Axa Equitable Life Insurance Co – ‘424B5’ on 5/13/96

As of:  Monday, 5/13/96   ·   Accession #:  950136-96-289   ·   File #:  33-89510

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              Filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) (5) under the Securities Act
                 of 1933, As Amended. Registration Statement File No. 33-89510

EQUI-VEST(REGISTERED TRADEMARK) AND MOMENTUM  
PERSONAL RETIREMENT PROGRAMS  
AND   
EMPLOYER SPONSORED RETIREMENT PROGRAMS  

PROSPECTUS, DATED MAY 1, 1996   
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------   

VARIABLE ANNUITY CONTRACTS FUNDED THROUGH THE   
INVESTMENT FUNDS OF SEPARATE ACCOUNT A  

Issued By:  

The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States   
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------   

This prospectus describes group and individual deferred variable annuity        
contracts (CONTRACTS) offered by The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the    
United States (EQUITABLE LIFE). The EQUI-VEST Contracts are designed for        
retirement savings and long-range financial planning as part of a retirement    
savings plan. The Momentum Contract (MOMENTUM) is designed to fund defined      
contribution plans. Contributions in both MOMENTUM and EQUI-VEST Contracts      
accumulate on a Federal income tax-deferred basis, and at a future date you     
can receive a stream of periodic payments, including a fixed or variable        
annuity.                                                                        

EQUI-VEST Personal Retirement Programs include individual retirement            
annuities (IRAS) and those established through rollovers from tax-favored       
retirement plans (QP IRAS) as well as non-qualified annuities (NQS).            

EQUI-VEST Employer Sponsored Retirement Programs include SEPs, TSAs, EDCs,      
Trusteed and Annuitant-Owned HR-10 Plans, as described in this prospectus.      

MOMENTUM Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans include 401(a) and 401(k) plans    
as described in this prospectus. Employers sponsoring such plans and trustees   
of such plans (PLAN TRUSTEES) can participate in MOMENTUM through the           
MOMENTUM Program. The MOMENTUM Program consists of a defined contribution       
master plan and trust sponsored by Equitable Life (the MASTER PLAN AND TRUST)   
or, for Employers who prefer to use their own individually-designed or a        
prototype defined contribution plan, a pooled trust (the POOLED TRUST).         

EQUI-VEST offers the investment options (INVESTMENT OPTIONS) listed below.      
MOMENTUM offers the Investment Options listed below except the Fixed Maturity   
Periods. These Investment Options include the Guaranteed Interest Account,      
which is part of Equitable Life's general account and pays interest at          
guaranteed fixed rates, and thirteen variable investment funds (INVESTMENT      
FUNDS) of Separate Account A (SEPARATE ACCOUNT). Each Fixed Maturity Period     
(FIXED MATURITY PERIOD) in the Fixed Maturity Account is available only under   
EQUI-VEST (in states where approved).                                           

                                                                [Download Table]

                                                              OTHER         
                  INVESTMENT FUNDS                      INVESTMENT OPTIONS  
-----------------------------------------------------  -------------------- 
                                                                            
o Money Market   o Growth & Income   Asset Allocation  o Guaranteed Interest
                                     Series:              Account           
o Intermediate   o Equity Index      o Conservative    o Fixed Maturity     
  Government                           Investors         Periods with       
  Securities     o Common Stock      o Balanced          Expiration Dates   
o Quality Bond   o Global            o Growth            1996 through 2006  
                 o International       Investors                            
o High Yield     o Aggressive                                               
                   Stock                                                    


We invest each Investment Fund in shares of a corresponding portfolio           
(PORTFOLIO) of The Hudson River Trust (TRUST), a mutual fund whose shares are   
purchased by the separate accounts of insurance companies. The prospectus for   
the Trust, directly following this prospectus, describes the investment         
objectives, policies and risks of the Portfolios.                               

Amounts allocated to a Fixed Maturity Period accumulate on a fixed basis and    
are credited with interest at a rate we set (RATE TO MATURITY) for the entire   
period. On each business day (BUSINESS DAY) we will determine the Rate to       
Maturity available for amounts newly allocated to Fixed Maturity Periods. A     
market value adjustment (positive or negative) will be made for withdrawals,    

transfers, terminations and certain other transactions from a Fixed Maturity    
Period before its expiration date (EXPIRATION DATE). Each Fixed Maturity        
Period has its own Rates to Maturity.                                           

Participants may choose from a variety of payout options. If an annuity is      
selected as the retirement payout option, variable and fixed annuities are      
available. Fixed annuities are funded through Equitable Life's general          
account. Variable payments will be funded through your choice of Investment     
Funds.                                                                          

This prospectus provides information about EQUI-VEST and MOMENTUM that          
prospective investors should know before investing. You should read it          
carefully and retain it for future reference. The prospectus is not valid       
unless it is attached to a current prospectus for the Trust, which you should   
also read carefully.                                                            

Registration statements relating to the Separate Account and to interests       
under the Fixed Maturity Periods have been filed with the Securities and        
Exchange Commission (SEC). The statement of additional information (SAI),       
dated May 1, 1996, which is part of the registration statement for the          
Separate Account, is available free of charge upon request by writing to the    
Processing Office or calling 1-800-628-6673 for EQUI-VEST, or 1-800-528-0204    
for MOMENTUM, our toll-free numbers. The SAI has been incorporated by           
reference into this prospectus. The Table of Contents for the SAI appears at    
the back of this prospectus.                                                    

THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SECURITIES AND    
EXCHANGE COMMISSION NOR HAS THE COMMISSION PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR          
ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. 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 INVESTED.        

May 1, 1996                                                           888-1107  

Copyright 1996  
The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States,        
New York, New York, 10019.    
All rights reserved.  

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INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE   

Equitable Life's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December   
31, 1995 is incorporated herein by reference.                                   

All documents or reports filed by Equitable Life pursuant to Section      
13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (EXCHANGE      
ACT) after the date hereof and prior to the termination of the offering of      
the securities offered hereby shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference   
in this prospectus and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such      
documents. Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be   
incorporated herein by reference shall be deemed to be modified or superseded   
for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained        
herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed   
to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement.   
Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as     
so modified and superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus.            

Equitable Life will provide without charge to each person to whom this    
prospectus is delivered, upon the written or oral request of such person, a     
copy of any or all of the foregoing documents incorporated herein by            
reference (other than exhibits not specifically incorporated by reference       
into the text of such documents). Requests for such documents should be         
directed to The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States, 787      
Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019. Attention: Corporate Secretary        
(telephone: (212) 554-1234).                                                    

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PROSPECTUS TABLE OF CONTENTS                                                    

                                                                [Download Table]

                                                      
GENERAL TERMS                                   PAGE 5
PART 1:SUMMARY                                  PAGE 8
Equitable Life                                   8    
Types of Retirement Programs                     8    
Investment Options                               9    
Selecting Investment Options                     9    
Contributions                                   10    
Transfers                                       10    
Services We Provide                             10    
Distribution Options and Death Benefits         12    
SPDA Variable Distribution Option               12    
Withdrawals and Termination                     12    
Loans                                           13    
Taxes                                           13    
Deductions and Charges                          13    
Deferred Variable Annuities                     14    
10-Day Free Look for EQUI-VEST                  14    
Fee Tables and Examples                         15    
PART 2: SEPARATE ACCOUNT A AND                        
        ITS INVESTMENT FUNDS                  PAGE 24 
Separate Account A                              24    
The Hudson River Trust                          24    
The Trust's Investment Adviser                  25    
Investment Policies and Objectives of the             
  Trust's Portfolios                            25    
PART 3: INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE                 PAGE 27
Investment Fund Performance                     27    
PART 4: THE GUARANTEED INTEREST ACCOUNT        PAGE 36
PART 5: THE EQUI-VEST FIXED MATURITY ACCOUNT   PAGE 37
PART 6: PROVISIONS OF THE EQUI-VEST CONTRACTS  PAGE 40
The EQUI-VEST Contract Series                   40    
Selecting Investment Options                    40    
Contributions Under the Contracts               40    
Annuity Account Value                           42    
Transfers                                       43    
Automatic Transfer Options Investment                 
  Simplifier                                    44    
Loans (for TSA and Corporate Trusteed                 
  only)                                         44    
Assignment and Funding Changes                  45    
Partial Withdrawals and Termination             45    
Third Party Transfers or Exchanges              46    
Requirements for Distributions                  46    
Distribution Options                            46    
Guaranteed Death Benefit                        49    
Your Beneficiary                                49    
Proceeds                                        50    
PART 7: PROVISIONS OF THE MOMENTUM                    
        CONTRACT AND SERVICES WE PROVIDE       PAGE 51
Understanding the MOMENTUM Program              51    
 Employer's Responsibilities                    51    
Adopting the MOMENTUM Program                   52    
The MOMENTUM Contract                           52    
 Selecting Investment Options                   52    
 Contributions                                  53    
Retirement Account Value                        53    
Transfers                                       54    
Investment Simplifier: Automatic Transfer             
  Options                                       55    
Loans                                           55    
Withdrawals and Termination                     56    
Forfeitures                                     56    
Distribution Options                            57    
Annuity Distribution Options                    57    
Electing an Annuity Distribution Option         57    
Minimum Distributions/Automatic                       
 Minimum Withdrawal Over-Age 70 1/2             58    
Death Benefit                                   58    
Payment of Proceeds                             59    
Plan Recordkeeping Services                     59    
PART 8: DEDUCTIONS AND CHARGES                 PAGE 61
All Contracts                                   61    
 Trust Charges to Portfolios                    61    
 Charges for State Premium and Other                  
  Applicable Taxes                              61    
EQUI-VEST IRA, QP IRA, SEP and NQ                     
  Contracts (Series 300 and 400 only)           61    
 Charges to Investment Funds                    61    
 Annual Administrative Charge                   62    
 Contingent Withdrawal Charge                   62    
 Allocation of Certain Charges to the                 
   Fixed Maturity Account                       64    
 Charge on Third Party Transfer or                    
   Exchange                                     64    
All EQUI-VEST EDC, TSA and Trusteed                   
  Contracts plus IRA, QP IRA, SEP and NQ              
  (Series 100 and 200 only)                     65    
 Limitation on Charges                          65    

 Annual Administrative Charge                   65    
 Contingent Withdrawal Charge                   66    
MOMENTUM Contract                               68    
 Limitation on Charges                          68    
 Charges to Investment Funds                    68    
 Quarterly Administrative Charge                69    
 Charge for Plan Recordkeeping  Services        69    
 Contingent Withdrawal Charge                   69    
 Plan Loan Charges                              70    
 Special Circumstances                          71    

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                                                                [Download Table]

                                                    
PART 9:VOTING RIGHTS                       PAGE 72  
PART 10:FEDERAL TAX AND                             
  ERISA MATTERS                            PAGE 73  
Annuities                                       73  
Taxation of Non-Qualified                           
  Annuities--EQUI-VEST Only                     73  
Special Rules for Tax Favored Retirement            
  Programs                                      74  
Tax-Qualified Retirement Plans                      
  ("Qualified Plans")                           74  
Tax Sheltered Annuity (TSAs) Arrangements       74  
Distributions from Qualified Plans and              
  TSAs                                          75  
Tax-Qualified Individual Retirement                 
  Arrangements (IRSs)                           77  
Annuity Account Values and Cash Values              
  (Tables)                                      83  
Simplified Employee Pensions (SEPs)             84  
Public and Tax-Exempt Organization                  
  Employee Deferred Compensation Plans              
  (EDC Plans)                                   84  
Penalty Tax on Early Distributions              85  
Tax Penalties for Insufficient                      
  Distributions                                 85  
Federal and State Income Tax Withholding        85  
Other Withholding                               86  
Special Rules for NQ and Trusteed                   
  Contracts Issued in Puerto Rico               86  
Impact of Taxes to Equitable Life               87  
Transfer Among Investment Options               87  
Tax Changes                                     87  
ERISA Matters                                   87  
Certain Rules Applicable to Plan Loans          87  
Certain Rules Applicable to Plans                   
  Designed to Comply with Section 404(c)            
  of ERISA                                      88  
PART 11:INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS              PAGE 89
APPENDIX I: AN EXAMPLE OF EQUI-VEST                 
  MARKET VALUE ADJUSTMENT                    PAGE 90
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION                 
 TABLE OF CONTENTS                           PAGE 91
HOW TO OBTAIN THE EQUI-VEST AND MOMENTUM            
  STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION        PAGE 91

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-----------------------------------------------------------------------------   
GENERAL TERMS       
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------   

In this prospectus, the terms "we," "our" and "us" mean The Equitable Life      
Assurance Society of the United States (EQUITABLE LIFE). The terms "you" and    
"your" refer to the Contract Owner for EQUI-VEST and either the Employer,       
Trustee or the Participant as indicated for MOMENTUM. Some of the terms         
described below may be called different names under EQUI-VEST and MOMENTUM.     
We have indicated those differences in the following descriptions and in        
those instances where the term is applicable only to EQUI-VEST the symbol EV    
will be used and in those instances where it is applicable only to MOMENTUM     
the symbol M will be used.                                                      

ACCUMULATION UNIT--Contributions that are invested in an Investment Fund        
purchase Accumulation Units in that Investment Fund. The "Accumulation Unit     
Value" is the dollar value of each Accumulation Unit in an Investment Fund on   
a given date.                                                                   

ACTIVE LOAN-M-The principal amount of any Participant plan loan that has        
neither been repaid nor deemed distributed under Section 72(p) of the Code.     

ANNUITANT/PARTICIPANT--EV--We use the term Annuitant in our Contracts and in    
our Certificates we use the term Participant. In either case, these terms       
mean the individual who is the measuring life for determining annuity           
benefits and generally the person who is entitled to receive those benefits.    
The person may, in certain cases, not be the Contract or Certificate Owner.     
The Annuitant or Participant will have the right to exercise rights under a     
Contract or Certificate only if that person is also the Contract or             
Certificate Owner. Throughout this prospectus, we will use the term             
"Annuitant" to refer to both Annuitants and Participants.                       

ANNUITY ACCOUNT VALUE--EV--The sum of the amounts in the Investment Options     
under your Contract, plus the amount of any loan reserve account (including     
accrued interest). The sum of the amounts in the Investment Options on any      
Business Day equals (1) the value of your Investment Funds on that date, (2)    
the value in the Guaranteed Interest Account on that date plus (3) the sum of   
your Market Adjusted Amounts in the Fixed Maturity Periods on that date. See    
"Annuity Account Value" in Part 6.                                              

BUSINESS DAY--Generally, 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 and also on 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. For the purpose of determining the Transaction Date,      
our Business Day ends at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time or the closing of the New       
York Stock Exchange, if earlier.                                                

CASH VALUE--EV--The Annuity Account Value minus any applicable withdrawal       
charges and minus any outstanding loan (including accrued interest).            

CASH VALUE--M--The Retirement Account Value minus any applicable withdrawal     
charges.                                                                        

CODE--The Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.                            

CONTRACT/CERTIFICATE--EV--When EQUI-VEST is offered under a group Contract, the 
document provided to participating individuals is called a Certificate rather   
than a Contract. When EQUI-VEST is offered on an individual basis, the          
document provided is a Contract. Throughout this prospectus, we will use the    
term "Contract" to refer to both Contracts and Certificates.                    

CONTRACT DATE/PARTICIPATION DATE--EV--We use the term Contract Date in our      
Contracts and in our Certificates we use the term Participation Date. In        
either case, this is the Business Day we receive at our Processing Office,      
the properly completed and signed application form for your Contract, any       
other required documentation and a contribution (unless payment is being made   
through your employer). Throughout this prospectus, we will use the term        
"Contract Date" to refer to both the Contract Date and Participation Date.      

CONTRACT OWNER/CERTIFICATE OWNER--EV--The Annuitant, employer, trustee or other 
party, whichever owns the Contract or Certificate. References to "Contracts"    
and "Contract Owners" in this prospectus include the Certificates and their     
Certificate Owners. Throughout this prospectus, we will use the term            
"Contract Owner" to refer to both the Contract Owner and Certificate Owner.     

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CONTRACT YEAR/PARTICIPATION YEAR--EV--We use the term Contract Year in our      
Contracts and in our Certificates we use the term Participation Year. In        
either case, this is the 12-month period beginning on either your Contract      
Date or each anniversary of that date. Throughout this prospectus, we will      
use the term "Contract Year" to refer to both Contract Year and Participation   
Year.                                                                           

CURRENT TOTAL ACCOUNT BALANCE--EV--The sum of the amounts in your Investment    
Funds and your Guaranteed Interest Account, plus the total Book Value of all    
of your Fixed Maturity Periods.                                                 

DEFAULT OPTION--M--The Money Market Fund, if that Fund is selected by the       
Employer or Plan Trustee as a funding option under the plan. Otherwise, the     
Guaranteed Interest Account. For Original Certificates, the Guaranteed          
Interest Account is the Default Option.                                         

EMPLOYER--M--An employer who has sponsored a defined contribution plan that     
participates in the MOMENTUM Program through either the Master Plan and Trust   
or the Pooled Trust.                                                            

ERISA--The Employee Retirement Income Securities Act of 1974, as amended.       

EXPIRATION DATE--EV--The date on which a Fixed Maturity Period ends.            

FIXED MATURITY ACCOUNT--EV--The Account that contains the Fixed Maturity        
Periods. The Fixed Maturity Account is referred to as the "Guaranteed Period    
Account" in the Contracts.                                                      

FIXED MATURITY PERIOD (PERIODS)--EV--Any of the periods of time ending on an    
Expiration Date that are available for investment under the Series 400          
Contracts. Fixed Maturity Periods are referred to as "Guarantee Periods" in     
the Contracts.                                                                  

GUARANTEED INTEREST ACCOUNT--The Investment Option that pays interest at        
guaranteed fixed rates and is part of our general account. The Guaranteed       
Interest Account is referred to as "Guaranteed Interest Division" in some       
EQUI-VEST Certificates.                                                         

INVESTMENT FUNDS--In some EQUI-VEST contracts and in the MOMENTUM Contract,     
the Investment Funds are referred to as Investment Divisions. For EQUI-VEST     
we use the term Investment Funds in our Contracts, and in our Certificates we   
use the term Investment Divisions. These are the thirteen variable investment   
funds of the Separate Account. Throughout this prospectus, we will use the      
term "Investment Funds" to refer to both Investment Funds and Investment        
Divisions.                                                                      

INVESTMENT OPTIONS--The choices for investment of contributions: the thirteen   
Investment Funds, the Guaranteed Interest Account, and for EQUI-VEST, each      
available Fixed Maturity Period.                                                

MASTER PLAN AND TRUST--M--A defined contribution master plan and trust          
sponsored by Equitable Life.                                                    

MATURITY AMOUNT--EV--The amount in a Fixed Maturity Period on its Expiration    
Date. The Maturity Amount is referred to as the "Maturity Value" in the         
Contracts.                                                                      

MAXIMUM FUND CHOICE--EV--One of two methods for selecting Investment            
Options--Allows the Contract Owner to allocate contributions to any             
Investment Fund, the Guaranteed Interest Account and (for Owners of Series      
400 Contracts only) the Fixed Maturity Account. This election will result in    
restrictions in the amount you can transfer out of the Guaranteed Interest      
Account.                                                                        

MAXIMUM TRANSFER FLEXIBILITY--EV--One of two methods for selecting Investment   
Options--Allows the Contract Owner to allocate contributions to the Balanced,   
Growth & Income, Equity Index, Common Stock, Global, International,             
Aggressive Stock and Growth Investors Funds only and to the Guaranteed          
Interest Account, with no transfer restrictions in the amount you can           
transfer out of the Guaranteed Interest Account.                                

ORIGINAL CONTRACTS/CERTIFICATES--EQUI-VEST Contracts and MOMENTUM               
Certificates under which the EQUI-VEST Contract Owner or the MOMENTUM           
Employer has not elected to add Intermediate Government Securities, Quality     
Bond, High Yield, Growth & Income, Equity Index, Global, International,         
Conservative Investors and Growth Investors Investment Funds as Investment      
Options. These Contracts/Certificates:                                          

o     permit investment in only the Guaranteed Interest Account and the Money   
Market, Balanced, Common Stock and Aggressive Stock Funds and       

o     prohibit transfers into the Money Market Fund.                            

PARTICIPANT--An individual who participates in an Employer's plan funded by     
either an EQUI-VEST or the MOMENTUM Contract.                                   

PARTICIPATION DATE--M--The Business Day we receive your properly completed and  
signed enrollment form at our Processing Office or the date we receive the      
first contribution made on your behalf, if earlier. For Participants in plans   
that converted to MOMENTUM from our EQUI-VEST Corporate Trusteed Contract,      
the Participation Date is the same Participation Date as in the EQUI-VEST       
Corporate                                                                       

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Trusteed Certificate relating to that Participant. If more than one EQUI-VEST   
Corporate Trusteed Certificate is in force with respect to a Participant,       
then the Participation Date will be the earliest Participation Date.            

PARTICIPATION YEAR--M--The 12-month period beginning on either your             
Participation Date or each anniversary of that date.                            

PLAN TRUSTEE--M--A trustee or trustees for an Employer's individually-designed  
or prototype defined contribution plan.                                         

POOLED TRUST--M--The Pooled Trust for Members Retirement Plans of The Equitable 
Life Assurance Society of the United States.                                    

PORTFOLIOS--The portfolios of the Hudson River Trust that correspond to the     
Investment Funds of the Separate Account.                                       

PROCESSING OFFICE--The office to which all contributions, written requests or   
other written communications must be sent. See "Services We Provide" in Part 1. 

RATE TO MATURITY--EV--The interest rate established for each Business Day for   
each Fixed Maturity Period. Rates to Maturity are referred to as "Guaranteed    
Rates" in the Contracts.                                                        

RETIREMENT ACCOUNT VALUE--M--The sum of the amounts that a Participant has in   
the Investment Options under the MOMENTUM Contract.                             

SAI--The EQUI-VEST and MOMENTUM Statement of Additional Information.            

SEPARATE ACCOUNT--Our Separate Account A.                                       

SOURCE--M--The source of a contribution. There are six potential sources: (i)   
employer, (ii) post-tax, (iii) prior plan, (iv) qualified non-elective and      
qualified matching, (v) salary deferral, and (vi) matching contributions. A     
detailed description of these Sources is contained in the SAI.                  

SUCCESSOR ANNUITANT AND OWNER--EV--The individual who upon the death of the     
Annuitant and Owner succeeds as the Annuitant and Owner of the Contract. You    
can designate a Successor Annuitant and Owner under Series 300 and 400          
Contracts if the following conditions are met: (1) you are both Annuitant and   
Owner and (2) you name your spouse as the sole beneficiary.                     

SUCCESSOR OWNER--EV--The individual who upon your death will succeed you as     
Owner of your Contract. A Successor Owner can be designated under Series 300    
and 400 Contracts.                                                              

TRANSACTION DATE--The Business Day we receive a contribution or acceptable      
written or telephone transaction request providing the information we need at   
our Processing Office. If your contribution or request is not accompanied by    
complete information or is mailed to the wrong address, the Transaction Date    
will be the date we receive such complete information at our Processing         
Office. If your contribution or request reaches our Processing Office on a      
non-Business Day, or after the close of the Business Day, the Transaction       
Date will be the next following Business Day--unless under certain              
circumstances, a future date certain is specified in the request.               

THE TRUST--The Hudson River Trust, a mutual fund in which the assets of         
Separate Account A are invested.                                                

VALUATION PERIOD--Each Business Day together with any consecutive preceding     
non-Business Day(s).                                                            

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------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
     PART 1: SUMMARY
------------------------------------------------------------------------------  

The following Summary is qualified in its entirety by more detailed             
information appearing elsewhere in the prospectus (see "Prospectus Table of     
Contents" on page 3) and the terms of applicable Contracts. Please be sure to   
read the prospectus in its entirety.                                            

EQUITABLE LIFE                                                                  

EQUITABLE LIFE is a New York stock life insurance company that has been in      
business since 1859. For more than 100 years we have been among the largest     
life insurance companies in the United States. Equitable Life has been          
selling annuities since the turn of the century. Our Home Office is located     
at 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019. We are authorized to sell      
life insurance and annuities in all fifty states, the District of Columbia,     
Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. We maintain local offices throughout the    
United States.                                                                  

Equitable Life is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Equitable Companies          
Incorporated (the "Holding Company"). The largest stockholder of the Holding    
Company is AXA S.A. AXA beneficially owns 60.6% of the outstanding shares of    
common stock of the Holding Company plus convertible preferred stock. Under     
its investment arrangements with Equitable Life and the Holding Company, AXA    
is able to exercise significant influence over the operations and capital       
structure of the Holding Company and its subsidiaries, including Equitable      
Life. AXA, a French company, is the holding company for an international        
group of insurance and related financial service companies.                     

Equitable Life, the Holding Company and their subsidiaries managed              
approximately $195.3 billion of assets as of December 31, 1995, including       
third party assets of approximately $144.4 billion. We are one of the           
nation's leading pension fund managers. These assets are primarily managed      
for retirement and annuity programs for businesses, tax-exempt organizations    
and individuals. This broad customer base includes nearly half the Fortune      
100, more than 42,000 small businesses, state and local retirement funds in     
more than half the 50 states, approximately 250,000 employees of educational    
and non- profit institutions, as well as nearly 500,000 individuals. Millions   
of Americans are covered by Equitable Life's annuity, life and pension          
contracts.                                                                      

TYPES OF RETIREMENT PROGRAMS                                                    

EQUI-VEST and MOMENTUM are designed to meet the retirement savings needs of     
individuals and those working for businesses and other organizations.           

