance Growth and Income High total return through a combination of Alliance Capital Management L.P. current income and capital appreciation - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alliance Growth Investors High total return consistent with the adviser's Alliance Capital Management L.P. determination of reasonable risk - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alliance High Yield High return by maximizing current income and, Alliance Capital Management L.P. to the extent consistent with that objective, capital appreciation - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alliance Intermediate High current income consistent with relative Alliance Capital Management L.P. Government Securities stability of principal - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alliance International Long-term growth of capital Alliance Capital Management L.P. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alliance Money Market High level of current income while preserving Alliance Capital Management L.P. assets and maintaining liquidity - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alliance Quality Bond High current income consistent with preservation Alliance Capital Management L.P. of capital - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alliance Small Cap Growth Long-term growth of capital Alliance Capital Management L.P. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20 CONTRACT FEATURES AND BENEFITS - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PORTFOLIOS OF EQ ADVISORS TRUST
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PORTFOLIO NAME OBJECTIVE ADVISER - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ EQ/Alliance Premier Growth Long-term growth of capital Alliance Capital Management L.P. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Capital Guardian Research Long-term growth of capital Capital Guardian Trust Company - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Capital Guardian U.S. Equity Long-term growth of capital Capital Guardian Trust Company - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ EQ/Evergreen Capital appreciation Evergreen Asset Management Corp. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ EQ/Evergreen Foundation In order of priority, reasonable income, Evergreen Asset Management Corp. conservation of capital, and capital appreciation - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ MFS Emerging Growth Long-term capital growth Massachusetts Financial Services Companies Company - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ MFS Growth with Income Reasonable current income and long-term Massachusetts Financial Services growth of capital and income Company - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ MFS Research Long-term growth of capital and future income Massachusetts Financial Services Company - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Merrill Lynch Basic Value Equity Capital appreciation and, secondarily, income Merrill Lynch Asset Management, L.P. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Merrill Lynch World Strategy High total investment return Merrill Lynch Asset Management, L.P. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Morgan Stanley Emerging Long-term capital appreciation Morgan Stanley Asset Management Markets Equity - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ EQ/Putnam Balanced Balanced investment Putnam Investment Management, Inc. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ EQ/Putnam Growth & Income Capital growth, current income is a secondary Putnam Investment Management, Inc. Value objective - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ T. Rowe Price Equity Income Substantial dividend income and also capital T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. appreciation - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ T. Rowe Price International Long-term growth of capital Rowe Price-Fleming International, Inc. Stock - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Warburg Pincus Small Company Long-term capital appreciation Warburg Pincus Asset Management, Inc. Value - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other important information about the Portfolios is included in the separate prospectuses for The Hudson River Trust and EQ Advisors Trust attached at the end of this prospectus. See "Proposed substitution of Portfolios" under "More information" for information regarding the proposed substitution of newly created Portfolios of EQ Advisors Trust for the Portfolios of The Hudson River Trust currently available under the variable investment options. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONTRACT FEATURES AND BENEFITS 21 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FIXED MATURITY OPTIONS We offer fixed maturity options with maturity dates ranging from one to ten years. You can allocate your contributions to one or more of these fixed maturity options. However, you may not allocate more than one contribution to any one fixed maturity option. These amounts become part of our general account assets. They will accumulate interest at the "rate to maturity" for each fixed maturity option. The total amount you allocate to and accumulate in each fixed maturity option is called the "fixed maturity amount." The fixed maturity options are not available in contracts issued in Maryland. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fixed maturity options range from one to ten years to maturity - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The rate to maturity you will receive for each fixed maturity option is the rate to maturity in effect for new contributions allocated to that fixed maturity option on the date we apply your contribution. This rate will never be less than 3%. If you make any withdrawals or transfers from a fixed maturity option before the maturity date, we will make a market value adjustment that may increase or decrease any fixed maturity amount you have left in that fixed maturity option. We discuss the market value adjustment below and in greater detail later in this prospectus under "More information." On the maturity date of a fixed maturity option your fixed maturity amount, assuming you have not made any withdrawals or transfers, will equal your contribution to that fixed maturity option plus interest, at the rate to maturity for that contribution, to the date of the calculation. This is the fixed maturity option's "maturity value." Before maturity, the current value we will report for your fixed maturity amount will reflect a market value adjustment. Your current value will reflect the market value adjustment that we would make if you were to withdraw all of your fixed maturity amounts on the date of the report. We call this your "market adjusted amount." FIXED MATURITY OPTIONS AND MATURITY DATES. We currently offer fixed maturity options ending on June 15th for each of the maturity years 2000 through 2009. See "Allocating your contributions" below. As fixed maturity options expire, we expect to add maturity years so that generally 10 fixed maturity options are available at any time. We will not accept allocations to a fixed maturity option if on the date the contribution is to be applied: o you previously allocated a contribution or made a transfer to the same fixed maturity option; or o the rate to maturity is 3%; or o the fixed maturity option's maturity date is within the current calendar year; or o the fixed maturity option's maturity date is later than the date annuity payments are to begin. YOUR CHOICES AT THE MATURITY DATE. We will notify you at least 45 days before each of your fixed maturity options is scheduled to mature. At that time, you may choose to have one of the following take place on the maturity date, as long as none of the conditions listed above or in "Allocating your contributions," below would apply: (a) transfer the maturity value into another available fixed maturity option, or into any of the variable investment options; or (b) withdraw the maturity value (there may be a withdrawal charge). If we do not receive your choice on or before the fixed maturity option's maturity date, we will automatically transfer your maturity value into the Alliance Money Market option, or another investment option if we are required to do so by any state regulation. MARKET VALUE ADJUSTMENT. If you make any withdrawals (including transfers, surrender or termination of your contract, or when we make deductions for charges) from a fixed maturity option before it matures we will make a market value adjustment, which will increase or decrease any fixed maturity amount you have in that fixed maturity - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22 CONTRACT FEATURES AND BENEFITS - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- option. The amount of the adjustment will depend on two factors: (a) the difference between the rate to maturity that applies to the amount being withdrawn and the rate to maturity in effect at that time for new allocations to that same fixed maturity option, and (b) the length of time remaining until the maturity date. In general, if interest rates rise from the time that you originally allocate an amount to a fixed maturity option to the time that you take a withdrawal, the market value adjustment will be negative. Likewise, if interest rates drop at the end of that time, the market value adjustment will be positive. Also, the amount of the market value adjustment, either up or down, will be greater the longer the time remaining until the fixed maturity option's maturity date. Therefore, it is possible that the market value adjustment could greatly reduce your value in the fixed maturity options, particularly in the fixed maturity options with later maturity dates. We provide an illustration of the market adjusted amount of specified maturity values, an explanation of how we calculate the market value adjustment, and information concerning our general account and investments purchased with amounts allocated to the fixed maturity options, under "More information" later in this prospectus. The Appendix to this prospectus provides an example of how the market value adjustment is calculated. ALLOCATING YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS You may allocate your contributions to one or more, or all of the investment options. However, you may not allocate more than one contribution to any one fixed maturity option. Allocations must be in whole percentages and you may change your allocation percentages at any time. However, the total of your allocations must equal 100%. Once your contributions are allocated to the investment options they become part of your account value. We discuss account value under "Determining your contract's value." YOUR RIGHT TO CANCEL WITHIN A CERTAIN NUMBER OF DAYS If for any reason you are not satisfied with your contract, you may return it to us for a refund. To exercise this cancellation right you must mail the contract directly to our Processing Office within 10 days after you receive it. In some states, this "free look" period may be longer. For contributions allocated to the variable investment options, your refund will equal your contributions, reflecting any investment gain or loss that also reflects the daily charges we deduct. For contributions allocated to the fixed maturity options, your refund will equal the amount of the contribution allocated to the fixed maturity options reflecting any positive or negative market value adjustments. Some states require that we refund the full amount of your contribution (not including any investment gain or loss, interest, or market value adjustment). For IRA contracts returned to us within seven days after you receive it, we are required to refund the full amount of your contribution. We may require that you wait six months before you apply for a contract with us again if: o you cancel your contract during the free look period; or o you change your mind before you receive your contract whether we have received your contribution or not. Please see "Tax information" for possible consequences of cancelling your contract. If you fully or partially convert an existing Traditional IRA contract to a Roth IRA contract, you may cancel your Roth IRA contract and return to a Traditional IRA contract. Our Processing Office, or your financial professional, can provide you with the cancellation instructions. Ask for the form entitled "EQUI-VEST Roth IRA Re-Characterization Form." - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DETERMINING YOUR CONTRACT'S VALUE 23 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 Determining your contract's value - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- YOUR ACCOUNT VALUE Your "account value" is the total of the values you have in the variable investment options and the market adjusted amounts you have in the fixed maturity options. These amounts are subject to certain fees and charges discussed under "Charges and expenses." Your contract also has a "cash value." At any time before annuity payments begin, your contract's cash value is equal to the account value, less any withdrawal charge that may apply, less the total amount or a pro rata portion of the annual administrative charge. Please see "Surrendering your contract to receive its cash value" under "Accessing your money." YOUR CONTRACT'S VALUE IN THE VARIABLE INVESTMENT OPTIONS Each variable investment option invests in shares of a corresponding Portfolio. Your value in each variable investment option is measured by "units." The value of your units will increase or decrease as though you had invested it in the corresponding Portfolio's shares directly. Your value, however, will be reduced by the amount of the fees and charges that we deduct under the contract. - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Units measure your value in each variable investment option. - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The unit value for each variable investment option depends on the investment performance of that option minus daily charges for mortality and expense risks and other expenses. On any day, your value in any variable investment option equals the number of units credited to that option, adjusted for any units deducted from your contract under that option, multiplied by that day's value for one unit. The number of your contract units in any variable investment option does not change unless you make additional contributions, make a withdrawal, or transfer amounts among investment options. In addition, when we deduct the withdrawal charge, the annual administrative charge, or third-party transfer or exchange charge, the number of units credited to your contract will be reduced. A description of how unit values are calculated is found in the SAI. YOUR CONTRACT'S VALUE IN THE FIXED MATURITY OPTIONS Your value in each fixed maturity option at any time before the maturity date is the market adjusted amount in each option. This is equivalent to your fixed maturity amount increased or decreased by the market value adjustment. Your value, therefore, may be higher or lower than your contributions (less withdrawals) accumulated at the rate to maturity. At the maturity date, your value in the fixed maturity option will equal its maturity value. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24 TRANSFERRING YOUR MONEY AMONG INVESTMENT OPTIONS - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 Transferring your money among investment options - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRANSFERRING YOUR ACCOUNT VALUE At any time before the date annuity payments are to begin, you can transfer some or all of your account value among the investment options, subject to the following: o You must transfer at least $300 of account value or, if less, the entire amount in the investment option. We may waive the $300 requirement. o You may not transfer to a fixed maturity option in which you already have value. o You may not transfer to a fixed maturity option if its maturity date is later than the date annuity payments are to begin. o If you make transfers out of a fixed maturity option other than at its maturity date the transfer may cause a market value adjustment. Subject to the terms of your contract, upon advance notice, we may change or establish additional restrictions on transfers among the investment options. A transfer request does not change your percentages for allocating current or future contributions among the investment options. You may request a transfer in writing or by telephone using TOPS. You must send in all signed written requests directly to our Processing Office. Transfer requests should specify: (1) the contract number, (2) the dollar amounts to be transferred, and (3) the investment options to and from which you are transferring. We will confirm all transfers in writing. AUTOMATIC TRANSFER OPTIONS GENERAL DOLLAR-COST AVERAGING One of our automatic transfer options, referred to as general dollar-cost averaging, allows you to have amounts automatically transferred from the Alliance Money Market option to the other variable investment options on a monthly basis. In order to elect the general dollar-cost averaging option you must have a minimum of $2,000 in the Alliance Money Market option on the date we receive your election form at our Processing Office. You can specify the number of monthly transfers or instruct us to continue to make monthly transfers until all available amounts in the Alliance Money Market option have been transferred out. The minimum amount that we will transfer each month is $50. The maximum amount we will transfer is equal to your value in the Alliance Money Market option at the time the program is elected, divided by the number of transfers scheduled to be made. If, on any transfer date, your value in the Alliance Money Market option is equal to or less than the amount you have elected to have transferred, the entire amount will be transferred. General dollar-cost averaging will then end. You may change the transfer amount once each contract year, or cancel this program at any time. Dollar-cost averaging allows you to gradually allocate amounts to the variable investment options by periodically transferring approximately the same dollar amount to the variable investment options you select. This will cause you to purchase more units if the unit's value is low and fewer units if the unit's value is high. Therefore, you may get a lower average cost per unit over the long term. This plan of investing, however, does not guarantee that you will earn a profit or be protected against losses. REBALANCING YOUR ACCOUNT VALUE Another automatic transfer option we currently offer is a rebalancing program that you can use to automatically reallocate your account value among the variable investment options. You must tell us: (a) the percentage you want invested in each variable investment option (whole percentages only), and (b) how often you want the rebalancing to occur (quarterly, semiannually, or annually). - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRANSFERRING YOUR MONEY AMONG INVESTMENT OPTIONS 25 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- While your rebalancing program is in effect, we will transfer amounts among each variable investment option so that the percentage of your account value that you specify is invested in each option at the end of each rebalancing date. Your entire account value in the variable investment options must be included in the rebalancing program. - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rebalancing does not assure a profit or protect against loss. You should periodically review your allocation percentages as your needs change. You may want to discuss the rebalancing program with your financial professional and/or financial adviser before electing the program. - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- You may elect the rebalancing program at any time. To be eligible, you must have at least $5,000 of account value in the variable investment options. Rebalancing is not available for amounts you have allocated in the fixed maturity options. You may change your allocation instructions or cancel the program at any time. