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My Life's Protection
What if you died tonight? How would your family and/or your business fare financially? What if you had a stroke? Ended up in a coma? You have to plan.>>

PLANNING YOUR FUTURE

My Future
Page 4


Myth: I don't need a retirement plan because my successful business will fund all my retirement needs.

Truth: Your business may be a "success" now, but do you have a business continuation plan to ensure that your business will operate uninterrupted and profitably when you retire? Perhaps you are planning on selling your business to fund your retirement. Have you taken a realistic look at its resale value? Could you be overestimating the worth of your business?

While it may be beneficial to coordinate your business and personal planning strategies, you can increase your financial security by maintaining a certain level of separation between the two. A personal financial strategy, outside of your business finances, will help to ensure that your business will continue to run smoothly if your personal finances change and vice versa. Additionally, since your business and personal strategies are somewhat separate, you can see how your business stands on its own, giving you a realistic view of what your business is worth.

A business continuation plan – including a succession plan – works to protect you and your family whether you are retiring or if something should happen to you.

• Determine what you think you'll need to maintain your desired lifestyle after retiring.
  
• Determine what you'll need to save each year to reach your goal.
  
• Review and monitor all of your savings and investment accounts, your personal ones and what you may have through your employer (for example, your 401(k)). Include your annual Social Security report.
  
• As Americans are living longer than ever before, take a long-term view, including factoring in insurance – life, health, disability income, long-term care – in the plan.
  
  

To learn more about AXA's "Myths" click here>>

Seven Strategies

To help build a more successful tomorrow:

• Look for guarantees: There are investments in the marketplace that offer the ability to protect assets, income and the legacy you plan to leave your beneficiaries.
  
• Think long term: Life expectancies are increasing and you don't want to outlive your assets. Explore ways to generate income at retirement that will last the rest of your life.
  
• Take advantage of tax advantage: The government wants you to plan for your financial future. That's why there are a number of tax-advantaged plans and investments available to you.
  
• Go for growth potential: Take the same attitude with your long-term investments as you do your home – you wouldn't buy a home if you didn't think it would appreciate in value.
  
• Diversify: Among asset classes, investment style and types of securities. Make sure all your investments don't react the same way to market and economic conditions.
  
• Stay focused and disciplined: Make consistent contributions over the years and consider investment products that make it easy for you to make affordable contributions.
  
• Work with a solid company: Planning for any substantial growth could require years of commitment.

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 Equitable 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. GE-32570a(6/05)

*Source: Institute for Women's Policy Research, "Gender and Economic Security in Retirement," May 2003.
**Source: National Alliance for Caregiving; TheStreet.com, January 2000. ***Source: U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Highlights of Women's Earnings in 2003, September 2004.
+ Bureau of Labor Statistics, April 2005, Table A. Percent changes in CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U)
++ U.S. Census Bureau, 2003.