EQUI-VEST PERSONAL RETIREMENT PROGRAMS:                                         

o     IRA                                                                       
An individual retirement annuity (IRA) for both deductible and      
non-deductible IRA contributions made by an individual. The Contract
Owner must also be the Annuitant.                                   

o     QP IRA                                                                    
An IRA for rollover distributions only (QP IRA) (generally from     
qualified plans or tax-sheltered annuities). The Contract Owner must
also be the Annuitant. References to IRA may include QP IRA.        

o     NQ                                                                        
An annuity generally for after-tax or non-qualified (NQ) dollars    
    contributed by or on behalf of an individual. The Annuitant and Contract
Owner need not be the same.                                         

EQUI-VEST EMPLOYER SPONSORED RETIREMENT PROGRAMS:                               

o     SEP and SARSEP                                                            
 An IRA Contract used to fund a simplified employee pension plan (SEP)
sponsored by sole proprietorships, partnerships or corporations.    
Contributions are made directly by the employer, at the employer's  
 expense or under a salary reduction program (SARSEP) which permits an
   employer to reduce an employee's compensation for the purpose of making
contributions. Each individual employee covered by the SEP is the   
  Contract Owner of the IRA set up on his or her behalf and must also be
  the Annuitant. Unless otherwise noted, all references to SEP Contracts
include SARSEP arrangements.                                        

o     UNINCORPORATED TRUSTEED                                                   
Trustee-owned Contracts used to fund qualified defined contribution 
plans of employers who are sole proprietorships, partnerships or    
business trusts. These plans are known as "HR-10" or "Keogh" plans. 
   Contributions are made by the employer for the benefit of employees who
    become Annuitants under the Contract. We do not act as trustee for these
plans, so the employer must select a trustee.                       

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o     TSA                                                                       
    A Code section 403(b) tax-sheltered annuity (TSA) for public schools and
    nonprofit entities organized under Code section 501(c)(3). Contributions
  are made by the employer either directly or through a salary reduction
   agreement entered into with the employee. Each employee is the Contract
Owner and must also be the Annuitant.                               

O     UNIVERSITY TSA                                                            
    A TSA, originally designed to meet the needs of restricted plans of some
   universities, may be used for any TSA plan that prohibits loans and has
 additional restrictions not found in the basic TSA. Contributions are
made by the employer either directly or through a salary reduction  
   agreement entered into with the employee. Each employee is the Contract
    Owner and must also be the Annuitant. Unless otherwise noted, references
to TSA Contracts include University TSAs.                           

o     EDC                                                                       
  Contracts used to fund Code section 457 employee deferred compensation
(EDC) plans of state and municipal governments and other tax-exempt 
  organizations. Contributions are made by the employer on behalf of the
employee generally pursuant to a salary reduction agreement. The    
 employer is the Contract Owner but the employee is the Annuitant. The
    EDC program currently is not available for state or municipal government
plans in Texas.                                                     

o     PAYROLL DEDUCTION IRA AND NQ                                              
Contributions are remitted by the employer on behalf of the employee
through a payroll deduction program.                                

In the past, EQUI-VEST was available to fund (i) Corporate Trusteed plans       
where the employer was a corporation, and (ii) HR-10 (Keogh) plans where the    
Contracts were owned by the Annuitants themselves (Annuitant-Owned HR-10),      
rather than by a trustee. Although we still issue such Corporate Trusteed and   
Annuitant-Owned HR-10 Contracts to employees whose employer's plans enrolled    
on this basis, plans of this type are no longer available under EQUI- VEST to   
new employer groups. New employers will be offered our MOMENTUM Program.        

Later in this prospectus we refer to program features which are specific to     
particular types of retirement programs. Under some employer-sponsored plans,   
the availability of certain features may be limited. Employers can provide      
more detail about such plans.                                                   

Only NQ and Trusteed Contracts may be sold in Puerto Rico.                      

THE MOMENTUM PROGRAM:                                                           

o     POOLED TRUST                                                              
A funding vehicle used in connection with an Employer's qualified   
defined contribution plan and trust.                                

o     MASTER TRUST                                                              
A funding vehicle used in connection only with the Master Plan, an  
   IRS-approved master defined contribution plan, in which case the Master
Trust will be the sole funding vehicle for the Employer's plan.     

The Employer or Plan Trustee, as applicable, is responsible for determining     
whether the MOMENTUM Contract is a suitable funding vehicle for its defined     
contribution plan and should, therefore, carefully read this prospectus and     
the MOMENTUM Contract before entering into the contract.                        

INVESTMENT OPTIONS                                                              

The following Investment Options are offered: The Guaranteed Interest           
Account, and thirteen Investment Funds (Money Market, Intermediate Government   
Securities, Quality Bond, High Yield, Growth & Income, Equity Index, Common     
Stock, Global, International, Aggressive Stock and the Asset Allocation         
Series: Conservative Investors, Balanced and Growth Investors). Each            
Investment Fund invests in shares of a corresponding Portfolio of the Trust.    
The attached Trust prospectus describes the investment objectives and           
policies of the Portfolios available to Contract Owners. Also, for EQUI-VEST    
only, subject to state regulatory approval, Fixed Maturity Periods are          
available under Series 400 Contracts.                                           

If an employer's plan is intended to comply with the requirements of ERISA      
Section 404(c), the Employer or the Plan Trustee is responsible for making      
sure that the Investment Options chosen constitute a broad range of             
investment choices as required by the Department of Labor's (DOL) regulation    
under ERISA Section 404(c). See "Certain Rules Applicable to Plans Designed     
to Comply with Section 404(c) of ERISA" in Part 10.                             

Educational information about investing which may be useful for Participants    
is contained in "Part 13: Key Factors in Retirement Planning" in the SAI. The   
SAI is available free of charge by calling (EQUI-VEST) 1-800-628-6673 or        
(MOMENTUM) 1-800-528-0204.                                                      

SELECTING INVESTMENT OPTIONS                                                    

Under EQUI-VEST Trusteed Contracts and under the MOMENTUM Program, the          
Employer or Plan Trustee will choose the investment options available           

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to the Participant. Under all other Contracts, the Contract Owner makes that    
choice. If any of the Options listed below are selected, there will be          
restrictions on the amount you can transfer out of the Guaranteed Interest      
Account. Additionally, if you are participating through your Employer's plan    
and your employer makes any of these Options available to you, whether or not   
you select them, you will be subject to such restrictions. The Options that     
result in restrictions are: Conservative Investors, Money Market,               
Intermediate Government Securities, Quality Bond, High Yield and, for           
EQUI-VEST, the Fixed Maturity Periods.                                          

EQUI-VEST and MOMENTUM Original Contracts and Certificates limit you to only    
the Guaranteed Interest Account and the Money Market, Balanced, Common Stock    
and Aggressive Stock Funds.                                                     

CONTRIBUTIONS                                                                   

Generally, for EQUI-VEST, contributions may be made at any time: in single      
sum amounts, on a regular basis or as your financial situation permits. For     
some types of retirement plans, contributions must be made by the employer.     
Different minimum contribution limits apply to different EQUI-VEST Contracts.   

MOMENTUM contributions may be made at any time and may be made only by the      
Employer or Plan Trustee by either wire transfer or check. Participants         
should not send contributions directly to Equitable Life. There is no minimum   
contribution.                                                                   

MOMENTUM and EQUI-VEST contributions are credited as of the Transaction Date,   
if they are accompanied by properly completed forms. Failure to use the         
proper form, or to complete the form properly, may result in a delay in         
crediting contributions. All contributions made by check must be drawn on a     
bank in the U.S., in U.S. dollars and made payable to Equitable Life. All       
checks are accepted subject to collection. Under the MOMENTUM Program and       
EQUI-VEST Trusteed Contracts, either you or the Plan Trustee, or both, as       
applicable, must instruct us to allocate contributions to one or several        
Investment Options that are available under your Employer's plan.               

Under all other EQUI-VEST Contracts, you, as Owner, may instruct us to          
allocate your contributions to one or several Investment Options.               

Allocation percentages must be in whole numbers and the sum must equal 100%.    
Contributions made to an Investment Fund purchase Accumulation Units in that    
Investment Fund.                                                                

TRANSFERS                                                                       

Under the MOMENTUM Program and EQUI-VEST Trusteed Contracts, either the         
Participant or the Plan Trustee, or both as applicable, may direct us to        
transfer among the investment options. Under other EQUI-VEST Contracts, you     
may make such transfers. There is no charge for these transfers. If you have    
an Original Contract, restrictions will apply to transfers into the Money       
Market Fund from any of the other Investment Options. Minimum transfer          
amounts may apply.                                                              

SERVICES WE PROVIDE                                                             

Your Equitable Life Agent can help you with any questions you have. In          
addition, there are a number of services designed to keep you informed.         

REGULAR REPORTS                                                                 

We currently provide written confirmation of every financial transaction,       
and:                                                                            

o      Annual statement                                                       

o      Semi-annual statement of account                                       
(MOMENTUM only)                                                 

o      Statement as of the last day of the Contract Year (EQUI-VEST only)     

We reserve the right to change the frequency of these reports.                  

ADDITIONAL SERVICES                                                             

Materials and seminars of an educational nature to assist retirement planning   
needs of Participants can be arranged through your Equitable Life Agent. Your   
Equitable Life Agent can also schedule retirement planning workshops to         
facilitate plan enrollment periods.                                             

TELEPHONE OPERATED                                                              
PLAN/POLICY SUPPORT (TOPS) SYSTEM                                               

TOPS is designed to provide up-to-date information via touch-tone telephone.    
TOPS is available under all EQUI-VEST Contracts, but in certain plans, the      
use of TOPS may be limited by the plan provisions. Under MOMENTUM, TOPS is      
available only if your Employer has elected this service. Use TOPS:             

o     for current Annuity or Retirement Account Value;                          

o     for current allocation percentages;                                       

o     for the number of units held in the Investment Funds under your account;  
or                                                                  

o     to change your allocation percentages and transfer money among the        
Investment Funds and the Guaranteed Interest Account.               

o     to elect Investment Simplifier (EQUI-VEST only)                           

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A special code number is required to use TOPS. We have established procedures   
that are considered to be reasonable and are designed to confirm that           
instructions communicated by telephone are genuine. Such procedures include     
requiring certain personal identification information prior to acting on        
telephone instructions and providing written confirmation of instructions       
communicated by telephone. If we do not employ reasonable procedures to         
confirm that instructions communicated by telephone are genuine, we may be      
liable for any losses arising out of any action on our part or any failure or   
omission to act as a result of our own negligence, lack of good faith, or       
willful misconduct. In light of the procedures established, we will not be      
liable for following telephone instructions that we reasonably believe to be    
genuine. We reserve the right to terminate or modify any telephone or           
automated transfer/withdrawal service we provide upon 90 days written           
notice.                                                                         

A toll-free number is available, and local TOPS telephone numbers will be       
provided. TOPS is available daily, 24 hours a day for EQUI-VEST and from 8:00   
a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time every Business Day for MOMENTUM. Transfers       
made after 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on a Business Day or on a non-Business Day    
are not processed until the following Business Day.                             

TOLL-FREE TELEPHONE SERVICES                                                    

We maintain toll-free numbers for your convenience. See the charts below.       

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION                                                           

All items received at the proper address prior to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on a   
Business Day will be effective on the same Business Day. Written requests       
will be processed as of the date a properly completed request is received at    
our Processing Office.                                                          

WHERE TO REACH US                                                               

EQUI-VEST   

                                                        [Enlarge/Download Table]

                                                                      CONTRIBUTIONS:                                            
                                                                      FOR EDC, TSA, TRUSTEED,                                   
            FOR ALL WRITTEN REQUESTS            CONTRIBUTIONS:        ANNUITANT OWNED HR-10,                                    
            AND COMMUNICATIONS (OTHER           FOR IRA & NQ OWNERS   SEP AND                           LOAN REPAYMENTS:        
            THAN CONTRIBUTIONS AND              WHO CONTRIBUTE        IRA AND NQ WHEN CONTRIBUTIONS     FOR TSA AND CORPORATE   
            LOAN REPAYMENTS                     INDIVIDUALLY          ARE REMITTED BY THE EMPLOYER      TRUSTEED LOAN REPAYMENTS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
                                                                                                                                
REGULAR     Individual Annuity Center           Equitable Life        Equitable Life                    Equitable Life Loan     
 MAIL       Equitable Life                      EQUI-VEST Individual  EQUI-VEST Unit Annuity             Repayment IAC Lockbox  
            Post Office Box 2996                 Annuity Collections   Collections                      Post Office Box 13496   
            New York, NY 10116-2996             Post Office Box 13459 Post Office Box 13463             Newark, NJ 07188-0496   
                                                Newark, NJ 07188-0459 Newark, NJ 07188-0463                                     

EXPRESS     Individual Annuity Center           Equitable Life        Equitable Life                          N/A               
 MAIL       Equitable Life*                     c/o First Chicago     c/o First Chicago National                                
            2 Penn Plaza, 5th Floor              National Processing   Processing Center                                        
            New York, NY 10121                   Center, 3rd Floor     300 Harmon Meadow                                        
                                                 300 Harmon Meadow     Boulevard, 3rd Floor                                     
                                                 Secaucus, NJ 07094    Secaucus, NJ 07094                                       
                                                 Attn: Box 13459       Attn: Box 13463                                          

TOPS                                     1-800-755-7777                                                                         
                                         Note: Your subscriber number is 777700000                                              
DAILY UNIT VALUE                         1-800-841-0801                                                                         
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES         1-800-628-6673                                                                         

(AVAILABLE 8:30 A.M.-7:00 P.M, EASTERN                                                                                          
TIME, ON EACH BUSINESS DAY                                                                                                      


*  Effective on or about July 1, 1996, Equitable intends to relocate this 
office to 200 Plaza Drive, 2nd Floor, Secaucus, N.J. 07094.         

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MOMENTUM  

                                                        [Enlarge/Download Table]

             FOR PAYMENTS (E.G., CONTRIBUTIONS, LOAN       FOR ALL OTHER COMMUNICATIONS (E.G.,                
             PAYMENTS, ETC.)                               REQUESTS FOR TRANSFERS, WITHDRAWALS)               
-----------  --------------------------------------------  ---------------------------------------            
                                                                                                              
REGULAR      Equitable Life MOMENTUM Administrative        MOMENTUM Administrative Services P.O.              
 MAIL        Services P.O. Box 13629 Newark, NJ            Box 2919 New York, NY 10116                        
             07188-0629                                                                                       
EXPRESS      First Chicago National Processing Center 300  MOMENTUM Administrative Services 200               
 MAIL        Harmon Meadow Boulevard, 3rd Floor Secaucus,  Plaza Drive Harmon Meadow Secaucus, NJ             
             NJ 07094 Attention: MOMENTUM 13629            07094                                              
TOPS----------------------------------------------1-800-821-7777--------------------------------------------- 
             Note: Your subscriber number is 66644. For Original Certificates, the subscriber number is 66633.
DAILY UNIT VALUE-----------------------------------Call TOPS or Telephone Consultants------------------------ 
TELEPHONE CONSULTANTS------------------------------1-800-528-0204-------------------------------------------  
 (AVAILABLE 8:30 A.M.-7:00 P.M.,                                                                              
 EASTERN TIME, ON EACH BUSINESS DAY)                                                                          
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------            

DISTRIBUTION OPTIONS AND                                                        
DEATH BENEFITS                                                                  

Not all of the options described below may be available to MOMENTUM             
Participants. The selection of options depends on the terms of each Employer    
plan. EQUI-VEST Contracts and the MOMENTUM Program provide several different    
types of distribution options, including:                                       

o     fixed and variable annuities;                                             

o     lump sum payments;                                                        

o     partial withdrawals;                                                      

o     required minimum distributions;                                           

o     payments for a specific period of time.                                   

o     our Systematic Withdrawal option under EQUI-VEST (not available for       
amounts allocated to the Fixed Maturity Account);                   

Under EQUI-VEST, there is a death benefit if the Annuitant dies before an       
annuity payout begins. The beneficiary will be paid the greater of the          
Annuity Account Value minus any outstanding loan balance (including accrued     
interest) or the minimum death benefit. Under MOMENTUM, if a participant dies   
before distributions begin, the MOMENTUM Contract provides a death benefit.     
The beneficiary will be paid the greater of the Participant's Retirement        
Account Value or the minimum death benefit. The minimum death benefit will      
not be less than the total contributions adjusted for total withdrawals and     
any applicable taxes, and, for EQUI-VEST, less any outstanding loan balance     
(including accrued interest).                                                   

SPDA VARIABLE DISTRIBUTION OPTION                                               

In addition to offering a variable annuity distri-bution option to              
participants in EQUI-VEST and MOMENTUM, we also make the variable annuity       
distribution option described in Part 6 under "Distribution Options: Fixed      
and Variable Annuity Forms" available to owners of Equitable Life's single      
premium deferred annuity (SPDA) contracts. SPDA contractholders who are         
considering purchasing a variable distribution option should review the         
section on Distribution Options in Part 6, "Part 2: Separate Account A and      
its Investment Funds," "Part 3: Investment Performance," the Hudson River       
Trust prospectus (beginning after page 91 of this prospectus) and the           
sections of the Statement of Additional Information which discuss the           
variable annuity distribution option.                                           

WITHDRAWALS AND TERMINATION                                                     

Premature withdrawals or contract terminations (generally prior to age          
59 1/2), may be restricted and subject to an early withdrawal Federal income tax
penalty. See "Part 10: Federal Tax and ERISA Matters."                          

Subject to income tax rules and the provisions of any applicable employer       
plan, you may withdraw funds at any time by completing and submitting a         
proper form. This form is available from your Agent or from our Processing      
Office. Withdrawals may be subject to a minimum amount or to a contingent       
withdrawal charge. Under EQUI-VEST, withdrawals from Fixed Maturity Periods     
prior to their Expiration Dates will result in a market value adjustment.       

The MOMENTUM Contract also permits the Employer or Plan Trustee to terminate    
the Employer's plan's participation under the Contract at any time. Equitable   
Life has also reserved the right to terminate the Contract if we learn that     
the Employer's plan fails to qualify under the Code or if the Employer fails    
to provide the Participant information necessary to administer the Contract.    
Withdrawals due to plan termination may also result in a contingent             
withdrawal charge.                                                              

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LOANS                                                                           

The MOMENTUM Contract permits your Employer to withdraw funds from your         
Retirement Account Value, without incurring a contingent withdrawal charge,     
in order to make a loan to a Participant under the Employer's plan. See         
"Loans" in Part 7 for a description of loan procedures and rules and            
"Deductions and Charges" in Part 8 for a description of charges associated      
with plan loans.                                                                

A plan loan under the MOMENTUM Program will be in default if the amount of      
any scheduled repayment is not received by us within 90 days of its due date,   
or if the Participant dies or participation under the MOMENTUM Contract is      
terminated. We will then treat the outstanding loan principal as a withdrawal   
subject to the contingent withdrawal charge.                                    

Certain EQUI-VEST Contracts also permit loans without incurring a contingent    
withdrawal charge on undefaulted loan amounts. Such loans will be               
administered in accordance with proposed regulations, if applicable. See        
"Loans" in Part 6 for more information.                                         

TAXES                                                                           

Generally, any earnings attributable to your Annuity Account Value or to your   
Retirement Account Value will not be included in your taxable income until      
distributions are made. See "Part 10: Federal Tax and ERISA Matters."           

DEDUCTIONS AND CHARGES                                                          

Keep in mind that these programs are designed for retirement savings and        
long-range financial planning; certain charges will not apply unless you make   
early withdrawals from your Contract.                                           

Following is a summary of the different types of deductions and charges which   
may be applicable.                                                              

O     CHARGE TO INVESTMENT FUNDS--We make a daily charge for certain expenses   
    of the Contract. It covers death benefits, mortality risks, expenses and
   expense risks. The daily Accumulation Unit Value is quoted net of these
 charges. These charges will vary by Contract, and are at a maximum of
1.35% (effective annual rate) for the Intermediate Government       
Securities, Quality Bond, High Yield, Growth & Income, Equity Index,
Global, International, Aggressive Stock, Conservative Investors and 
  Growth Investors Funds and 1.49% (effective annual rate) for the Money
  Market, Common Stock and Balanced Funds. Further, EQUI-VEST Series 100
  and 200 Contracts and the MOMENTUM Contract impose an overall limit of
    1.75% on total Separate Account and Trust expenses for the Money Market,
Common Stock, Aggressive Stock and Balanced Funds.                  

O     TRUST CHARGES TO PORTFOLIOS--Investment advisory fees and other expenses  
    of the Trust are charged daily against the Trust's assets. These charges
are reflected in the Portfolio's daily share price and in the daily 
Accumulation Unit Value for the Investment Funds.                   

O     ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGES--The administrative charge is currently at a       
maximum of $30 a year but may be less under different contracts.    

For EQUI-VEST, the charge is deducted each Contract Year from your  
   Annuity Account Value in the Guaranteed Interest Account and Investment
Funds and, in certain cases, from the Fixed Maturity Periods.       

For MOMENTUM, the charge is deducted pro rata from your Retirement  
  Account Value on the last Business Day of each calendar quarter. Under
most contracts, we reserve the right to increase this charge if our 
administrative costs increase. Employers under the MOMENTUM Contract
have the option of being billed directly for this charge.           

O     CHARGES FOR STATE PREMIUM AND OTHER APPLICABLE TAXES--Generally, charges  
    for state premium taxes and other applicable taxes, if any, are deducted
  when an annuity payment option is elected. The current tax charge that
 might be imposed varies by state and ranges from 0% to 3.5%; however,
the rate is 1% in Puerto Rico and 5% in the Virgin Islands.         

O     CONTINGENT WITHDRAWAL CHARGE--If you terminate your participation under   
  a contract or make a partial withdrawal, your Annuity Account Value or
   Retirement Account Value, as applicable, may be subject to a contingent
withdrawal charge that will be used to cover sales and promotional  
 expenses. This charge will not exceed 6% of the amount withdrawn. The
amount withdrawn includes the amount you request and the withdrawal 
charge. Important exceptions and limitations eliminate or reduce the
contingent withdrawal charge.                                       

O     CHARGE ON THIRD PARTY TRANSFER OR EXCHANGE UNDER EQUI-VEST                
CONTRACTS--You may instruct us to make a direct transfer to a third 
  party of amounts under your Contract, or request that your Contract be
    exchanged for another contract or certificate issued by another carrier.
    Certain Contracts permit us to deduct a charge of $25 per occurrence for
such transfers or exchanges.                                        

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O     PLAN LOAN CHARGES UNDER MOMENTUM Program--A $25 set-up fee will be        
  deducted from your Retirement Account Value at the time a plan loan is
made. Also, we will deduct a loan recordkeeping fee of $6 from your 
Retirement Account Value on the last Business Day of each calendar  
    quarter if there is an Active Loan on that date. We reserve the right to
increase these administrative charges if our costs increase. Your   
    Employer may elect to pay these fees. See "Plan Loan Charges" in Part 8.

O     CHARGE FOR PLAN RECORDKEEPING SERVIES UNDER MOMENTUM Program--Equitable   
    Life offers two plan recordkeeping options, one of which must be elected
for each plan. The annual charge for basic recordkeeping is $300 per
plan and is billed directly to the Employer. The full service       
   recordkeeping option is available only for plans that satisfy Equitable
Life's underwriting requirements. Fees for the full service         
recordkeeping option are defined in the plan recordkeeping services 
agreement which is required for all plans that elect this option. We
reserve the right to increase these charges. See "Charge for Plan   
Recordkeeping Services" in Part 8.                                  

DEFERRED VARIABLE ANNUITIES                                                     

EQUI-VEST is a series of deferred variable annuity contracts. The MOMENTUM      
Program is offered under a group variable annuity contract. Variable            
annuities are designed for retirement savings and long-range financial          
planning. Contributions accumulate on a Federal income tax deferred basis and   
at a future date you can receive a stream of periodic payments. Tax deferral    
is one of the advantages of an annuity over many other kinds of investments.    
In addition, annuities offer individuals the opportunity to receive an          
assured stream of payments for life.                                            

Under Federal tax law, an individual, employer or trustee may, subject to       
various limits, purchase an annuity to fund a tax-favored retirement program,   
such as an IRA or qualified retirement plan. In many cases, the individual or   
employer makes contributions to the tax-favored retirement program with         
pre-tax dollars. Alternatively, annuities may be purchased with after-tax       
dollars by individuals who wish to create additional retirement savings.        

There are a variety of payout options at retirement, including a lump sum and   
a variety of investment choices while your contributions are accumulating.      