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26 ACCESSING YOUR MONEY - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 Accessing your money - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WITHDRAWING YOUR ACCOUNT VALUE You have several ways to withdraw your account value before annuity payments begin. The table below shows the methods available under each type of contract. More information follows the table. For the tax consequences of taking withdrawals, see "Tax information." - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- METHOD OF WITHDRAWAL - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MINIMUM CONTRACT LUMP SUM SYSTEMATIC DISTRIBUTION - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NQ Yes Yes No - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Traditional IRA Yes Yes Yes - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- QP IRA Yes Yes Yes - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Roth IRA Yes Yes No - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LUMP SUM WITHDRAWALS (All contracts) You may take lump sum withdrawals from your account value at any time while the annuitant is living and before annuity payments begin. The minimum amount you may withdraw at any time is $300. If your account value is less than $500 after a withdrawal, we may terminate your contract and pay you its cash value. Lump sum withdrawals in excess of the 10% free withdrawal amount may be subject to a withdrawal charge. SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWALS (All contracts) If you have at least $20,000 of account value in the variable investment options you may elect systematic withdrawals. You may elect to have your systematic withdrawals made on a monthly or quarterly basis. The minimum amount you may take for each withdrawal is $300. We will make the withdrawals on any day of the month that you select as long as it is not later than the 28th day of the month. If you do not select a date, your withdrawals will be made on the first day of the month. A check for the amount of the withdrawal will be mailed to you or, if you prefer, we will electronically transfer the money to your checking account. You may withdraw a fixed-dollar amount from the variable investment options. You do not have to maintain a minimum amount. You may elect to have the amount of the withdrawal subtracted from your account value in one of three ways: (1) pro rata from more than one variable investment option (without using up your total value in those options); or (2) pro rata from more than one variable investment option (until your value in those options is used up); or (3) you may specify a dollar amount from only one variable investment option. You can cancel the systematic withdrawal option at any time. Amounts withdrawn in excess of the 10% free withdrawal amount may be subject to a withdrawal charge. MINIMUM DISTRIBUTION WITHDRAWALS (Traditional IRA and QP IRA contracts -- See "Tax information") We offer the minimum distribution withdrawal option to help you meet required minimum distributions under federal income tax rules. You may elect this option in the year in which you reach age 70 1/2 and have account value in the variable investment options of at least $2,000. The minimum amount we will pay out is $300, or if less, your account value. If your account value is less than $500 after the withdrawal, we may terminate your contract and pay you its cash value. You elect the method you want us to use to calculate your minimum distribution withdrawal from the choices we offer. Currently, minimum distribution withdrawal payments will be made annually. Unless you specify otherwise, we will subtract your withdrawals on a pro rata basis from your values in the variable investment options. If those amounts are insufficient, we will make up required amounts from the fixed maturity options to the extent you have value in those options. A market value adjustment may apply. We will - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ACCESSING YOUR MONEY 27 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- calculate your payment each year based on your account value at the end of each prior calendar year, based on the method you choose. - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- We will send to Traditional IRA and QP IRA owners a form outlining the minimum distribution options available before you reach age 70 1/2 (if you have not begun your annuity payments before that time). - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- AUTOMATIC NQ DEPOSIT SERVICE If you are receiving required minimum distribution payments from a Traditional IRA or QP IRA contract you may use our automatic NQ deposit service. Under this service we will automatically deposit the required minimum distribution payment from your Traditional IRA or QP IRA contract directly into an existing EQUI-VEST Express NQ or an existing EQUI-VEST NQ contract according to your allocation instructions. SURRENDER OF YOUR CONTRACT TO RECEIVE ITS CASH VALUE You may surrender your contract to receive its cash value at any time while the annuitant is living and before you begin to receive annuity payments. For a surrender to be effective, we must receive your written request and your contract at our Processing Office. We will determine your cash value on the date we receive the required information. All benefits under the contract will terminate as of that date. You may receive your cash value in a single sum payment or apply it to one or more of the annuity payout options. See "Choosing your annuity payout options" below. We will usually pay the cash value within seven calendar days, but we may delay payment as described in "When to expect payments" below. For the tax consequences of surrenders, see "Tax information." WHEN WE MAY TERMINATE YOUR CONTRACT We may terminate your contract and pay you the cash value if: (1) your account value is less than $500 and you have not made contributions to your contract for a period of three years; or (2) you request a lump sum withdrawal that reduces your account value to an amount less than $500; or (3) you have not made any contributions within 120 days from your contract date. WHEN TO EXPECT PAYMENTS Generally, we will fulfill requests for payments out of the variable investment options within seven calendar days after the date of the transaction to which the request relates. These transactions may include applying proceeds to a variable annuity payout option, payment of a death benefit, payment of any amount you withdraw (less any withdrawal charge) and, upon surrender or termination, payment of the cash value. We may postpone such payments or applying proceeds for any period during which: (1) the New York Stock Exchange is closed or restricts trading, (2) sales of securities or determination of the fair value of a variable investment option's assets is not reasonably practicable because of an emergency, or (3) the SEC, by order, permits us to defer payment to protect people remaining in the variable investment options. We can defer payment of any portion of your values in the fixed maturity options (other than for death benefits) for up to six months while you are living. We also may defer payments for a reasonable amount of time (not to exceed 15 days) while we are waiting for a contribution check to clear. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28 ACCESSING YOUR MONEY - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All payments are made by check and are mailed to you (or the payee named in a tax-free exchange) by U.S. mail, unless you request that we use an express delivery service at your expense. CHOOSING YOUR ANNUITY PAYOUT OPTIONS EQUI-VEST Express offers you several choices for receiving retirement income. Each choice enables you to receive fixed or, in some cases, variable annuity payments. You can choose from among the different forms of annuity payout options listed below. Restrictions apply, depending on the type of contract you own. ANNUITY PAYOUT OPTIONS You choose from among the following annuity payout options: o Life annuity: An annuity that guarantees payments for the rest of the annuitant's life. Payments end with the last monthly payment before the annuitant's death. Because there is no continuation of benefits following the annuitant's death with this payout option, it provides the highest monthly payment of any of the life annuity options, so long as the annuitant is living. o Life annuity -- period certain: An annuity that guarantees payments for the rest of the annuitant's life. If the annuitant dies before the end of a selected period of time ("period certain"), payments continue to the beneficiary for the balance of the period certain. Under IRAs, the period certain cannot exceed your life expectancy or the joint life expectancy of you and your spouse. o Life annuity -- refund certain: An annuity that guarantees payments for the rest of the annuitant's life. If the annuitant dies before the amount applied to purchase the annuity option has been recovered, payments to the beneficiary will continue until that amount has been recovered. This payout option is available only as a fixed annuity. o Period certain annuity: An annuity that guarantees payments for a specific period of time, usually 5, 10, 15, or 20 years. This option does not guarantee payments for the rest of the annuitant's life. It does not permit any repayment of the unpaid principal, so you cannot elect to receive part of the payments as a single sum payment with the rest paid in monthly annuity payments. Currently, this payout option is available only as a fixed annuity. All of the above payout options are available as fixed annuities. With fixed annuities, we guarantee fixed annuity payments that will be based either on the tables of guaranteed annuity payments in your contract or on our then current annuity rates, whichever is more favorable for you. The life annuity, life annuity -- period certain, and life annuity -- refund certain payout options are available on a single life or joint and survivor life basis. The joint and survivor life annuity guarantees payments for the rest of the annuitant's life and, after the annuitant's death, payments continue to the survivor. The following annuity payout options are available as variable annuities: o Life annuity (except in New York) o Life annuity -- period certain o Joint and survivor life annuity (100% to survivor) o Joint and survivor life period certain annuity (100% to survivor) Variable annuities may be funded through your choice of variable investment options investing in Portfolios of The Hudson River Trust. On or about October 18, 1999, these Portfolios will become Portfolios of EQ Advisors Trust. See "Proposed substitution of Portfolios" under "About The Hudson River Trust and EQ Advisors Trust." The contract also offers a fixed annuity payout option that can be elected in combination with the variable annuity payout options. The amount of each variable annuity payment will fluctuate, depending upon the performance of the variable investment options, and whether the actual rate of investment return is higher or lower than an assumed base rate. Please see "Annuity unit values" in the SAI. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ACCESSING YOUR MONEY 29 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We also make the variable annuity payout options available to owners of our single premium deferred annuity ("SPDA") contract and certain other combination fixed and variable annuity contracts. Such contractholders who are considering purchasing a variable payout option should also review the information in this prospectus relating to the variable investment options. The Hudson River Trust prospectus (directly following this prospectus), and the sections of the SAI which discuss the variable annuity payout option should also be reviewed. We may offer other payout options not outlined here. Your financial professional can provide details. SELECTING AN ANNUITY PAYOUT OPTION When you select a payout option, we will issue you a separate written agreement confirming your right to receive annuity payments. We require you to return your contract before annuity payments begin. Unless you choose a different payout option, we will pay annuity payments under a life annuity with a period certain of 10 years. You choose whether these payments will be either fixed or variable. You can choose the date annuity payments are to begin. You can change the date your annuity payments are to begin anytime before that date as long as you do not choose a date later than the 28th day of any month. Also, that date may not be later than the contract date anniversary that follows the annuitant's 90th birthday. This may be different in some states. Before your annuity payments are to begin, we will notify you by letter that the annuity payout options are available. Once you have selected a payout option and payments have begun, no change can be made, other than transfers (if permitted in the future) among the variable investment options if a variable annuity is selected. The amount of the annuity payments will depend on: (1) the amount applied to purchase the annuity; (2) the type of annuity chosen, and whether it is fixed or variable. If you choose a variable annuity, we will use an assumed base rate of 5% to calculate the level of payments. However, in states where that rate is not permitted the assumed base rate will be 3 1/2%. We provide information about the assumed base rate in the SAI; (3) in the case of a life annuity, the annuitant's age (or the annuitant's and joint annuitant's ages); and (4) in certain instances, the sex of the annuitant(s). In no event will you ever receive payments under a fixed option or an initial payment under a variable option of less than the minimum amounts guaranteed by the contract. If, at the time you elect a payout option, the amount to be applied is less than $2,000 or the initial payment under the form elected is less than $20 monthly, we reserve the right to pay the account value in a single sum rather than as payments under the payout option chosen. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30 CHARGES AND EXPENSES - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 Charges and expenses - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHARGES THAT EQUITABLE LIFE DEDUCTS We deduct the following charges each day from the net assets of each variable investment option. These charges are reflected in the unit values of each variable investment option: o A mortality and expense risks charge, which includes a death benefit charge o A charge for other expenses We deduct the following charges from your account value. When we deduct these charges from your variable investment options, we reduce the number of units credited to your contract: o An annual administrative charge, if applicable o Charge for third-party transfer or exchange o At the time you make certain withdrawals or surrender your contract, or your contract is terminated -- a withdrawal charge o At the time annuity payments are to begin -- charges for any state premium or other applicable taxes. An annuity administrative fee may also apply More information about these charges appears below. MORTALITY AND EXPENSE RISKS CHARGE We deduct a daily charge from the net assets in each variable investment option to compensate us for mortality and expense risks, including the death benefit. The daily charge is equivalent to an annual rate of 0.70% of the net assets in each variable investment option. The mortality risk we assume is the risk that annuitants as a group will live for a longer time than our actuarial tables predict. If that happens, we would be paying more in annuity benefits than we planned. We also assume a risk that the mortality assumptions reflected in our guaranteed annuity payment tables, shown in each contract, will differ from actual mortality experience. We may change the actuarial basis for our guaranteed annuity payment tables, but only for new contributions and only at five year intervals from the contract date. Lastly, we assume a mortality risk to the extent that at the time of death, the death benefit exceeds the cash value of the contract. In addition, we waive any withdrawal charge upon payment of a death benefit. The expense risk we assume is the risk that it will cost us more to issue and administer the contracts than we expect. To the extent that the mortality and expense risk charges are not needed to cover the actual expenses incurred, they may be considered an indirect reimbursement for certain sales and promotional expenses relating to the contracts. CHARGE FOR OTHER EXPENSES We deduct this daily charge from the net assets in each variable investment option. This charge, together with the annual administrative charge described below, is for providing administrative and financial accounting services under the contracts. The daily charge is equivalent to a maximum annual rate of 0.25% of net assets in each variable investment option. ANNUAL ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGE We deduct an administrative charge from your account value on the last business day of each contract year. We will deduct a pro rata portion of the charge if you surrender your contract, elect an annuity payout option, or the annuitant dies during the contract year. We deduct the charge if your account value on the last business day of the contract year, is less than $25,000 under NQ contracts and $20,000 under IRA contracts. If your account value on such date is $25,000 or more for NQ ($20,000 or more for IRA) contracts, we do not deduct the charge. During the first two contract years, the charge is equal to $30 or, if less, 2% of your current account value. The charge is $30 for contract years three and later. We may increase this charge if our administrative costs rise, but the charge will never exceed $65 annually. The charge is deducted pro rata from the variable investment options. If those amounts are insufficient, we will make up the required amounts from the fixed maturity options to the extent you have value in those options, unless you tell us otherwise. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHARGES AND EXPENSES 31 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHARGE FOR THIRD-PARTY TRANSFER OR EXCHANGE We impose a charge for making a direct transfer of amounts from your contract to a third party, such as in the case of a trustee-to-trustee transfer for an IRA contract, or if you request that your contract be exchanged for a contract issued by another insurance company. In either case, we will deduct from your account value any withdrawal charge that applies and a charge of $25 for each direct transfer or exchange. We reserve the right to increase this charge to a maximum of $65. WITHDRAWAL CHARGE A withdrawal charge may apply in three circumstances: (1) you make one or more withdrawals during a contract year; (2) you surrender your contract to receive its cash value; or (3) we terminate your contract. The amount of the charge will depend on whether the free withdrawal amount applies, and the availability of one or more exceptions. The withdrawal charge equals a percentage of the contributions withdrawn. The percentage that applies depends on how long each contribution has been invested in the contract. We determine the withdrawal charge separately for each contribution according to the following table: - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONTRACT YEAR - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+ - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Percentage of contribution 7% 6% 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% 0% - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For purposes of calculating the withdrawal charge, we treat the contract year in which we receive a contribution as "contract year 1." Amounts withdrawn up to the free withdrawal amount are not considered withdrawal of any contribution. We also treat contributions that have been invested the longest as being withdrawn first. We treat contributions as withdrawn before earnings for purposes of calculating the withdrawal charge. However, federal income tax rules treat earnings under most NQ contracts as withdrawn first. See "Tax information." In order to give you the exact dollar amount of the withdrawal you request, we deduct the amount of the withdrawal and the amount of the withdrawal charge from your account value. Any amount deducted to pay withdrawal charges is also subject to a withdrawal charge. We deduct the withdrawal amount and the withdrawal charge pro rata from the variable investment options. If those amounts are insufficient, we will make up the required amounts from the fixed maturity options to the extent you have value in those options. If we deduct all or a portion of the withdrawal charge from the fixed maturity options, a market value adjustment may apply. See "About our fixed maturity options" under "More information." The withdrawal charge does not apply in the circumstances described below. 10% FREE WITHDRAWAL AMOUNT. Each contract year you can withdraw up to 10% of your account value without paying a withdrawal charge. The 10% free withdrawal amount is determined using your account value at the time you request a withdrawal, minus any other withdrawals made during the contract year. DEATH OR PURCHASE OF ANNUITY. The withdrawal charge does not apply: o If the annuitant dies and a death benefit is payable to the beneficiary. o If we receive a properly completed election form providing for the account value to be used to buy a life contingent annuity or a non-life annuity with a period certain for a term of at least ten years. CHARGES FOR STATE PREMIUM AND OTHER APPLICABLE TAXES We deduct a charge for applicable taxes such as premium taxes that may be imposed in your state. Generally, we deduct the charge from the amount applied to provide an annuity payout option. The current tax charge that might be imposed varies by state and ranges from 0% to 3.5% (1% in Puerto Rico and 5% in the U.S. Virgin Islands). - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 32 CHARGES AND EXPENSES - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We reserve the right to deduct any applicable charges for taxes such as premium taxes from each contribution, or from withdrawals, or for surrender and termination of your contract. If we have deducted any applicable charges from contributions, we will not deduct a charge for the same taxes later. If, however, an additional tax charge is later imposed upon us when you make a withdrawal, or surrender your contract, or it is terminated, or you elect to begin receiving annuity payments, we reserve the right to deduct a charge at that time. ANNUITY ADMINISTRATIVE FEE We generally deduct a fee of up to $350 from the amount to be applied to purchase a life annuity payout option. CHARGES THAT THE TRUSTS DEDUCT The Hudson River Trust and EQ Advisors Trust each deducts charges for the following types of fees and expenses: o Investment advisory fees ranging from 0.31% to 1.15%. o 12b-1 fees of 0.25%. o Operating expenses, such as trustees' fees, independent auditors' fees, legal counsel fees, administrative service fees, custodian fees, and liability insurance. o Investment-related expenses, such as brokerage commissions. These charges are reflected in the daily share price of each Portfolio. Since shares of each trust are purchased at their net asset value, these fees and expenses are, in effect, passed on to the variable investment options and are reflected in their unit values. For more information about these charges, please refer to the prospectuses for The Hudson River Trust and EQ Advisors Trust following this prospectus. GROUP OR SPONSORED ARRANGEMENTS For certain group or sponsored arrangements, we may reduce the withdrawal charge or the mortality and expense risks charge, or change the minimum contribution requirements. We also may change the minimum death benefit or offer variable investment options that invest in shares of The Hudson River Trust or EQ Advisors Trust that are not subject to the 12b-1 fee. Group arrangements include those in which a trustee or an employer, for example, purchases contracts covering a group of individuals on a group basis. Group arrangements are not available for Traditional IRA and Roth IRA contracts. Sponsored arrangements include those in which an employer allows us to sell contracts to its employees or retirees on an individual basis. Our costs for sales, administration, and mortality generally vary with the size and stability of the group or sponsoring organization, among other factors. We take all these factors into account when reducing charges. To qualify for reduced charges, a group or sponsored arrangement must meet certain requirements, such as requirements for size and number of years in existence. Group or sponsored arrangements that have been set up solely to buy contracts or that have been in existence less than six months will not qualify for reduced charges. We also may establish different rates to maturity for the fixed maturity options under different classes of contracts for group or sponsored arrangements. We will make these and any similar reductions according to our rules in effect when we approve a contract for issue. We may change these rules from time to time. Any variation will reflect differences in costs or services and will not be unfairly discriminatory. Group or sponsored arrangements may be governed by federal income tax rules, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, or both. We make no representations with regard to the impact of these and other applicable laws on such programs. We recommend that employers, trustees, and others purchasing or making contracts available for purchase under such programs seek the advice of their own legal and benefits advisers. