NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

AXA Equitable, a leading financial protection company, announced today it has enhanced its indexed universal life product, IUL Protect, with a new feature that can potentially pay clients more as interest rates increase.

IUL Protect now includes an Extra Interest Credit feature, which increases as interest rates rise, delivering direct cash value to clients. This accrues on top of the policy’s potential index returns, allowing clients the opportunity to get more value out of what they put into their policies.

“We continue to innovate on behalf of our clients,” said Ron Herrmann, head of life insurance and employee benefits for AXA US. “This enhancement not only offers our clients long-term stability but also helps ensure that they are prepared for a rapidly evolving, often unpredictable market.”

Other important features of IUL Protect include:

• A simple “no-math,” no-lapse guarantee to age 90, or for 40 years if the policy is purchased before age 50, eliminating guesswork and complex calculations¹
• A competitive Long-Term Care Services℠ Rider, which provides protection against the possibility of incurring significant long-term care expenses²
• Flexibility to access cash value in the policy, if policyholder needs change
• Strong caps designed to seek long-term stability in a changing interest rate environment³

At the foundation of IUL Protect is AXA’s long-standing commitment to simplicity and clarity, with transparent features that eliminate uncertainty and provide meaningful protection contributing to clients’ long-term financial security.

“Life insurance doesn’t have to be complicated. As the industry becomes more complex, we believe it is possible to provide clients with market-leading products in a clear, straight-forward and relatable manner,” said Herrmann.

Today’s announcement underscores the company’s dedication to offering easy to understand products and services that go beyond the typical financial aspects of retirement planning. As part of this effort, AXA recently announced a collaboration with nationally recognized gerontologist, Dr. Sandra Timmermann, to provide financial professionals and their clients with the tools and resources needed to think broadly about their individual journeys including the financial, social, cognitive and biological aspects of aging.

About AXA

In business since 1859, AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company is a leading financial protection company and one of the nation’s premier providers of life insurance and annuity products distributed to individuals and business owners through its retail distribution channel, AXA Advisors, LLC (member FINRA, SIPC) and to the financial services market through its wholesale distribution channel, AXA Distributors, LLC.

AXA S.A. (also referred to as “AXA Group”) is a Paris-headquartered holding company for a group of international insurance and financial services companies, including AXA Equitable Financial Services, LLC companies. AXA S.A. is a worldwide leader in financial protection strategies and wealth management with 107 million clients in 64 countries as of Dec. 31, 2016. AXA S.A. has been ranked the No. 1 insurance brand in the world by Interbrand for eight consecutive years as of Oct. 5, 2016.

“AXA” is a brand name of AXA Equitable Financial Services, LLC and its family of companies, including AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company (NY, NY), MONY Life Insurance Company of America (AZ stock company, administrative office: Jersey City, NJ), AXA Advisors, LLC, and AXA Distributors, LLC. The obligations of AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company and MONY Life Insurance Company of America are backed solely by their claims-paying ability. Find AXA on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. For more information, visit www.axa.com.

This press release is not intended to be a complete description of the IUL Protect product. IUL Protect is a flexible premium universal life insurance policy with an index-linked interest option. Life insurance is subject to exclusions and limitations and terms for keeping it in force. Certain types of policies, features and benefits may not be available in all jurisdictions, or may be different. For costs and complete details of coverage, contact your financial professional.

Loans and partial withdrawals will decrease the death benefit and cash surrender value of your life insurance policy, may be subject to policy limitations and income tax, may cause the policy benefits and riders to become unavailable, and may increase the chance your policy may lapse, in which case it may generally be viewed as a taxable distribution. IUL Protect contains additional charges, including but not limited to a 15-year surrender charge, premium charges, insurance charges and administrative fees. Be sure to review with your Financial Professional before purchasing.

IUL Protect is issued in New York and Puerto Rico by AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company (NY, NY), and in all other jurisdictions by MONY Life Insurance Company of America (MLOA), and is co-distributed by AXA Distributors, LLC and AXA Network, LLC. MLOA is not licensed in NY. AXA Equitable Financial Services, LLC and its affiliates do not provide tax or legal advice. All guarantees are based on the claims-paying ability of the issuing company — either AXA Equitable or MLOA. Policy form #ICC 15-300 or state variations. Rider form #ICC15-R15-140 or state variations. GE-133032(01/18)(exp.01/20)

¹ No-Lapse Guarantee (NLG) coverage, which is available at an additional cost, is guaranteed to age 90, or for 40 years if the policy is purchased under age 50, as long as certain premium levels are maintained (excluding loans).

² The Long-Term Care Services^SM Rider has an additional cost and is subject to restrictions and limitations. A client may qualify for life insurance but not for the Long-Term Care Services^SM Rider.

³ The Growth Cap is designed to further volatility.

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