10-DAY FREE LOOK FOR EQUI-VEST                                                  

You have the right to examine your EQUI-VEST Contract for a period of 10 days   
after you receive it, and to return it to us for a refund. You cancel it by     
sending it to our Processing Office. The free look is extended if your state    
requires a refund period of longer than 10 days. This right applies only to     
the initial owner of a Contract.                                                

For contributions allocated to Investment Funds, your refund will equal those   
contributions plus or minus any investment gain or loss through the date we     
receive your Contract at our Processing Office. Certain daily charges will      
also be automatically deducted. For contributions allocated to the Guaranteed   
Interest Account, the refund will equal the amount allocated to the             
Guaranteed Interest Account without interest. For contributions allocated to    
the Fixed Maturity Account, the refund will equal the amount of your            
contributions plus any crediting of interest, and plus or minus any market      
value adjustment. Some states or Federal income tax regulations may require     
that we calculate the refund differently. We follow these same procedures if    
you change your mind before a Contract has been issued, but after a             
contribution has been made.                                                     

In certain cases, there may be tax implications to cancelling your Contract     
during the 10-day free look period.                                             

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FEE TABLES AND EXAMPLES                                                         

The EQUI-VEST Contracts and the MOMENTUM Contract may differ in terms of the    
fees that are charged. One of the following four Tables will apply to you.      
These Tables, and the related Examples, will assist you in understanding the    
various costs and expenses under your EQUI-VEST Contract or the MOMENTUM        
Program so that you may compare them with other products. The Tables reflect    
expenses of both the Separate Account and the Trust for the year ended          
December 31, 1995.                                                              

As explained in Parts 4 and 5, the Guaranteed Interest Account and the          
EQUI-VEST Fixed Maturity Account are not a part of the Separate Account and     
are not covered by the Tables and Examples. The only expenses shown in the      
Tables which apply to the Guaranteed Interest Account and the Fixed Maturity    
Account are the Contingent Withdrawal Charge, the Annual Administrative         
Charge and the Third Party Transfer or Exchange Fee, if applicable. Also see    
"Income Annuity Distribution Options" in Part 6 for a description of charges    
under EQUI-VEST Income Annuities and "Distribution Options" and "Annuity        
Distribution Options" in Part 7 for a description of annuity options under      
the MOMENTUM Program and Part 8 for charges associated with some of those       
options.                                                                        

Certain expenses and fees shown in these Tables may not apply to you. To        
determine whether a particular item in a Table applies (and the actual          
amount, if any) consult the section of the prospectus for your EQUI-VEST        
Contract series or for MOMENTUM indicated in the notes to the Table. For a      
description of the different EQUI-VEST Series, see "Part 6: The EQUI-VEST       
Contract Series". A charge for applicable state or local taxes may be           
deducted from contributions in some states. See "Charges for State Premium      
and Other Applicable Taxes" in Part 8.                                          

TABLE 1: EQUI-VEST SERIES 100                                                   

Description of Expenses                                                         

                                                                [Download Table]

                                                 
CONTRACT OWNER TRANSACTION EXPENSES              
 SALES LOAD ON PURCHASES ................... NONE
 MAXIMUM CONTINGENT WITHDRAWAL CHARGE (1) .. 6%  
 MAXIMUM ANNUAL ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGE (2) .. $30 

                                                        [Enlarge/Download Table]

                                                   INTERMEDIATE                                               
                                        MONEY       GOVERNMENT     QUALITY                  GROWTH &    EQUITY
                                        MARKET      SECURITIES      BOND      HIGH YIELD     INCOME     INDEX 
                                     ----------  --------------  ---------  ------------  ----------  --------
                                                                                                              
MAXIMUM SEPARATE ACCOUNT AND TRUST                                                                            
 ANNUAL EXPENSE (3)                      1.75%   N/A             N/A        N/A           N/A         N/A     
  Separate Account Annual                                                                                     
  Expenses (4)                                                                                                
   Mortality and Expense Risk Fees        .65%     .50%           .50%       .50%          .50%        .50%   
   Other Expenses                         .84%     .84%           .84%       .84%          .84%        .84%   
                                     ----------  --------------  ---------  ------------  ----------  --------
    Total Separate Account Annual                                                                             
     Expenses                            1.49%(3) 1.34%          1.34%      1.34%         1.34%       1.34%   
  Trust Annual Expenses (4)                                                                                   
   Investment Advisory Fees              0.40%    0.50%          0.55%      0.55%         0.55%       0.35%   
   Other Expenses                        0.04%    0.07%          0.04%      0.05%         0.05%       0.13%   
                                     ----------  --------------  ---------  ------------  ----------  --------
    Total Trust Annual Expenses (5)      0.44%(3) 0.57%          0.59%      0.60%         0.60%       0.48%   

                                                        [Enlarge/Download Table]

                                        COMMON                                AGGRESSIVE    CONSERVATIVE                 GROWTH  
                                        STOCK      GLOBAL    INTERNATIONAL      STOCK        INVESTORS      BALANCED    INVESTORS

                                     ----------  --------  ---------------  ------------  --------------  ----------  -----------

                                                                                                                                 
MAXIMUM SEPARATE ACCOUNT AND                                                                                                     
 TRUST ANNUAL EXPENSE (3)                1.75%   N/A       N/A                   1.75%    N/A                 1.75%   N/A        
  Separate Account Annual Expenses                                                                                               
   (4)                                                                                                                           
   Mortality and Expense Risk Fees        .65%     .50%     .50%                   .50%    .50%                 .65%   .50%      
   Other Expenses                         .84%     .84%     .84%                   .84%    .84%                 .84%   .84%      
                                     ----------  --------  ---------------  ------------  --------------  ----------  -----------

    Total Separate Account Annual                                                                                                
     Expenses                            1.49%(3) 1.34%    1.34%                 1.34%(3) 1.34%               1.49%(3) 1.34%     
  Trust Annual Expenses (4)                                                                                                      
   Investment Advisory Fees              0.35%    0.53%    0.90%                 0.46%    0.55%               0.37%    0.52%     
   Other Expenses                        0.03%    0.08%    0.13%                 0.03%    0.04%               0.03%    0.04%     
                                     ----------  --------  ---------------  ------------  --------------  ----------  -----------

    Total Trust Annual Expenses (5)      0.38%(3) 0.61%    1.03%                 0.49%(3) 0.59%               0.40%(3) 0.56%     

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TABLE 2: EQUI-VEST SERIES 200                                                   

Description of Expenses                                                         

                                                                [Download Table]

                                                 
CONTRACT OWNER TRANSACTION EXPENSES              
 SALES LOAD ON PURCHASES ................... None
 MAXIMUM CONTINGENT WITHDRAWAL CHARGE (1) .. 6%  
 MAXIMUM ANNUAL ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGE (2) .. $30 

                                                        [Enlarge/Download Table]

                                                   INTERMEDIATE                                               
                                        MONEY       GOVERNMENT     QUALITY                  GROWTH &    EQUITY
                                        MARKET      SECURITIES      BOND      HIGH YIELD     INCOME     INDEX 
                                     ----------  --------------  ---------  ------------  ----------  --------
                                                                                                              
MAXIMUM SEPARATE ACCOUNT AND TRUST                                                                            
 ANNUAL EXPENSE (3)                      1.75%   N/A             N/A        N/A           N/A         N/A     
  Separate Account Annual Expenses                                                                            
   (4)                                                                                                        
   Mortality and Expense Risk Fees       1.15%   1.09%           1.09%      1.09%         1.09%       1.09%   
   Other Expenses                         .25%   .25%            .25%       .25%          .25%        .25%    
                                     ----------  --------------  ---------  ------------  ----------  --------
    Total Separate Account Annual                                                                             
     Expenses                            1.40%(3) 1.34%          1.34%      1.34%         1.34%       1.34%   
  Trust Annual Expenses (4)                                                                                   
   Investment Advisory Fees              0.40%   0.50%           0.55%      0.55%         0.55%       0.35%   
   Other Expenses                        0.04%   0.07%           0.04%      0.05%         0.05%       0.13%   
                                     ----------  --------------  ---------  ------------  ----------  --------
    Total Trust Annual Expenses (5)      0.44%(3) 0.57%          0.59%      0.60%         0.60%       0.48%   

                                                        [Enlarge/Download Table]

                                      COMMON                                AGGRESSIVE    CONSERVATIVE                 GROWTH  
                                      STOCK      GLOBAL    INTERNATIONAL      STOCK        INVESTORS      BALANCED    INVESTORS

                                   ----------  --------  ---------------  ------------  --------------  ----------  -----------

                                                                                                                               
MAXIMUM SEPARATE ACCOUNT AND                                                                                                   
 TRUST ANNUAL EXPENSE (3)              1.75%   N/A       N/A                   1.75%    N/A                 1.75%   N/A        
Separate Account Annual Expenses                                                                                               
 (4)                                                                                                                           
 Mortality and Expense Risk Fees       1.15%   1.09%     1.09%                 1.09%    1.09%               1.15%   1.09%      
 Other Expenses                         .25%   .25%      .25%                   .25%    .25%                 .25%   .25%       
                                   ----------  --------  ---------------  ------------  --------------  ----------  -----------

  Total Separate Account Annual                                                                                                
   Expenses                            1.40%(3) 1.34%    1.34%                 1.34%(3) 1.34%               1.40%(3) 1.34%     
Trust Annual Expenses (4)                                                                                                      
 Investment Advisory Fees              0.35%   0.53%     0.90%                 0.46%    0.55%               0.37%   0.52%      
 Other Expenses                        0.03%   0.08%     0.13%                 0.03%    0.04%               0.03%   0.04%      
                                   ----------  --------  ---------------  ------------  --------------  ----------  -----------

  Total Trust Annual Expenses (5)      0.38%(3) 0.61%    1.03%                 0.49%(3) 0.59%               0.40%(3) 0.56%     

------------                                                                    

Notes:                                                                    

(1) The contingent withdrawal charge is a percentage of specified         
contributions or amounts withdrawn, depending on the Contract.    
     Important exceptions and limitations eliminate or reduce the contingent
withdrawal charge. See "Contingent Withdrawal Charge" in Part 8.  

(2) Many Contracts are exempt from this charge. The Annual Administrative 
 Charge is the lesser of $30 or 2% of the Annuity Account Value. See
"Annual Administrative Charge" in Part 8.                         

 (3) The amounts shown in the Table under "Separate Account Annual Expenses"
    and "Hudson River Trust Annual Expenses," when added together, are not
  permitted to exceed a total annual rate of 1.75% of the value of the
 assets held in the Money Market, Common Stock, Aggressive Stock and
Balanced Funds. For Series 100 Contracts, without this expense    
  limitation, total Separate Account Annual Expenses plus Trust Annual
  Expenses for 1995 would have been 1.93%, 1.87%, 1.83%, and 1.89% for
  the Money Market, Common Stock, Aggressive Stock and Balanced Funds,
respectively.  For Series 200 Contracts, without this expense     
  limitation, total Separate Account Annual Expenses plus Trust Annual
  Expenses for 1995 would have been 1.84%, 1.78%, 1.83%, and 1.80% for
  the Money Market, Common Stock, Aggressive Stock and Balanced Funds,
respectively.  For Series 100 Contracts, Separate Account Annual  

    Expenses are guaranteed not to exceed a total annual rate of 1.49% for
     the Money Market, Balanced and Common Stock Funds and an annual rate of
   1.34% for all other Investment Funds.  See "Limitation on Charges" in
Part 8.                                                           

(4) Separate Account and Trust expenses are shown as a percentage of each 
    Investment Fund's or Portfolio's average value. "Mortality and Expense
Risk Fees" includes death benefit charges. "Other Expenses" under 
"Separate Account Annual Expenses" includes financial accounting  
  expenses. See "Limitation on Charges," "Charges to Investment Funds"
and "Trust Charges to Portfolios" in Part 8.                      

(5) Expenses shown for all Portfolios are for the fiscal year ended       
  December 31, 1995. The amount shown for the International Portfolio,
  which was established on April 3, 1995 is annualized. The investment
  advisory fee for each Portfolio may vary from year to year depending
  upon the average daily net assets of the respective Portfolio of the
Trust. The maximum investment advisory fees, however, cannot be   
  increased without a vote of that Portfolio's shareholders. The other
direct operating expenses will also fluctuate from year to year   
depending on actual expenses. The Trust expenses are shown as a   
 percentage of each Portfolio's average value. See "Trust Charges to
Portfolios" in Part 8.                                            

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EXAMPLES: EQUI-VEST SERIES 100 AND 200                                          

For each type of Series 100 and 200 Contract, the examples which follow     
show the expenses that a hypothetical Contract Owner would pay in the       
surrender and non-surrender situations noted below, assuming a single       
contribution of $1,000 on the Contract Date invested in one of the          
Investment Funds listed and a 5% annual return on assets and no waiver of   
the contingent withdrawal charge.(1) For purposes of these examples, the    
annual administrative charge is computed by reference to the actual         
aggregate annual administrative charges as a percentage of the total assets 
held under all EQUI-VEST Contracts.                                         

These examples should not be considered a representation of past or future  
expenses for each Investment Fund or Portfolio. 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 OF EACH PERIOD SHOWN, THE EXPENSE   
WOULD BE:                                                                       

FOR IRA (INCLUDING CERTAIN QP IRA(2)), SEP, EDC AND PARTICIPANT-OWNED HR-10   
CONTRACTS:                                                                      

                                                                [Download Table]

                                         1 YEAR    3 YEARS    5 YEARS    10 YEARS
                                       --------  ---------  ---------  ----------
                                                                                 
   Money Market                          $81.26    $125.75    $166.03    $259.78 
   Intermediate Government Securities     82.84     130.51     174.07     276.62 
   Quality Bond                           83.04     131.11     175.07     278.70 
   High Yield                             83.13     131.41     175.57     279.74 
   Growth & Income                        83.13     131.41     175.57     279.74 
   Equity Index                           81.95     127.84     169.55     267.18 
   Common Stock                           81.26     125.75     166.03     259.78 
   Global                                 83.23     131.70     176.07     280.78 
   International                          87.37     144.12     196.86     323.52 
   Aggressive Stock                       81.26     125.75     166.03     259.78 
   Asset Allocation Series:                                                      
     Conservative Investors               83.04     131.11     175.07     278.70 
     Balanced                             81.26     125.75     166.03     259.78 
     Growth Investors                     82.74     130.22     173.57     275.57 

FOR TSA AND QP IRA CONTRACTS:(3)         1 Year    3 Years    5 Years    10 Years
                                       --------  ---------  ---------  ----------
   Money Market                          $75.08    $119.19    $166.03    $259.78 
   Intermediate Government Securities     76.67     123.98     174.07     276.62 
   Quality Bond                           76.86     124.58     175.07     278.70 
   High Yield                             76.96     124.88     175.57     279.74 
   Growth & Income                        76.96     124.88     175.57     279.74 
   Equity Index                           75.77     121.29     169.55     267.18 
   Common Stock                           75.08     119.19     166.03     259.78 
   Global                                 77.06     125.18     176.07     280.78 
   International                          81.23     137.67     196.86     323.52 
   Aggressive Stock                       75.08     119.19     166.03     259.78 
   Asset Allocation Series:                                                      
     Conservative Investors               76.86     124.58     175.07     278.70 
     Balanced                             75.08     119.19     166.03     259.78 
     Growth Investors                     76.57     123.68     173.57     275.57 

FOR TRUSTEED AND NQ CONTRACTS:           1 Year    3 Years    5 Years    10 Years
                                       --------  ---------  ---------  ----------
      Money Market                       $75.08    $119.19    $163.26    $223.29 
      Intermediate Government                                                    
        Securities                        76.67     123.98     171.80     240.72 
      Quality Bond                        76.86     124.58     172.87     242.88 
      High Yield                          76.96     124.88     173.40     243.95 
      Growth & Income                     76.96     124.88     173.40     243.95 
      Equity Index                        75.77     121.29     167.00     230.95 
      Common Stock                        75.08     119.19     163.26     223.29 
      Global                              77.06     125.18     173.93     245.03 
      International                       81.23     137.67     196.04     289.27 
      Aggressive Stock                    75.08     119.19     163.26     223.29 
      Asset Allocation Series:                                                   
          Conservative Investors          76.86     124.58     172.87     242.88 
          Balanced                        75.08     119.19     163.26     223.29 
          Growth Investors                76.57     123.68     171.27     239.64 

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IF YOU DO NOT SURRENDER YOUR CONTRACT AT THE END OF EACH PERIOD SHOWN, THE    
EXPENSE WOULD BE:                                                               

FOR ALL SERIES 100 AND 200 CONTRACTS:                                         

                                                                [Download Table]

                               1 YEAR    3 YEARS    5 YEARS    10 YEARS
                             --------  ---------  ---------  ----------
                                                                       
Money Market                   $19.43    $60.08     $103.26    $223.29 
Intermediate Government                                                
  Securities                    21.10     65.16      111.80     240.72 
Quality Bond                    21.31     65.80      112.87     242.88 
High Yield                      21.42     66.11      113.40     243.95 
Growth & Income                 21.42     66.11      113.40     243.95 
Equity Index                    20.16     62.31      107.00     230.95 
Common Stock                    19.43     60.08      103.26     223.29 
Global                          21.52     66.43      113.93     245.03 
International                   25.93     79.68      136.04     289.27 
Aggressive Stock                19.43     60.08      103.26     223.29 
Asset Allocation Series:                                               
    Conservative Investors      21.31     65.80      112.87     242.88 
    Balanced                    19.43     60.08      103.26     223.29 
    Growth Investors            21.00     64.84      111.27     239.64 

------------                                                                    

(1) The amount accumulated could not be paid in the form of an annuity at 
the end of any of the periods shown in the examples. If the amount
applied to purchase an annuity is less than $2,000, or the initial
    annuity payment is less than $20 we may pay the amount to the payee in
a single sum instead of as payments under an annuity form. See    
"Distribution Options" in Part 6. In some cases, charges for state
 premium or other taxes will be deducted from the amount applied, if
applicable.                                                       

(2) These expenses also apply to a Series 100 or 200 QP IRA purchased in a
state where group Contracts are issued.                           

(3) These expenses apply only to a Series 100 or 200 QP IRA purchased in a
state where individual Contracts are issued.                      

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TABLE 3: EQUI-VEST SERIES 300 AND 400                                           

                                                        [Enlarge/Download Table]

 Description of Expenses                                                                       
--------------------------------------------------------------------                           
                                                                                               
CONTRACT OWNER TRANSACTION EXPENSES                                                            
  SALES LOAD ON PURCHASES ........................................... NONE                     
  MAXIMUM CONTINGENT WITHDRAWAL CHARGE (1) .......................... 6%                       
  MAXIMUM/CURRENT ANNUAL ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGE (2) .................. $65/30                   
  MAXIMUM/CURRENT THIRD PARTY TRANSFER OR EXCHANGE FEE (3) .......... $65/25 PER OCCURRENCE    
SEPARATE ACCOUNT ANNUAL EXPENSE                                                                
  Mortality and Expense Risk Fees (including Death Benefit Charges) . 1.10%                    
  Other Expenses (4) ................................................ .25%                     
                                                                      -------------------------
   Total Separate Account Annual Expenses (5) ....................... 1.35%                    
                                                                      =========================

                                                        [Enlarge/Download Table]

                                        INTERMEDIATE                                          
                              MONEY      GOVERNMENT     QUALITY    HIGH     GROWTH &    EQUITY
                              MARKET     SECURITIES      BOND      YIELD     INCOME     INDEX 
                            --------  --------------  ---------  -------  ----------  --------
                                                                                              
TRUST ANNUAL EXPENSES:                                                                        
  Investment Advisory Fees     0.40%        0.50%        0.55%     0.55%      0.55%      0.35%
  Other Expenses               0.04%        0.07%        0.04%     0.05%      0.05%      0.13%
                            --------  --------------  ---------  -------  ----------  --------
   Total Trust Annual                                                                         
    Expenses (6)               0.44%        0.57%        0.59%     0.60%      0.60%      0.48%

                                                        [Enlarge/Download Table]

                          COMMON                               AGGRESSIVE    CONSERVATIVE                 GROWTH  
                          STOCK     GLOBAL    INTERNATIONAL      STOCK        INVESTORS      BALANCED    INVESTORS
                        --------  --------  ---------------  ------------  --------------  ----------  -----------
                                                                                                                  
TRUST ANNUAL EXPENSES:                                                                                            
  Investment Advisory                                                                                             
   Fees                    0.35%     0.53%        0.90%           0.46%          0.55%         0.37%       0.52%  
  Other Expenses           0.03%     0.08%        0.13%           0.03%          0.04%         0.03%       0.04%  
                        --------  --------  ---------------  ------------  --------------  ----------  -----------
   Total Trust Annual                                                                                             
    Expenses (6)           0.38%     0.61%        1.03%           0.49%          0.59%         0.40%       0.56%  

------------                                                                    

Notes:                                                                    

(1) The contingent withdrawal charge is a percentage of specified         
    contributions. See "Contingent Withdrawal Charge" in Part 8. Important
exceptions and limitations eliminate or reduce the contingent     
withdrawal charge.                                                

(2) The Annual Administrative Charge is the lesser of $30 or 2% of the    
    Annuity Account Value (adjusted to include any withdrawals made during
that year) during the first two Contract Years; and $30 for each  
     Contract Year thereafter. See "Annual Administrative Charge" in Part 8.
We reserve the right to increase this fee in the future if our    
  administrative costs increase, but such fee may not exceed an annual
maximum of $65, subject to applicable law.                        

(3) There is a Third Party Transfer or Exchange Fee of $25 per occurrence.
   We reserve the right to increase this fee in the future, but such fee
   may not exceed a maximum of $65 per occurrence, subject to applicable
law.                                                              

 (4) For a limited period of time, we will charge .24% against the assets of
the Intermediate Government Securities, Quality Bond, High Yield, 
Growth & Income, Equity Index, Global, International, Conservative
Investors and Growth Investors Funds for expenses.                

 (5) The amounts shown in the Table under "Separate Account Annual Expenses"
   are not permitted to exceed a total annual rate of 1.35% of the value
   of the assets held in the Investment Funds. Separate Account expenses
    are shown as a percentage of each Investment Fund's average value. See
"Limitation on Charges" in Part 8.                                