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHARGES AND EXPENSES 33 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OTHER DISTRIBUTION ARRANGEMENTS We may reduce or eliminate charges when sales are made in a manner that results in savings of sales and administrative expenses, such as sales through persons who are compensated by clients for recommending investments and who receive no commission or reduced commissions in connection with the sale of the contracts. We will not permit a reduction or elimination of charges where it will be unfairly discriminatory. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 34 PAYMENT OF DEATH BENEFIT - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6 Payment of death benefit - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- YOUR BENEFICIARY AND PAYMENT OF BENEFIT You designate your beneficiary when you apply for your contract. You may change your beneficiary at any time by writing to our Processing Office. The change will be effective on the date the written request for the change is received in our Processing Office. We are not responsible for any beneficiary change request that we do not receive. We will send you a written confirmation when we receive your request. The death benefit is equal to your account value, or, if greater, the "minimum death benefit." The minimum death benefit is equal to your total contributions, less withdrawals and any taxes that may apply. We determine the amount of the death benefit as of the date we receive satisfactory proof of the annuitant's death and any required instructions for the method of payment. On the date we determine the death benefit, your account value will be deducted from the investment options. We will hold this amount in our general account and credit it with interest at a rate not less than the rate required by law. If you have transferred the value of another annuity contract that we issue to your EQUI-VEST Express contract, the value of the other contract's minimum death benefit calculated as of the time of the transfer will be included in the total contributions for the purpose of calculating the minimum death benefit. EFFECT OF THE ANNUITANT'S DEATH If the annuitant dies before the annuity payments begin, we will pay the death benefit to your beneficiary. Generally, the death of the annuitant terminates the contract. However, if you are the owner and the annuitant and your spouse is the sole primary beneficiary the contract can be continued as follows: For an NQ contract, if you elected your spouse to be the successor owner/annuitant, your surviving spouse automatically continues the contract and no death benefit is payable until the surviving spouse's death. For Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, and QP IRA contracts, your spouse can elect upon your death to continue the contract as the owner/annuitant and no death benefit is payable until the surviving spouse's death. Also, for Traditional IRA and QP IRA contracts, a beneficiary who is not a surviving spouse may be able to have limited ownership as discussed under "Beneficiary continuation option under Traditional IRA and QP IRA Contracts" below. WHEN AN NQ CONTRACT OWNER DIES BEFORE THE ANNUITANT Under certain conditions the owner can change after the original owner's death. When you are not the annuitant under an NQ contract and you die before annuity payments begin, the beneficiary named to receive the death benefit upon the annuitant's death will automatically become the successor owner. If you do not want the beneficiary to be the successor owner, you should name a specific successor owner. You may name a successor owner at any time by sending satisfactory notice to our Processing Office. Unless the surviving spouse of the owner who has died is the successor owner for this purpose, the entire interest in the contract must be distributed under the following rules: o The cash value of the contract must be fully paid to the designated beneficiary (new owner) by December 31st of the fifth calendar year after your death. o The successor owner may instead elect to receive the cash value as a life annuity (or payments for a period certain of not longer than the new owner's life expectancy). Payments must begin no later than December 31st following the calendar year of the non-annuitant owner's death. Unless this alternative is elected, we will pay any cash value on December 31st of the fifth calendar year following the year of your death. If the surviving spouse is the successor owner, the spouse may elect to continue the contract. No distributions are required as long as the surviving spouse and annuitant are living. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PAYMENT OF DEATH BENEFIT 35 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOW DEATH BENEFIT PAYMENT IS MADE We will pay the death benefit to the beneficiary in the form of the annuity payout option you have chosen. If you have not chosen an annuity payout option as of the time of the annuitant's death, the beneficiary will receive the death benefit in a single sum. However, subject to any exceptions in the contract, our rules and any applicable requirements under federal income tax rules, the beneficiary may elect to apply the death benefit to one or more annuity payout options we offer at the time. See "Choosing your annuity payout options" under "Accessing your money" earlier in this prospectus. Please note that if you are both the contract owner and the annuitant, you may elect only a life annuity or an annuity that does not extend beyond the life expectancy of the beneficiary. Single sum payments generally are paid through the Equitable Life Access Account(TM), an interest bearing checking account. Beneficiaries have immediate access to the proceeds by writing a check on the account. We pay interest from the date the single sum is deposited into the Access Account until the account is closed. BENEFICIARY CONTINUATION OPTION UNDER TRADITIONAL IRA AND QP IRA CONTRACTS Upon your death, a nonspouse beneficiary may generally elect to keep the contract in your name and receive distributions under the contract instead of the death benefit being paid in a single sum. The account value used to provide the distributions will be increased to equal the amount of the death benefit. The beneficiary's choices depend in part on whether or not you were taking required minimum distributions under the contract prior to your death. (1) If you were taking required minimum distributions under the contract, the distributions to the beneficiary must continue to be made at least as rapidly as prior to your death. (2) If you die before you must take required minimum distributions under the contract, the beneficiary may begin taking minimum distributions under the contract, but such withdrawals must be based on the beneficiary's life expectancy. The withdrawals must begin by December 31st of the calendar year following your death. If there is more than one beneficiary, the shortest life expectancy must be used. (3) The withdrawals must be taken annually. There will not be a withdrawal charge for these withdrawals. The beneficiary along with his or her tax adviser will be responsible for determining the amount of the withdrawals. (4) The designated beneficiary must be a natural person and of legal age at the time of election. The beneficiary must elect this option within 30 days following the date we receive proof of your death. The death benefit will be paid to the beneficiary according to our standard procedures, unless an election is made within 30 days to: (1) receive the death benefit; (2) continue the contract and take annual withdrawals as described above; or (3) defer payment of the account value for five years. (5) While the contract continues in your name, the beneficiary may transfer the contract's account value among the investment options. However, additional contributions will not be permitted and the death benefit provisions will no longer be in effect. Although the only withdrawals that will be permitted are minimum distribution withdrawals, the beneficiary may choose at any time to withdraw all of the account value and no withdrawal charges will apply. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 36 TAX INFORMATION - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7 Tax information - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OVERVIEW In this part of the prospectus, we discuss the current federal income tax rules that generally apply to EQUI-VEST Express contracts owned by United States taxpayers. The tax rules can differ, depending on the type of contract, whether NQ, Traditional IRA, QP IRA, or Roth IRA. Therefore, we discuss the tax aspects of each type of contract separately. Federal income tax rules include the United States laws in the Internal Revenue Code, and Treasury Department Regulations and Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") interpretations of the Internal Revenue Code. These tax rules may change. We cannot predict whether, when, or how these rules could change. Any change could affect contracts purchased before the change. We cannot provide detailed information on all tax aspects of the contracts. Moreover, the tax aspects that apply to a particular person's contract may vary depending on the facts applicable to that person. We do not discuss state income and other state taxes, federal income tax and withholding rules for non-U.S. taxpayers, or federal gift and estate taxes. Transfers of the contract, rights under the contract, or payments under the contract may be subject to gift or estate taxes. You should not rely only on this document, but should consult your tax adviser before your purchase. If you are buying a contract to fund a retirement plan that already provides tax deferral under the Internal Revenue Code (any type of IRA) you should do so for the contract's features and benefits other than tax deferral. In such situations, the tax deferral of the contract does not provide additional benefits. TRANSFERS AMONG INVESTMENT OPTIONS You can make transfers among investment options inside the contract without triggering taxable income. TAXATION OF NONQUALIFIED ANNUITIES CONTRIBUTIONS You may not deduct the amount of your contributions to a nonqualified annuity contract. CONTRACT EARNINGS Generally, you are not taxed on contract earnings until you receive a distribution from your contract, whether as a withdrawal or as an annuity payment. However, earnings are taxable, even without a distribution: o if a contract fails investment diversification requirements as specified in federal income tax rules (these rules are based on or are similar to those specified for mutual funds under securities laws); o if you transfer a contract, for example, as a gift to someone other than your spouse (or former spouse); o if you use a contract as security for a loan (in this case, the amount pledged will be treated as a distribution); and o if the owner is other than an individual (such as a corporation, partnership, trust, or other non-natural person). All nonqualified deferred annuity contracts that Equitable Life and its affiliates issue to you during the same calendar year are linked together and treated as one contract for calculating the taxable amount of any distribution from any of those contracts. ANNUITY PAYMENTS Once annuity payments begin, a portion of each payment is taxable as ordinary income. You get back the remaining portion without paying taxes on it. This is your "investment in the contract." Generally, your investment in the contract equals the contributions you made, less any amounts you previously withdrew that were not taxable. For fixed annuity payments, the tax-free portion of each payment is determined by (1) dividing your investment in the contract by the total amount you are expected to receive out of the contract, and (2) multiplying the result by the amount - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TAX INFORMATION 37 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- of the payment. For variable annuity payments, your investment in the contract divided by the number of expected payments is your tax-free portion of each payment. Once you have received the amount of your investment in the contract, all payments after that are fully taxable. If payments under a life annuity stop because the annuitant dies, there is an income tax deduction for any unrecovered investment in the contract. PAYMENTS MADE BEFORE ANNUITY PAYMENTS BEGIN If you make withdrawals before annuity payments begin under your contract, they are taxable to you as ordinary income if there are earnings in the contract. Generally, earnings are your account value less your investment in the contract. If you withdraw an amount which is more than the earnings in the contract as of the date of the withdrawal, the balance of the distribution is treated as a return of your investment in the contract and is not taxable. CONTRACTS PURCHASED THROUGH EXCHANGES You may purchase your NQ contract through an exchange of another contract. Normally, exchanges of contracts are taxable events. The exchange will not be taxable under Section 1035 of the Internal Revenue Code if: o the contract that is the source of the funds you are using to purchase the NQ contract is another nonqualified deferred annuity contract (or life insurance or endowment contract). o the owner and the annuitant are the same under the source contract and the EQUI-VEST Express NQ contract. If you are using a life insurance or endowment contract the owner and the insured must be the same on both sides of the exchange transaction. The tax basis of the source contract carries over to the EQUI-VEST Express NQ contract. SURRENDERS If you surrender or cancel the contract, the distribution is taxable as ordinary income (not capital gain) to the extent it exceeds your investment in the contract. DEATH BENEFIT PAYMENTS MADE TO A BENEFICIARY AFTER YOUR DEATH For the rules applicable to death benefits, see "Payment of death benefit" earlier in this prospectus. The tax treatment of a death benefit taken as a single sum is generally the same as the tax treatment of a withdrawal from or surrender of your contract. The tax treatment of a death benefit taken as annuity payments is generally the same as the tax treatment of annuity payments under your contract. EARLY DISTRIBUTION PENALTY TAX If you take distributions before you are age 59 1/2 a penalty tax of 10% of the taxable portion of your distribution applies in addition to the income tax. The extra penalty tax does not apply to pre-age 59 1/2 distributions made: o on or after your death; or o because you are disabled (special federal income tax definition); or o in the form of substantially equal periodic annuity payments for your life (or life expectancy) or the joint lives (or joint life expectancy) of you and a beneficiary. SPECIAL RULES FOR NQ CONTRACTS ISSUED IN PUERTO RICO Under current law we treat income from NQ contracts as U.S. source. A Puerto Rico resident is subject to U.S. taxation on such U.S. source income. Only Puerto Rico source income of Puerto Rico residents is excludable from U.S. taxation. Income from NQ contracts is also subject to Puerto Rico tax. The calculation of the taxable portion of amounts distributed from a contract may differ in the two jurisdictions. Therefore, you might have to file both U.S. and Puerto Rico tax returns, showing different amounts of income from the contract for each tax return. Puerto Rico generally provides a credit against Puerto Rico tax for U.S. tax paid. Depending on your personal situation and the timing of the different tax liabilities, you may not be able to take full advantage of this credit. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 38 TAX INFORMATION - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INDIVIDUAL RETIREMENT ARRANGEMENTS ("IRAS") GENERAL "IRA" stands for individual retirement arrangement. There are two basic types of such arrangements, individual retirement accounts and individual retirement annuities. In an individual retirement account, a trustee or custodian holds the assets for the benefit of the IRA owner. The assets can include mutual funds and certificates of deposit. In an individual retirement annuity, an insurance company issues an annuity contract that serves as the IRA. There are two basic types of IRAs, as follows: o "Traditional IRAs," typically funded on a pre-tax basis including SEP-IRAs and SIMPLE-IRAs, issued and funded in connection with employer-sponsored retirement plans. EQUIVEST Express Traditional IRA and QP-IRA are traditional IRAs. o Roth IRAs, first available in 1998, funded on an after-tax basis. EQUI-VEST Express Roth IRA. Regardless of the type of IRA, your ownership interest in the IRA cannot be forfeited. You or your beneficiaries who survive you are the only ones who can receive the IRA's benefits or payments. You can hold your IRA assets in as many different accounts and annuities as you would like, as long as you meet the rules for setting up and making contributions to IRAs. However, if you own multiple IRAs, you may be required to combine IRA values or contributions for tax purposes. For further information about individual retirement arrangements, you can read Internal Revenue Service Publication 590 ("Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs)"). This publication is usually updated annually, and can be obtained from any IRS district office or the IRS Web site (www.irs.ustreas.gov). Equitable Life designs its traditional IRA contracts to qualify as "individual retirement annuities" under Section 408(b) of the Internal Revenue Code. This prospectus contains the information that the IRS requires you to have before you purchase an IRA. This section of the prospectus covers some of the special tax rules that apply to IRAs. The next section covers Roth IRAs. Education IRAs are not discussed in this prospectus because they are not available in individual retirement annuity form. The EQUI-VEST Express IRA contract has been approved by the IRS as to form for use as a Traditional IRA. We have submitted the Roth IRA version for formal IRS approval. This IRS approval is a determination only as to the form of the annuity. It does not represent a determination of the merits of the annuity as an investment. The IRS approval does not address every feature possibly available under the EQUI-VEST Express IRA contract. CANCELLATION You can cancel any version of the EQUI-VEST Express IRA contract (Traditional IRA, QP IRA, or Roth IRA) by following the directions under "Your right to cancel within a certain number of days" under "Contract features and benefits" earlier in the prospectus. You can cancel an EQUI-VEST Express Roth IRA contract issued as a result of a full or partial conversion of any EQUI-VEST Traditional IRA contract by following the instructions in the "EQUI-VEST Roth IRA Re-Characterization Form." The form is available from our Processing Office or your financial professional. If you cancel a Traditional IRA, or Roth IRA contract, we may have to withhold tax, and we must report the transaction to the IRS. A contract cancellation could have an unfavorable tax impact. TRADITIONAL INDIVIDUAL RETIREMENT ANNUITIES (TRADITIONAL IRAS) CONTRIBUTIONS TO TRADITIONAL IRAS. Individuals may make three different types of contributions to a traditional IRA: o regular contributions out of earned income or compensation; or o tax-free "rollover" contributions; or o direct custodian-to-custodian transfers from other traditional IRAs ("direct transfers"). - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TAX INFORMATION 39 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- REGULAR CONTRIBUTIONS TO TRADITIONAL IRAS The EQUI-VEST Express Traditional IRA is intended receive regular contributions. LIMITS ON CONTRIBUTIONS TO TRADITIONAL IRAS. Generally, $2,000 is the maximum amount that you may contribute to all IRAs (including Roth IRAs) in any taxable year. When your earnings are below $2,000, your earned income or compensation for the year is the most you can contribute. This $2,000 limit does not apply to rollover contributions or direct custodian-to-custodian transfers into a traditional IRA. You cannot make regular contributions