AXA Equitable Launches Life Insurance and Retirement Planning Virtual Consultation Calculators

NEW YORK, April 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company launched today two new video calculators featuring licensed and experienced financial consultants who help guide individuals through the process of determining how long their retirement savings may last or how much life insurance coverage they may need to protect their families' future.

The video calculators, unique to AXA Equitable, provide users with an interactive experience where they receive virtual consultations. Financial consultant David Tornetto offers individuals guidance on estimating how savings may grow until retirement and how withdrawals may impact savings during retirement. Financial consultant Char Granstra navigates users through a process to assess how much life insurance coverage they may need to replace their income. Combined, these two financial professionals have more than 40 years of experience helping people define and work toward their financial goals.

"Our video calculators provide people with more than just a figure of how much money they might need for a particular life event," said Andrew McMahon, president of AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company. "These calculators, featuring real financial professionals, simulate what they can expect in an initial conversation with a financial consultant.

"Planning for your retirement, assessing your family's readiness in the event of death, even just meeting with a financial consultant for the first time – these can all be daunting tasks," McMahon said. "The virtual consultation can help people get more comfortable, be better prepared when actually meeting with a financial professional for the first time, and hopefully get more out of the meeting in terms of deciding next steps."

The financial consultants take users through a step-by-step process to determine the how long their retirement savings may last or how much life insurance coverage they may need based on their life stage, current financial situation and future goals. If a user has a question or needs more information about a particular term or topic, they simply click on a button and the financial consultant explains the topic and provides guidance in greater detail.

"Studies have shown that people spend more time planning for a one-week vacation than they do planning for retirement," said Connie O'Brien, senior vice president of Internet Strategy and Design for AXA Equitable. "We recently tested this in one of our Retirement Reality Series person-on-the-street interviews and found solid evidence to support the theory. We created the video calculators to make it easier for people to take the first step toward planning for the future. With the Web technology available today, we can provide customers with a new level of resources to help them make more informed decisions at their pace and in a way that is comfortable and convenient for them."

The video calculators and virtual consultations are available at www.axa-equitable.com.

About AXA Equitable

In business since 1859, AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company (NY, NY) is a leading financial protection company and one of the nation's premier providers of life insurance, annuity, and financial products and services. The company's products and services are 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. Find AXA Equitable on Facebook and Twitter or visit the company's multi-media newsroom The Source @ AXA Equitable.

AXA Equitable, a subsidiary of AXA Financial Inc., is part of the global AXA Group, a worldwide leader in financial protection strategies and wealth management. "AXA Group" refers to AXA, a French holding company for an international group of insurance and financial services companies together with its direct and indirect consolidated subsidiaries. For more information, visit www.axa-equitable.com.

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SOURCE AXA Equitable