(6) Expenses shown for all Portfolios are for the fiscal year ended       
  December 31, 1995. The amount shown for the International Portfolio,
   which was established on April 3, 1995, is annualized. The investment

  advisory fee for each Portfolio may vary from year to year depending
  upon the average daily net assets of the respective Portfolio of the
Trust. The maximum investment advisory fees, however, cannot be   
  increased without a vote of that Portfolio's shareholders. The other
direct operating expenses will also fluctuate from year to year   
depending on actual expenses. The Trust expenses are shown as a   
 percentage of each Portfolio's average value. See "Trust Charges to
Portfolios" in Part 8.                                            

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EXAMPLES: EQUI-VEST SERIES 300 AND 400                                          

For each type of Series 300 and 400 Contract, the examples which follow     
show the expenses that a hypothetical Contract Owner would pay in the       
surrender and non-surrender situations noted below, assuming a single       
contribution of $1,000 on the Contract Date invested in one of the          
Investment Funds listed, a 5% annual return on assets and no waiver of the  
contingent withdrawal charge.(1) For purposes of these examples the annual  
administrative charge is computed by reference to the actual aggregate      
annual administrative charges as a percentage of the total assets held      
under all EQUI-VEST Contracts.                                              

These examples should not be considered a representation of past or future  
expenses for each Investment Fund or Portfolio. 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 OF EACH PERIOD SHOWN, THE EXPENSE   
WOULD BE:                                                                       

                                                                [Download Table]

                                      1 YEAR    3 YEARS    5 YEARS    10 YEARS
                                    --------  ---------  ---------  ----------
                                                                              
        Money Market                  $75.47    $120.39    $165.40    $227.68 
        Intermediate Government                                               
         Securities                    76.67     123.98     171.80     240.72 
        Quality Bond                   76.86     124.58     172.87     242.88 
        High Yield                     76.96     124.88     173.40     243.95 
        Growth & Income                76.96     124.88     173.40     243.95 
        Equity Index                   75.77     121.29     167.00     230.95 
        Common Stock                   74.88     118.59     162.18     221.10 
        Global                         77.06     125.18     173.93     245.03 
        International                  81.23     137.67     196.04     289.27 
        Aggressive Stock               75.97     121.88     168.07     233.13 
        Asset Allocation Series:                                              
          Conservative Investors       76.86     124.58     172.87     242.88 
          Balanced                     75.08     119.19     163.26     223.29 
          Growth Investors             76.57     123.68     171.27     239.64 

 IF YOU DO NOT SURRENDER YOUR CONTRACT AT THE END OF EACH PERIOD SHOWN, THE   
EXPENSE WOULD BE:                                                             
                                      1 Year    3 Years    5 Years    10 Years
                                    --------  ---------  ---------  ----------
        Money Market                  $19.85    $ 61.35    $105.40    $227.68 
        Intermediate Government                                               
         Securities                    21.10      65.16     111.80     240.72 
        Quality Bond                   21.31      65.80     112.87     242.88 
        High Yield                     21.42      66.11     113.40     243.95 
        Growth & Income                21.42      66.11     113.40     243.95 
        Equity Index                   20.16      62.31     107.00     230.95 
        Common Stock                   19.22      59.44     102.18     221.10 
        Global                         21.52      66.43     113.93     245.03 
        International                  25.93      79.68     136.04     289.27 
        Aggressive Stock               20.37      62.94     108.07     233.13 
        Asset Allocation Series:                                              
           Conservative Investors      21.31      65.80     112.87     242.88 
           Balanced                    19.43      60.08     103.26     223.29 
           Growth Investors            21.00      64.84     111.27     239.64 

------------                                                                    

(1)    The amount accumulated could not be paid in the form of an annuity at    
the end of any of the periods shown in the examples. If the amount
applied to purchase an annuity is less than $2,000, or the initial
     annuity payment is less than $20, we may pay the amount to the payee in
a single sum instead of as payments under an annuity form. See    
"Distribution Options" in Part 6. In some cases, charges for state
 premium or other taxes will be deducted from the amount applied, if
applicable.                                                       

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TABLE 4: MOMENTUM Program                                                       

                                                                [Download Table]


 Description of Expenses                                           
--------------------------------------------                       
                                                                   
CONTRACT TRANSACTION EXPENSES                                      
 SALES LOAD ON PURCHASES .................... NONE                 
 TRANSFER FEES .............................. NONE                 
 MAXIMUM CONTINGENT WITHDRAWAL CHARGE (1)  .. 6%                   
PLAN LOAN CHARGES (2) ....................... $25 WHEN LOAN IS MADE
                                              +$6 PER QUARTER      
ANNUAL ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGE (3) ............ $30 PER PARTICIPANT  
ANNUAL BASIC RECORDKEEPING CHARGE (4)  ...... $300 PER PLAN        

                                                        [Enlarge/Download Table]

                                                     INTERMEDIATE                                               
                                          MONEY       GOVERNMENT     QUALITY                  GROWTH &    EQUITY
                                          MARKET      SECURITIES      BOND      HIGH YIELD     INCOME     INDEX 
                                       ----------  --------------  ---------  ------------  ----------  --------
                                                                                                                
MAXIMUM SEPARATE ACCOUNT AND HUDSON                                                                             
 RIVER TRUST ANNUAL EXPENSES (5)           1.75%   n/a             n/a        n/a           n/a         n/a     
 Separate Account Annual Expenses (6)                                                                           
 Mortality and Expense                                                                                          
  Risk Fees                                0.65%    0.50%          0.50%      0.50%         0.50%       0.50%   
  Other Expenses                           0.84%    0.84%          0.84%      0.84%         0.84%       0.84%   
                                       ----------  --------------  ---------  ------------  ----------  --------
   TOTAL SEPARATE ACCOUNT                                                                                       
    ANNUAL EXPENSES                        1.49%(5) 1.34%          1.34%      1.34%         1.34%       1.34%   
Hudson River Trust Annual Expenses(6)                                                                           
 Investment Advisory Fee                   0.40%    0.50%          0.55%      0.55%         0.55%       0.35%   
 Other Expenses                            0.04%    0.07%          0.04%      0.05%         0.05%       0.13%   
                                       ----------  --------------  ---------  ------------  ----------  --------
   TOTAL HUDSON RIVER TRUST                                                                                     
    ANNUAL EXPENSES(7)                     0.44%(5) 0.57%          0.59%      0.60%         0.60%       0.48%   

                                                        [Enlarge/Download Table]

                              COMMON                                AGGRESSIVE    CONSERVATIVE                 GROWTH  
                              STOCK      GLOBAL    INTERNATIONAL      STOCK        INVESTORS      BALANCED    INVESTORS
                           ----------  --------  ---------------  ------------  --------------  ----------  -----------
                                                                                                                       
MAXIMUM SEPARATE ACCOUNT                                                                                               
 AND HUDSON RIVER TRUST                                                                                                
 ANNUAL EXPENSES (5)           1.75%   n/a       n/a                   1.75%    n/a                 1.75%   n/a        
Separate Account Annual                                                                                                
  Expenses (6)                                                                                                         
Mortality and Expense                                                                                                  
  Risk Fees                    0.65%    0.50%    0.50%                 0.50%    0.50%               0.65%   0.50%      
Other Expenses                 0.84%    0.84%    0.84%                 0.84%    0.84%               0.84%   0.84%      
                           ----------  --------  ---------------  ------------  --------------  ----------  -----------
 TOTAL SEPARATE ACCOUNT                                                                                                
  ANNUAL EXPENSES              1.49%(5) 1.34%    1.34%                 1.34%(5) 1.34%               1.49%(5) 1.34%     
Hudson River Trust Annual                                                                                              
 Expenses(6)                                                                                                           
 Investment Advisory Fee       0.35%    0.53%    0.90%                 0.46%    0.55%               0.37%   0.52%      
 Other Expenses                0.03%    0.08%    0.13%                 0.03%    0.04%               0.03%   0.04%      
                                       --------  ---------------  ------------  --------------  ----------  -----------
 TOTAL HUDSON RIVER TRUST                                                                                              
  ANNUAL EXPENSES (7)          0.38%   0.61%     1.03%                 0.49%(5) 0.59%               0.40%(5) 0.56%     

                                                    (footnotes on next page)

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---------                                                                       
Notes:                                                                          

(1) The maximum contingent withdrawal charge is 6% of the lesser of the         
amount withdrawn and the contributions made in the current and five prior       
Participation Years. Important exceptions and limitations eliminate or reduce   
the contingent withdrawal charge. See "Contingent Withdrawal Charge" in Part    
8.                                                                              

(2) Your Employer may elect to pay these charges and we have reserved the       
right to increase them.                                                         

(3) The administrative charge is deducted quarterly and is currently $7.50      
or, if less, .50% of your Retirement Account Value plus the amount of any       
Active Loan. Your Employer may elect to pay this charge. This charge is not     
currently assessed for any calendar quarter in which the Retirement Account     
Value plus any Active Loan is $25,000 or more on the last Business Day of       
that calendar quarter. We have reserved the right to increase this charge.      
See "Quarterly Administrative Charge" in Part 8.                                

(4) This charge will be billed directly to the Employer if the basic plan       
recordkeeping option has been elected. We charge a fee of $25 per check drawn   
if the Employer elects to have Equitable Life directly distribute plan          
benefits and withdrawals. We reserve the right to increase these charges upon   
90 days written notice to the Employer or Plan Trustee. See "Charge for Plan    
Recordkeeping Services" in Part 8.                                              

(5) The amounts shown in the Table under "Separate Account Annual Expenses"     
and "Hudson River Trust Annual Expenses," when added together, are not          
permitted to exceed a total annual rate of 1.75% of the value of the assets     
held in the Money Market, Balanced, Common Stock and Aggressive Stock Funds.    
Without this expense limitation, total Separate Account Annual Expenses plus    
Trust Annual Expenses for 1995 would have been 1.93%, 1.89%, 1.87%, and 1.83%   
for the Money Market, Balanced, Common Stock and Aggressive Stock Funds,        
respectively. See "Limitation on Charges" and "Charges to Investment Funds      
for Expenses" in Part 8.                                                        

(6) Separate Account and Hudson River Trust expenses are shown as a             
percentage of each Investment Fund's or Portfolio's average value. Separate     
Account Annual Expenses are guaranteed not to exceed a total annual rate of     
1.49% for the Money Market, Balanced and Common Stock Funds and an annual       
rate of 1.34% for all other Investment Funds. "Mortality and Expense Risks      
Fees" includes death benefit charges. "Other Expenses" under "Separate          
Account Annual Expenses" includes financial accounting expenses. See            
"Limitations on Charges," "Charges to Investment Funds for Expenses" and        
"Hudson River Trust Charges to Portfolios" in Part 8.                           

(7) Amounts shown for all Portfolios are for the year ended December 31,        
1995. The amount shown for the International Portfolio, which was established   
on April 3, 1995 is annualized. The investment advisory fee for each            
Portfolio may vary from year to year depending upon the average daily net       
assets of the respective Portfolio of The Hudson River Trust. The maximum       
investment advisory fees, however, cannot be changed without a vote of that     
Portfolio's shareholders. The other direct operating expenses will also         
fluctuate from year to year depending on actual expenses. The Hudson River      
Trust expenses are shown as a percentage of each Portfolio's average value.     
See "Hudson River Trust Charges to Portfolios" in Part 8.                       

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EXAMPLES: MOMENTUM                                                              

The examples below show the expenses that a hypothetical Participant would  
pay in the surrender and non-surrender situations noted below, assuming a   
single contribution of $1,000 on the Participation Date invested in one of  
the Investment Funds listed, a 5% annual return on assets and no waiver of  
the contingent withdrawal charge.(1) For purposes of these examples, the    
annual administrative charge is computed by reference to the actual         
aggregate annual administrative charges as a percentage of the total assets 
held under the contracts. These examples do not reflect the $300 annual     
charge for basic recordkeeping services, which is billed directly to the    
Employer.                                                                   

These examples should not be considered a representation of past or future  
expenses for each Investment Funds or Portfolio. Actual expenses may be     
greater or less than those shown.(2) Similarly, the annual rate of return   
assumed in the examples is not an estimate or guarantee of future           
investment performance.                                                     

IF YOUR PARTICIPATION UNDER THE MOMENTUM CONTRACT TERMINATES AT THE END OF  
EACH PERIOD SHOWN, THE MAXIMUM EXPENSE WOULD BE:                            

                                                                [Download Table]

                                      1 YEAR    3 YEARS    5 YEARS    10 YEARS
                                    --------  ---------  ---------  ----------
                                                                              
        Money Market                  $75.72    $121.12    $166.70    $230.34 
        Intermediate Government                                               
          Securities                   77.30     125.90     175.22     247.64 
        Quality Bond                   77.50     126.50     176.28     249.78 
        High Yield                     77.60     126.80     176.81     250.85 
        Growth & Income                77.60     126.80     176.81     250.85 
        Equity Index                   76.41     123.21     170.43     237.94 
        Common Stock                   75.72     121.12     166.70     230.34 
        Global                         77.70     127.09     177.34     251.92 
        International                  81.86     139.56     199.38     295.84 
        Aggressive Stock               75.72     121.12     166.70     230.34 
        Asset Allocation Series:                                              
          Conservative Investors       77.50     126.50     176.28     249.78 
          Balanced                     75.72     121.12     166.70     230.34 
          Growth Investors             77.20     125.60     174.69     246.56 

IF YOUR PARTICIPATION UNDER THE MOMENTUM CONTRACT DOES NOT TERMINATE AT THE   
END OF EACH PERIOD SHOWN, THE MAXIMUM EXPENSE WOULD BE:                       
                                      1 Year    3 Years    5 Years    10 Years
                                    --------  ---------  ---------  ----------
        Money Market                  $20.10    $ 62.13    $106.70    $230.34 
        Intermediate Government                                               
         Securities                    21.78      67.20     115.22     247.64 
        Quality Bond                   21.99      67.83     116.28     249.78 
        High Yield                     22.09      68.15     116.81     250.85 
        Growth & Income                22.09      68.15     116.81     250.85 
        Equity Index                   20.84      64.35     110.43     237.94 
        Common Stock                   20.10      62.13     106.70     230.34 
        Global                         22.20      68.46     117.34     251.92 
        International                  26.60      81.68     139.38     295.84 
        Aggressive Stock               20.10      62.13     106.70     230.34 
        Asset Allocation Series:                                              
           Conservative Investors      21.99      67.83     116.28     249.78 
           Balanced                    20.10      62.13     106.70     230.34 
           Growth Investors            21.67      66.88     114.69     246.56 

------------                                                                    

(1)    The amount accumulated could not be paid to you in the form of an        
 annuity at the end of any of the periods shown in the examples. The
minimum amount applied to purchase an annuity must be $3,500. See 
 "Electing an Annuity Distribution Option" in Part 7. In some cases,
     charges for state premium or other applicable state or local taxes will
be deducted from the amount applied, if applicable.               

(2)    Actual administrative charges may be less if you, as Employer, are       
billed directly for the quarterly administrative charge or if the 
   charge does not apply to a Participant because the Retirement Account
 Value plus the amount of any Active Loan is at least $25,000 on the
last Business Day of a calendar quarter.                          

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------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
  PART 2: SEPARATE ACCOUNT A AND
    ITS INVESTMENT FUNDS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

SEPARATE ACCOUNT A                                                              

Separate Account A is organized as a unit investment trust, a type of           
investment company, and is registered with the SEC under the Investment         
Company Act of 1940 (1940 ACT). This registration does not involve any          
supervision by the SEC of the management or investment policies of the          
Separate Account. The Separate Account has several Investment Funds, each of    
which invests in shares of a corresponding Portfolio of the Trust. You may      
allocate some or all contributions among the Investment Funds.                  

The assets of the Separate Account are our property. As a separate account      
under the New York Insurance Law, the portion of the Separate Account's         
assets equal to the reserves and other liabilities relating to the contracts    
will not be chargeable with liabilities arising out of any other business we    
may conduct. Accordingly, income, gains or losses, whether or not realized,     
from assets of the Separate Account are credited to or charged against the      
Separate Account without regard to our other income, gains or losses. We are    
the issuer of the contracts, and the obligations set forth in the contracts     
(other than those of Annuitants or Contract Owners) are our obligations.        

In addition to contributions made under your contracts, we may allocate to      
the Separate Account monies received under other annuity contracts,             
certificates or agreements. Owners of all such contracts, certificates or       
agreements will participate in the Separate Account in proportion to the        
amounts they have in the Investment Funds that relate to their contracts,       
certificates or agreements. We may retain in the Separate Account assets that   
are in excess of the reserves and other liabilities relating to the Contracts   
or to other contracts, certificates or agreements, or we may transfer them to   
our general account.                                                            

We reserve the right, subject to compliance with applicable law, including      
approval of Contract Owners, Participants and Plan Trustees if required, (1)    
to add new Investment Funds (or sub-divisions of Investment Funds) to, or       
remove Investment Funds (or sub-divisions of Investment Funds) from, the        
Separate Account, (2) to combine any two or more Investment Funds or            
sub-divisions thereof, (3) to transfer assets determined by us to be the        
proportionate share of the class to which the contracts belong from any of      
the Investment Funds to another Investment Fund by withdrawing the same         
percentage of each investment in that Investment Fund with appropriate          
adjustments to avoid odd lots and fractions, (4) to operate the Separate        
Account or any Investment Fund as a management investment company under the     
1940 Act (which may be directed by a committee which may be composed of a       
majority of persons who are "interested persons" of Equitable Life under the    
1940 Act, which committee may be discharged by us at any time) or in any        
other form permitted by law, including a form that allows us to make direct     
investments, (5) to deregister the Separate Account under the 1940 Act, (6)     
to cause one or more Investment Funds to invest in a mutual fund other than     
or in addition to the Trust, (7) to discontinue the sale of contracts, (8) to   
terminate any employer or plan trustee agreement pursuant to its terms and      
(9) to restrict or eliminate any voting rights of Contract Owners or other      
people who have voting rights that affect the Separate Account.                 

If any changes are made that result in a material change in the underlying      
investments of an Investment Fund, Contract Owners or MOMENTUM Employers will   
be notified. We may make other changes in the contracts that do not reduce      
any Cash Value, annuity benefit, Annuity Account Value, Retirement Account      
Value or other accrued rights or benefits.                                      

THE HUDSON RIVER TRUST                                                          

The Trust is an open-end, diversified management investment company, more       
commonly called a mutual fund. As a "series" type of mutual fund, it issues     
several different series of stock, each of which relates to a different         
Portfolio of the Trust. The Trust commenced operations in January 1976 with a   
predecessor of its Common Stock Portfolio. The Trust does not impose a sales    
charge or "load" for buying and selling its shares. All dividend                
distributions to the Trust are reinvested in full and fractional shares of      
the Portfolio to which they relate.                                             

More detailed information about the Trust, its investment objectives,           
policies, restrictions, risks, expenses and all other aspects of its            
operations, appears in its prospectus, or in its statement of additional        
information.                                                                    

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THE TRUST'S INVESTMENT ADVISER                                                  

The Trust is advised by Alliance Capital Management LP (ALLIANCE), which is     
registered with the SEC as an investment adviser under the Investment           
Advisers Act of 1940. Alliance, a publicly traded limited partnership, is       
indirectly majority-owned by Equitable Life. On December 31, 1995, Alliance     
was managing over $146.5 billion in assets. Alliance acts as investment         
adviser to various separate accounts and general accounts of Equitable Life     
and other affiliated insurance companies. Alliance also provides management     
and consulting services to mutual funds, endowments funds, insurance            
companies, foreign entities, qualified and non-tax qualified corporate funds,   
public and private pension and profit-sharing plans, foundations and            
tax-exempt organizations.                                                       

Alliance's record as an investment manager is based, in part, on its ability    
to provide a diversity of investment services to domestic, international and    
global markets. Alliance prides itself on its ability to attract and retain a   
quality, professional work force. Alliance employs 162 investment               
professionals, including 81 research analysts. Portfolio managers have          
average investment experience of more than 16 years.                            

Alliance's main office is located at 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York,     
New York 10105.                                                                 

INVESTMENT POLICIES AND OBJECTIVES OF THE TRUST'S PORTFOLIOS                    

Each Portfolio has a different investment objective which it tries to achieve   
by following separate investment policies. The policies and objectives of       
each Portfolio will affect its return and its risks. There is no guarantee      
that these objectives will be achieved.                                         

The policies and objectives of the Trust's Portfolios are as follows:           

                                                        [Enlarge/Download Table]

      PORTFOLIO                      INVESTMENT POLICY                                  OBJECTIVE                 
--------------------  ----------------------------------------------  ------------------------------------------- 
                                                                                                                  
Money Market ........ Primarily high quality short-term money market  High level of current income while          
                      instruments                                      preserving assets and maintaining liquidity

Intermediate ........ Primarily debt securities issued or             High current income consistent with         
Government             guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its          relative stability of principal            
Securities             agencies and instrumentalities. Each                                                       
                       investment will have a final maturity of not                                               
                       more than 10 years or a duration not exceeding                                             
                       that of a 10-year Treasury note                                                            

Quality Bond ........ Primarily investment grade fixed income         High current income consistent with         
                       securities                                      preservation of capital                    

High Yield .......... Primarily a diversified mix of high yield,      High return by maximizing current income    
                       fixed-income securities involving greater       and, to the extent consistent with that    
                       volatility of price and risk of principal and   objective, capital appreciation            
                       income than high quality fixed- income                                                     
                       securities. The medium and lower quality debt                                              
                       securities in which the Portfolio may invest                                               
                       are known as "junk bonds"                                                                  

Growth & ............ Primarily income producing common               High total return through a combination     
Income                 stocks and securities convertible into common   of current income and capital appreciation 
                       stocks                                                                                     

Equity Index ........ Selected securities in the S&P 500 Index (the   Total return performance (before trust      
                       "Index") which the advisor believes will, in    expenses) that approximates the investment 
                       the aggregate, approximate the performance      performance of the Index (including        
                       results of the Index                            reinvestment of dividends) at risk level   
                                                                       consistent with that of the Index          

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      PORTFOLIO                      INVESTMENT POLICY                                  OBJECTIVE                 
--------------------  ----------------------------------------------  ------------------------------------------- 
Common Stock ........ Primarily common stock and other equity-type    Long-term growth of capital and             
                       instruments                                     increasing income                          
Global .............. Primarily equity securities of non-United       Long-term growth of capital                 
                       States as well as United States companies                                                  
International ....... Primarily equity securities selected            Long-term growth of capital                 
                       principally to permit participation in                                                     
                       non-United States companies with prospects for                                             
                       growth                                                                                     
Aggressive Stock  ... Primarily common stocks and other equity-type   Long-term growth of capital                 
                       securities issued by medium and other smaller                                              
                       sized companies with strong growth potential                                               
Asset Allocation Series:                                                                                          
Conservative                                                                                                      
Investors ............ Diversified mix of publicly-traded, fixed-      High total return without, in the          
                        income and equity securities; asset mix and     Adviser's opinion, undue risk to          
                        security selection are primarily based upon     principal                                 
                        factors expected to reduce risk. The Portfolio                                            
                        is generally expected to hold approximately                                               
                        70% of its assets in fixed income securities                                              
                        and 30% in equity securities.                                                             
Balanced ............ Primarily common stocks, publicly-traded debt   High return through a combination of        
                       securities and high quality money market        current income and capital appreciation    
                       instruments. The Portfolio is generally                                                    
                       expected to hold 50% of its assets in equity                                               
                       securities and 50% in fixed income securities.                                             
Growth Investors  ... Diversified mix of publicly-traded, fixed-      High total return consistent with the       
                       income and equity securities; asset mix and     adviser's determination of reasonable      
                       security selection based upon factors expected  risk                                       
                       to increase possibility of high long-term                                                  
                       return. The Portfolio is generally expected to                                             
                       hold approximately 70% of its assets in equity                                             
                       securities and 30% in fixed income securities.                                             


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------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
        PART 3: INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

INVESTMENT FUND PERFORMANCE                                                     

In order to help show how the actual performance of the Investment Funds has    
affected Annuity Account and Retirement Account Values, the following tables    
provide a historical view of investment performance. The information            
presented includes performance results for each Investment Fund along with      
data representing unmanaged market indices and similarly managed funds.         

Performance data for the Money Market, Balanced, Common Stock and Aggressive    
Stock Funds shown in this section include periods prior to December 18, 1987,   
when four predecessor open-end management separate accounts were reorganized    
into the Separate Account in unit investment trust form. (See Part 9 of the     
SAI.) The "since inception" figures are based on the date of inception of the   
predecessor separate accounts. Also, the performance data shown from December   
18, 1987 through December 31, 1990 reflects the investment results of The       
Equitable Trust, which was replaced by the Trust on September 6, 1991. The      
investment objectives and policies of the Portfolios are substantially          
similar to those of the corresponding portfolios of The Equitable Trust. At     
all times, Equitable Life and/or one of its subsidiaries has served as the      
investment adviser to the four predecessor separate accounts, The Equitable     
Trust and the Trust. Performance data for the remaining Investment Funds        
reflect (i) the investment results of the corresponding Portfolios of the       
Trust from the date of inception of those Portfolios, (ii) the actual           
investment advisory fee and direct operating expenses of the relevant           
Portfolio and (iii) the Separate Account asset charges.                         

The performance for all periods has been adjusted to reflect the Separate       
Account asset charges as well as the Trust expenses.                            

Because amounts allocated to the Investment Funds are invested in a mutual      
fund, investment return and principal will fluctuate and Accumulation Units     
may be worth more or less than the original cost when redeemed. The results     
shown are not an estimate or guarantee of future investment performance, and    
do not reflect the actual experience of amounts invested under a particular     
Contract.                                                                       

HOW PERFORMANCE DATA ARE PRESENTED                                              

The tables on the following pages compare annualized rates of return for each   
Investment Fund along with appropriate benchmarks. These performance results    
are based on the change in the accumulation unit value for each Investment      
Fund for the periods shown.                                                     

Investment results in these tables are net of all charges and expenses          
assessed against the Investment Funds (including investment advisory fees and   
the direct operating expenses of the Trust and the expenses of the Contracts)   
but excluding the annual administrative charge and any withdrawal charges       
which would also reduce the actual return. There are variations in the fees     
and charges among the Contracts offered in EQUI-VEST and in the MOMENTUM        
Program. The rates of return shown for EQUI-VEST reflect the highest charges    
that are currently being assessed. The tables under "Standardized Computation   
of Performance" in the next Section show performance results after giving       
effect to all charges including the annual administrative charge and the        
contingent withdrawal charge. The illustrations for MOMENTUM are separate.      

BENCHMARKS                                                                      

Market indices are not subject to any charges for investment advisory fees      
typically associated with a managed portfolio. Comparisons with these           
benchmarks, therefore, are 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 manager is likely to make selections.                      

INCEPTION DATES AND COMPARATIVE                                                 
BENCHMARKS                                                                      

MONEY MARKET: May 11, 1982; Salomon Brothers Three-Month T-Bill Index           
(3-Month T-Bill).                                                               

INTERMEDIATE GOVERNMENT SECURITIES: April 1, 1991; Lehman Intermediate          
Government Bond Index (Lehman Intermediate Government).                         

QUALITY BOND: October 1, 1993; Lehman Aggregate Bond Index (Lehman              
Aggregate).                                                                     

HIGH YIELD: January 2, 1987; Merrill Lynch High Yield Master Index (Master      
High Yield).                                                                    

GROWTH & INCOME: October 1, 1993; 75% Standard & Poor's 500 Index (S&P 500)     
and 25% Value Line Convertibles Index (75% S&P 500/25% Value Line Conv.).       

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EQUITY INDEX: March 1, 1994; Standard & Poor's 500 Index (S&P 500)              

COMMON STOCK: August 1, 1968; Standard & Poor's 500 Index (S&P 500)             

GLOBAL: August 27, 1987; Morgan Stanley Capital International World Index       
(MSCI World).                                                                   

INTERNATIONAL: April 3, 1995; Morgan Stanley Capital International Europe,      
Australia, Far East Index (MSCI EAFE).                                          

AGGRESSIVE STOCK: May 1, 1984; 50% Russell 2000 Small Stock Index and 50% S&P   
Mid-Cap Total Return (50% Russell 2000/50% S&P MidCap).                         

CONSERVATIVE INVESTORS: October 2, 1989; 70% Lehman Treasury Bond Composite     
Index and 30% S&P 500 Index (70% Lehman Treas./30% S&P 500).                    

BALANCED: May 1, 1984; 50% S&P 500 and 50% Lehman Government/Corporate Bond     
Index (50% S&P 500/50% Lehman Corp.).                                           

GROWTH INVESTORS: October 2, 1989; 30% Lehman Government/Corporate Bond Index   
and 70% S&P 500 Index (30% Lehman Treas./70% S&P 500).                          