for the tax year in which you reach age 70 1/2 or any tax year after that. SPECIAL RULES FOR SPOUSES. If you are married and file a joint income tax return, you and your spouse may combine your compensation to determine the amount of regular contributions you are permitted to make to traditional IRAs (and Roth IRAs discussed below). Even if one spouse has no compensation or compensation under $2,000, married individuals filing jointly can contribute up to $4,000 for any taxable year to any combination of traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs. (Any contributions to Roth IRAs reduce the ability to contribute to traditional IRAs and vice versa.) The maximum amount may be less if earned income is less and the other spouse has made IRA contributions. No more than a combined total of $2,000 can be contributed annually to either spouse's traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs. Each spouse owns his or her traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs even if the other spouse funded the contributions. A working spouse age 70 1/2 or over can contribute up to the lesser of $2,000 or 100% of "earned income" to a traditional IRA for a nonworking spouse until the year in which the nonworking spouse reaches age 70 1/2. DEDUCTIBILITY OF CONTRIBUTIONS. The amount of traditional IRA contributions that you can deduct for a tax year depends on whether you are covered by an employer-sponsored tax-favored retirement plan, as defined under special federal income tax rules. Your Form W-2 will indicate whether or not you are covered by such a retirement plan. IF YOU ARE NOT COVERED BY A RETIREMENT PLAN DURING ANY PART OF THE YEAR, you can make fully deductible contributions to your traditional IRAs for each tax year up to $2,000 or, if less, your earned income. IF YOU ARE COVERED BY A RETIREMENT PLAN DURING ANY PART OF THE YEAR, and your adjusted gross income (AGI) is BELOW THE LOWER DOLLAR FIGURE IN A PHASE-OUT RANGE, you can make fully deductible contributions to your traditional IRAs. For each tax year your fully deductible contribution can be up to $2,000 or, if less, your earned income. IF YOU ARE COVERED BY A RETIREMENT PLAN DURING ANY PART OF THE YEAR, and your AGI falls within a PHASE-OUT range, you can make partially deductible contributions to your traditional IRAs. IF YOU ARE COVERED BY A RETIREMENT PLAN DURING ANY PART OF THE YEAR, and your AGI falls ABOVE THE HIGHER FIGURE IN THE PHASE-OUT RANGE, you may not deduct any of your regular contributions to your traditional IRAs. If you are single and covered by a retirement plan during any part of the taxable year, the deduction for traditional IRA contributions phases out with AGI between $31,000 and $41,000 in 1999. This range will increase every year until 2005 when the range is $50,000-$60,000. If you are married and file a joint return, and you are covered by a retirement plan during any part of the taxable year, the deduction for traditional IRA contributions phases out with AGI between $51,000 and $61,000 in 1999. This range will increase every year until 2007 when the range is $80,000-$100,000. Married individuals filing separately and living apart at all times are not considered married for purposes of this deductible contribution calculation. Generally, the active participation in an employer-sponsored retirement plan of an individual is determined independently for each spouse. Where spouses have "married filing jointly" status, however, the maximum deductible traditional IRA contribution for an individual who is not an active participant (but whose - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 40 TAX INFORMATION - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- spouse is an active participant) is phased out for taxpayers with AGI of between $150,000 and $160,000. To determine the deductible amount of the contribution in 1999, you determine AGI and subtract $31,000 if you are single, or $51,000 if you are married and file a joint return with your spouse. The resulting amount is your Excess AGI. You then determine the limit on the deduction for traditional IRA contributions using the following formula: ($10,000-excess AGI) times $2,000 (or earmed Equals the adjusted - -------------------- x income, if less) = deductible divided by $10,000 contribution limit NONDEDUCTIBLE REGULAR CONTRIBUTIONS. If you are not eligible to deduct part or all of the traditional IRA contribution, you may still make nondeductible contributions on which earnings will accumulate on a tax-deferred basis. The combined deductible and nondeductible contributions to your traditional IRA (or the nonworking spouse's traditional IRA) may not, however, exceed the maximum $2,000 per person limit. See "Excess Contributions" below. You must keep your own records of deductible and nondeductible contributions in order to prevent double taxation on the distribution of previously taxed amounts. See "Withdrawals, payments and transfers of funds out of Traditional IRAs" below. If you are making nondeductible contributions in any taxable year, or you have made nondeductible contributions to a traditional IRA in prior years and are receiving distributions from any traditional IRA, you must file the required information with the IRS. Moreover, if you are making nondeductible traditional IRA contributions, you must retain all income tax returns and records pertaining to such contributions until interests in all traditional IRAs are fully distributed. WHEN YOU CAN MAKE REGULAR CONTRIBUTIONS. If you file your tax returns on a calendar year basis like most taxpayers, you have until the April 15th return filing deadline (without extensions) of the following calendar year to make your regular contributions for a tax year. EXCESS CONTRIBUTIONS Excess contributions to IRAs are subject to a 6% excise tax for the year in which made and for each year after until withdrawn. The following are excess contributions to IRAs: o regular contributions of more than $2,000; or o regular contributions of more than earned income for the year, if that amount is under $2,000; or o regular contributions to a traditional IRA made after you reach age 70 1/2; or o rollover contributions of amounts which are not eligible to be rolled over. For example, after-tax contributions to a qualified plan or minimum distributions required to be made after age 70 1/2. You can avoid the excise tax by withdrawing an excess contribution (rollover or regular) before the due date (including extensions) for filing your federal income tax return for the year. If it is an excess regular contribution, you cannot take a tax deduction for the amount withdrawn. You do not have to include the excess contribution withdrawn as part of your income. It is also not subject to the 10% additional penalty tax on early distributions discussed below under "Early distribution penalty tax." You do have to withdraw any earnings that are attributed to the excess contribution. The withdrawn earnings would be included in your gross income and could be subject to the 10% penalty tax. Even after the due date for filing your return, you may withdraw an excess rollover contribution, without income inclusion or 10% penalty, if: (1) the rollover was from a qualified retirement plan to a traditional IRA; (2) the excess contribution was due to incorrect information that the plan provided; and (3) you took no tax deduction for the excess contribution. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TAX INFORMATION 41 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RECHARACTERIZATIONS Amounts that have been contributed as traditional IRA funds may subsequently be treated as Roth IRA funds. Special federal income tax rules allow you to change your mind again and have amounts that are subsequently treated as Roth IRA funds, once again treated as traditional IRA funds. You do this by using the forms we prescribe. This is referred to as having "recharacterized" your contribution. ROLLOVERS AND TRANSFERS Rollover contributions may be made to a traditional IRA from these sources: o qualified plans; o TSAs (including Internal Revenue Code Section 403(b)(7) custodial accounts); and o other traditional IRAs. Any amount contributed to a traditional IRA after you reach age 70 1/2 must be net of your required minimum distribution for the year in which the rollover or direct transfer contribution is made. ROLLOVERS FROM QUALIFIED PLANS OR TSAS There are two ways to do rollovers: o Do it yourself You actually receive a distribution that can be rolled over and you roll it over to a traditional IRA within 60 days after the date you receive the funds. The distribution from your qualified plan or TSA will be net of 20% mandatory federal income tax withholding. If you want, you can replace the withheld funds yourself and roll over the full amount. o Direct rollover You tell your qualified plan trustee or TSA issuer/custodian/fiduciary to send the distribution directly to your traditional IRA issuer. Direct rollovers are not subject to mandatory federal income tax withholding. All distributions from a TSA or qualified plan are eligible rollover distributions, unless the distribution is: o only after-tax contributions you made to the plan; or o "required minimum distributions" after age 70 1/2 or separation from service; or o substantially equal periodic payments made at least annually for your life (or life expectancy) or the joint lives (or joint life expectancies) of you and your designated beneficiary; or o a hardship withdrawal; or o substantially equal periodic payments made for a specified period of 10 years or more; or o corrective distributions that fit specified technical tax rules; or o loans that are treated as distributions; or o a death benefit payment to a beneficiary who is not your surviving spouse; or o a qualified domestic relations order distribution to a beneficiary who is not your current spouse or former spouse. ROLLOVERS FROM TRADITIONAL IRAS TO TRADITIONAL IRAS You may roll over amounts from one traditional IRA to one or more of your other traditional IRAs if you complete the transaction within 60 days after you receive the funds. You may make such a rollover only once in every 12-month period for the same funds. Trustee-to-trustee or custodian-to-custodian direct transfers are not rollover transactions. You can make these more frequently than once in every 12-month period. The surviving spouse beneficiary of a deceased individual can roll over or directly transfer an inherited traditional IRA to one or more other traditional IRAs. Also, in some cases, traditional IRAs can be transferred on a tax-free basis between spouses or former spouses as a result of a court ordered divorce or separation decree. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42 TAX INFORMATION - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WITHDRAWALS, PAYMENTS AND TRANSFERS OF FUNDS OUT OF TRADITIONAL IRAS NO FEDERAL INCOME TAX LAW RESTRICTIONS ON WITHDRAWALS. You can withdraw any or all of your funds from a traditional IRA at any time. You do not need to wait for a special event like retirement. TAXATION OF PAYMENTS. Earnings in traditional IRAs are not subject to federal income tax until you or your beneficiary receive them. Taxable payments or distributions include withdrawals from your contract, surrender of your contract and annuity payments from your contract. Death benefits are also taxable. Except as discussed below, the total amount of any distribution from a traditional IRA must be included in your gross income as ordinary income. If you have ever made nondeductible IRA contributions to any traditional IRA (it does not have to be to this particular traditional IRA contract), those contributions are recovered tax free when you get distributions from any traditional IRA. You must keep permanent tax records of all of your nondeductible contributions to traditional IRAs. At the end of any year in which you have received a distribution from any traditional IRA, you calculate the ratio of your total nondeductible Traditional IRA contributions (less any amounts previously withdrawn tax free) to the total account balances of all traditional IRAs you own at the end of the year plus all traditional IRA distributions made during the year. Multiply this by all distributions from the traditional IRA during the year to determine the nontaxable portion of each distribution. In addition, a distribution is not taxable if: o the amount received is a withdrawal of excess contributions, as described under "Excess contributions" above; or o the entire amount received is rolled over to another traditional IRA (see "Rollovers and transfers" above); or o in certain limited circumstances, where the traditional IRA acts as a conduit, you roll over the entire amount into a qualified plan or TSA that accepts rollover contributions. To get this conduit Traditional IRA treatment: o the source of funds you used to establish the traditional IRA must have been a rollover contribution from a qualified plan, and o the entire amount received from the traditional IRA (including any earnings on the rollover contribution) must be rolled over into another qualified plan within 60 days of the date received. Similar rules apply in the case of a TSA. However, you may lose conduit treatment, if you make an eligible rollover distribution contribution to a Traditional IRA and you commingle this contribution with other contributions. In that case, you may not be able to roll over these eligible rollover distribution contributions and earnings to another qualified plan or TSA at a future date. Distributions from a traditional IRA are not eligible for favorable five-year averaging (or, in some cases, ten-year averaging and long-term capital gain treatment) available to certain distributions from qualified plans. The EQUI-VEST Express QP IRA contract is intended to be used as a conduit IRA however, non-rollover contributions cannot be commingled. REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTRIBUTIONS LIFETIME REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTRIBUTIONS. You must start taking annual distributions from your Traditional IRAs beginning at age 70 1/2. WHEN YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE FIRST REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTRIBUTION. The first required minimum distribution is for the calendar year in which you turn age 70 1/2. You have the choice to take this first required minimum distribution during the calendar year you actually reach age 70 1/2, or to delay taking it until the first three-month period in the next calendar year (January 1 - April 1). Distributions must start no later than your "Required Beginning Date," which is April 1st of the calendar year after the calendar year in which you turn age 70 1/2. If you choose to delay taking the first annual minimum distribution, then you will have to - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TAX INFORMATION 43 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- take two minimum distributions in that year -- the delayed one for the first year and the one actually for that year. Once minimum distributions begin, they must be made at some time each year. HOW YOU CALCULATE REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTRIBUTIONS. There are two approaches to taking required minimum distributions -- "account-based" or "annuity-based." Account-based method. If you choose an account-based method, you divide the value of your traditional IRA as of December 31st of the past calendar year by a life expectancy factor from IRS tables. This gives you the required minimum distribution amount for that particular IRA for that year. The required minimum distribution amount will vary each year as the account value and your life expectancy factors change. You have a choice of life expectancy factors, depending on whether you choose a method based only on your life expectancy, or the joint life expectancies of you and another individual. You can decide to "recalculate" your life expectancy every year by using your current life expectancy factor. You can decide instead to use the "term certain" method, where you reduce your life expectancy by one every year after the initial year. If your spouse is your designated beneficiary for the purpose of calculating annual account-based required minimum distributions, you can also annually recalculate your spouse's life expectancy if you want. If you choose someone who is not your spouse as your designated beneficiary for the purpose of calculating annual account-based required minimum distributions, you have to use the term certain method of calculating that person's life expectancy. If you pick a nonspouse designated beneficiary, you may also have to do another special calculation. You can later apply your traditional IRA funds to a life annuity-based payout. You can only do this if you already chose to recalculate your life expectancy annually (and your spouse's life expectancy if you select a spousal joint annuity). For example, if you anticipate selecting any form of life annuity payout after you are age 70 1/2, you must have elected to recalculate life expectancies. Annuity-based method. If you choose an annuity-based method you do not have to do annual calculations. You apply the account value to an annuity payout for your life or the joint lives of you and a designated beneficiary, or for a period certain not extending beyond applicable life expectancies. DO YOU HAVE TO PICK THE SAME METHOD TO CALCULATE YOUR REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTRIBUTIONS FOR ALL OF YOUR TRADITIONAL IRAS AND OTHER RETIREMENT PLANS? No. If you want, you can choose a different method and a different beneficiary for each of your Traditional IRAs and other retirement plans. For example, you can choose an annuity payout from one IRA, a different annuity payout from a qualified plan, and an account-based annual withdrawal from another IRA. WILL WE PAY YOU THE ANNUAL AMOUNT EVERY YEAR FROM YOUR TRADITIONAL IRA BASED ON THE METHOD YOU CHOOSE? No, unless you affirmatively select an annuity payout option or an account-based withdrawal option such as our minimum distribution withdrawal option. Because the options we offer do not cover every option permitted under federal income tax rules, you may prefer to do your own required minimum distribution calculations for one or more of your traditional IRAs. WHAT IF YOU TAKE MORE THAN YOU NEED TO FOR ANY YEAR? The required minimum distribution amount for your traditional IRAs is calculated on a year-by-year basis. There are no carry-back or carry-forward provisions. Also, you cannot apply required minimum distribution amounts you take from your qualified plans to the amounts you have to take from your traditional IRAs and vice-versa. However, the IRS will let you calculate the required minimum distribution for each traditional IRA that you maintain, using the method that you picked for that particular IRA. You can add these required minimum distribution amount calculations together. As long as the total amount you take out every year satisfies your overall traditional IRA required minimum distribution amount, you may choose to take your annual required minimum distribution from any one or more traditional IRAs that you own. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 44 TAX INFORMATION - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WHAT IF YOU TAKE LESS THAN YOU NEED TO FOR ANY YEAR? Your IRA could be disqualified, and you could have to pay tax on the entire value. Even if your IRA is not disqualified, you could have to pay a 50% penalty tax on the shortfall (required amount for traditional IRAs less amount actually taken). It is your responsibility to meet the required minimum distribution rules. We will remind you when our records show that your age 70 1/2 is approaching. If you do not select a method with us, we will assume you are taking your required minimum distribution from another traditional IRA that you own. WHAT ARE THE REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTRIBUTION PAYMENTS AFTER YOU DIE? If you die after either (a) the start of annuity payments, or (b) your Required Beginning Date, your beneficiary must receive payment of the remaining values in the contract at least as rapidly as under the distribution method before your death. In some circumstances, your surviving spouse may elect to become the owner of the traditional IRA and halt distributions until he or she reaches age 70 1/2. If you die before your Required Beginning Date and before annuity payments begin, federal income tax rules require complete distribution of your entire value in the contract within five years after your death. Payments to a designated beneficiary over the beneficiary's life or over a period certain that does not extend beyond the beneficiary's life expectancy are also permitted, if these payments start within one year of your death. A surviving spouse beneficiary can also (a) delay starting any payments until you would have reached age 70 1/2 or (b) roll over your traditional IRA into his or her own traditional IRA. SUCCESSOR ANNUITANT AND OWNER If your spouse is the sole primary beneficiary and elects to become the successor annuitant and owner, no death benefit is payable until your surviving spouse's death. PAYMENTS TO A BENEFICIARY AFTER YOUR DEATH IRA death benefits are taxed the same as IRA distributions. BORROWING AND LOANS ARE PROHIBITED TRANSACTIONS You cannot get loans from a traditional IRA. You cannot use a traditional IRA as collateral for a loan or other obligation. If you borrow against your IRA or use it as collateral, its tax-favored status will be lost as of the first day of the tax year in which this prohibited event occurs. If this happens, you must include the value of the traditional IRA in your federal gross income. Also, the early distribution penalty tax of 10% will apply if you have not reached age 59 1/2 before the first day of that tax year. EARLY DISTRIBUTION PENALTY TAX A penalty tax of 10% of the taxable portion of a distribution applies to distributions from a traditional IRA made before you reach age 59 1/2. The extra penalty tax does not apply to pre-age 59 1/2 distributions made: o on or after your death; or o because you are disabled (special federal income tax definition); or o to pay for certain extraordinary medical expenses (special federal income tax definition); or o to pay medical insurance premiums for unemployed individuals (special federal income tax definition); or o to pay certain first-time home buyer expenses (special federal income tax definition); or o to pay certain higher education expenses (special federal income tax definition); or o in the form of substantially equal periodic payments made at least annually over your life (or your life expectancy), or over the joint lives of you and your beneficiary (or your joint life expectancy) using an IRS-approved distribution method. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TAX INFORMATION 45 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ROTH INDIVIDUAL RETIREMENT ANNUITIES (ROTH IRAS) This section of the prospectus covers some of the special tax rules that apply to Roth IRAs. If the rules are the same as those that apply to the Traditional IRA, we will refer you to the same topic under "Traditional IRAs." The EQUI-VEST Express Roth IRA contracts are designed to qualify as Roth individual retirement annuities under Sections 408A and 408(b) of the Internal Revenue Code. CONTRIBUTIONS TO ROTH IRAS Individuals may make four different types of contributions to a Roth IRA: o regular after-tax contributions out of earnings; or o taxable rollover contributions from Traditional IRAs ("conversion" contributions); or o tax-free rollover contributions from other Roth IRAs; or o tax-free direct custodian-to-custodian transfers from other Roth IRAs ("direct transfers"). If you use the forms we require, we will also accept traditional IRA funds which are subsequently recharacterized as Roth IRA funds following special federal income tax rules. REGULAR CONTRIBUTIONS TO ROTH IRAS LIMITS ON REGULAR CONTRIBUTIONS. Generally, $2,000 is the maximum amount that you may contribute to all IRAs (including Roth IRAs) in any taxable year. This $2,000 limit does not apply to rollover contributions or direct custodian-to-custodian transfers into a Roth IRA. Any contributions to Roth IRAs reduce your ability to contribute to traditional IRAs and vice versa. When your earnings are below $2,000, your earned income or compensation for the year is the most you can contribute. If you are married and file a joint income tax return, you and your spouse may combine your compensation to determine the amount of regular IRA and after-tax contributions you are permitted to make to Roth IRAs and traditional IRAs. See the discussion above under traditional IRAs. With a Roth IRA, you can make regular contributions when you reach 70 1/2, as long as you have sufficient earnings. But, you cannot make contributions for any year that: o your federal income tax filing status is "married filing jointly" and your adjusted gross income is over $160,000; or, o your federal income tax filing status is "single" and your adjusted gross income is over $110,000. However, you can make regular Roth IRA contributions in reduced amounts when: o your federal income tax filing status is "married filing jointly" and your adjusted gross income is between $150,000 and $160,000; or o your federal income tax filing status is "single" and your adjusted gross income is between $95,000 and $110,000. If you are married and filing separately and your adjusted gross income is between $0 and $10,000 the amount of regular contribution you are permitted to make is phased out. If your adjusted gross income is more than $10,000 you cannot make a regular Roth IRA contribution. WHEN YOU CAN MAKE CONTRIBUTIONS? Same as traditional IRAs. DEDUCTIBILITY OF CONTRIBUTIONS. Roth IRA contributions are not tax deductible. ROLLOVERS AND DIRECT TRANSFERS WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ROLLOVER AND DIRECT TRANSFER TRANSACTIONS? You may make rollover contributions to a Roth IRA from only two sources: o another Roth IRA ("tax-free rollover contribution"); or o another traditional IRA, including a SEP-IRA or SIMPLE-IRA, in a taxable "conversion" rollover ("conversion contribution"). You may not make contributions to a Roth IRA from a qualified plan under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, or a TSA under Section 403(b) of the Internal Revenue - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 46 TAX INFORMATION - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Code. You may make direct transfer contributions to a Roth IRA only from another Roth IRA. The difference between a rollover transaction and a direct transfer transaction is the following. In a rollover transaction you actually take possession of the funds rolled over, or are considered to have received them under tax law in the case of a change from one type of plan to another. In a direct transfer transaction, you never take possession of the funds, but direct the first Roth IRA custodian, trustee, or issuer to transfer the first Roth IRA funds directly to Equitable Life, as the Roth IRA issuer. You can make direct transfer transactions only between identical plan types (for example, Roth IRA to Roth IRA). You can also make rollover transactions between identical plan types. However, you can only use rollover transactions between different plan types (for example, Traditional IRA to Roth IRA). You may make both Roth IRA to Roth IRA rollover transactions and Roth IRA to Roth IRA direct transfer transactions. This can be accomplished on a completely tax-free basis. However, you may make Roth IRA to Roth IRA rollover transactions only once in any 12-month period for the same funds. Trustee-to-trustee or custodian-to-custodian direct transfers can be made more frequently than once a year. Also, if you send us the rollover contribution to apply it to a Roth IRA, you must do so within 60 days after you receive the proceeds from the original IRA to get rollover treatment. The surviving spouse beneficiary of a deceased individual can roll over or directly transfer an inherited Roth IRA to one or more other Roth IRAs. In some cases, Roth IRAs can be transferred on a tax-free basis between spouses or former spouses as a result of a court ordered divorce or separation decree. CONVERSION CONTRIBUTIONS TO ROTH IRAS In a conversion rollover transaction, you withdraw (or are considered to have withdrawn) all or a portion of funds from a traditional IRA you maintain and convert it to a Roth IRA within 60 days after you receive (or are considered to have received) the traditional IRA proceeds. Unlike a rollover from a traditional IRA to another Traditional IRA, the conversion rollover transaction is not tax-free. Instead, the distribution from the traditional IRA is generally fully taxable. For this reason, we are required to withhold 10% federal income tax from the amount converted unless you elect out of such withholding. (If you have ever made nondeductible regular IRA contributions to any traditional IRA -- whether or not it is the traditional IRA you are converting -- a pro rata portion of the distribution is tax-free.) There is, however, no early distribution penalty tax on the traditional IRA withdrawal that you are converting to a Roth IRA, even if you are under age 59 1/2. You cannot make conversion contributions to a Roth IRA for any taxable year in which your adjusted gross income exceeds $100,000. (For this purpose, your adjusted gross income is calculated without the gross income stemming from the traditional IRA conversion.) You also cannot make conversion contributions to a Roth IRA for any taxable year in which your federal income tax filing status is "married filing separately." Finally, you cannot make conversion contributions to a Roth IRA to the extent that the funds in your traditional IRA are subject to the annual required minimum distribution rule applicable to traditional IRAs beginning at age 70 1/2. WITHDRAWALS, PAYMENTS AND TRANSFERS OF FUNDS OUT OF ROTH IRAS NO FEDERAL INCOME TAX LAW RESTRICTIONS ON WITHDRAWALS. You can withdraw any or all of your funds from a Roth IRA at any time; you do not need to wait for a special event like retirement. DISTRIBUTIONS FROM ROTH IRAS Distributions include withdrawals from your contract, surrender and termination of your contract and annuity payments from your contract. Death benefits are also distributions. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TAX INFORMATION 47 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The following distributions from Roth IRAs are free of income tax: o Rollovers from a Roth IRA to another Roth IRA; o Direct transfers from a Roth IRA to another Roth IRA; o "Qualified Distributions" from Roth IRAs; and o Return of excess contributions or amounts recharacterized to a traditional IRA. QUALIFIED DISTRIBUTIONS FROM ROTH IRAS Qualified distributions from Roth IRAs made because of one of the following four qualifying events or reasons are not includable in income: o you reach age 59 1/2; or o you die; or o you become disabled (special federal income tax definition); or o your distribution is a "qualified first-time homebuyer distribution" (special federal income tax definition; $10,000 lifetime total limit for these distributions from all of your traditional and Roth IRAs). You also have to meet a five-year aging period. A qualified distribution is any distribution made after the five-taxable year period beginning with the first taxable year for which you made any contribution to any Roth IRA (whether or not the one from which the distribution is being made). It is not possible to have a tax-free qualified distribution before the year 2003 because of the five-year aging requirement. NONQUALIFIED DISTRIBUTIONS FROM ROTH IRAS Nonqualified distributions from Roth IRAs are distributions that do not meet the qualifying event and five-year aging period tests described above. Such distributions are potentially taxable as ordinary income. Nonqualified distributions receive return-of-investment-first treatment. Only the difference between the amount of the distribution and the amount of contributions to all of your Roth IRAs is taxable. You have to reduce the amount of contributions to all of your Roth IRAs to reflect any previous tax-free recoveries. You must keep your own records of regular and conversion contributions to all Roth IRAs to assure appropriate taxation. You may have to file information on your contributions to and distributions from any Roth IRA on your tax return. You may have to retain all income tax returns and records pertaining to such contributions and distributions until your interests in all Roth IRAs are distributed. Like traditional IRAs, taxable distributions from a Roth IRA are not entitled to the special favorable five-year averaging method (or, in certain cases, favorable ten-year averaging and long-term capital gain treatment) available in certain cases to distributions from qualified plans. REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTRIBUTIONS AT DEATH Same as traditional IRA under "What are the required minimum distribution payments after you die?" Lifetime required minimum distributions do not apply. PAYMENTS TO A BENEFICIARY AFTER YOUR DEATH Distributions to a beneficiary generally receive the same tax treatment as if the distribution had been made to you. BORROWING AND LOANS ARE PROHIBITED TRANSACTIONS Same as traditional IRA. EXCESS CONTRIBUTIONS Same as traditional IRA, except that regular contributions made after age 70 1/2 are not "excess contributions." Excess rollover contributions to Roth IRAs are contributions not eligible to be rolled over (for example, conversion contributions from a traditional IRA if your adjusted gross income is in excess of $100,000 in the conversion year). You can withdraw or recharacterize any contribution to a Roth IRA before the due date (including extensions) for filing your federal income tax return for the tax year. If you do this, - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 48 TAX INFORMATION - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- you must also withdraw or recharacterize any earnings attributable to the contribution. EARLY DISTRIBUTION PENALTY TAX Same as traditional IRA. For Roth IRAs, special penalty rules may apply to amounts withdrawn attributable to 1998 conversion rollovers. FEDERAL AND STATE INCOME TAX WITHHOLDING AND INFORMATION REPORTING We must withhold federal income tax from distributions from annuity contracts. You may be able to elect out of this income tax withholding in some cases. Generally, we do not have to withhold if your distributions are not taxable. The rate of withholding will depend on the type of distribution and, in certain cases, the amount of your distribution. Any income tax withheld is a credit against your income tax liability. If you do not have sufficient income tax withheld or do not make sufficient estimated income tax payments, you may incur penalties under the estimated income tax rules. You must file your request not to withhold in writing before the payment or distribution is made. Our Processing Office will provide forms for this purpose. You cannot elect out of withholding unless you provide us with your correct taxpayer Identification Number and a United States residence address. You cannot elect out of withholding if we are sending the payment out of the United States. You should note the following special situations: o We might have to withhold on amounts we pay under a free look or cancellation. o We are generally required to withhold on conversion rollovers of traditional IRAs to Roth IRAs, as it is considered a withdrawal from the traditional IRA and is taxable. o We are required to withhold on the gross amount of a distribution from a Roth IRA unless you elect out of withholding. This may result in tax being withheld even though the Roth IRA distribution is not taxable in whole or in part. Special withholding rules apply to foreign recipients and United States citizens residing outside the United States. We do not discuss these rules here. Certain states have indicated that state income tax withholding will also apply to payments from the contracts made to residents. In some states, you may elect out of state withholding, even if federal withholding applies. Generally, an election out of federal withholding will also be considered an election out of state withholding. If you need more information concerning a particular state or any required forms, call our Processing Office at the toll-free number. FEDERAL INCOME TAX WITHHOLDING ON PERIODIC ANNUITY PAYMENTS We withhold differently on "periodic" and "non-periodic" payments. For a periodic annuity payment, for example, unless you specify a different number of withholding exemptions, we withhold assuming that you are married and claiming three withholding exemptions. If you do not give us your correct Taxpayer Identification Number, we withhold as if you are single with no exemptions. Based on the assumption that you are married and claiming three withholding exemptions, if you receive less than $14,700 in periodic annuity payments in 1999 your payments will generally be exempt from federal income tax withholding. You could specify a different choice of withholding exemption or request that tax be withheld. Your withholding election remains effective unless and until you revoke it. You may revoke or change your withholding election at any time. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TAX INFORMATION 49 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FEDERAL INCOME TAX WITHHOLDING ON NON-PERIODIC ANNUITY PAYMENTS (WITHDRAWALS) For a non-periodic distribution (total surrender, termination, or partial withdrawal), we generally withhold at a flat 10% rate. We apply that rate to the taxable amount in the case of nonqualified contracts, and to the payment amount in the case of IRAs and Roth IRAs. IMPACT OF TAXES TO EQUITABLE LIFE The contracts provide that we may charge Separate Account A for taxes. We do not now, but may in the future set up reserves for such taxes. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 50 MORE INFORMATION - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8 More information - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT OUR SEPARATE ACCOUNT A Each variable investment option is a subaccount of our Separate Account A. We established Separate Account A in 1968 under special provisions of the New York Insurance Law. These provisions prevent creditors from any other business we conduct from reaching the assets we hold in our variable investment options for owners of our variable annuity contracts. We are the legal owner of all of the assets in Separate Account A and may withdraw any amounts that exceed our reserves and other liabilities with respect to variable investment options under our contracts. The results of Separate Account A's operations are accounted for without regard to Equitable Life's other operations. Separate Account A is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and is classified by that act as a "unit investment trust." The SEC, however, does not manage or supervise Equitable Life or Separate Account A. Each subaccount (variable investment option) within Separate Account A invests solely in Class IB shares issued by the corresponding Portfolios of The Hudson River Trust and EQ Advisors Trust. We reserve the right subject to compliance with laws that apply: (1) to add variable investment options to, or to remove variable investment options from, Separate Account A, or to add other separate accounts; (2) to combine any two or more variable investment options; (3) to transfer the assets we determine to be the shares of the class of contracts to which the contracts belong from any variable investment option to another variable investment option; (4) to operate Separate Account A or any variable investment option as a management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (in which case, charges and expenses that otherwise would be assessed against an underlying mutual fund would be assessed against Separate Account A or a variable investment option directly); (5) to deregister Separate Account A under the Investment Company Act of 1940; (6) to restrict or eliminate any voting rights as to Separate Account A; and (7) to cause one or more variable investment options to invest some or all of their assets in one or more other trusts or investment companies. ABOUT THE HUDSON RIVER TRUST AND EQ ADVISORS TRUST The Hudson River Trust and EQ Advisors Trust are registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940. They are classified as "open-end management investment companies," more commonly called mutual funds. Each trust issues different shares relating to each Portfolio. Equitable Life serves as the investment manager of EQ Advisors Trust. As such, Equitable Life oversees the activities of the investment advisors with respect to EQ Advisors Trust and is responsible for retaining or discontinuing the services of those advisors. (Prior to September 1999, EQ Financial Consultants, Inc. the predecessor to AXA Advisors, LLC and a subsidiary of Equitable Life served as investment manager to EQ Advisors Trust.) Currently, Alliance Capital Management L.P. is the manager of the Hudson River Trust. See "Proposed substitution of Portfolios" below for more information. The Hudson River Trust and EQ Advisors Trust do not impose sales charges or "loads" for buying and selling their shares. All dividends and other distributions on a trust's shares are reinvested in full. The Boards of Trustee of The Hudson River Trust and EQ Advisors Trust each may establish additional Portfolios or eliminate existing Portfolios at any time. More detailed information about The Hudson River Trust and EQ Advisors Trust, their investment objectives, policies, restrictions, risks, expenses, their Rule 12b-1 Plans, and other aspects of their operations, appears in their - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MORE INFORMATION 51 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- prospectuses attached at the end of this prospectus, or in their SAIs which are available upon request. SUBSTITUTION OF PORTFOLIOS. The SEC has issued an order approving the substitution of newly created Portfolios of the EQ Advisors Trust for each of The Hudson River Trust Portfolios currently available under the variable investment options (the "Substitution"). The EQ Advisors Trust Portfolios will have substantially identical investment objectives, strategies, and policies as those of The Hudson River Trust Portfolios they will replace. The assets of any Portfolio of The Hudson River Trust underlying your contract will be transferred to the substituted EQ Advisors Trust Portfolio. We believe that this Substitution will be in your best interest because you would have a single set of variable investment options with similar advisory structures. You also will have a single EQ Advisors Trust prospectus for all the Portfolios, rather than the two separate prospectuses you now receive. Equitable Life will be the manager of the new EQ Advisors Trust Portfolios, and Alliance Capital Management L.P. will continue to provide the day-to-day advisory services to each of the new Portfolios. You should note that: o The elections you have on file for allocating your account value and contributions will remain unchanged until you direct us otherwise. o We will bear all expenses directly relating to the Substitution transaction. o The management fees for the new Portfolios will be the same as those for the corresponding Portfolios of The Hudson River Trust. Certain of the new EQ Advisors Trust Portfolios will have slightly higher expense ratios. o On the effective date of the Substitution transaction, your account value (i.e., the units you own) in the variable investment options will be the same as before the transaction. o The Substitution will have no tax consequences for you. Please review the EQ Advisors Trust prospectus that accompanies this prospectus. It contains more information about EQ Advisors Trust, including its management structure, advisory arrangements, and general fees and expenses that will be of interest to you. We expect the Substitution to be completed on or about October 18, 1999. It will affect everyone who has a balance in The Hudson River Trust Portfolios at that time. Of course, you may transfer your account value among the investment options, as usual. We will notify you when the Substitution is complete. ABOUT OUR FIXED MATURITY OPTIONS RATES TO MATURITY AND PRICE PER $100 OF MATURITY VALUE We can determine the amount required to be allocated to one or more fixed maturity options in order to produce specified maturity values. For example, we can tell you how much you need to allocate per $100 of maturity value. The rates to maturity for new allocations as of July 15, 1999 and the related price per $100 of maturity value were as follows: - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 52 MORE INFORMATION - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - --------------------------------------------------------------- FIXED MATURITY OPTIONS WITH JUNE 15TH MATURITY DATE RATE TO MATURITY AS PRICE OF OF PER $100 OF MATURITY YEAR JULY 15, 1999 MATURITY VALUE - --------------------------------------------------------------- 2000 4.10% $96.38 2001 4.90% $91.23 2002 5.25% $86.13 2003 5.55% $80.93 2004 5.60% $76.49 2005 5.70% $72.03 2006 5.75% $67.93 2007 5.80% $63.99 2008 5.90% $59.98 2009 5.95% $56.37 - --------------------------------------------------------------- HOW WE DETERMINE THE MARKET VALUE ADJUSTMENT We use the following procedure to calculate the market value adjustment (up or down) we make if you withdraw all of your value from a fixed maturity option before its maturity date. (1) We determine the market adjusted amount on the date of the withdrawal as follows: (a) We determine the fixed maturity amount that would be payable on the maturity date, using the rate to maturity for the fixed maturity option. (b) We determine the period remaining in your fixed maturity option (based on the withdrawal date) and convert it to fractional years based on a 365-day year. For example, three years and 12 days becomes 3.0329. (c) We determine the current rate to maturity that applies on the withdrawal date to new allocations to the same fixed maturity option. (d) We determine the present value of the fixed maturity amount payable at the maturity date, using the period determined in (b) and the rate determined in (c). (2) We determine the fixed maturity amount as of the current date. (3) We subtract (2) from the result in (1)(d). The result is the market value adjustment applicable to such fixed maturity option, which may be positive or negative. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your market adjusted amount is the present value of the maturity value discounted at the rate to maturity in effect for new contributions to that same fixed maturity option on the date of the calculation. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you withdraw only a portion of the amount in a fixed maturity option, the market value adjustment will be a percentage of the market value adjustment that would have applied if you had withdrawn the entire value in that fixed maturity option. This percentage is equal to the percentage of the value in the fixed maturity option that you are withdrawing. Any withdrawal charges that are deducted from a fixed maturity option will result in a market value adjustment calculated in the same way. See the Appendix for an example. For purposes of calculating the rate to maturity for new allocations to a fixed maturity option (see (1)(c) above), we use the rate we have in effect for new allocations to that fixed maturity option. We use this rate even if new allocations to that option would not be accepted at that time. This rate will not be less than 3%. If we do not have a rate to maturity in effect for a fixed maturity option to which the "current rate to maturity" in (1)(c) above would apply, we will use the rate at the next closest maturity date. If we are no longer offering new fixed maturity options, the "current rate to maturity" will be determined in accordance with our procedures then in effect. We reserve the right to add up to 0.50% to the current rate in (1)(c) above for purposes of calculating the market value adjustment only. INVESTMENTS UNDER THE FIXED MATURITY OPTIONS Amounts allocated to the fixed maturity options are held in a "nonunitized" separate account we have established under the New York Insurance Law. This separate account provides an additional measure of assurance that we will make full payment of amounts due under the fixed maturity options. Under New York Insurance Law, the portion of the separate account's assets equal to the reserves and other contract - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MORE INFORMATION 53 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- liabilities relating to the contracts are not chargeable with liabilities from any other business we may conduct. We own the assets of the separate account, as well as any favorable investment performance on those assets. You do not participate in the performance of the assets held in this separate account. We may, subject to state law that applies, transfer all assets allocated to the separate account to our general account. We guarantee all benefits relating to your value in the fixed maturity options, regardless of whether assets supporting fixed maturity options are held in a separate account or our general account. We have no specific formula for establishing the rates to maturity for the fixed maturity options. We expect the rates to be influenced by, but not necessarily correspond to, among other things, the yields that we can expect to realize on the separate account's investments from time to time. Our current plans are to invest in fixed-income obligations, including corporate bonds, mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities and government and agency issues having durations in the aggregate consistent with those of the fixed maturity options. Although the above generally describes our plans for investing the assets supporting our obligations under the fixed maturity options under the contracts, we are not obligated to invest those assets according to any particular plan except as we may be required to by state insurance laws. We will not determine the rates to maturity we establish by the performance of the nonunitized separate account. ABOUT THE GENERAL ACCOUNT Our general account supports all of our policy and contract guarantees, including those that apply to the fixed maturity options, as well as our general obligations. The general account is subject to regulation and supervision by the Insurance Department of the State of New York and to the insurance laws and regulations of all jurisdictions where we are authorized to do business. Because of exemptions and exclusionary provisions that apply, interests in the general account have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, nor is the general account an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940. However, the market value adjustment interests under the contracts are registered under the Securities Act of 1933. We have been advised that the staff of the SEC has not reviewed the portions of this prospectus that relate to the general account (other than market value adjustment interests). The disclosure with regard to general accounts, however, may be subject to certain provisions of the federal securities laws relating to the accuracy and completeness of statements made in prospectuses. ABOUT OTHER METHODS OF PAYMENT AUTOMATIC INVESTMENT PROGRAM -- FOR NQ, TRADITIONAL IRA, AND ROTH IRA CONTRACTS You may use our automatic investment program, or "AIP," to have a specified amount automatically deducted from a bank checking account, bank money market account, or credit union checking account and contributed as an additional contribution into an NQ, Traditional IRA, or Roth IRA contract on a monthly basis. AIP additional contributions may be allocated to any of the variable investment options but not the fixed maturity options. Our minimum contribution amount requirement is $20. You choose the day of the month you wish to have your account debited. However, you may not choose a date later than the 28th day of the month. You may cancel AIP at any time by notifying our Processing Office. We are not responsible for any debits made to your account before the time written notice of cancellation is received at our Processing Office. PAYROLL DEDUCTION PROGRAM. You can authorize your employer to remit your IRA contributions to us if your employer has a payroll deduction program. Those contributions are still your contributions, not your employer's. WIRE TRANSFERS. You may also send your contributions by wire transfer from your bank. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 54 MORE INFORMATION - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DATES AND PRICES AT WHICH CONTRACT EVENTS OCCUR We describe below the general rules for when, and at what prices, events under your contract will occur. Other portions of this prospectus describe circumstances that may cause exceptions. We generally do not repeat those exceptions below. BUSINESS DAY Our business day is any day on which Equitable Life is open and the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading. We are closed on national business holidays including Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and the Friday after Thanksgiving. Additionally, we may choose to close on the day immediately preceding or following a national business holiday or due to emergency conditions. Our business day ends at 4:00 p.m., Eastern time for purposes of determining the date when contributions are applied and any other transaction requests are processed. Contributions will be applied and any other transaction requests will be processed when they are received along with all the required information unless another date applies as indicated below. o If your contribution, transfer, or any other transaction request, containing all the required information, reaches us on a non-business day or after 4:00 p.m., Eastern time on a business day, we will use the next business day. o When a charge is to be deducted on a contract date anniversary that is a non-business day, we will deduct the charge on the next business day. o Quarterly rebalancing will be processed on a calendar year basis and semiannual or annual rebalancing will be processed on the first business day of the month. Rebalancing will not be done retroactively. CONTRIBUTIONS AND TRANSFERS o Contributions allocated to the variable investment options are invested at the unit value next determined after the close of the business day. o Contributions allocated to a fixed maturity option will receive the rate to maturity in effect for that fixed maturity option on that business day. o If a fixed maturity option is scheduled to mature on June 15th and June 15th is a non-business day, that fixed maturity option will mature on the prior business day. o Transfers to or from variable investment options will be made at the unit value next determined after the close of the business day. o Transfers to a fixed maturity option will receive the rate to maturity in effect for that fixed maturity option on that business day. o Transfers out of a fixed maturity option will be at the market adjusted amount on that business day. o For general dollar-cost averaging, the first monthly transfer will occur on the last business day of the month in which we receive your election form at our Processing Office. ABOUT YOUR VOTING RIGHTS As the owner of the shares of The Hudson River Trust and EQ Advisors Trust we have the right to vote on certain matters involving the Portfolios, such as: o the election of trustees; or o the formal approval of independent auditors selected for each trust; or o any other matters described in the prospectuses for the trusts or requiring a shareholders' vote under the Investment Company Act of 1940. We will give contract owners the opportunity to instruct us how to vote the number of shares attributable to their contracts if a shareholder vote is taken. If we do not receive instructions in time from all contract owners, we will vote the shares of a Portfolio for which no instructions have been received in the same proportion as we vote shares of that Portfolio for which we have received instructions. We will also vote any shares that we are entitled to vote directly - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MORE INFORMATION 55 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- because of amounts we have in a Portfolio in the same proportions that contract owners vote. VOTING RIGHTS OF OTHERS Currently, we control each trust. EQ Advisors Trust shares are sold only to our separate accounts and an affiliated qualified plan trust. The Hudson River Trust shares are also held by separate accounts of ours and by separate accounts of insurance companies unaffiliated with us. Shares held by these separate accounts will probably be voted according to the instructions of the owners of insurance policies and contracts issued by those insurance companies. While this will dilute the effect of the voting instructions of the contract owners, we currently do not foresee any disadvantages because of this. The Hudson River Trust Board of Trustees intends to monitor events in order to identify any material irreconcilable conflicts that may arise and to determine what action, if any, should be taken in response. If we believe that a response to any of those events insufficiently protects our contract owners, we will see to it that appropriate action is taken. SEPARATE ACCOUNT A VOTING RIGHTS If actions relating to Separate Account A require contract owner approval, contract owners will be entitled to one vote for each unit they have in the variable investment options. Each contract owner who has elected a variable annuity payout option may cast the number of votes equal to the dollar amount of reserves we are holding for that annuity in a variable investment option divided by the annuity unit value for that option. We will cast votes attributable to any amounts we have in the variable investment options in the same proportion as votes cast by contract owners. CHANGES IN APPLICABLE LAW The voting rights we describe in this prospectus are created under applicable federal securities laws. To the extent that those laws or the regulations published under those laws eliminate the necessity to submit matters for approval by persons having voting rights in separate accounts of insurance companies, we reserve the right to proceed in accordance with those laws or regulations. ABOUT OUR YEAR 2000 PROGRESS Equitable Life relies upon various computer systems in order to administer your contract and operate the investment options. Some of these systems belong to service providers who are not affiliated with Equitable Life. In 1995, Equitable Life began addressing the question of whether its computer systems would recognize the year 2000 before, on or after January 1, 2000, and Equitable Life has identified those of its systems critical to business operations that were not year 2000 compliant. Equitable Life has completed the work of modifying or replacing non-compliant systems and has confirmed, through testing, that its systems are year 2000 compliant. Equitable Life has contacted third-party vendors and service providers to seek confirmation that they are acting to address the year 2000 issue with the goal of avoiding any material adverse effect on services provided to contract owners and on operations of the investment options. All third-party vendors and service providers considered critical to Equitable Life's business, and substantially all vendors and service providers considered non-critical, have provided us confirmation of their year 2000 compliance or a satisfactory plan for compliance. If such confirmation is not received from any of the remaining non-critical vendors or service providers the vendor or service provider will be replaced, eliminated or be the subject of contingency plans. Additionally, Equitable Life has supplemented its existing business continuity and disaster recovery plans to cover certain categories of contingencies that could arise as a result of year 2000 related failures. There are many risks associated with year 2000 issues, including the risk that Equitable Life's computer systems will not operate as intended. Additionally, there can be no assurance that the systems of third parties will be year 2000 compliant. Any significant unresolved difficulty related to the year 2000 compliance initiatives could result in an interruption in, or a failure of, normal business operations - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 56 MORE INFORMATION - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- and, accordingly, could have a material adverse effect on our ability to administer your contract and operate the investment options. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the foregoing year 2000 discussion is a "Year 2000 Readiness Disclosure" within the meaning of The Year 2000 Information and Readiness Disclosure Act (P.L. 105-271) (1998). ABOUT LEGAL PROCEEDINGS Equitable Life and its affiliates are parties to various legal proceedings. In our view, none of these proceedings is likely to have a material adverse effect upon Separate Account A, our ability to meet our obligations under the contracts, or the distribution of the contracts. ABOUT OUR INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS The financial statements of Equitable Life incorporated in this prospectus by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K at December 31, 1998 and 1997, and for the three years ended December 31, 1998, have been so incorporated in reliance on the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent accountants, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting. TRANSFERS OF OWNERSHIP, COLLATERAL ASSIGNMENTS, LOANS, AND BORROWING You can transfer ownership of an NQ contract at any time before annuity payments begin. We will continue to treat you as the owner until we receive written notification of any change at our Processing Office. You cannot assign your NQ contract as collateral or security for a loan. Loans are also not available under your NQ contract. In some cases, an assignment or change of ownership may have adverse tax consequences. See "Tax information" earlier in this prospectus. You cannot assign or transfer ownership of a Traditional IRA, QP IRA, or Roth IRA contract except by surrender to us. Loans are not available and you cannot assign Traditional IRA, QP IRA and Roth IRA contracts as security for a loan or other obligation. For limited transfers of ownership after the owner's death see "Beneficiary continuation option under Traditional IRA and QP IRA contracts" in "Payment of death benefit" earlier in this prospectus. You may direct the transfer of the values under your Traditional IRA, QP IRA and Roth IRA contract to another similar arrangement. DISTRIBUTION OF THE CONTRACTS AXA Advisors, LLC ("AXA Advisors"), the successor to Equitable Financial Consultants, Inc., an indirect subsidiary of Equitable Life, is the distributor of the contracts and has responsibility for sales and marketing functions for Separate Account A. AXA Advisors serves as the principal underwriter of Separate Account A. AXA Advisors is registered with the SEC as a broker-dealer and is a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. AXA Advisors' principal business address is 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104. Under a Distribution and Servicing Agreement between AXA Advisors, Equitable Life, and certain of Equitable Life's separate accounts, including Separate Account A, Equitable Life paid AXA Advisors fees of $325,380 for 1998 and $325,380 for 1997, as distributor of certain contracts and as the principal underwriter of certain separate accounts including Separate Account A. By year-end 1999, AXA Advisors will no longer be a subsidiary of Equitable Life, but will remain an indirect subsidiary of AXA Financial, Inc., Equitable Life's parent. The contracts will be sold by financial professionals who are registered representatives of AXA Advisors, and are also our licensed insurance agents. AXA Advisors may also receive compensation and reimbursement for its marketing services under the terms of its distribution agreement with Equitable Life. The offering of the contracts is intended to be continuous. