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PLANNING YOUR FUTURE

My Life's Protection
Page 4




When you were a teenager, you thought you were invincible. Part of you still does. But the probability of a person between ages 35 and 65 being unable to work for more than 90 days due to an illness or injury is one in four. Unlike group disability policies, which you may already have through your employer – or offer to your employees – individual long-term disability insurance will cover nonwork-related illnesses or injuries. It also will provide more of a monetary benefit for a longer period of time, depending on the coverage you can afford. And, if you pay your premiums with after-tax money, your benefit will usually be income-tax free – an advantage not offered with group insurance.

For those without any group coverage, such as business owners, commission-based workers and the self-employed, individual disability income policies are generally considered essential for protecting income.

Possible sources of disability income insurance:

• Employer
  
• Worker's comp
  
• Social Security
  
• Individual Disability Income Insurance Policy

The long-term disability of a wage earner could have greater negative financial consequences for the family than if the wage earner were to die. With death, income stops, but so do the expenses of the deceased. With disability, however, you and your family will have to cope with medical and other costs in addition to lost income.

What to Look For

There are several factors to consider when choosing a disability income insurance policy:

• Definition of disability: What level of disability will qualify you to begin receiving benefits?
  
• Level of benefits: While this varies by policy, policies that cover 50 percent to 60 percent of your salary are most common.
  
• Taxable or not: If an employer pays the premium for disability insurance coverage, then the benefits are taxable. If you have your own policy, generally,the benefits are not subject to income taxes.
  
• Level or increasing premium: either a premium that remains consistant or one that increases with age.
  
• Waiting or elimination periods
  
• Benefit period: Can vary by policy
  
• Cost-of-living feature: This will result in an additional premium charge but it can increase your monthly benefit based on a predetermined factor after each year of disability.

Disability insurance:

Replaces important income because you cannot work.
Helps you stay financially independent while facing a long recovery.
For business owners, funds a buy-sell agreement in the event of a long-term disability, or provides coverage for overhead business expenses.

If you or your spouse, partner or business partner got sick or were injured today and unable to work for a long time, how would you manage financially…tomorrow? Next month? Next year?






About AXA Equitable

AXA Equitable is one of the premier U.S. organizations in financial protection and wealth management through its strong brands:
• AXA Equitable Life Insurance Co.
• AXA Advisors, LLC
• Alliance Capital Management, L.P.
• Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., LLC
• AXA Distributors, LLC
• MONY family of companies

AXA Equitable had approximately $598 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2004. AXA Financial is a member of the global AXA Group, which had over $1.2 trillion in assets under management in Western Europe, North America and the Asia/Pacific region as of December 31, 2004.

AXA Vision

The business of financial protection and wealth management involves offering our customers – individuals as well as small, mid-sized and large businesses – a wide range of products and services that meet their insurance, protection, savings, retirement and financial planning needs throughout their lives.

Life insurance and annuity products are issues by AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company and co-distributed through AXA Advisors, LLC and AXA Distributors, LLC, member NASD. AXA Equitable, AXA Advisors and AXA Distributors are affiliated companies, all of them located at 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104, 212-314-4600. All guarantees are based on the claims paying ability of AXA Equitable. AXA Equitable, AXA Advisors and AXA Distributors do not provide tax or legal advice. GE-32570 c (6/05)

*Source: MDRT, the Premier Association of Financial Professionals, 2004.
**Source: Metlife Market Survey of Nursing Home & Home Care Costs, September 2004.
***Source: "Can Aging Baby Boomers Avoid the Nursing Home?," Stucki, B. and Mulvey, JL, American Council of Life Insurers, March 2000, page 15.
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