The Lipper Variable Insurance Products Performance Analysis Survey (Lipper)     
records the performance of a large group of variable annuity and variable       
life products, including managed separate accounts of insurance companies.      
According to Lipper Analytical Services, Inc., the data are presented net of    
investment management fees, direct operating and asset-based charges            
applicable under insurance policies or annuity contracts. Lipper data provide   
a more accurate picture than market indices of EQUI-VEST and MOMENTUM           
performance relative to other annuity products.                                 

All rates of return presented are time-weighted and include reinvestment of     
investment income, including interest and dividends. Cumulative rates of        
return reflect performance over a stated period of time. Annualized rates of    
return represent the annual rate of growth that would have produced the same    
cumulative return, if performance had been constant over the entire period.     

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------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
EQUI-VEST ANNUALIZED RATES OF RETURN FOR PERIODS ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1995:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

                                                                [Download Table]

                                    1 YEAR    3 YEARS    5 YEARS
                                  --------  ---------  ---------
                                                                
MONEY MARKET                         4.32%      2.83%      3.08%
 Lipper Money Market                 4.35       2.88       3.10 
 3-Month T-Bill                      5.74       4.34       4.47 
INTERMEDIATE GOVERNMENT                                         
SECURITIES                          11.81       4.79        --  
 Lipper U.S. Government             15.47       6.27        --  
 Lehman Intermediate Government     14.41       6.74        --  
QUALITY BOND                        15.46        --         --  
 Lipper Corporate Bond A-Rated      18.15        --         --  
 Lehman Aggregate                   18.47        --         --  
HIGH YIELD                          18.32      11.30      13.40 
 Lipper High Yield                  17.36       9.80      15.79 
 Master High Yield                  19.91      11.57      17.17 
GROWTH & INCOME                     22.42        --         --  
 Lipper Growth & Income             31.18        --         --  
 75% S&P 500/25% Value Line                                     
 Conv.                              34.93        --         --  
EQUITY INDEX                        34.66        --         --  
 Lipper S&P 500 Index Funds         35.31        --         --  
 S&P 500                            37.54        --         --  
COMMON STOCK                        30.64      15.79      16.51 
 Lipper Growth                      31.08      12.09      15.53 
 S&P 500                            37.54      15.30      16.57 
GLOBAL                              17.23      16.63      14.93 
 Lipper Global                      13.87      13.45       9.10 
 MSCI World                         20.72      15.83      11.74 
INTERNATIONAL*                        --         --         --  
 Lipper International                 --         --         --  
 MSCI EAFE                            --         --         --  
AGGRESSIVE STOCK                    29.87      12.38      20.14 
 Lipper Small Company Growth        28.19      15.26      25.72 
 50% Russell 2000/50% S&P MidCap    29.69      13.67      20.16 
The Asset Allocation Series:                                    
CONSERVATIVE INVESTORS              18.79       7.09       8.67 
 Lipper Income                      21.25       9.65      11.99 
 70% Lehman Treas./30% S&P 500      24.11      10.41      11.73 
BALANCED                            18.13       5.90       9.77 
 Lipper Flexible Portfolio          21.58       9.32      11.43 
 50% S&P 500/50% Lehman Corp.       28.39      12.01      13.39 
GROWTH INVESTORS                    24.68      10.65      15.55 
 Lipper Flexible Portfolio          21.58       9.32      11.43 
 30% Lehman Corp./70% S&P 500       32.05      13.35      14.70 

(RESTUBBED TABLE CONTINUED FROM ABOVE)  

                                                                [Download Table]

                                                              SINCE      INCEPTION
                                    10 YEARS    20 YEARS    INCEPTION      DATE   
                                  ----------  ----------  -----------  -----------
                                                                                  
MONEY MARKET                      4.63%            --          5.64%      5/11/82 
 Lipper Money Market              4.71             --          5.91               
 3-Month T-Bill                   5.77             --          6.68               
INTERMEDIATE GOVERNMENT                                                           
SECURITIES                             --          --          6.19        4/1/91 
 Lipper U.S. Government                --          --          7.87               
 Lehman Intermediate Government        --          --          8.17               
QUALITY BOND                           --          --          3.14       10/1/93 
 Lipper Corporate Bond A-Rated         --          --          4.58               
 Lehman Aggregate                      --          --          6.46               
HIGH YIELD                             --          --          8.72        1/2/87 
 Lipper High Yield                     --          --          8.87               
 Master High Yield                     --          --         11.28               
GROWTH & INCOME                        --          --          8.20       10/1/93 
 Lipper Growth & Income                --          --         12.76               
 75% S&P 500/25% Value Line                                                       
 Conv.                                 --          --         15.45               
EQUITY INDEX                           --          --         17.58        3/1/94 
 Lipper S&P 500 Index Funds            --          --         17.62               
 S&P 500                               --          --         19.89               
COMMON STOCK                      13.67       13.73%          10.65        8/1/68 
 Lipper Growth                    12.05       12.79            N/A                
 S&P 500                          14.87       14.59           11.18               
GLOBAL                                 --          --          9.87       8/27/87 
 Lipper Global                         --          --          2.52               
 MSCI World                            --          --          6.75               
INTERNATIONAL*                         --          --         9.60*        4/3/95 
 Lipper International                  --          --        12.21*               
 MSCI EAFE                             --          --         9.17*               
AGGRESSIVE STOCK                  16.32            --         17.85        5/1/84 
 Lipper Small Company Growth      16.42            --         18.71               
 50% Russell 2000/50% S&P MidCap  13.66            --          N/A                
The Asset Allocation Series:                                                      
CONSERVATIVE INVESTORS                 --          --          8.18       10/2/89 
 Lipper Income                         --          --          9.79               
 70% Lehman Treas./30% S&P 500         --          --         10.55               
BALANCED                          8.93             --         10.16        5/1/84 
 Lipper Flexible Portfolio        10.13            --         11.57               
 50% S&P 500/50% Lehman Corp.     12.53            --         13.94               
GROWTH INVESTORS                       --          --         14.51       10/2/89 
 Lipper Flexible Portfolio             --          --          9.44               
 30% Lehman Corp./70% S&P 500          --          --         11.97               

------------                                                                    

*  Unannualized.                                                          

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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    EQUI-VEST CUMULATIVE RATES OF RETURN FOR PERIODS ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1995:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                                [Download Table]


                                     1 YEAR    3 YEARS    5 YEARS
                                   --------  ---------  ---------
                                                                 
MONEY MARKET                          4.32%      8.74%     16.40%
 Lipper Money Market                  4.35       8.87      16.48 
 3-Month T-Bill                       5.74      13.58      24.45 
INTERMEDIATE GOVERNMENT                                          
SECURITIES                           11.81      15.08         -- 
 Lipper U.S. Government              15.47      20.05         -- 
 Lehman Intermediate Government      14.41      21.60         -- 
QUALITY BOND                         15.46         --         -- 
 Lipper Corporate Bond A-Rated       18.15         --         -- 
 Lehman Aggregate                    18.47         --         -- 
HIGH YIELD                           18.32      37.86      87.54 
 Lipper High Yield                   17.36      32.45     108.96 
 Master High Yield                   19.91      38.89     120.85 
GROWTH & INCOME                      22.42         --         -- 
 Lipper Growth & Income              31.18         --         -- 
 75% S&P 500/25% Value Line Conv.    34.93         --         -- 
EQUITY INDEX                         34.66         --         -- 
 Lipper S&P 500 Index Funds          35.31         --         -- 
 S&P 500                             37.54         --         -- 
COMMON STOCK                         30.64      55.23     114.65 
 Lipper Growth                       31.08      41.29     107.30 
 S&P 500                             37.54      53.30     115.25 
GLOBAL                               17.23      58.64     100.53 
 Lipper Global                       13.87      46.36      55.44 
 MSCI World                          20.72      55.39      74.20 
INTERNATIONAL*                          --         --         -- 
 Lipper International                   --         --         -- 
 MSCI EAFE                              --         --         -- 
AGGRESSIVE STOCK                     29.87      41.93     150.26 
 Lipper Small Company Growth         28.19      55.24     268.67 
 50% Russell 2000/50% S&P MidCap     29.69      46.89     150.49 
The Asset Allocation Series:                                     
CONSERVATIVE INVESTORS               18.79      22.82      51.55 
 Lipper Income                       21.25      31.95      76.42 
 70% Lehman Treas./30% S&P 500       24.11      34.58      74.09 
BALANCED                             18.13      18.76      59.39 
 Lipper Flexible Portfolio           21.58      30.92      72.73 
 50% S&P 500/50% Lehman Corp.        28.39      40.53      87.43 
GROWTH INVESTORS                     24.68      35.48     106.02 
 Lipper Flexible Portfolio           21.58      30.92      72.73 
 30% Lehman Corp./70% S&P 500        32.05      45.64      98.56 

(RESTUBBED TABLE CONTINUED FROM ABOVE)  

                                                                [Download Table]


                                                               SINCE     INCEPTION
                                    10 YEARS    20 YEARS     INCEPTION     DATE   
                                  ----------  -----------  ----------- -----------
                                                                                  
MONEY MARKET                      57.24%      --               111.32%    5/11/82 
 Lipper Money Market              58.55       --               119.52             
 3-Month T-Bill                   75.23       --               141.98             
INTERMEDIATE GOVERNMENT                                                           
SECURITIES                        --          --                32.99      4/1/91 
 Lipper U.S. Government           --          --                43.43             
 Lehman Intermediate Government   --          --                45.17             
QUALITY BOND                      --          --                 7.20      10/1/93
 Lipper Corporate Bond A-Rated    --          --                10.67             
 Lehman Aggregate                 --          --                15.09             
HIGH YIELD                        --          --               112.16       1/2/87
 Lipper High Yield                --          --               117.28             
 Master High Yield                --          --               161.50             
GROWTH & INCOME                   --          --                19.38      10/1/93
 Lipper Growth & Income           --          --                31.42             
 75% S&P 500/25% Value Line Conv. --          --                38.14             
EQUITY INDEX                      --          --                34.60       3/1/94
 Lipper S&P 500 Index Funds       --          --                34.65             
 S&P 500                          --          --                39.30             
COMMON STOCK                      260.01      1,210.04%      1,504.82       8/1/68
 Lipper Growth                    215.49      1,036.49            N/A             
 S&P 500                          300.11      1,425.04       1,728.76             
GLOBAL                            --          --               119.39      8/27/87
 Lipper Global                    --          --                23.09             
 MSCI World                       --          --                72.38             
INTERNATIONAL*                    --          --                9.60*       4/3/95
 Lipper International             --          --               12.21*             
 MSCI EAFE                        --          --                9.17*             
AGGRESSIVE STOCK                  353.28      --               579.47       5/1/84
 Lipper Small Company Growth      357.25      --               588.33             
 50% Russell 2000/50% S&P MidCap  259.88      --               465.90             
The Asset Allocation Series:                                                      
CONSERVATIVE INVESTORS            --          --                63.44      10/2/89
 Lipper Income                    --          --                79.42             
 70% Lehman Treas./30% S&P 500    --          --                87.24             
BALANCED                          135.32      --               209.23       5/1/84
 Lipper Flexible Portfolio        163.91      --               248.20             
 50% S&P 500/50% Lehman Corp.     225.59      --               359.14             
GROWTH INVESTORS                  --          --               133.02      10/2/89
 Lipper Flexible Portfolio        --          --                76.92             
 30% Lehman Corp./70% S&P 500     --          --               102.72             

YEAR-BY-YEAR RATES OF RETURN  

                                                                [Download Table]

                    INTERMEDIATE                                            
          MONEY      GOVERNMENT     QUALITY     HIGH     GROWTH &    EQUITY 
          MARKET     SECURITIES      BOND      YIELD      INCOME      INDEX 
        --------  --------------  ---------  --------  ----------  ---------
                                                                            
1986       5.17%  --%             --%             --%  --%         --%      
1987       5.23   --              --           3.27*   --          --       
1988       5.94   --              --            8.25   --          --       
1989       7.72   --              --            3.71   --          --       
1990       6.82   --              --           (2.43)  --          --       
1991       4.69   10.94*          --           22.78   --          --       
1992       2.16   4.17            --           10.80   --          --       
1993       1.58   9.09            (0.84)*      21.48   (0.59)*     --       
1994       2.62   (5.65)          (6.37)       (4.09)  (1.90)      (0.04)*  
1995       4.32   11.81           15.46        18.32   22.42       34.66    

(RESTUBBED TABLE CONTINUED FROM ABOVE)  

                                                        [Enlarge/Download Table]

        COMMON                 INTER-     AGGRESSIVE    CONSERVATIVE                 GROWTH  
        STOCK      GLOBAL     NATIONAL      STOCK        INVESTORS      BALANCED    INVESTORS
      --------  ----------  ----------  ------------  --------------  ----------  -----------
                                                                                             
1986    15.43%         --%      --%         21.75%            --%        11.70%          --% 
1987     6.08      (13.67)*     --          (1.13)            --         (5.05)          --  
1988    21.55        9.38       --          (0.39)            --         13.27           --  
1989    24.07       25.02       --          42.87          2.75*         24.60        3.65*  
1990    (9.27)      (7.33)      --           5.73           4.97         (1.46)        9.12  
1991    35.81       28.79       --          84.57          18.23         40.02        46.90  
1992     1.82       (1.86)      --          (4.47)          4.36         (4.15)        3.52  
1993    23.11       30.34       --          15.17           9.27         10.80        13.71  
1994    (3.48)       3.82       --          (5.11)         (5.38)        (9.27)       (4.44) 
1995    30.64       17.23      9.60*        29.87          18.79         18.13        24.68  

------------                                                                    

*  Unannualized                                                           

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STANDARDIZED COMPUTATION OF                                                     
PERFORMANCE FOR EQUI-VEST                                                       

The performance data in the following tables, which are prepared in a manner    
prescribed by the SEC for use when we advertise the performance of the          
Separate Account, illustrate the average annual total return of the             
Investment Funds over the periods shown assuming a single initial               
contribution of $1,000 and termination of the Contract at the end of each       
period under circumstances in which the contingent withdrawal charge applies.   
The values shown are also net of all other charges and expenses assessed        
against the Investment Funds. An Investment Fund's average annual total         
return is the annual rate of growth of the Investment Fund that would be        
necessary to achieve the ending value of a contribution kept in the             
Investment Fund for the period specified.                                       

Since charges under the Contracts may vary, we have assumed, for each charge,   
the highest that might apply. Each calculation further assumes that the         
$1,000 contribution was allocated to only one Investment Fund, no transfers     
or additional contributions were made, no loans, and no amounts were            
allocated to any other Investment Fund under the Contract.                      

In order to calculate the standardized performance information, we divide the   
termination value (defined below) of a Contract which is terminated on          
December 31, 1995 by the $1,000 investment made at the beginning of each        
period illustrated. The result of that calculation is the total growth rate     
for the period. Then we annualize that growth rate to obtain the average        
annual percentage increase (decrease) during the period shown. When we          
"annualize," we assume that a single rate of return applied each year during    
the period will produce the ending value, taking into account the effect of     
compounding. "Termination value" means the Annuity Account Value less the       
contingent withdrawal charge, the annual administrative charge and all other    
charges and expenses which are applied against an Investment Fund. See "Part    
8: Deductions and Charges."                                                     

TABLE 1: GROWTH OF $1,000 FOR CONTRACTS TERMINATED ON DECEMBER 31, 1995         

                                                                [Download Table]

                                   LENGTH OF INVESTMENT PERIOD                
                 -------------------------------------------------------------
   INVESTMENT                   THREE                                 SINCE   
      FUND         ONE YEAR     YEARS     FIVE YEARS   TEN YEARS    INCEPTION*
---------------  ----------  ----------  ----------  -----------  ------------
                                                                              
Money Market      $  967.14   $  959.58   $  969.16  $1,238.28          --    
Intermediate                                                                  
 Government                                                                   
 Securities        1,036.61    1,017.18       --          --        $1,129.47 
Quality Bond       1,070.42       --          --          --           966.87 
High Yield         1,096.88    1,227.61    1,622.29       --         1,717.29 
Growth & Income    1,134.90       --          --          --         1,079.01 
Equity Index       1,248.40       --          --          --         1,227.00 
Common Stock       1,211.15    1,382.15    1,874.49  2,984.60           --    
Global             1,086.81    1,413.78    1,744.84       --         1,801.98 
International         --          --          --          --         1,021.40 
Aggressive                                                                    
 Stock             1,204.92    1,266.93    2,242.97  3,878.98           --    
Asset Allocation Series:                                                      
Conservative                                                                  
 Investors         1,101.32    1,089.58    1,296.10       --         1,376.50 
Balanced           1,095.13    1,050.79    1,362.92  1,906.80           --    
Growth                                                                        
 Investors         1,155.92    1,206.38    1,796.08       --         2,005.22 

TABLE 2: AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN UNDER CONTRACTS TERMINATED ON DECEMBER     
31, 1995                                                                        

                                                                [Download Table]

                               LENGTH OF INVESTMENT PERIOD             
                 ------------------------------------------------------
                                                                       
   Investment               Three      Five       Ten         Since    
      Fund       One Year   Years     Years      Years      Inception* 
---------------  ---------  ---------  ---------  -------  ------------
Money Market      (3.29)%    (1.37)%    (0.62)%    2.16%        --     
Intermediate                                                           
 Government                                                            
 Securities        3.66       0.57        --        --         2.60 %  
Quality Bond       7.04        --         --        --        (1.49)   
High Yield         9.69       7.07      10.16       --         6.20    
Growth & Income   13.49        --         --        --         3.44    
Equity Index      24.84        --         --        --        11.80    
Common Stock      21.11      11.39      13.39      11.55        --     

Global             8.68      12.23      11.78        --        7.31    
International       --                   --          --        2.14    
Aggressive                                                             
 Stock            20.49       8.21      17.53      14.52        --     
Asset Allocation Series:                                               
Conservative                                                           
 Investors        10.13       2.90       5.32        --        5.25    
Balanced           9.51       1.67       6.39       6.67        --     
Growth                                                                 
 Investors        15.59       6.45      12.43        --       11.79    

--------                                                                        

* Inception dates are as follows: Money Market (May 11, 1982);            
Intermediate Government Securities (April 1, 1991); Quality Bond (October 1,    
1993); High Yield (January 2, 1987); Growth & Income (October 1, 1993);         
Equity Index (March 1, 1994); Common Stock (August 1, 1968); Global (August     
27, 1987); International (April 3, 1995); Aggressive Stock (May 1, 1984);       
Conservative Investors (October 2, 1989); Balanced (May 1, 1984) and Growth     
Investors (October 2, 1989). The "Since Inception" number for the               
International Fund is unannualized.                                             

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------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
MOMENTUM Annualized Rates of Return for Periods Ending December 31, 1995:   
------------------------------------------------------------------------------  

                                                                [Download Table]

                                    1 YEAR    3 YEARS    5 YEARS
                                  --------  ---------  ---------
                                                                
MONEY MARKET                         4.35%      2.85%      3.08%
 Lipper Money Market                 4.35       2.88       3.10 
 3-Month T-Bill                      5.74       4.34       4.47 
INTERMEDIATE GOVERNMENT                                         
SECURITIES                          11.81       4.80        --  
 Lipper U.S. Government             15.47       6.27        --  
 Lehman Intermediate Government     14.41       6.74        --  
QUALITY BOND                        15.46        --         --  
 Lipper Corporate Bond A-Rated      18.15        --         --  
 Lehman Aggregate                   18.47        --         --  
HIGH YIELD                          18.32      11.30      13.41 
 Lipper High Yield                  17.36       9.80      15.79 
 Master High Yield                  19.91      11.57      17.17 
GROWTH & INCOME                     22.42        --         --  
 Lipper Growth & Income             31.18        --         --  
 75% S&P 500/25% Value Line                                     
 Conv.                              34.93        --         --  
EQUITY INDEX                        34.66        --         --  
 Lipper S&P 500 Index Funds         35.31        --         --  
 S&P 500                            37.54        --         --  
COMMON STOCK                        30.64      15.79      16.51 
 Lipper Growth                      31.08      12.09      15.53 
 S&P 500                            37.54      15.30      16.57 
GLOBAL                              17.23      16.63      14.94 
 Lipper Global                      13.87      13.45       9.10 
 MSCI World                         20.72      15.83      11.74 
INTERNATIONAL*                        --         --         --  
 Lipper International                 --         --         --  
 MSCI EAFE                            --         --         --  
AGGRESSIVE STOCK                    29.97      12.48      20.23 
 Lipper Small Company Growth        28.19      15.26      25.72 
 50% Russell 2000/50% S&P MidCap    29.69      13.67      20.16 
The Asset Allocation Series:                                    
CONSERVATIVE INVESTORS              18.79       7.10       8.68 
 Lipper Income                      21.25       9.65      11.99 
 70% Lehman Treas./30% S&P 500      24.11      10.41      11.73 
BALANCED                            18.13       5.90       9.77 
 Lipper Flexible Portfolio          21.58       9.32      11.43 
 50% S&P 500/50% Lehman Corp.       28.39      12.01      13.39 
GROWTH INVESTORS                    24.68      10.66      15.56 
 Lipper Flexible Portfolio          21.58       9.32      11.43 
 30% Lehman Corp./70% S&P 500       32.05      13.35      14.70 

(RESTUBBED TABLE CONTINUED FROM ABOVE)  

                                                                [Download Table]

                                                              SINCE      INCEPTION
                                    10 YEARS    20 YEARS    INCEPTION      DATE   
                                  ----------  ----------  -----------  -----------
                                                                                  
MONEY MARKET                          4.63%        --          5.64%      5/11/82 
 Lipper Money Market                  4.71         --          5.91               
 3-Month T-Bill                       5.77         --          6.68               
INTERMEDIATE GOVERNMENT                                                           
SECURITIES                             --          --          6.19        4/1/91 
 Lipper U.S. Government                --          --          7.87               
 Lehman Intermediate Government        --          --          8.17               
QUALITY BOND                           --          --          3.14       10/1/93 
 Lipper Corporate Bond A-Rated         --          --          4.58               
 Lehman Aggregate                      --          --          6.46               
HIGH YIELD                             --          --          8.73        1/2/87 
 Lipper High Yield                     --          --          8.87               
 Master High Yield                     --          --         11.28               
GROWTH & INCOME                        --          --          8.20       10/1/93 
 Lipper Growth & Income                --          --         12.76               
 75% S&P 500/25% Value Line                                                       
 Conv.                                 --          --         15.45               
EQUITY INDEX                           --          --         17.58        3/1/94 
 Lipper S&P 500 Index Funds            --          --         17.62               
 S&P 500                               --          --         19.89               
COMMON STOCK                          13.67       13.75%      10.69        8/1/68 
 Lipper Growth                        12.05       12.79        N/A                
 S&P 500                              14.87       14.59       11.18               
GLOBAL                                 --          --          9.88       8/27/87 
 Lipper Global                         --          --          2.52               
 MSCI World                            --          --          6.75               
INTERNATIONAL*                         --          --          9.60*      4/3/95  
 Lipper International                  --          --         12.21*              
 MSCI EAFE                             --          --          9.17*              
AGGRESSIVE STOCK                      16.42        --         17.97        5/1/84 
 Lipper Small Company Growth          16.42        --         18.71               
 50% Russell 2000/50% S&P MidCap      13.66        --          N/A                
The Asset Allocation Series:                                                      
CONSERVATIVE INVESTORS                 --          --          8.19       10/2/89 
 Lipper Income                         --          --          9.79               
 70% Lehman Treas./30% S&P 500         --          --         10.55               
BALANCED                               8.93        --         10.16        5/1/84 
 Lipper Flexible Portfolio            10.13        --         11.57               
 50% S&P 500/50% Lehman Corp.         12.53        --         13.94               
GROWTH INVESTORS                       --          --         14.51       10/2/89 
 Lipper Flexible Portfolio             --          --          9.44               
 30% Lehman Corp./70% S&P 500          --          --         11.97               

------------                                                                    

* Unannualized                                                            

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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 MOMENTUM Cumulative Rates of Return for Periods Ending December 31, 1995:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                                [Download Table]

                                    1 YEAR    3 YEARS    5 YEARS
                                  --------  ---------  ---------
                                                                
MONEY MARKET                         4.35%      8.80%     16.40%
 Lipper Money Market                 4.35       8.87      16.48 
 3-Month T-Bill                      5.74      13.58      24.45 
INTERMEDIATE GOVERNMENT                                         
SECURITIES                          11.81      15.09       --   
 Lipper U.S. Government             15.47      20.05       --   
 Lehman Intermediate Government     14.41      21.60       --   
QUALITY BOND                        15.46        --        --   
 Lipper Corporate Bond A-Rated      18.15        --        --   
 Lehman Aggregate                   18.47        --        --   
HIGH YIELD                          18.32      37.88      87.60 
 Lipper High Yield                  17.36      32.45     108.96 
 Master High Yield                  19.91      38.89     120.85 
GROWTH & INCOME                     22.42        --        --   
 Lipper Growth & Income             31.18        --        --   
 75% S&P 500/25% Value Line                                     
 Conv.                              34.93        --        --   
EQUITY INDEX                        34.66        --        --   
 Lipper S&P 500 Index Funds         35.31        --        --   
 S&P 500                            37.54        --        --   
COMMON STOCK                        30.64      55.23     114.65 
 Lipper Growth                      31.08      41.29     107.30 
 S&P 500                            37.54      53.30     115.25 
GLOBAL                              17.23      58.66     100.60 
 Lipper Global                      13.87      46.36      55.44 
 MSCI World                         20.72      55.39      74.20 
INTERNATIONAL*                        --         --        --   
 Lipper International                 --         --        --   
 MSCI EAFE                            --         --        --   
AGGRESSIVE STOCK                    29.97      42.29     151.25 
 Lipper Small Company Growth        28.19      55.24     268.67 
 50% Russell 2000/50% S&P MidCap    29.69      46.89     150.49 
The Asset Allocation Series:                                    
CONSERVATIVE INVESTORS              18.79      22.83      51.59 
 Lipper Income                      21.25      31.95      76.42 
 70% Lehman Treas./30% S&P 500      24.11      34.58      74.09 
BALANCED                            18.13      18.76      59.39 
 Lipper Flexible Portfolio          21.58      30.92      72.73 
 50% S&P 500/50% Lehman Corp.       28.39      40.53      87.43 
GROWTH INVESTORS                    24.68      35.49     106.08 
 Lipper Flexible Portfolio          21.58      30.92      72.73 
 30% Lehman Corp./70% S&P 500       32.05      45.64      98.56 