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE 57 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 Investment performance - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We provide the following tables to show five different measurements of the investment performance of the variable investment options and/or the Portfolios in which they invest. We include these tables because they may be of general interest to you. THE RESULTS SHOWN REFLECT PAST PERFORMANCE. THEY DO NOT INDICATE HOW THE VARIABLE INVESTMENT OPTIONS MAY PERFORM IN THE FUTURE. THEY ALSO DO NOT REPRESENT THE RESULTS EARNED BY ANY PARTICULAR INVESTOR. YOUR RESULTS WILL DIFFER. Table 1 shows the average annual total return of the variable investment options. Average annual total return is the annual rate of growth that would be necessary to achieve the ending value of a contribution invested in the variable investment options for the periods shown. Table 2 shows the growth of a hypothetical $1,000 investment in the variable investment options over the periods shown. Both Tables 1 and 2 take into account all fees and charges under the contract, but do not reflect the charges for any applicable taxes such as premium taxes, or any applicable annuity administrative fee. Tables 3, 4 and 5 show the rates of return of the variable investment options on an annualized, cumulative, and year-by-year basis. These tables take into account all fees and charges under the contract, but do not reflect the annual administrative charge and any withdrawal charge, or charges for any applicable taxes such as premium taxes, or any applicable annuity administrative fee. If the charges were reflected they would effectively reduce the rates of return shown. In all cases the results shown are based on the actual historical investment experience of the Portfolios in which the variable investment options invest. In some cases, the results shown relate to periods when the variable investment options and/or the contracts were not available. In those cases, we adjusted the results of the Portfolios to reflect the charges under the contracts that would have applied had the investment options and/or contracts been available. The contracts are being offered for the first time as of the date of this prospectus. In addition, we have adjusted the results prior to October 1996, when The Hudson River Trust Class IB shares were not available, to reflect the 12b-1 fees currently imposed. Finally, the results shown for the Alliance Money Market, Alliance Balanced, Alliance Common Stock and Alliance Aggressive Stock options for periods before those options were operated as part of a unit investment trust reflect the results of the separate accounts that preceded them. The "Since Portfolio inception" figures for these options are based on the date of inception of the preceding separate accounts. We have adjusted these results to reflect the fee and expense structure in effect for Separate Account A as a unit investment trust. See "The Reorganization" in the SAI for additional information. All rates of return presented are time-weighted and include reinvestment of investment income, including interest and dividends. BENCHMARKS Tables 3 and 4 compare the performance of variable investment options to market indices that serve as benchmarks. Market indices are not subject to any charges for investment advisory fees, brokerage commission or other operating expenses typically associated with a managed Portfolio. Also, they do not reflect other charges such as the mortality and expense risks and other expense charges, annual administrative charge, or any withdrawal charge, under the contracts. Comparisons with these benchmarks, therefore, may be of limited use. We include them because they are widely known and may help you to understand the universe of securities from which each Portfolio is likely to select its holdings. Benchmark data reflect the reinvestment of dividend income. The benchmarks include: - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 58 INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALLIANCE AGGRESSIVE STOCK: 50% Russell 2000 Index and 50% Standard & Poor's Mid-Cap Total Return Index. ALLIANCE BALANCED: 50% Standard & Poor's 500 and 50% Lehman Government/Corporate Bond Index. ALLIANCE COMMON STOCK: Standard & Poor's 500 Index. ALLIANCE CONSERVATIVE INVESTORS: 70% Lehman Treasury Bond Composite Index and 30% Standard & Poor's 500 Index. ALLIANCE EQUITY INDEX: Standard & Poor's 500 Index. ALLIANCE GLOBAL: Morgan Stanley Capital International World Index. ALLIANCE GROWTH AND INCOME: 75% Standard & Poor's 500 Index and 25% Value Line Convertibles Index. ALLIANCE GROWTH INVESTORS: 30% Lehman Government/Corporate Bond Index and 70% Standard & Poor's 500 Index. ALLIANCE HIGH YIELD: Merrill Lynch High Yield Master Index. ALLIANCE INTERMEDIATE GOVERNMENT SECURITIES: Lehman Intermediate Government Bond Index. ALLIANCE INTERNATIONAL: Morgan Stanley Capital International Europe, Australia, Far East Index. ALLIANCE MONEY MARKET: Salomon Brothers Three-Month T-Bill Index. ALLIANCE QUALITY BOND: Lehman Aggregate Bond Index. ALLIANCE SMALL CAP GROWTH: Russell 2000 Growth Index. EQ/ALLIANCE PREMIER GROWTH: Standard & Poor's 500 Index. CAPITAL GUARDIAN RESEARCH: Standard & Poor's 500 Index. CAPITAL GUARDIAN U.S. EQUITY: Standard & Poor's 500 Index. EQ/EVERGREEN: Russell 2000 Index. EQ/EVERGREEN FOUNDATION: 60% Standard & Poor's 500 Index/40% Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index. MFS EMERGING GROWTH COMPANIES: Russell 2000 Index. MFS GROWTH WITH INCOME: Standard & Poor's 500 Index. MFS RESEARCH: Standard & Poor's 500 Index. MERRILL LYNCH BASIC VALUE EQUITY: Standard & Poor's 500 Index. MERRILL LYNCH WORLD STRATEGY: 36% Standard & Poor's 500 Index/24% Morgan Stanley Capital International Europe, Australia, Far East Index/21% Salomon Brothers U.S. Treasury Bond 1 Year+ 14% Salomon Brothers World Government Bond (excluding U.S.)/and 5% Three-Month U.S. Treasury Bill. MORGAN STANLEY EMERGING MARKETS EQUITY: Morgan Stanley Capital International Emerging Markets Free Price Return Index. EQ/PUTNAM BALANCED: 60% Standard & Poor's 500 Index and 40% Lehman Government/Corporate Bond Index. EQ/PUTNAM GROWTH & INCOME VALUE: Standard & Poor's 500 Index. T. ROWE PRICE EQUITY INCOME: Standard & Poor's 500 Index. T. ROWE PRICE INTERNATIONAL STOCK: Morgan Stanley Capital International Europe, Australia, Far East Index. WARBURG PINCUS SMALL COMPANY VALUE: Russell 2000 Index. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LIPPER SURVEY. The Lipper Variable Insurance Products Performance Analysis Survey (Lipper Survey) records the performance of a large group of variable annuity products, including managed separate accounts of insurance companies. According to Lipper Analytical Services, Inc. (Lipper), the data are presented net of investment management fees, direct operating expenses and asset-based charges applicable under annuity contracts. Lipper data provide a more accurate picture than market benchmarks of the EQUI-VEST Express performance relative to other variable annuity products. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE 59 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE 1 AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN UNDER A CONTRACT SURRENDERED ON DECEMBER 31, 1998 - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LENGTH OF INVESTMENT PERIOD - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SINCE SINCE 1 3 5 10 OPTION PORTFOLIO VARIABLE INVESTMENT OPTIONS YEAR YEARS YEARS YEARS INCEPTION* INCEPTION** - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alliance Aggressive Stock (9.92)% 5.60% 7.45% 16.14% 14.83% 14.83% - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alliance Balanced 7.39% 9.86% 6.61% 9.34% 9.30% 9.30% - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alliance Common Stock 18.32% 22.69% 18.03% 15.44% 15.10% 10.08% - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alliance Conservative Investors 3.28% 5.59% 5.16% -- 5.26% 6.42% - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alliance Equity Index 17.04% 22.71% -- -- 22.12% 20.47% - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alliance Global 10.97% 10.87% 10.21% 11.57% 10.12% 9.02% - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alliance Growth and Income 10.04% 17.57% 13.86% -- 13.97% 12.89% - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alliance Growth Investors 7.50% 10.82% 9.67% -- 9.86% 12.86% - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alliance High Yield (15.15)% 6.27% 5.97% 7.79% 5.93% 7.06% - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alliance Intermediate Government Securities (2.66)% 1.04% 0.99% -- 2.26% 3.35% - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alliance International 0.08% 0.34% -- -- 1.44% 2.57% - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alliance Money Market (5.00)% 0.12% 0.79% 1.81% 3.43% 3.43% - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alliance Quality Bond (1.75)% 2.54% 2.45% -- 2.51% 2.04% - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alliance Small Cap Growth (14.34)% -- -- -- (1.34)% 5.25% - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MFS Emerging Growth Companies 23.58% -- -- -- 22.80% 27.93% - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MFS Research 13.47% -- -- -- 13.93% 17.57% - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Merrill Lynch Basic Value Equity 1.31% -- -- -- 6.22% 10.56% - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Merrill Lynch World Strategy (3.31)% -- -- -- (2.91)% 0.27% - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Equity (36.16)% -- -- -- (39.83)% (39.83)% - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EQ/Putnam Balanced 1.54% -- -- -- 7.19% 9.18% - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EQ/Putnam Growth & Income Value 2.51% -- -- -- 7.97% 10.84% - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- T. Rowe Price Equity Income (1.12)% -- -- -- 9.29% 11.95% - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- T. Rowe Price International Stock 3.37% -- -- -- (1.95)% 0.34% - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Warburg Pincus Small Company Value (19.64%) -- -- -- (6.57)% (2.40)% - -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Variable investment option inception dates are: Alliance Aggressive Stock (5/1/84), Alliance Balanced (5/1/84), Alliance Common Stock (8/27/81), Alliance Conservative Investors (1/4/94), Alliance Equity Index (6/1/94), Alliance Global (1/4/94), Alliance Growth & Income (1/4/94), Alliance Growth Investors (1/4/94), Alliance High Yield (1/4/94), Alliance Intermediate Government Securities (6/1/94), Alliance International (9/1/95), Alliance Money Market (5/11/82), Alliance Quality Bond (1/4/94), Alliance Small Cap Growth (6/2/97), MFS Emerging Growth Companies (6/2/97), MFS Research (6/2/97), Merrill Lynch Basic Value Equity (6/2/97), Merrill Lynch World Strategy (6/2/97), Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Equity (8/20/97), EQ/Putnam Balanced (6/2/97), EQ/Putnam Growth & Income Value (6/2/97), T. Rowe Price Equity Income (6/2/97), T. Rowe Price International Stock (6/2/97), Warburg Pincus Small Company Value (6/2/97). The inception dates for the options that became available on or after 12/31/98 and are therefore not shown in this table are: EQ/Evergreen, EQ/Evergreen Foundation, MFS Growth with Income, EQ/Alliance Premiere Growth, Capital Guardian Research, and Capital Guardian U.S. Equity (8/30/99). - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 60 INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** The Portfolio inception dates are: Alliance Aggressive Stock (5/1/84), Alliance Balanced (5/1/84), Alliance Common Stock (8/1/68), Alliance Conservative Investors (10/2/89), Alliance Equity Index (3/1/94), Alliance Global (8/27/87), Alliance Growth and Income (10/1/93), Alliance Growth Investors (10/2/89), Alliance High Yield (1/2/87), Alliance Intermediate Government Securities (4/1/91), Alliance International (4/3/95), Alliance Money Market (5/11/82), Alliance Quality Bond (10/1/93), Alliance Small Cap Growth (5/1/97), MFS Emerging Growth Companies (5/1/97), MFS Research (5/1/97), Merrill Lynch Basic Value Equity (5/1/97), Merrill Lynch World Strategy (5/1/97), Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Equity (8/20/97), EQ/Putnam Balanced (5/1/97), EQ/Putnam Growth & Income Value (5/1/97), T. Rowe Price Equity Income (5/1/97), T. Rowe Price International Stock (5/1/97), Warburg Pincus Small Company Value (5/1/97). The inception dates for the Portfolios that became available on or after 12/31/98 and are therefore not shown in the tables are: EQ/Evergreen, EQ/Evergreen Foundation, and MFS Growth with Income (12/31/98), EQ/Alliance Premiere Growth, Capital Guardian Research, and Capital Guardian U.S. Equity (4/30/99). - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE 61 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE 2 GROWTH OF $1,000 UNDER A CONTRACT SURRENDERED ON DECEMBER 31, 1998
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LENGTH OF INVESTMENT PERIOD - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SINCE 1 3 5 10 PORTFOLIO VARIABLE INVESTMENT OPTIONS YEAR YEARS YEARS YEARS INCEPTION* - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alliance Aggressive Stock $ 900.77 $1,177.51 $1,432.42 $4,464.14 $ 7,603.76 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alliance Balanced $1,073.88 $1,325.78 $1,376.99 $2,442.53 $ 3,688.07 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alliance Common Stock $1,183.17 $1,846.96 $2,290.48 $4,201.72 $18,554.80 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alliance Conservative Investors $1,032.85 $1,177.13 $1,285.99 -- $ 1,777.49 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alliance Equity Index $1,170.40 $1,847.65 -- -- $ 2,462.10 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alliance Global $1,109.66 $1,362.88 $1,625.93 $2,989.23 $ 2,665.48 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alliance Growth and Income $1,100.45 $1,625.20 $1,913.69 -- $ 1,890.30 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alliance Growth Investors $1,075.00 $1,360.86 $1,586.82 -- $ 3,060.62 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alliance High Yield $ 848.52 $1,200.12 $1,336.27 $2,118.07 $ 2,266.37 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alliance Intermediate Government Securities $ 973.35 $1,031.52 $1,050.35 -- $ 1,291.31 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alliance International $1,000.81 $1,010.22 -- -- $ 1,099.90 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alliance Money Market $ 950.04 $1,003.73 $1,040.24 $1,196.16 $ 1,751.80 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alliance Quality Bond $ 982.49 $1,078.07 $1,128.85 -- $ 1,111.64 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alliance Small Cap Growth $ 856.56 -- -- -- $ 1,089.22 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MFS Emerging Growth Companies $1,235.75 -- -- -- $ 1,509.32 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MFS Research $1,134.68 -- -- -- $ 1,310.64 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Merrill Lynch Basic Value Equity $1,013.11 -- -- -- $ 1,182.60 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Merrill Lynch World Strategy $ 966.92 -- -- -- $ 1,004.48 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Equity $ 638.40 -- -- -- $ 499.27 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EQ/Putnam Balanced $1,015.36 -- -- -- $ 1,158.15 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EQ/Putnam Growth & Income Value $1,025.14 -- -- -- $ 1,187.74 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- T. Rowe Price Equity Income $ 988.76 -- -- -- $ 1,207.69 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- T. Rowe Price International Stock $1,033.65 -- -- -- $ 1,005.69 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Warburg Pincus Small Company Value $ 803.56 -- -- -- $ 960.21 - -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Portfolio inception dates are shown in Table 1. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 62 INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE 3 ANNUALIZED RATES OF RETURN FOR PERIODS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1998
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SINCE PORTFOLIO 1 YEAR 3 YEARS 5 YEARS 10 YEARS 20 YEARS INCEPTION* - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALLIANCE AGGRESSIVE STOCK (0.94)% 9.40% 10.11% 17.47% -- 16.09% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper Mid-Cap Growth 12.16% 16.33% 14.87% 15.44% -- 13.95% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark 8.28% 17.77% 15.56% 16.49% -- 15.78% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALLIANCE BALANCED 16.72% 13.54% 9.50% 11.27% -- 10.98% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper Balanced 13.48% 15.79% 13.84% 12.97% -- 13.56% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark 19.02% 18.70% 16.88% 15.21% -- 15.37% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALLIANCE COMMON STOCK 27.87% 26.11% 20.48% 17.27% 17.33% 12.18% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper Growth 22.86% 22.23% 18.63% 16.72% 16.30% 11.34% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark 28.58% 28.23% 24.06% 19.21% 17.76% 12.75% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALLIANCE CONSERVATIVE INVESTORS 12.54% 9.39% 8.10% -- -- 8.70% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper Income 14.20% 15.62% 14.31% -- -- 12.55% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark 15.59% 14.45% 13.37% -- -- 12.08% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALLIANCE EQUITY INDEX 26.57% 26.11% -- -- -- 22.88% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper S&P 500 Index Funds 28.05% 27.67% -- -- -- 24.31% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark 28.58% 28.23% -- -- -- 24.79% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALLIANCE GLOBAL 20.37% 14.53% 12.90% 13.44% -- 11.20% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper Global 14.34% 14.67% 11.98% 11.21% -- 9.64% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark 24.34% 17.77% 15.68% 10.66% -- 9.55% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALLIANCE GROWTH AND INCOME 19.43% 21.09% 16.43% -- -- 15.46% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper Growth & Income 15.61% 21.25% 18.35% -- -- 17.89% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark 20.10% 23.99% 21.07% -- -- 20.48% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALLIANCE GROWTH INVESTORS 16.84% 14.48% 12.39% -- -- 14.63% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper Flexible Portfolio 14.20% 15.62% 14.31% -- -- 12.55% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark 22.85% 22.69% 19.96% -- -- 15.55% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALLIANCE HIGH YIELD (6.27)% 10.05% 8.70% 9.86% -- 9.19% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper High Yield (0.44)% 8.21% 7.37% 9.34% -- 8.97% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark 3.66% 9.11% 9.01% 11.08% -- 10.72% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALLIANCE INTERMEDIATE GOVERNMENT SECURITIES 6.46% 4.99% 4.14% -- -- 5.83% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper U.S. Government 7.68% 6.21% 5.91% -- -- 7.25% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark 8.49% 6.74% 6.45% -- -- 7.60% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALLIANCE INTERNATIONAL 9.27% 4.32% -- -- -- 6.04% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper International 13.02% 9.94% -- -- -- 10.74% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark 20.00% 9.00% -- -- -- 9.68% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALLIANCE MONEY MARKET 4.09% 4.11% 3.92% 4.35% -- 5.52% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper Money Market 4.84% 4.87% 4.77% 5.20% -- 6.34% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark 5.05% 5.18% 5.11% 5.44% 6.41% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALLIANCE QUALITY BOND 7.40% 6.44% 5.51% -- -- 5.08% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper Corporate Bond A-Rated 7.47% 6.38% 6.54% -- -- 6.21% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark 8.69% 7.29% 7.27% -- -- 6.92% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALLIANCE SMALL CAP GROWTH (5.45)% -- -- -- -- 10.91% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper Small-Cap (0.33)% -- -- -- -- 16.72% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark 1.23% -- -- -- -- 16.58% - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE 63 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE 3 (CONTINUED) ANNUALIZED RATES OF RETURN FOR PERIODS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1998
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SINCE PORTFOLIO 1 YEAR 3 YEARS 5 YEARS 10 YEARS 20 YEARS INCEPTION* - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MFS EMERGING GROWTH COMPANIES 33.24% -- -- -- -- 33.58% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper Mid-Cap 15.97% -- -- -- -- 22.72% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark (2.54)% -- -- -- -- 14.53% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MFS RESEARCH 22.93% -- -- -- -- 23.26% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper Growth 25.82% -- -- -- -- 28.73% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark 28.58% -- -- -- -- 31.63% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MERRILL LYNCH BASIC VALUE EQUITY 10.52% -- -- -- -- 16.22% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper Growth & Income 15.54% -- -- -- -- 21.32% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark 28.58% -- -- -- -- 31.63% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MERRILL LYNCH WORLD STRATEGY 5.81% -- -- -- -- 5.93% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper Global Flexible Portfolio 9.34% -- -- -- -- 11.15% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark 19.55% -- -- -- -- 20.00% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MORGAN STANLEY EMERGING MARKETS EQUITY (27.71)% -- -- -- -- (33.35)% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper Emerging Markets (30.50)% -- -- -- -- (36.28)% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark (25.34)% -- -- -- -- (28.92)% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EQ/PUTNAM BALANCED 10.75% -- -- -- -- 14.85% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper Balanced 14.61% -- -- -- -- 17.83% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark 21.36% -- -- -- -- 23.48% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EQ/PUTNAM GROWTH & INCOME VALUE 11.75% -- -- -- -- 16.51% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper Growth & Income 15.54% -- -- -- -- 21.32% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark 28.58% -- -- -- -- 31.63% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- T. ROWE PRICE EQUITY INCOME 8.04% -- -- -- -- 17.63% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper Equity Income 10.76% -- -- -- -- 19.07% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark 28.58% -- -- -- -- 31.63% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- T. ROWE PRICE INTERNATIONAL STOCK 12.62% -- -- -- -- 6.00% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper International 12.17% -- -- -- -- 9.06% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark 20.00% -- -- -- -- 13.43% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WARBURG PINCUS SMALL COMPANY VALUE (10.86)% -- -- -- -- 3.27% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper Small-Cap 1.53% -- -- -- -- 16.77% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark (2.54)% -- -- -- -- 14.53% - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Portfolio inception dates are shown in Table 1. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 64 INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE 4 CUMULATIVE RATES OF RETURN FOR PERIODS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1998