(RESTUBBED TABLE CONTINUED FROM ABOVE)  

                                                                [Download Table]

                                                              SINCE      INCEPTION
                                    10 YEARS    20 YEARS    INCEPTION      DATE   
                                  ----------  ----------  -----------  -----------
                                                                                  
MONEY MARKET                          57.24%       --         111.32%     5/11/82 
 Lipper Money Market                  58.55        --         119.52              
 3-Month T-Bill                       75.23        --         141.98              
INTERMEDIATE GOVERNMENT                                                           
SECURITIES                             --          --          33.03       4/1/91 
 Lipper U.S. Government                --          --          43.43              
 Lehman Intermediate Government        --          --          45.17              
QUALITY BOND                           --          --           7.20      10/1/93 
 Lipper Corporate Bond A-Rated         --          --          10.67              
 Lehman Aggregate                      --          --          15.09              
HIGH YIELD                             --          --         112.31       1/2/87 
 Lipper High Yield                     --          --         117.28              
 Master High Yield                     --          --         161.50              
GROWTH & INCOME                        --          --          19.38      10/1/93 
 Lipper Growth & Income                --          --          31.42              
 75% S&P 500/25% Value Line                                                       
 Conv.                                 --          --          38.14              
EQUITY INDEX                           --          --          34.60       3/1/94 
 Lipper S&P 500 Index Funds            --          --          34.65              
 S&P 500                               --          --          39.30              
COMMON STOCK                         260.01    215.12%      1,519.31       8/1/68 
 Lipper Growth                       215.49    036.49         N/A                 
 S&P 500                             300.11  1,425.04       1,728.76              
GLOBAL                                 --          --         119.53       8/27/87
 Lipper Global                         --          --          23.09              
 MSCI World                            --          --          72.38              
INTERNATIONAL*                         --          --           9.60*      4/3/95 
 Lipper International                  --          --          12.21*             
 MSCI EAFE                             --          --           9.17*             
AGGRESSIVE STOCK                      357.25       --         587.30       5/1/84 
 Lipper Small Company Growth          357.25       --         588.33              
 50% Russell 2000/50% S&P MidCap      259.88       --        465.90               
The Asset Allocation Series:                                                      
CONSERVATIVE INVESTORS                 --          --          63.51      10/2/89 
 Lipper Income                         --          --          79.42              
 70% Lehman Treas./30% S&P 500         --          --          87.24              
BALANCED                              135.32       --         209.23       5/1/84 
 Lipper Flexible Portfolio            163.91       --         248.20              
 50% S&P 500/50% Lehman Corp.         225.59       --         359.14              
GROWTH INVESTORS                       --          --         133.12      10/2/89 
 Lipper Flexible Portfolio             --          --          76.92              
 30% Lehman Corp./70% S&P 500          --          --         102.72              

YEAR-BY-YEAR RATES OF RETURN  

                                                                [Download Table]

                    INTERMEDIATE                                              
          MONEY      GOVERNMENT     QUALITY     HIGH     GROWTH &    EQUITY   
          MARKET     SECURITIES      BOND      YIELD      INCOME      INDEX   
        --------  --------------  ---------  --------  ----------  ---------  
                                                                              
1986       5.27%          --%          --%        --%        --%         --%  
1987       5.27           --           --       3.28*        --          --   
1988       5.94           --           --       8.26         --          --   
1989       7.72           --           --       3.72         --          --   
1990       6.82           --           --      (2.42)        --          --   
1991       4.69        10.94*          --      22.79         --          --   
1992       2.19         4.18           --      10.81         --          --   
1993       1.59         9.10        (0.84)     21.50      (0.59)*        --   
1994       2.63        (5.65)       (6.37)     (4.09)     (1.90)       (0.04)*
1995       4.35        11.81        15.46      18.32       22.42       34.66  

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(RESTUBBED TABLE CONTINUED FROM ABOVE)  

                                                        [Enlarge/Download Table]

        COMMON                 INTER-     AGGRESSIVE    CONSERVATIVE                 GROWTH  
        STOCK      GLOBAL     NATIONAL      STOCK        INVESTORS      BALANCED    INVESTORS
      --------  ----------  ----------  ------------  --------------  ----------  -----------
                                                                                             
1986    15.49%         --%       --%         21.95%            --%        11.77%          --%
1987     6.14      (13.67)*      --          (1.00)            --         (5.02)          -- 
1988    21.55        9.39        --          (0.30)            --         13.27           -- 
1989    24.07       25.04        --          42.95          2.75*         24.60        3.65* 
1990    (9.27)      (7.32)       --           5.76           4.98         (1.46)        9.13 
1991    35.81       28.81        --          84.65          18.24         40.02        46.92 
1992     1.82       (1.85)       --          (4.37)          4.37         (4.15)        3.53 
1993    23.11       30.36        --          15.28           9.28         10.81        13.72 
1994    (3.48)       3.82        --          (5.03)         (5.38)        (9.27)       (4.44)
1995    30.64       17.23       9.60*        29.97          18.79         18.13        24.68 

------------                                                                    

*  Unannualized                                                           

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STANDARDIZED COMPUTATION OF                                                     
PERFORMANCE FOR MOMENTUM                                                        

The performance data in the following tables, which are prepared in a manner    
prescribed by the SEC for use when we advertise the performance of the          
Separate Account, illustrate the average annual total return of the             
Investment Funds over the periods shown, assuming a single initial              
contribution of $1,000 and termination of participation under the MOMENTUM      
Contract at the end of each period under circumstances in which the             
contingent withdrawal charge applies. The values shown are also net of all      
other charges and expenses assessed against the Investment Funds. An            
Investment Fund's average annual total return is the annual rate of growth of   
the Investment Fund that would be necessary to achieve the ending value of a    
contribution kept in the Investment Fund for the period specified.              

For purposes of the tables below, deduction of a quarterly administrative       
charge equal to $7.50 is assumed, even though this charge does not currently    
apply if the Retirement Account Value plus the amount of any Active Loan is     
at least $25,000 as of the end of the quarter. Each calculation further         
assumes that the $1,000 contribution was allocated to only one Investment       
Fund, no transfers or additional contributions were made, no loans, and no      
amounts were allocated to any other Investment Fund and the Participant has     
not taken any loans.                                                            

In order to calculate the standardized performance information, we divide the   
termination value (defined below) as of December 31, 1995 by the $1,000         
contribution made at the beginning of each period illustrated. The result of    
that calculation is the total growth rate for the period. Then we annualize     
that growth rate to obtain the average annual percentage increase (decrease)    
during the period shown. When we "annualize," we assume that a single rate of   
return applied each year during the period will produce the ending value,       
taking into account the effect of compounding. "Termination value" means the    
Retirement Account Value less the contingent withdrawal charge, the quarterly   
administrative charge and all other charges and expenses which are applied      
against Separate Account assets. The contingent withdrawal charge will never    
be greater than 6%. See "Part 8: Deductions and Charges."                       

GROWTH OF $1,000 FOR PARTICIPANT TERMINATED ON DECEMBER 31, 1995                

                                                                [Download Table]

                                   LENGTH OF INVESTMENT PERIOD                
                 -------------------------------------------------------------
   INVESTMENT                   THREE                                 SINCE   
      FUND         ONE YEAR     YEARS     FIVE YEARS   TEN YEARS    INCEPTION*
---------------  ----------  ----------  ----------  -----------  ------------
                                                                              
Money Market      $  967.55   $  969.19   $  996.14  $1,286.74          --    
Intermediate                                                                  
 Government                                                                   
 Securities        1,036.77    1,025.22       --          --        $1,149.41 
Quality Bond       1,071.69       --          --          --           969.39 
High Yield         1,099.67    1,238.27    1,640.09       --         1,779.34 
Growth & Income    1,139.87       --          --          --         1,081.13 
Equity Index       1,259.86       --          --          --         1,233.08 
Common Stock       1,220.48    1,401.72    1,890.59  3,057.26           --    
Global             1,089.02    1,433.99    1,762.37       --         1,860.98 
International         --          --          --          --         1,021.37 
Aggressive                                                                    
 Stock             1,213.90    1,279.87    2,246.95  3,939.40           --    
Asset Allocation Series:                                                      
Conservative                                                                  
 Investors         1,104.37    1,096.63    1,311.33       --         1,442.55 
Balanced           1,097.82    1,058.25    1,381.82  1,951.87           --    
Growth                                                                        
 Investors         1,162.09    1,215.83    1,813.57       --         2,079.88 

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN FOR PARTICIPANT                                     
TERMINATED ON DECEMBER 31, 1995                                                 

                                                                [Download Table]

                              LENGTH OF INVESTMENT PERIOD           
                 ---------------------------------------------------
   INVESTMENT                THREE      FIVE      TEN       SINCE   
      FUND        ONE YEAR   YEARS     YEARS     YEARS    INCEPTION*
---------------  --------  --------  --------  -------  ------------
                                                                    
Money Market       -3.25%    -1.04%    -0.08%  2.55%          --    
Intermediate                                                        
 Government                                                         
 Securities         3.68      0.83       --       --         2.97%  
Quality Bond        7.17       --        --       --        -1.37   
High Yield          9.97      7.38     10.40      --         6.62   
Growth & Income    13.99       --        --       --         3.53   
Equity Index       25.99       --        --       --        12.10   

Common Stock       22.05     11.91     13.58   11.82          --    
Global              8.90     12.77     12.00      --         7.73   
International        --        --        --       --         2.14   
Aggressive                                                          
 Stock             21.39      8.57     17.58   14.69          --    
Asset Allocation Series:                                            
Conservative                                                        
 Investors         10.44      3.12      5.57      --         6.04   
Balanced            9.78      1.91      6.68   6.92           --    
Growth                                                              
 Investors         16.21      6.73     12.64      --        12.44   

-------                                                                         
* Inception dates are as follows: Money Market (May 11, 1982);            
Intermediate Government Securities (April 1, 1991); Quality Bond (October 1,    
1993); High Yield (January 2, 1987); Balanced (May 1, 1984); Growth & Income    
(October 1, 1993); Equity Index (March 1, 1994); Common Stock (August 1,        
1968); Global (August 27, 1987); International (April 3, 1995); Aggressive      
Stock (May 1, 1984); Conservative Investors (October 2, 1989); and Growth       
Investors (October 2, 1989). The "Since Inception" number for the               
International Fund is unannualized.                                             

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COMMUNICATING PERFORMANCE DATA                                                  

In reports or other communications or in advertising material, we may           
describe general economic and market conditions affecting the Separate          
Account and the Trust and may compare the performance of the Investment Funds   
with (1) that 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, (2) other   
appropriate indices of investment securities and averages for peer universes    
of funds which are described in this prospectus on pages 27 and 28, or (3)      
data developed by us derived from such indices or averages. The Morningstar     
Variable Annuity/Life Report consists of over 700 variable life and annuity     
funds, all of which report their data net of investment management fees,        
direct operating expenses and separate account charges. VARDS is a monthly      
reporting service that monitors over 2,500 variable life and variable annuity   
funds on performance and account information. Advertisements or other           
communications furnished to present or prospective Contract Owners may also     
include evaluations of an Investment Fund or Portfolio by financial             
publications that are nationally recognized such as Barron's, Morningstar's     
Variable Annuity Sourcebook, Business Week, Chicago Tribune, Forbes, Fortune,   
Institutional Investor, Investment Adviser, Investment Dealer's Digest,         
Investment Management Weekly, Los Angeles Times, Money, Money Management        
Letter, Kiplinger's Personal Finance, Financial Planning, National              
Underwriter, Pension & Investments, USA Today, Investor's Daily, The New York   
Times and The Wall Street Journal.                                              

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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     PART 4: THE GUARANTEED INTEREST ACCOUNT
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Guaranteed Interest Account is part of our general account and pays         
interest at a guaranteed rate. The general account supports all of our policy   
and contract guarantees, 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 applicable     
exemptive and exclusionary provisions, interests in the general account have    
not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933 (1933 ACT), nor is the     
general account an investment company under the 1940 Act. Accordingly, the      
general account is not subject to regulation under the 1933 Act or the 1940     
Act. We have been advised that the staff of the SEC has not made a review of    
the disclosures that are included in the prospectus for your information and    
that relate to the general account and the Guaranteed Interest Account. These   
disclosures, however, may be subject to certain generally applicable            
provisions of the Federal securities laws relating to the accuracy and          
completeness of statements made in prospectuses.                                

The amount that you as a Participant or Contract Owner have in the Guaranteed   
Interest Account at any time is equal to the sum of all contributions and       
transfers that have been allocated to that Account on your behalf plus          
interest, less the sum of all amounts that have been withdrawn, transferred     
or deducted.                                                                    

Interest is credited to the Account every day. There are three levels of        
interest rates simultaneously in effect in the Guaranteed Interest Account:     
the minimum interest rate guaranteed over the life of the contract, the         
yearly guaranteed interest rate for the calendar year, and the current          
interest rate. Current interest rates are set periodically by Equitable Life,   
at its discretion, according to procedures that Equitable Life reserves the     
right to change. All interest rates are effective annual rates, but before      
deduction of applicable administrative or contingent withdrawal charges.        

The setting of current interest rates is handled differently for EQUI-VEST      
and MOMENTUM.                                                                   

For the MOMENTUM Program, quarterly "current" rates are established. The        
current rate applies to the entire amount you have in the Guaranteed Interest   
Account during the calendar quarter for which it is declared. We may change     
the duration of future interest guarantee periods, but no interest guarantee    
period will exceed one year. We also reserve the right to assign different      
current rates by Transaction Date and different current and yearly guaranteed   
rates to different plans based upon when the plan became enrolled in the        
MOMENTUM Program. Generally, all plans that become enrolled in the MOMENTUM     
Program in the same calendar year will be in the same class. A plan will be     
considered enrolled in the MOMENTUM Program as of the earliest Participation    
Date applicable to a Participant in that plan. All Participants within the      
same plan will be subject to the same interest rates. Plans that converted      
from EQUI-VEST Corporate Trusteed to MOMENTUM will be considered in the same    
class, regardless of the date of the plan's enrollment under EQUI-VEST.         

For EQUI-VEST Contracts, an interest rate is assigned to each allocation to     
the Guaranteed Interest Account and the rate is guaranteed for a certain        
period of time, depending on when the allocation is made. Therefore, for        
these Contracts, different interest rates may apply to different amounts in     
this Account. (An exception to this approach is made for Corporate Trusteed     
and EDC Contracts issued to governmental employers in New York whose EQUI-      
VEST funding arrangements became effective on or after July 1, 1989).           

For MOMENTUM and EQUI-VEST, the yearly guaranteed interest rate for 1996 is     
4% and for 1997 is 4%. The yearly guaranteed interest rate will never be less   
than the minimum Contract guarantee of 3% (4% for EQUI-VEST Corporate           
Trusteed Contracts, Series 100 and 200 NQ group certificates, and for           
Participants in plans that converted to MOMENTUM from our EQUI-VEST Corporate   
Trusteed Contract). At least 15 days before the beginning of a calendar year,   
we will notify you in writing of the guaranteed interest rate for the next      
year.                                                                           

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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PART 5: THE EQUI-VEST FIXED MATURITY ACCOUNT
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ALLOCATIONS TO FIXED MATURITY PERIODS                                           

The Fixed Maturity Account is only available under the EQUI-VEST Series 400     
Contracts.                                                                      

Your Fixed Maturity Account contains the Fixed Maturity Periods to which you    
have made a contribution or transfer. Each amount contributed (including        
amounts transferred) to a Fixed Maturity Period and held to that Period's       
Expiration Date accumulates interest at the Rate to Maturity in effect on the   
date of your contribution to that Period. Thus, your Rate to Maturity is the    
interest rate your contribution will earn if your money remains in that Fixed   
Maturity Period until its Expiration Date.                                      

Your Maturity Amount in a Fixed Maturity Period on its Expiration Date is       
your original contribution plus interest, using the Rate to Maturity in         
effect on the date of your contribution (or transfer) for the Fixed Maturity    
Period (less appropriate adjustments for any charges or premature               
withdrawals).                                                                   

Before maturity, you have a Market Adjusted Amount in each Fixed Maturity       
Period to which you have made a contribution. The Market Adjusted Amount is     
the present value of your Maturity Amount, discounted at the Rate to Maturity   
in effect for new contributions on the date of the calculation. It thus         
reflects whatever market value adjustment (see details below) would apply on    
that day were you to withdraw the entire amount in your Fixed Maturity          
Period. (On the Expiration Date, your Market Adjusted Amount equals your        
Maturity Amount.)                                                               

Contributions may be made to one or more Fixed Maturity Periods; however, you   
may not make more than one contribution to any one Fixed Maturity Period. You   
may not make a contribution to a Fixed Maturity Period which has an             
Expiration Date beyond the date on which annuity payments are to commence       
under your Contract. If you have contributed funds to one or more Fixed         
Maturity Periods you must select Maximum Fund Choice; transfers out of the      
Guaranteed Interest Account will be restricted. See "Transfers" in Part 6.      

AVAILABILITY OF FIXED MATURITY PERIODS                                          

Subject to state regulatory approval, Fixed Maturity Periods are available as   
Investment Options only to Owners of Series 400 Contracts.                      

We offer Fixed Maturity Periods ending on June 15 (or the preceding Business    
Day) for each of the maturity years 1996 through 2006. Not all Fixed Maturity   
Periods will be available in all states. As Fixed Maturity Periods expire, we   
expect to add maturity years so that generally ten are available in most        
states at any time.                                                             

RATES TO MATURITY AND PRESENT VALUE PER $100 OF MATURITY AMOUNT                 

Because the Maturity Amount of a contribution to a Fixed Maturity Period can    
be determined at the time it is made, you can determine the amount required     
to be contributed to a Fixed Maturity Period in order to produce a target       
Maturity Amount (assuming no transfers or withdrawals are made and no charges   
are allocated to the Fixed Maturity Period). The required contribution is the   
present value of that Maturity Amount discounted at the Rate to Maturity on     
the Transaction Date for the contribution.                                      

The same approach as described above may also be used to determine the amount   
which you would need to allocate to each Fixed Maturity Period in order to      
create a series of constant Maturity Amounts for two or more years.             

The Rates to Maturity that are available for new contributions can be           
obtained from your agent or by calling (800) 841-0801.                          

OPTIONS AT EXPIRATION DATE                                                      

We will notify you at least 45 days before the Expiration Date of each Fixed    
Maturity Period in which you have any money. You may elect one of the           
following options to be effective at the Expiration Date:                       

(a)     to transfer the Maturity Amount into any Fixed Maturity Period we     
 are then offering, or into any of our other Investment Options.

(b)     to withdraw the Maturity Amount (subject to any contingent            
withdrawal charge which may apply under your Contract).       

If we have not received your election as of the Expiration Date, the Maturity   
Amount in the expired Fixed Maturity Period will be transferred into the        
Money Market Fund (or another Investment                                        

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Option if required by state regulation). As to contracts issued in New York,    
see New York Contracts--Fixed Maturity Account in Part 8: Deductions and        
Charges.                                                                        

MARKET VALUE ADJUSTMENT FOR TRANSFERS, WITHDRAWALS OR                           
TERMINATION PRIOR TO THE EXPIRATION DATE                                        

Any withdrawal (including transfers, terminations and deductions) from a        
Fixed Maturity Period prior to its Expiration Date will result in a positive    
or negative market value adjustment, which is reflected in your Market          
Adjusted Amount. The amount of the adjustment will depend on two factors: (a)   
the difference between the Rate to Maturity on the date of your contribution    
or transfer and the Rate to Maturity for the same Fixed Maturity Period on      
the date of the calculation, and (b) the length of time remaining until the     
Expiration Date. In general, if interest rates have risen between the time      
when an amount was originally contributed to a Fixed Maturity Period and the    
time it is withdrawn, the market value adjustment will be negative, and vice    
versa; and the longer the period of time remaining until the Expiration Date,   
the greater the impact of the interest rate difference. Therefore, it is        
possible that a significant rise in interest rates could result in a            
substantial reduction in your Market Adjusted Amount should you withdraw        
before the Expiration Date.                                                     

The market value adjustment (positive or negative) resulting from a             
withdrawal of all funds from a Fixed Maturity Period will be determined for     
each contribution allocated to that Fixed Maturity Period as follows:           

(1)  We determine the Market Adjusted Amount on the Transaction Date as follows:

(a)     We determine the Book Value that would be payable on the Expiration   
    Date, using the applicable Rate to Maturity. The Book Value equals
      your contribution to the Fixed Maturity Period, reduced by any prior
    withdrawals, transfers and charges and reflecting any prior market
    value adjustments, accumulated at the Rate to Maturity on the date
of the contribution.                                          

(b)     We determine the time remaining in your Fixed Maturity Period (based  
      on the Transaction Date) and convert it to fractional years based on
 a 365 day year (or on 366 day year in a leap year). For example
three years and 12 days becomes 3.0329.                       

(c)     We determine the current Rate to Maturity which applies on the        
  Transaction Date to new contributions to the same Fixed Maturity
Period.                                                       

(d)     We determine the present value of the Book Value payable at the       
  Expiration Date, using the period determined in (b) and the rate
determined in (c).                                            

(2)  We determine the Book Value 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 Period, which may be positive
or negative.                                                          

The market value adjustment (positive or negative) resulting from a             
withdrawal of a portion of the amount in a Fixed Maturity Period will be a      
percentage of the market value adjustment that would be applicable upon a       
withdrawal of all funds from a Fixed Maturity Period. This percentage is        
determined by (i) dividing the amount of the withdrawal or transfer from the    
Fixed Maturity Period by (ii) the Market Adjusted Amount in such Fixed          
Maturity Period prior to the withdrawal or transfer. See Appendix I for an      
example.                                                                        

The Rate to Maturity for new contributions to a Fixed Maturity Period is the    
rate we have in effect for this purpose even if new allocations to that Fixed   
Maturity Period would not be accepted at the time. If we do not have a Rate     
to Maturity in effect for a Fixed Maturity Period to which the "current Rate    
to Maturity" in (1)(c) would apply, we will use the rate at the next closest    
Expiration Date. If we are no longer offering new Fixed Maturity Periods, the   
"current Rate to Maturity" will be determined in accordance with our            
procedures then in effect. For purposes of calculating the market value         
adjustment only, we reserve the right to add up to 0.50% to the current rate    
in (1)(c) above.                                                                

INVESTMENTS                                                                     

Contributions received under the Contracts and allocated to Fixed Maturity      
Periods will be held in a "nonunitized" separate account established by         
Equitable Life under the laws of New York. The separate account provides an     
additional measure of assurance that full payment of amounts due under the      
Fixed Maturity Periods will be made. Under the New York Insurance Law, the      
portion of the separate account's assets equal to the reserves and other        
liabilities relating to the Contracts are not chargeable with liabilities       
arising out of any other business we may conduct. Investments purchased with    
amounts contributed to the Fixed Maturity Account                               

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(and any earnings on those amounts) are our property. Any favorable             
investment performance on the assets held in the separate account accrues       
solely to our benefit. Contract Owners do not participate in the performance    
of the assets held in the separate account. We may, subject to applicable       
state law, transfer all assets allocated to the separate account to our         
general account. Regardless of whether assets supporting Fixed Maturity         
Accounts are held in a separate account or our general account, all benefits    
relating to the value in the Fixed Maturity Account are guaranteed by us.       

We have no specific formula for establishing the Rates to Maturity for the      
Fixed Maturity Periods. We expect the rates to be influenced by, but not        
necessarily correspond to, among other things, the yields on the fixed income   
securities to be acquired with amounts that are allocated to the Fixed          
Maturity Periods at the time that the Rates to Maturity are established. Our    
current plans are to invest such amounts 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 Periods.                                       

Although the foregoing generally describes our plans for investing the assets   
supporting our obligations under the fixed portion of the Contracts, we are     
not obligated to invest those assets according to any particular plan except    
as may be required by state insurance laws nor will the Rates to Maturity we    
establish be determined by the performance of the nonunitized separate          
account. Interests held in the nonunitized separate account are registered      
under the 1933 Act. See "Part 4: The Guaranteed Interest Account" for a         
discussion of our general account.                                              

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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PART 6: PROVISIONS OF THE EQUI-VEST CONTRACTS 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE EQUI-VEST CONTRACT SERIES                                                   

EQUI-VEST is designed as a funding vehicle for either personal or               
employer-sponsored retirement programs. EQUI-VEST may be offered either as an   
individual Contract or as a group Contract with individual Certificates. The    
difference is primarily one of state requirements; the basic provisions are     
the same regardless of group or individual Contract form. Your Contract or      
Certificate will indicate what form you have. Certain provisions of your        
Conract may differ depending on the type of program purchased and the state     
or date of issue. (See Part 1: "Summary" for a description of the types of      
programs offered.) In this prospectus, we use a "series" number when            
necessary to differentiate among Contracts. Currently, there are four series    
of EQUI-VEST Contracts. You can identify the EQUI-VEST series you have by       
referring to your confirmation notice, or you may contact your agent or call    
our toll free number. In general, the series designations are:                  

                                                                [Download Table]

                                                              
-------------------------------------        --------------   
 TSA, SEP, EDC, Annuitant Owned HR-10        Series 100       
 and Trusteed Contracts issued before                         
 August 17, 1995.                                             
 IRA, QP IRA AND NQ Contracts issued                          
 before January 3, 1994.                                      
 -------------------------------------------- --------------- 
 TSA, EDC, Annuitant Owned HR-10 and          Series 200      
 Trusteed Contracts issued on or after                        
 August 17, 1995. SEP Contracts issued                        
 on or after August 17, 1995 and before                       
 November 1, 1995. A Series 200 SEP                           
 Contract will be issued in a state                           
 where the Series 300 Contract has                            
 not been approved.                                           
 -------------------------------------------- --------------- 
 IRA, QP IRA and NQ Contracts issued on or     Series 300     
 after January 3, 1994 and before the date                    
 Series 400 Contracts became available in                     
 a state; and SEP Contracts issued on or                      
 after November 1, 1995 in states which have                  
 approved the Series 300 Contract.                            
 --------------------------------------------- ---------------
 IRA, QP IRA and NQ Contracts issued on or     Series 400     
 after July 10, 1995 in states where approved.                
 --------------------------------------------- ---------------

The provisions of your Contract may be restricted by any plan or agreement      
relating to it or by applicable laws or regulations.                            

SELECTING INVESTMENT OPTIONS                                                    

You can choose one of the following two methods for selecting Investment        
Options:                                                                        

o     Maximum Fund Choice, allowing you to allocate contributions to any        
   Investment Fund, the Guaranteed Interest Account and the Fixed Maturity
Periods; however, this election will result in restrictions in the  
amount you can transfer out of the Guaranteed Interest Account; or  

o     Maximum Transfer Flexibility, allowing you to allocate contributions      
only to the Balanced, Growth & Income, Equity Index, Common Stock,  
  Global, International, Aggressive Stock and Growth Investors Funds and
the Guaranteed Interest Account; and no transfer restrictions apply.

Once this selection is made, you may allocate contributions to, or transfer     
among, only the Investment Options that you have chosen. After your Contract    
is issued, you may request in writing to add any remaining Funds or eliminate   
Funds that result in transfer restrictions, but we have the right to deny the   
request. See "Transfers" elsewhere in this Section.                             

The Guaranteed Interest Account is always available as an Investment Option.    
Subject to state regulatory approval, the Fixed Maturity Periods is available   
to Owners of Series 400 Contracts. If you want to invest in the Fixed           
Maturity Periods, you must select Maximum Fund Choice.                          

For Original Contracts, only the Guaranteed Interest Account and the Money      
Market, Balanced, Common Stock and Aggressive Stock Funds are available. In     
most cases, you may request to add additional Funds to your Original            
Contract, although we have the right to deny such requests. See "Transfers"     
elsewhere in this Section for the transfer restrictions applicable to           
Original Contracts.                                                             

CONTRIBUTIONS UNDER THE CONTRACTS                                               

Generally, contributions may be made at any time: in single sum amounts, on a   
regular basis or as your financial situation permits. For some types of         
retirement plans, contributions must be made by the employer.                   

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Contributions are credited as of the Transaction Date, providing they are       
accompanied with complete information. All contributions made by check must     
be drawn on a bank in the U.S., in U.S. dollars and made payable to Equitable   
Life. All checks are accepted subject to collection.                            

Minimum amounts that may be contributed are as follows:                         

o     IRA                                                                       

--Series 100 and 200--$20                                                   

--Series 300 and 400--$50                                                   

o     QP IRA                                                                    

--Series 100 and 200--$1,000                                                

--Series 300 and 400--$2,500                                                

o     NQ                                                                        
--$1,000 (initial); $50           
(initial for payroll              
deduction)                        
--$50 (ongoing)                   

o     All others       --$20                                                    

We reserve the right to change minimum and maximum contribution amounts upon    
90 days prior written notice.                                                   

Special Limits                                                                  

NQ: Subsequent contributions to Series 100 NQ Contracts will be restricted      
for Annuitants age 59 and older in states where individual Contracts are        
issued. Subsequent contributions to Series 300 and 400 NQ Contracts may not     
generally be accepted for Annuitants age 80 and older.                          

TSA: In certain cases, provided the total annual contribution to the            
EQUI-VEST TSA will be at least $200 annually, we may accept contributions of    
less than $20. Currently we do not accept contributions via direct TSA to TSA   
transfers under Rev. Rul. 90-24 where any such funds were invested in a         
custodial account under Code Section 403(b)(7) and are still subject to its     
restrictions.                                                                   

IRA: Contributions to IRA Contracts may be subject to maximums, as discussed    
below and in "Part 10: Federal Tax & ERISA Matters." Subsequent contributions   
may be "regular" IRA contributions, "rollover" contributions or "direct         
transfers." A $2,000 annual limit applies to regular contributions, but not     
to rollovers or direct transfers.                                               

"Regular" IRA contributions may no longer be made for the taxable year in       
which you attain 70 1/2 and thereafter. Rollover and direct transfer            
contributions may be made after you attain age 70 1/2. However, any amount      
contributed must be net of your required minimum distibution for the year in    
which the rollover or direct transfer contribution is made.                     

Contributions to the Investment Funds and the                                   
Guaranteed Interest Account                                                     

We allocate contributions to the Investment Funds and the Guaranteed Interest   
Account on the Transaction Date according to your allocation percentages.       
Allocation percentages can be changed at any time by writing to our             
Processing Office or by using TOPS. The change will be effective on the         
Transaction Date and will remain in effect for future contributions unless      
another change is requested.                                                    

A contribution allocated to an Investment Fund purchases Accumulation Units     
in that Investment Fund. The number of Accumulation Units purchased equals      
the dollar amount of the contribution divided by the Accumulation Unit Value    
for that Investment Fund computed for the Transaction Date on which we          
receive the contribution at our Processing Office. The number of Accumulation   
Units purchased will not vary because of any later change in the Accumulation   
Unit Value. A description of the computation of the Accumulation Unit Value     
is found in the SAI.                                                            

Contributions allocated to the Guaranteed Interest Account become part of our   
general account on the Transaction Date and begin to accrue interest at the     
guaranteed interest rate then in effect.                                        

Contributions to the Fixed Maturity Account (Series 400 Contracts only)         

You must provide specific instructions for contributions to the Fixed           
Maturity Account. Contributions (or transfers) to a Fixed Maturity Period       
will have the Rate to Maturity for the specified Period offered on the          
Transaction Date. Contributions may be made to one or more Fixed Maturity       
Periods; however, you may not make more than one contribution (or transfer)     
to any one Fixed Maturity Period. In no event may contributions be made to      
Fixed Maturity Periods with maturities beyond the date on which annuity         

payments are to commence under your Contract. See "Distribution Options"        
elsewhere in this Section.                                                      

Automatic Investment Program                                                    

Our Automatic Investment Program (AIP) provides for a specified amount to be    
automatically deducted from a bank checking account, bank money market          
account or credit union checking account and to be                              

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contributed into an NQ or IRA Contract on a monthly basis. AIP contributions    
may be made to any Investment Option available under your Contract except the   
Fixed Maturity Periods. You may elect AIP by properly completing the            
appropriate form, which is available from your Equitable Life Agent, and        
returning it to our Processing Office. You elect which day of the month         
(other than the 29th, 30th or 31st) you wish to have your bank account          
debited. That date, or the next Business Day if that day is a non-Business      
Day, will be the Transaction Date. AIP is not available to QP IRA Contract      
Owners.                                                                         

You may cancel AIP at any time by notifying our Processing Office in writing.   
Equitable Life is not responsible for any debits made to your account prior     
to the time written notice of revocation is received at our Processing          
Office.                                                                         

ANNUITY ACCOUNT VALUE                                                           

Your Annuity Account Value for an EQUI-VEST Contract is the sum of your         
amounts in the Investment Options, plus the amount in any loan reserve          
account, including accrued interest. These amounts are defined below and        
include your value in the Investment Funds, your value in the Guaranteed        
Interest Account and your value in the Fixed Maturity Account. The loan         
reserve account, applicable only to certain TSA and Corporate Trusteed          
Contracts, is described in the SAI.                                             

Value in the Investment Funds                                                   

Your value in an Investment Fund on any Business Day under your Contract is     
equal to the number of your Accumulation Units in that Investment Fund times    
the Accumulation Unit Value for that Fund for that date. Your number of         
Accumulation Units in an Investment Fund at any time is equal to the sum of     
Accumulation Units purchased by your contributions and transfers less any       
Accumulation Units redeemed for withdrawals, transfers or deductions for        
applicable charges.                                                             

The number of Accumulation Units you purchase or sell in any Investment Fund    
is equal to the dollar amount of your transaction divided by the Accumulation   
Unit Value for the Investment Fund on the Transaction Date. The number of       
Accumulation Units you own will not vary because of any later change in the     
Accumulation Unit Value. However, the Accumulation Unit Value varies with the   
investment performance of the Fund, which in turn reflects the investment       
income and realized and unrealized capital gains and losses of the              
corresponding Portfolio, as well as Trust fees and expenses. The Accumulation   
Unit Value is also stated after deduction of the Separate Account asset         
charges relating to the Contracts. A description of the computation of the      
Accumulation Unit Values is found in the SAI.                                   

Accumulation Unit Values                                                        

The following tables show the Accumulation Unit Values, as of the last          
Business Day for the periods shown, commencing with the initial offering of     
each Fund under the Contracts indicated below.                                  

EQUI-VEST: SERIES 100 AND 200*                                                

                                                                [Download Table]

     LAST               INTERMEDIATE                                    
   BUSINESS     MONEY    GOVERNMENT   QUALITY   HIGH   GROWTH &  EQUITY 
    DAY OF      MARKET   SECURITIES    BOND    YIELD    INCOME    INDEX 
-------------  ------  ------------  -------  ------  --------  ------- 
                                                                        
December 1986   $18.22         --        --       --       --        -- 
December 1987    19.18         --        --       --       --        -- 
December 1988    20.32         --        --       --       --        -- 
December 1989    21.89         --        --       --       --        -- 
December 1990    23.38         --        --       --       --        -- 
December 1991    24.48         --        --       --       --        -- 
December 1992    25.01         --        --       --       --        -- 
December 1993    25.41         --        --       --       --        -- 
December 1994    26.08     $ 98.19    $ 93.87  $ 95.88 $ 98.86   $100.95
December 1995    27.22      109.80     108.38   113.44  121.02    135.94
March 1996       27.47      108.56     106.45   119.41  123.33    142.60


(RESTUBBED TABLE CONTINUED FROM ABOVE)  

                                                        [Enlarge/Download Table]

     LAST                                                                               
   BUSINESS     COMMON            INTER-   AGGRESSIVE  CONSERVATIVE             GROWTH  
    DAY OF      STOCK   GLOBAL   NATIONAL    STOCK      INVESTORS    BALANCED  INVESTORS
-------------  ------  -------  --------  ----------  ------------  --------  --------- 
                                                                                        

December 1986  $ 52.10      --       --      $18.33           --      $14.69        --  
December 1987    55.30      --       --       18.15           --       13.95        --  
December 1988    67.22      --       --       18.09           --       15.80        --  
December 1989    83.40      --       --       25.86           --       19.69        --  
December 1990    75.67      --       --       27.36           --       19.40        --  
December 1991   102.76      --       --       50.51           --       27.17        --  
December 1992   104.63      --       --       48.30           --       26.04        --  
December 1993   128.80      --       --       55.68           --       28.85        --  
December 1994   124.32 $104.12       --       52.88       $ 95.10      26.18    $ 96.31 
December 1995   162.42  122.06   $104.15      68.73        112.97      30.92     120.08 
March 1996      168.92  126.16    106.90      76.51        110.35      31.59     121.66 

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EQUI-VEST: SERIES 300 AND 400*                                                

                                                                [Download Table]

     LAST                INTERMEDIATE                                     
   BUSINESS      MONEY    GOVERNMENT   QUALITY   HIGH    GROWTH    EQUITY 
    DAY OF      MARKET      SERIES      BOND    YIELD    &INCOME    INDEX 
-------------  -------  ------------  -------  ------  ---------  ------- 
                                                                          
December 1994   $102.61    $ 98.19     $ 93.87 $ 95.88   $ 98.86   $100.95
December 1995    107.04     109.80      108.38  113.44    121.02    135.94
March 1996       108.02     108.56      106.45  119.41    123.33    142.60
* Series 400 Contracts were initially offered on July 10, 1995            

(RESTUBBED TABLE CONTINUED FROM ABOVE)  

                                                        [Enlarge/Download Table]

     LAST                                                                                
   BUSINESS     COMMON             INTER-   AGGRESSIVE  CONSERVATIVE             GROWTH  
    DAY OF       STOCK   GLOBAL   NATIONAL    STOCK      INVESTORS    BALANCED  INVESTORS
-------------  -------  -------  --------  ----------  ------------  --------  --------- 
                                                                                         
December 1994   $ 97.03  $104.12       --    $ 95.45      $ 95.10     $ 91.64    $ 96.31 
December 1995    126.78   122.06  $104.15     123.95       112.97      108.26     120.08 
March 1996       131.87   126.16   106.90     137.96       110.35      110.59     121.66 

Value in the Guaranteed Interest Account                                        

Your value in the Guaranteed Interest Account on any Business Day is equal to   
contributions and transfers made to the Guaranteed Interest Account plus        
interest, less withdrawals, transfers and deductions for applicable charges.    

Value in the Fixed Maturity Account                                             

Your value in each Fixed Maturity Period on any Business Day is your Market     
Adjusted Amount in that Period. See "Part 5: The Fixed Maturity Account."       

TRANSFERS                                                                       

You may transfer all or portions of your Annuity Account Value among the        
Investment Options you have chosen at any time, subject to the restrictions     
stated below. The amount transferred must be at least $300 or, if less, the     
entire amount in the Investment Option.                                         

o     If you have selected to make only the Balanced, Growth & Income, Equity   
   Index, Common Stock, Global, International, Aggressive Stock and Growth
  Investors Funds and the Guaranteed Interest Account available (Maximum
  Transfer Flexibility), no transfer restrictions will apply among these
Funds and the Guaranteed Interest Account.                          

o     If you have selected to make all Investment Options available (Maximum    
Fund Choice), then the maximum amount which you may transfer in any 
Contract Year from the Guaranteed Interest Account to any other     
    Investment Option is the greater of (a) 25% of the amount you had in the
  Guaranteed Interest Account on the last day of the prior Contract Year
or (b) the total of all amounts you transferred from the Guaranteed 
 Interest Account to any other Investment Option in the prior Contract
Year.                                                               

o     Transfers out of a Fixed Maturity Period other than at the Expiration     
 Date will result in a market value adjustment. See "Part 5: The Fixed
Maturity Account."                                                  

o     Transfers may not be made to Fixed Maturity Periods to which you have     
already made a contribution or transfer.                            

If you transfer money to the Guaranteed Interest Account from another           
financial institution during your first Contract Year, and if you have          
selected Maximum Fund Choice, you will be permitted, during the balance of      
that Contract Year, to transfer up to 25% of such initial Guaranteed Interest   
Account balance to any other Investment Option.                                 

However, for Original Contract Owners, including Original Contract Owners who   
elect to amend their Contract by selecting Maximum Transfer Flexibility, the    
Money Market Fund is always available but we do not permit transfers into       
that Fund from any other Investment Option. No other transfer limitations       
apply to Original Contracts.                                                    

Upon 90 days advance notice, we have the right to change or establish           
additional restrictions on transfers among the Investment Options.              

A transfer request will be effective on the Transaction Date. Transfers in or   
out of the Investment Funds will be at the Accumulation Unit Value next         
computed after the Transaction Date. Transfers out of the Fixed Maturity        
Periods will be at the Market Adjusted Amount on that Transaction Date.         
Transfers into the Fixed Maturity Periods will be at the Rate to Maturity on    
that Transaction Date. A transfer request does not change your percentages      
for allocating current or future contributions among the Investment Options.    
All transfers among the Investment Options will be confirmed in writing.        

Written transfer requests should be sent directly to the Processing Office.     
Your signed request for a transfer should specify your Contract number, the     

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amounts to be transferred and the Investment Options to and from which the      
amounts are to be transferred. You can use our TOPS service to make transfers   
among any Investment Options other than the Fixed Maturity Periods. Please      
contact your Equitable Life Agent or the Processing Office to receive the       
form necessary to obtain a special code number required for TOPS.               

AUTOMATIC TRANSFER OPTIONS                                                      
INVESTMENT SIMPLIFIER                                                           

We offer two automatic options for transferring amounts from the Guaranteed     
Interest Account to the Investment Funds: the Fixed-Dollar and the Interest     
Sweep. You may select either, but not both, of these options.                   

o     Fixed Dollar Option                                                       

Under the Fixed-Dollar Option you may elect to have a fixed dollar amount   
transferred out of the Guaranteed Interest Account and into the Investment  
Funds of your choosing (unless transfers to the Money Market Fund are       
prohibited) on a monthly basis. You can either specify the number of        
monthly transfers or instruct us to continue to make monthly transfers      
until amounts in the Guaranteed Interest Account are depleted. In order to  
elect this option you must have a minimum amount of $5,000 in the           
Guaranteed Interest Account on the date we receive your election form at    
our Processing Office and you must elect to transfer at least $50 per       
month. The Fixed-Dollar Option is subject to the Guaranteed Interest        
Account transfer limitation described in "Transfers" in this Section.       
The Fixed-Dollar Option relies upon the principles of dollar cost           
averaging. Dollar cost averaging is an investment strategy whereby equal    
dollar amounts are invested at regular intervals. By allocating fixed       
amounts on a regularly scheduled basis--as opposed to allocating the total  
amount at one particular time--an investor may be less susceptible to the   
impact of market fluctuations. Although dollar cost averaging is designed   
to lessen the impact of market fluctuations, it does not assure a profit    
nor protect against loss in a declining market.                             

o     Interest Sweep                                                            

Under the Interest Sweep Option, the amount transferred each month will     
equal the amount of interest that has been credited to amounts you have in  
the Guaranteed Interest Account from the last Business Day of the prior     
month to the last Business Day of the current month. To be eligible for     
this option you must have at least $7,500 in the Guaranteed Interest        
Account on the date we receive your election and on the last Business Day   
of each month thereafter.                                                   

You may elect either option by completing an election form and sending it   
to our Processing Office. You can obtain a form from your Equitable Life    
Agent. For the Fixed Dollar Option, 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. For the Interest Sweep, the first monthly    
transfer will occur on the last Business Day of the month following the     
month in which we receive your election form at our Processing Office.      

Termination of Automatic Options                                                

Automatic transfer options will terminate:                                  

  -- Under the Fixed-Dollar Option, when either the number of designated monthly
transfers have been completed or the amount you have in the Guaranteed
Interest Account has been depleted, as applicable; or                 

-- Under the Interest Sweep, when the amount you have in the Guaranteed     
     Interest Account falls below $7,500 (determined on the last Business Day of
the month) for two consecutive months; or                             

-- Under either option, on the date we receive your written request to --   
    terminate automatic transfers at our Processing Office or on the date your
Contract terminates.                                                  

LOANS (FOR TSA AND CORPORATE                                                    
TRUSTEED ONLY)                                                                  

Unless restricted by the employer's plan, loans are permitted against the       
Annuity Account Value of certain TSA and Corporate Trusteed Contracts only.     
Loans under a Corporate Trusteed Contract, however, may not be available in     
all states. Loans under TSA and Corporate Trusteed Contracts are restricted     
by the rules of the Code. In addition, ERISA rules may apply to loans under     
Corporate Trusteed Contracts and, when offered in the future, loans under       
individual TSA contracts where the TSA plan is subject to Title I of ERISA.     

Loans are not available under University TSA Contracts and under any TSA when   
the Required Mini-                                                              

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mum Distributions Option has been elected. Also, loans are currently not        
available under individual TSA Contracts where the TSA plan is subject to       
Title I of ERISA; however, we expect to offer these loans beginning on or       
after July 1, 1996 (approximately).                                             

The EQUI-VEST program permits only one loan at any one time. Before a loan      
can be made under either a Corporate Trusteed or TSA Contract, a properly       
completed loan agreement and application must be signed. Participants should    
read the terms and conditions contained in these documents carefully and        
consult with a tax advisor before taking out a loan. A loan application form    
can be obtained from your Equitable Life Agent, by writing to our Processing    
Office or by calling our toll-free number. In the case of Corporate Trusteed    
and certain TSA Contracts, the written consent of the Participant's spouse      
will be required before a loan can be made. More details of the loan            
provisions are stated in the Contract and on the loan agreement and             
application form.                                                               

A loan will not be treated as a taxable distribution when made to the extent    
that it conforms to Code limits. If the loan fails to qualify under Code        
limits, or if interest and principal is not repaid when due, or in some         
instances if service with the employer terminates, the amount borrowed and      
not yet repaid may be treated as a taxable distribution.                        

The amount and terms of loans under TSA and Corporate Trusteed Contracts are    
discussed in Part 4, "Additional Loan Provisions," in the SAI. The tax          
consequences of failure to repay a loan are substantial and are discussed in    
Part 10, "Federal Tax and ERISA Matters" and in Part 4 of the SAI.              

ASSIGNMENT AND FUNDING CHANGES                                                  

Generally, the Contract Owner may not assign a Contract for any purpose;        
however, an NQ Contract may be assigned for any purpose other than as           
security for a loan. In addition, a trustee owner of a Trusteed Contract can    
transfer ownership to the Annuitant. We will not be bound by an assignment      
unless it is in writing and we have received it at the Processing Office. In    
some cases, an assignment may have adverse tax consequences. See "Part 10:      
Federal Tax and ERISA Matters."                                                 

An employer or trustee can change the funding vehicle for an EDC or Trusteed    
Contract, respectively. You can change the funding vehicle for an NQ, TSA,      
IRA or SEP Contract.                                                            

You may be able to move amounts you have invested with another carrier to       
your EQUI-VEST Contract. To make such a change, funds must be remitted via      
wire or check. Therefore, any assets accumulated under an existing program      
will have to be liquidated. For example, existing insurance policies and        
annuity Contracts funding a qualified plan must be converted into cash.         

PARTIAL WITHDRAWALS AND                                                         
TERMINATION                                                                     

You may withdraw funds from or terminate your Contract at any time before the   
Contract annuitizes and while the Annuitant is alive. Subject to Code           
restrictions you may withdraw funds from your Contract in any amount of at      
least $300 but the Annuity Account Value should be at least $500 after the      
withdrawal is made. Unless you specify otherwise, withdrawals will be taken     
on a pro rata basis from the Investment Funds and the Guaranteed Interest       
Account. We will make withdrawals from the Fixed Maturity Periods as you        
direct. Partial withdrawals or terminations may result in a contingent          
withdrawal charge, explained fully in "Part 8: Deductions and Charges."         
Withdrawals are generally taxable and may be subject to tax penalty when the    
withdrawal is taken prior to age 59 1/2 . In some cases, withdrawals or         
termination may be prohibited or limited by the terms of your retirement        
plan. We may be required to withhold income taxes from the amount withdrawn.    
See Part 10: "Federal Tax and ERISA Matters." Partial withdrawals or            
terminations of amounts held in the Fixed Maturity Periods prior to an          
Expiration Date will result in a market value adjustment. See "Market Value     
Adjustment for Transfers, Withdrawals or Termination Prior to the Expiration    
Date" in Part 5.                                                                

To make a withdrawal or termination, you should complete a Request for          
Disbursement form which leads you through the withdrawal process, step by       
step. This form is available from your Agent or from our Processing Office.     
In order to process your request, we may require additional information,        
depending on the provisions of your Contract or retirement plan. If we have     
received the information we require, the requested partial withdrawal or        
termination will become effective on the Transaction Date and proceeds will     
be mailed within seven days thereafter. If we receive only partially            
completed information, we will return the request to you for completion prior   
to processing.                                                                  

We may terminate your Contract and pay your Annuity Account Value, less any     
outstanding loan                                                                

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(and accrued interest) (1) if no contributions are made for three Contract      
Years and the Annuity Account Value is less than $500, or (2) if you request    
a partial withdrawal that would result in the Annuity Account Value falling     
below $500. We may also terminate your Contract if no contributions are made    
within 120 days from the Contract Date. For group certificates, we may          
terminate your certificate if no contributions are made within 120 days from    
the issue date.                                                                 

The amount of any outstanding loan balance plus any applicable contingent       
withdrawal charge on the loan balance will be deducted from the proceeds paid   
upon termination.                                                               

For participants in a Texas Optional Retirement Program, Texas law permits      
withdrawals only after one of the following distributable events occur:         
attainment of age 701/2, death, retirement, or termination of employment in     
all Texas public institutions of higher education. To make a withdrawal, a      
properly completed written acknowledgment must be received from the employer.   
If a distributable event occurs prior to your being vested, any amounts         
provided by an employer's first-year matching contribution will be refunded     
to the employer. We reserve the right to change these provisions without your   
consent, but only to the extent necessary to maintain compliance with           
applicable law.                                                                 

THIRD PARTY TRANSFERS OR EXCHANGES                                              

You may request that your Contract be exchanged for another contract or         
certificate of the same type issued by another carrier at any time by           
completing the Transfer/Rollover of Assets or 1035 Exchange to Another          
Carrier form. This form contains specific delivery instructions and is          
available from your Agent.                                                      

A contingent withdrawal charge and third party transfer charge, if              
applicable, may be imposed on your Annuity Account Value prior to the           
transfer or exchange. Any higher investment return which you anticipate as a    
result of this transfer or exchange may be outweighed by the cost of these      
charges, if applicable. See "Part 8: Deductions and Charges." Consult your      
tax or legal advisor before making any such transfers or exchanges.             