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SINCE PORTFOLIO 1 YEAR 3 YEARS 5 YEARS 10 YEARS 20 YEARS INCEPTION* - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ALLIANCE AGGRESSIVE STOCK (0.94)% 30.94% 61.88% 400.31% -- 792.41% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lipper Mid-Cap Growth 12.16% 58.64% 102.73% 334.88% -- 613.05% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Benchmark 8.28% 63.35% 106.12% 360.30% -- 759.55% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ALLIANCE BALANCED 16.72% 46.37% 57.41% 190.84% -- 361.24% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lipper Balanced 13.48% 55.60% 91.92% 240.69% -- 553.21% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Benchmark 19.02% 67.24% 118.08% 311.86% -- 715.64% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ALLIANCE COMMON STOCK 27.87% 100.54% 153.84% 391.87% 2,343.81% 3,201.58% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lipper Growth 22.86% 84.52% 138.97% 388.00% 2,185.68% 1,203.81% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Benchmark 28.58% 110.85% 193.91% 479.62% 2,530.43% 3,755.68% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ALLIANCE CONSERVATIVE INVESTORS 12.54% 30.90% 47.60% -- -- 116.21% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lipper Income 14.20% 55.28% 97.15% -- -- 202.48% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Benchmark 15.59% 49.92% 87.28% -- -- 187.40% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ALLIANCE EQUITY INDEX 26.57% 100.57% -- -- -- 170.83% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lipper S&P 500 Index Funds 28.05% 108.12% -- -- -- 186.34% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Benchmark 28.58% 110.85% -- -- -- 192.17% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ALLIANCE GLOBAL 20.37% 50.24% 83.45% 253.05% -- 233.57% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lipper Global 14.34% 51.58% 77.94% 194.96% -- 188.08% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Benchmark 24.34% 63.34% 107.19% 175.31% -- 181.57% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ALLIANCE GROWTH AND INCOME 19.43% 77.55% 113.91% -- -- 112.72% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lipper Growth & Income 15.61% 79.05% 133.95% -- -- 139.10% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Benchmark 20.10% 90.62% 160.09% -- -- 166.00% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ALLIANCE GROWTH INVESTORS 16.84% 50.03% 79.33% -- -- 253.37% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lipper Flexible Portfolio 14.20% 55.28% 97.15% -- -- 202.45% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Benchmark 22.85% 84.68% 148.41% -- -- 280.88% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ALLIANCE HIGH YIELD (6.27)% 33.29% 51.74% 156.03% -- 187.19% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lipper High Yield (0.44)% 26.80% 43.00% 145.62% -- 182.21% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Benchmark 3.66% 29.90% 53.96% 186.01% -- 239.69% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ALLIANCE INTERMEDIATE GOVERNMENT SECURITIES 6.46% 15.73% 22.46% -- -- 55.13% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lipper U.S. Government 7.68% 19.84% 33.36% -- -- 72.35% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Benchmark 8.49% 21.61% 36.71% -- -- 76.55% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ALLIANCE INTERNATIONAL 9.27% 13.52% -- -- -- 24.58% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lipper International 13.02% 33.62% -- -- -- 47.74% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Benchmark 20.00% 29.52% -- -- -- 41.40% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ALLIANCE MONEY MARKET 4.09% 12.84% 21.20% 53.10% -- 144.55% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lipper Money Market 4.84% 15.34% 26.25% 66.09% -- 178.83% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Benchmark 5.05% 16.35% 28.27% 69.88% -- 181.74% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ALLIANCE QUALITY BOND 7.40% 20.58% 30.76% -- -- 29.71% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lipper Corporate Bond A-Rated 7.47% 20.42% 37.37% -- -- 37.26% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Benchmark 8.69% 23.51% 42.06% -- -- 42.14% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ALLIANCE SMALL CAP GROWTH (5.45)% -- -- -- -- 18.86% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lipper Small-Cap (0.33)% -- -- -- -- 28.98% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Benchmark 1.23% -- -- -- -- 29.23% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE 65 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE 4 (CONTINUED) CUMULATIVE RATES OF RETURN FOR PERIODS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1998
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SINCE PORTFOLIO 1 YEAR 3 YEARS 5 YEARS 10 YEARS 20 YEARS INCEPTION* - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MFS EMERGING GROWTH COMPANIES 33.24% -- -- -- -- 62.10% - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper Mid-Cap 15.97% -- -- -- -- 42.16% - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark (2.54)% -- -- -- -- 25.40% - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MFS RESEARCH 22.93% -- -- -- -- 41.78% - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper Growth 25.82% -- -- -- -- 52.86% - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark 28.58% -- -- -- -- 57.60% - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MERRILL LYNCH BASIC VALUE EQUITY 10.52% -- -- -- -- 28.51% - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper Growth & Income 15.54% -- -- -- -- 15.59% - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark 28.58% -- -- -- -- 57.60% - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MERRILL LYNCH WORLD STRATEGY 5.81% -- -- -- -- 10.09% - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper Global Flexible Portfolio 9.34% -- -- -- -- 19.41% - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark 19.55% -- -- -- -- 33.33% - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MORGAN STANLEY EMERGING MARKETS EQUITY (27.71)% -- -- -- -- (42.51)% - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper Emerging Markets (30.50)% -- -- -- -- (45.67)% - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark (25.34)% -- -- -- -- (36.71)% - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EQ/PUTNAM BALANCED 10.75% -- -- -- -- 25.99% - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper Balanced 14.61% -- -- -- -- 31.59% - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark 21.36% -- -- -- -- 42.22% - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EQ/PUTNAM GROWTH & INCOME VALUE 11.75% -- -- -- -- 29.05% - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper Growth & Income 15.54% -- -- -- -- 38.49% - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark 28.58% -- -- -- -- 57.60% - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- T. ROWE PRICE EQUITY INCOME 8.04% -- -- -- -- 31.11% - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper Equity Income 10.76% -- -- -- -- 33.92% - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark 28.58% -- -- -- -- 57.60% - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- T. ROWE PRICE INTERNATIONAL STOCK 12.62% -- -- -- -- 10.22% - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper International 12.17% -- -- -- -- 15.88% - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark 20.00% -- -- -- -- 23.42% - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WARBURG PINCUS SMALL COMPANY VALUE (10.86)% -- -- -- -- 5.51% - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper Small-Cap 1.53% -- -- -- -- 29.95% - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benchmark (2.54)% -- -- -- -- 25.40% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Portfolio inception dates are shown in Table 1. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 66 INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE 5 YEAR-BY-YEAR RATES OF RETURN
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alliance Aggressive Stock 43.18% 5.79% 84.94% (4.37)% 15.37% (5.00)% 30.13% 20.74% 9.47% (0.94)% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alliance Balanced 24.97% (1.20)% 40.46% (4.02)% 10.99% (9.15)% 18.37% 10.35% 13.64% 16.72% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alliance Common Stock 24.43% (9.13)% 36.21% 1.98% 23.38% (3.33%) 30.94% 22.81% 27.70% 27.87% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alliance Conservative Investors 2.79% 5.14% 18.46% 4.53% 9.46% (5.26)% 19.01% 3.95% 11.90% 12.54% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alliance Equity Index -- -- -- -- -- 0.07% 34.94% 20.95% 31.02% 26.57% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alliance Global 25.27% (7.25)% 29.04% (1.71)% 30.60% 3.98% 17.44% 13.24% 10.21% 20.37% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alliance Growth and Income -- -- -- -- (0.56)% (1.77)% 22.65% 18.67% 25.27% 19.43% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alliance Growth Investors 3.70% 9.28% 47.22% 3.68% 13.91% (4.32)% 24.93% 11.27% 15.40% 16.84% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alliance High Yield 3.89% (2.29)% 23.03% 11.00% 21.73% (3.96)% 18.53% 21.46% 17.09% (6.27)% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alliance Intermediate Government Securities -- -- 11.09% 4.34% 9.28% (5.53)% 12.01% 2.53% 6.02% 6.46% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alliance International -- -- -- -- -- -- 9.74% 8.50% (4.25)% 9.27% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alliance Money Market 7.97% 7.07% 4.95% 2.33% 1.74% 2.79% 4.50% 4.07% 4.17% 4.09% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alliance Quality Bond -- -- -- -- (0.81)% (6.25)% 15.67% 4.10% 7.86% 7.40% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alliance Small Cap Growth -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 25.71% (5.45)% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ MFS Emerging Growth Companies -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 21.66% 33.24% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ MFS Research -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 15.32% 22.93% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Merrill Lynch Basic Value Equity -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 16.28% 10.52% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Merrill Lynch World Strategy -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 4.05% 5.81% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Equity -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- (20.47)% (27.71)% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ EQ/Putnam Balanced -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 13.76% 10.75% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ EQ/Putnam Growth & Income Value -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 15.48% 11.75% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ T. Rowe Price Equity Income -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 21.36% 8.04% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ T. Rowe Price International Stock -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- (2.13)% 12.62% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Warburg Pincus Small Company Value -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 18.37% (10.86)% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ Returns for these Portfolios represent less than 12 months of performance. The returns are as of each Portfolio inception date as shown in Table 1. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE 67 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- COMMUNICATING PERFORMANCE DATA In reports or other communications to contract owners or in advertising material, we may describe general economic and market conditions affecting our variable investment options, and the Portfolios and may compare the performance or ranking of those options and the Portfolios with: o those of other insurance company separate accounts or mutual funds included in the rankings prepared by Lipper Analytical Services, Inc., Morningstar, Inc., VARDS, or similar investment services that monitor the performance of insurance company separate accounts or mutual funds; o other appropriate indices of investment securities and averages for peer universes of mutual funds; or o data developed by us derived from such indices or averages. We also may furnish to present or prospective contract owners advertisements or other communications that include evaluations of a variable investment option or Portfolio by nationally recognized financial publications. Examples of such publications are: - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Barron's Money Management Letter Morningstar's Variable Annuity Investment Dealers Digest Sourcebook National Underwriter Business Week Pension & Investments Forbes USA Today Fortune Investor's Business Daily Institutional Investor The New York Times Money The Wall Street Journal Kiplinger's Personal Finance The Los Angeles Times Financial Planning The Chicago Tribune Investment Adviser Investment Management Weekly - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lipper compiles performance data for peer universes of funds with similar investment objectives in its Lipper Survey. Morningstar, Inc. compiles similar data in the Morningstar Variable Annuity/Life Report (Morningstar Report). The Lipper Survey records performance data as reported to it by over 800 mutual funds underlying variable annuity and life insurance products. It divides these actively managed Portfolios into 25 categories by Portfolio objectives. The Lipper Survey contains two different universes, which reflect different types of fees in performance data: o The "separate account" universe reports performance data net of investment management fees, direct operating expenses and asset-based charges applicable under variable life and annuity contracts; and o The "mutual fund" universe reports performance net only of investment management fees and direct operating expenses, and therefore reflects only charges that relate to the underlying mutual fund. The Morningstar Variable Annuity/Life Report consists of nearly 700 variable life and annuity funds, all of which report their data net of investment management fees, direct operating expenses and separate account level charges. VARDS is a monthly reporting service that monitors approximately 2,500 variable life and variable annuity funds on performance and account information. YIELD INFORMATION Current yield for the Alliance Money Market option will be based on net changes in a hypothetical investment over a given seven-day period, exclusive of capital changes, and then "annualized" (assuming that the same seven-day result would occur each week for 52 weeks). Current yield for the other options will be based on net changes in a hypothetical investment over a given 30-day period, exclusive of capital changes, and then "annualized" (assuming that the same 30-day result would occur each month for 12 months). "Effective yield" is calculated in a similar manner, but when annualized, any income earned by the investment is assumed to be reinvested. The "effective yield" will be slightly higher than the "current yield" because any earnings are compounded weekly for the Alliance Money Market option. The current yields and effective yields assume the deduction of all contract charges and expenses other than the annual administrative charge, withdrawal charge, and any charge for taxes such as premium tax. For more information, see "Alliance Money Market Option and other Yield information" in the SAI. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 68 INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 Incorporation of certain documents by reference - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Equitable Life's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1998, a current report on Form 8-K dated September 1, 1999, and a quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 1999, are considered to be a part of this prospectus because they are incorporated by reference. After the date of this prospectus and before we terminate the offering of the securities under this prospectus, all documents or reports we file with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Exchange Act") will be considered to become part of this prospectus because they are incorporated by reference. Any statement contained in a document that is or becomes part of this prospectus, will be considered changed or replaced for purposes of this prospectus if a statement contained in this prospectus changes or is replaced. Any statement that is considered to be a part of this prospectus because of its incorporation, will be considered changed or replaced for the purpose of this prospectus if a statement contained in any other subsequently filed document that is considered to be part of this prospectus changes or replaces that statement. After that, only the statement that is changed or replaced will be considered to be part of this prospectus. We file our Exchange Act documents and reports, including our annual and quarterly reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q, electronically according to EDGAR under CIK No. 0000727920. The SEC maintains a Web site that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding registrants that file electronically with the SEC. The address of the site is http://www.sec.gov. Upon written or oral request, we will provide, free of charge, to each person to whom this prospectus is delivered a copy of any or all of the documents considered to be part of this prospectus because they are incorporated herein. This does not include exhibits not specifically incorporated by reference into the text of such documents. Requests for documents should be directed to The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States, 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10104. Attention: Corporate Secretary (telephone: (212) 554-1234). - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- APPENDIX: MARKET VALUE ADJUSTMENT EXAMPLE A-1 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Appendix: Market value adjustment example - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The example below shows how the market value adjustment would be determined and how it would be applied to a withdrawal, assuming that $100,000 had been invested on June 14, 1999 to a fixed maturity option with a maturity date of June 15, 2008 (i.e., nine years later) at a rate to maturity of 7.00%, resulting in a maturity value at the maturity date of $183,846. We further assume that a withdrawal of $50,000 is made four years later, on June 15, 2003.
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ASSUMED RATE TO MATURITY ON JUNE 15, 2003 5.00% 9.00% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ As of June 15, 2003 (before withdrawal) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (1) Market adjusted amount $144,048 $119,487 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (2) Fixed maturity amount $131,080 $131,080 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (3) Market value adjustment: (1) - (2) $ 12,968 $(11,593) - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ON JUNE 15, 2003 (AFTER WITHDRAWAL) - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (4) Portion of market value adjustment associated with withdrawal: (3) x [$50,000/(1)] $ 4,501 $ (4,851) - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (5) Reduction in fixed maturity amount [$50,000 - (4)] $ 45,499 $ 54,851 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (6) Fixed maturity amount (2) - (5) $ 85,581 $ 76,229 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (7) Maturity value $120,032 $106,915 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (8) Market adjusted amount of (7) $ 94,048 $ 69,487 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You should note that under this example if a withdrawal is made when rates have increased from 7.00% to 9.00% (right column), a negative market value adjustment is realized. On the other hand, if a withdrawal is made when rates have decreased from 7.00% to 5.00% (left column), a positive market value adjustment is realized. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Statement of additional information - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Required Minimum Distributions Option 2 Unit Values 2 Calculation of Annuity Payments 3 The Reorganization 3 Custodian and Independent Accountants 4 Alliance Money Market Option Yield Information 4 Other Yield Information 5 Key Factors in Retirement Planning 5 Long-Term Market Trends 10 Financial Statements 12 HOW TO OBTAIN AN EQUI-VEST EXPRESS STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR SEPARATE ACCOUNT A Call 1-800-628-6673 or send this request form to: EQUI-VEST Express Processing Office The Equitable Life P.O. Box 2996 New York, NY 10116-2996 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Please send me an EQUI-VEST Express Statement of Additional Information dated September 29, 1999. (Combination variable and fixed deferred annuity) - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name: - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Address: - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- City State Zip 888-1209 -----END PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE-----