REQUIREMENTS FOR DISTRIBUTIONS                                                  

Payouts may be subject to applicable withdrawal charges. See "Part 8:           
Deductions and Charges." Distributions may also be taxable and subject to tax   
penalties. See "Part 10: Federal Tax and ERISA Matters." Amounts in the Fixed   
Maturity Periods that are applied to a distribution option prior to an          
Expiration Date will result in a market value adjustment. See "Market Value     
Adjustment for Transfers, Withdrawals or Termination Prior to the Expiration    
Date" in Part 5.                                                                

IRA, EDC, Annuitant-Owned HR-10, SEP, TSA and Trusteed Contracts are subject    
to the Code's minimum distribution requirements for qualified plans.            
Generally, distributions from these Contracts must commence by April 1 of the   
calendar year following the calendar year in which you attain age 70 1/2.       
Subsequent distributions must be made by December 31st of each calendar year.   
If the required minimum distribution is not made, a penalty tax in an amount    
equal to 50% of the difference between the amount required to be withdrawn      
and the amount actually withdrawn may apply. See "Part 10: Federal Tax and      
ERISA Matters" for a discussion of various special rules concerning the         
minimum distribution requirements.                                              

In addition, distributions from a qualified plan, including our prototype       
plans through which Annuitant-Owned HR-10 Contracts are issued, may be          
subject to the provisions of the plan document.                                 

DISTRIBUTION OPTIONS                                                            

The Contract is an annuity contract, even though you may elect to receive       
your benefits in a non-annuity form. In addition to a lump sum distribution     
option, two other types of distribution options are available: income annuity   
and flexible payment distribution options.                                      

An annuity form of distribution option or "annuitization" pays out              
contributions and earnings under the Contract in installments over a            
specified period or over the Annuitant's life. Annuitization payments, if       
selected, are calculated as of the annuitization date chosen, which is on       
file with our Processing Office. You can change this date by writing to our     
Processing Office any time before the date, subject to certain restrictions     
as described in the Contract.                                                   

Except for EDC, Trusteed and NQ Contracts, the Contract Owner is always the     
Annuitant. In an EDC or Trusteed Contract, the Annuitant is generally the       
covered employee. For EDC Contracts, the employer is the Contract Owner and,    
for Trusteed Contracts, the Owner is the trustee. For NQ Contracts, Contract    
Owners may name an Annuitant other than themselves if they wish.                

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For IRA retirement benefits subject to minimum distribution requirements, we    
will send a form outlining the distribution options available before you        
reach age 70 1/2 (if you have not annuitized before that time).                 

INCOME ANNUITY DISTRIBUTION OPTIONS:                                            

o     LIFE ANNUITY: An annuity which 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 death benefit associated with
    this annuity form, it provides the highest monthly payment of any of the
 life annuity distribution options. This is the normal form of annuity
  payment for Annuitants under IRA Contracts who do not have a spouse at
    their retirement date, and for SEP, Trusteed, TSA, Annuitant-Owned HR-10
and EDC (other than governmental EDC plans in New York) Contracts.  

o     LIFE ANNUITY-PERIOD CERTAIN: This annuity form guarantees payments for    
the rest of the Annuitant's life. In addition, if the Annuitant dies
before the end of a selected period of time (the "certain period"), 
    payments will continue to the beneficiary for the balance of the certain
   period. The certain period cannot exceed life expectancy (or joint life
expectancy for qualified retirement plans). A life annuity with a   
certain period of 10 years is the normal form of annuity under NQ   
Contracts.                                                          

o     LIFE ANNUITY-REFUND CERTAIN: This annuity form guarantees payments for    
the rest of the Annuitant's life. In addition, if the Annuitant dies
before the amount applied to purchase this annuity option has been  
  recovered, payments will continue to the beneficiary until that amount
has been recovered. This annuity option is available only as a fixed
annuity.                                                            

o     PERIOD CERTAIN ANNUITY: This annuity form guarantees payments for a       
specific period of time, usually 5, 10, 15 or 20 years, and does not
involve life contingencies. It does not permit any prepayment of the
    unpaid principal, so you could not elect to receive part of the payments
   as a single sum payment with the rest paid in monthly annuity payments.
 This is the normal form of annuity for Annuitants in governmental EDC
    plans in New York. Currently, this annuity option is available only as a
fixed annuity.                                                      

o     JOINT AND SURVIVOR LIFE ANNUITY: This annuity form guarantees payments    
for the rest of the Annuitant's life and, after his or her death,   
continuation of payments to the survivor. Generally, unless the     
   Annuitant elects otherwise with the written consent of the spouse, this
will be the normal form of annuity payment under qualified plans and
certain TSAs for married Annuitants.                                

All of the life annuity distribution options outlined above (with the           
exception of Joint and Survivor Life Annuity) are available as either Single    
or Joint life annuities. Life annuity distribution options are not available    
for Annuitants in governmental EDC plans in New York.                           

FIXED AND VARIABLE ANNUITY FORMS:                                               

We offer the annuity distribution options outlined above in both fixed and      
variable form, unless otherwise indicated. Fixed annuity payments, funded       
through our general account, do not change and will be based on the tables of   
guaranteed annuity payments in your Contract or on our then current annuity     
rates, whichever is more favorable for the Annuitant. For all Annuitants, the   
normal form of annuity provides for fixed payments. Variable payments will be   
funded through your choice of the 13 Investment Funds of the Hudson River       
Trust through the purchase of annuity units. The amount of each variable        
annuity payment may fluctuate, depending upon the performance of the            
Investment Fund. Variable benefits are not allowed for governmental EDC plans   
in New York. See "Annuity Unit Values" in the SAI.                              

We also make the variable annuity distribution option available to owners of    
our single premium deferred annuity (SPDA) contracts. SPDA contractholders      
who are considering purchasing a variable distribution option should also       
review "Part 2: Separate Account A and its Investment Funds," "Part 3:          
Investment Performance," the Hudson River Trust prospectus (directly            
following this prospectus) and the sections of the Statement of Additional      
Information which discuss the variable annuity distribution option.             

We may offer other forms not outlined here. Your Equitable Life Agent can       
provide details.                                                                

For each annuity distribution option, we will issue a separate written          
agreement putting the option into effect. Before we pay any annuity benefit,    
we require the return of the Contract. If your Contract is lost, you must       
provide us with a written statement to this effect.                             

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PROVISIONS OF THE EQUI-VEST CONTRACTS (Continued)                               

If, at the time you elect an annuity distribution option, the Annuity Account   
Value is less than $2,000 or the initial payment under the option elected is    
less than $20, we reserve the right to pay the Annuity Account Value in a       
single sum rather than as payments under the annuity form chosen.               

The size of the payments will depend on the form of annuity (fixed or           
variable), the amount applied to purchase the annuity, the type of annuity      
chosen and, in the case of a life annuity distribution option, the              
Annuitant's age (or the Annuitant's and joint annuitant's ages) and in          
certain instances, the sex of the Annuitant(s). Once an annuity distribution    
option is chosen and payments have commenced, no change can be made, other      
than transfers (if permitted in the future) among the investment funds if a     
variable annuity is selected.                                                   

A $200 administrative charge currently applies if an income annuity             
distribution option is chosen before five Contract Years have been completed.   
This charge does not apply when our guaranteed rates are used to calculate      
benefits. Beneficiaries do not pay this charge.                                 

FLEXIBLE PAYMENT DISTRIBUTION OPTIONS:                                          

o     PARTIAL WITHDRAWALS: See "Partial Withdrawals and Termination" above.     

O     SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWAL: You may elect either at the time of Contract       
 issue or any time thereafter to have an amount periodically withdrawn
from your Contract. (Currently not available for EDC, Trusteed, and 
   HR-10 Annuitant-Owned Contracts.) A check for the amount withdrawn will
be made payable to you and mailed to your address. You determine on 
which day of the month (1st through 28th) you wish to have the      
Systematic Withdrawal occur. A minimum Annuity Account Value in the 
Investment Funds and the Guaranteed Interest Account of $20,000 is  
    required at the time this feature is elected and you may terminate it at
any time.                                                           

The amount withdrawn may be either the amount of interest earned under the  
Guaranteed Interest Account or a fixed dollar amount of the Annuity Account 
Value in the Investment Funds or in the Guaranteed Interest Account. When   
the interest option is elected, a minimum of $20,000 must be maintained in  
the Guaranteed Interest Account. No minimum Annuity Account Value is        
required to be maintained when the fixed dollar option is elected.          
Withdrawals may be scheduled monthly or quarterly, subject to minimum       
amount of $300. Amounts withdrawn which are in excess of the 10% Free       
Corridor amount are subject to the contingent withdrawal charge. See        
"Contingent Withdrawal Charge" in Part 8.                                   

o     REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTRIBUTIONS OPTION: We offer a payment option, which   
 we call "Required Minimum Distributions Option," which is intended to
meet the minimum distribution requirements applicable to qualified  
   plans, IRAs, SEPs, TSAs, and EDC Contracts. See "Part 10, Federal Tax &
   ERISA Matters." You may elect the Required Minimum Distributions Option
    if the Annuitant is at least age 70 1/2 and your Contract has an Annuity
Account Value in the Investment Funds and the Guaranteed Interest   
Account of at least $2,000. You can elect the Required Minimum      
   Distributions Option by filing the proper election form with us. If you
   elect the Required Minimum Distributions Option, we will pay out of the
Annuity Account Value in the Investment Funds and the Guaranteed    
Interest Account an amount which the Code requires to be distributed
from your Contract. If such amounts are insufficient and you hold   
amounts in the Fixed Maturity Account, we will then pay out required
    amounts from the Fixed Maturity Account. In performing this calculation,
    we assume that the only funds subject to the Code's minimum distribution
requirements are those held under your Contract. We calculate the   
 Required Minimum Distributions Option amount based on the information
you give us, the various choices you make and certain assumptions.  
 Currently, the Required Minimum Distributions Option payments will be
made annually. We are not responsible for errors that result from   
 inaccuracies in the information you provide. The choices you can make
are described in Part 6 of the SAI.                                 

You may elect the Required Minimum Distributions Option for each Contract   
you own, subject to our rules then in effect. This election is revocable    
except for EDC Contracts. The Required Minimum Distributions Option is not  
available under Contracts that have an outstanding loan. Generally electing 
this option does not restrict making partial withdrawals, or subsequently   
electing an annuity distribution option.                                    

The minimum check that will be sent is $300, or, if less, your Annuity      
Account Value. If, after the deduction of the amount of the minimum distri- 

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bution, the total Annuity Account Value is less than $500, we may terminate 
the Contract and pay the Cash Value. See "Partial Withdrawals and           
Termination" above.                                                         

Any applicable withdrawal charges will be deducted in addition to the       
amount distributed under the Required Minimum Distributions Option.         
Withdrawal charges will be deducted on a pro rata basis from the Investment 
Funds and the Guaranteed Interest Account or, if there is an insufficient   
amount in these Options, on a pro rata basis from the Fixed Maturity        
Periods. See "Contingent Withdrawal Charge" in Part 8.                      

If you have a TSA that was purchased before December 31, 1986 and           
transferred to EQUI-VEST, the amount of your pre-1987 account balance is    
not subject to the minimum distribution rules at age 70 1/2. However,       
post-1986 salary reduction contributions and all earnings since that date   
are subject to these minimum distribution requirements.                     

o     DEPOSIT OPTION: This distribution option is for NQ Contracts only.        
 Proceeds from your NQ Contract can be deposited for a period selected
    (including one for as long as the Annuitant lives), and will be credited
with a guaranteed rate of interest for that period.                 

GUARANTEED DEATH BENEFIT                                                        

When the Annuitant Dies                                                         

Generally, upon receipt of due proof of the Annuitant's death, we will pay a    
death benefit to the beneficiary named in your Contract. You designate the      
beneficiary on the application. You may change your beneficiary by writing to   
our Processing Office. The change is effective on the date the written          
submission was signed. A beneficiary change request must be received by the     
Processing Office before the submission of a death claim.                       

In general, the death benefit is equal to the greater of: (i) the Annuity       
Account Value (less any outstanding loan and accrued interest, if any) and      
(ii) the "minimum death benefit." The minimum death benefit will not be less    
than all contributions made (less any applicable taxes and any outstanding      
loan and accrued interest, if any) adjusted for total withdrawals. We will      
pay the death benefit to the beneficiary in the form of an annuity              
distribution option if you have chosen such form under your Contract. If no     
annuity option is in effect at the Annuitant's death, the beneficiary will      
receive the death benefit in a lump sum. However, subject to certain            
exceptions in the Contract, our rules then in effect and any other applicable   
legal requirements, the beneficiary may elect to: (a) apply the death benefit   
to an annuity distribution option we offer, (b) apply the death benefit to      
provide any other form of distribution option we offer, (c) elect any           
combination of forms of distribution option, or (d) in certain circumstances,   
continue the Contract.                                                          

For Series 300 and 400 Contracts only, if the Annuitant is also the Contract    
Owner and the Owner/ Annuitant elects his or her spouse to be the sole          
primary beneficiary and to be the Successor Annuitant and Contract Owner,       
then the surviving spouse automatically becomes both the successor Contract     
Owner and Annuitant, and no death benefit is payable until the surviving        
spouse's death.                                                                 

When the Contract Owner Dies Before the Annuitant (NQ Contracts Only)           

For all NQ Contracts, when the Contract Owner is not the Annuitant and the      
Contract Owner dies before any annuity distribution payments have begun, the    
beneficiary named to receive the death benefit upon the Annuitant's death       
will automatically succeed as Contract Owner. For Series 300 and 400            
Contracts only, you have the right to designate a Successor Owner either on     
the application form or in a written request sent to our Processing Office.     
The Code requires that the original Contract Owner's entire interest in the     
Contract be completely distributed to the named beneficiary by the fifth        
anniversary of such Owner's death (unless an annuity distribution option is     
elected and payments begin within one year after the Contract Owner's death     
and are made over the beneficiary's life or over a period not exceeding the     
beneficiary's life expectancy). If an annuity distribution option has not       
been elected, as described above, we will pay any remaining Annuity Account     
Value (less any applicable contingent withdrawal charge) on the fifth           
anniversary of the Contract Owner's death. If the named beneficiary is the      
Contract Owner's surviving spouse, no distributions are required as long as     
both the surviving spouse and the Annuitant are living.                         

YOUR BENEFICIARY                                                                

You designate the beneficiary for the death benefit under the Contract on the   
application. You may change your beneficiary by writing to our Processing       
Office. The change is effective on the Transaction Date. The employer must be   
the beneficiary under EDC plans and the trustee must be the beneficiary under   
most Trusteed plans.                                                            

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PROVISIONS OF THE EQUI-VEST CONTRACTS (Continued)                               

The death benefit available to the beneficiary is determined as of the          
Business Day due proof of death is received at our Processing Office. On that   
Business Day, the Annuity Account Value is deducted from the Investment         
Options and earns voluntary interest at an interest rate not less than the      
rate required by law. If you have transferred the value of another Equitable    
Life annuity contract to your EQUI-VEST Contract, the value of that             
contract's minimum death benefit calculated as of the time of transfer will     
be included in total contributions for purposes of calculating the minimum      
death benefit.                                                                  

If no benefit option is in effect at the Annuitant's death, the beneficiary     
can select a lump sum option or one of the forms of annuity benefit. Under      
certain circumstances the beneficiary may elect to continue the Contract. In    
some cases, this may result in a deemed taxable distribution. Any option        
selected must provide for distribution of the Annuity Account Value within      
the period of time permitted by the Code. For EDC Contracts, benefits must be   
distributed within a period not to exceed 15 years (or within the period of     
the life expectancy of the surviving spouse if the spouse is the designated     
beneficiary). See "Part 10: Federal Tax and ERISA Matters."                     

If a lump sum is selected, it is generally paid through the Equitable Life      
Access Account(Trademark), an interest bearing checking account. A              
beneficiary has immediate access to the proceeds by writing a check on the      
account. We pay interest from the date the lump sum is deposited into the       
Access Account until the date the Access Account is closed.                     

PROCEEDS                                                                        

Application of proceeds from the Investment Funds to a variable annuity,        
payment of a death benefit from the Investment Funds and payment of any         
portion of the Annuity Account Value in the Investment Funds (less any          
applicable withdrawal charge) will be made within seven days after the          
Transaction Date. Payments or applications of proceeds from the Investment      
Funds can be deferred for any period during which (1) the New York Stock        
Exchange is closed or trading on it is restricted, (2) sales of securities or   
determination of the fair value of an Investment Fund's assets is not           
reasonably practicable because of an emergency, or (3) the SEC, by order,       
permits us to defer payment in order to protect persons with interests in the   
Investment Funds. We can defer payment of any portion of the Annuity Account    
Value in the Guaranteed Interest Account and in the Fixed Maturity Account      
for up to six months while you are living.                                      

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PART 7: PROVISIONS OF THE MOMENTUM CONTRACT   
AND SERVICES WE PROVIDE   
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

UNDERSTANDING THE MOMENTUM PROGRAM                                              
(EMPLOYERS AND PLAN TRUSTEES)                                                   

The MOMENTUM Program offers, pursuant to the terms of either the Master Trust   
or the Pooled Trust, a group variable annuity contract as a funding vehicle     
for Employers who sponsor qualified defined contribution plans. A defined       
contribution plan is a retirement plan which provides for an individual         
account for each plan participant and for benefits based solely on the          
amounts contributed to such account and any income, expenses, gains and         
losses. A qualified defined contribution plan is a defined contribution plan    
that meets the requirements of Section 401(a) of the Code and applicable        
Treasury regulations.                                                           

The Employer or Plan Trustee, as applicable, is responsible for determining     
whether the MOMENTUM Contract is a suitable funding vehicle for its defined     
contribution plan and should, therefore, carefully read this prospectus and     
the MOMENTUM Contract before entering into the Contract.                        

As an Employer, subject to Equitable Life's underwriting requirements, you      
can use the MOMENTUM Program to adopt the Master Plan and Trust, in which       
case the Master Trust will be the sole funding vehicle for your plan. The       
Master Trust is funded solely by the MOMENTUM Contract.                         

The Master Plan and Trust consists of Internal Revenue Service approved         
master defined contribution plans all of which use the same basic plan          
document. They include:                                                         

o     a standardized and nonstandardized profit sharing plan (both with an      
optional qualified cash or deferred arrangement pursuant to Section 
401(k) of the Code); and                                            

o     a standardized and a nonstandardized defined contribution pension plan.   

An Employer may adopt one or more of these plans. The plans are all             
participant-directed, that is, the plan participants choose which Investment    
Options to use for the investment of their plan accounts. The plans are         
designed to meet the requirements of ERISA Section 404(c). See "Certain Rules   
Applicable to Plans Designed to Comply With Section 404(c) of ERISA" in Part    
10.                                                                             

If you, as an Employer, elect our full service plan recordkeeping option,       
then you must adopt our Master Plan and Trust. A description of such services   
may be found under "Plan Recordkeeping Services" below. More information        
about the Master Plan and Trust may be found in the SAI.                        

If you, as an Employer, want to use your own individually-designed or a         
prototype qualified defined contribution plan, you may adopt the Pooled Trust   
as a funding vehicle. The Pooled Trust is for investment only and may be used   
as your plan's only funding vehicle or in addition to other funding vehicles.   
The same group variable annuity contract (i.e., the MOMENTUM Contract) is       
used under the Pooled Trust and the Master Plan and Trust. The Pooled Trust     
is available for qualified defined contribution plans with either               
participant-directed or trustee-directed investments. If you adopt the Pooled   
Trust you will have elected our basic plan recordkeeping option. We may offer   
to perform additional plan recordkeeping services for an additional charge.     
Such services will be provided pursuant to the terms of a written service       
agreement between us and the Plan Trustee.                                      

Chase Manhattan Bank N.A. currently acts as the trustee under both the Pooled   
Trust and the Master Plan and Trust. The sole responsibility of Chase           
Manhattan Bank N.A. is to serve as a party to the MOMENTUM Contract. It has     
no responsibility for the administration of the MOMENTUM Program or for any     
distributions or duties under the MOMENTUM Contract. In certain states the      
MOMENTUM Contract will only be issued directly to the Employer or Plan          
Trustee and, accordingly, the Master Plan and Trust and the Pooled Trust will   
not be available. As a consequence, Employers in those states will not be       
able to use our full service plan recordkeeping option.                         

EMPLOYER'S RESPONSIBILITIES. If you adopt the Master Plan and Trust or if we    
otherwise agree to provide the full service recordkeeping option pursuant to    
a written service agreement, you, as the Employer and plan administrator,       
will have certain responsibilities relating to the administration and           
qualification of your plan, including:                                          

o     Sending us contributions at the proper time;                              

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PROVISIONS OF THE MOMENTUM Contract and Services We Provide (Continued)         

o     Determining the amount of all contributions for each Participant;         

o     Maintaining all personnel records necessary for administering your plan;  

o     Determining who is eligible to receive benefits;                          

o     Forwarding to us all the forms that employees are required to submit;     

o     Arranging to have all reports distributed to employees and former         
employees if you elect to have them sent to you;                    

o     Arranging to have our prospectuses distributed;                           

o     Filing an annual information return for your plan with the Internal       
Revenue Service, if required;                                       

o     Providing us with the information needed for running special              
non-discrimination tests, if you have a 401(k) plan or if your plan 
   accepts post-tax employee or employer matching contributions and making
any corrections if you do not pass the test;                        

o     Selecting interest rates and monitoring default procedures, if you elect  
to offer Participant loans in your plan; and                        

o     Meeting the requirements of ERISA Section 404(c) if you, as Employer,     
intend for your plan to comply with that section.                   

Other responsibilities of the Employer relating to the administration and       
qualification of your plan are indicated in the plan recordkeeping services     
agreement which is required for all plans that elect the full service plan      
recordkeeping options.                                                          

We will give you guidance and assistance in the performance of your             
responsibilities. The ultimate responsibility, however, rests with you.         

If you, as an Employer, use an individually-designed or a prototype plan, you   
already have most of these responsibilities, which generally will not be        
increased in any way by your adoption of the Pooled Trust.                      

ADOPTING THE MOMENTUM PROGRAM                                                   
(EMPLOYERS AND PLAN TRUSTEES)                                                   

In addition to other installation forms and agreements, to adopt the Master     
Plan and Trust, you, as the Employer, must complete a participation agreement   
and have it executed on behalf of your company. To adopt the Pooled Trust, a    
Plan Trustee must execute a Pooled Trust participation agreement. Return your   
completed participation agreement to the address specified on the form. You     
should keep copies of all completed forms for your own records. In addition,    
either you, as Employer, or the Plan Trustee, as applicable, must complete a    
contract application in order to participate in the MOMENTUM Contract.          

Your Equitable Life Agent can help you complete the participation agreement     
and the application for the MOMENTUM Contract. We recommend that the            
participation agreement be reviewed by your tax or benefits advisor.            

THE MOMENTUM CONTRACT                                                           

The MOMENTUM Program is funded through the MOMENTUM Contract, a combination     
fixed and variable group annuity contract issued by Equitable Life. The         
MOMENTUM Contract governs the Investment Options that are offered under the     
MOMENTUM Program.                                                               

Bear in mind that the provisions of your plan or applicable laws or             
regulations may be more restrictive than the MOMENTUM Contract. We reserve      
the right to amend the MOMENTUM Contract without the consent of any other       
person in order to comply with applicable laws and regulations. Such right      
includes, but is not limited to, the right to conform the MOMENTUM Contract     
to the Code, ERISA and applicable regulations.                                  

SELECTING INVESTMENT OPTIONS                                                    
(EMPLOYERS AND PLAN TRUSTEES ONLY)                                              

Subject to state regulatory approval, you, as Employer or Plan Trustee, can     
elect to fund your plan with any number of the Investment Options available     
under the Contract. This selection is made on the application. You may          
request to change this selection subject to our rules then in effect. If you    
elect to fund your plan with any one of the Intermediate Government             
Securities, Quality Bond, High Yield or Conservative Investors Funds, you       
must also select the Money Market Fund. If you select the above-listed Funds    
and the Guaranteed Interest Account, certain restrictions will apply to         
transfers out of the Guaranteed Interest Account. See "Transfers" in this       
Section. Lastly, you, as Employer, must elect the Guaranteed Interest Account   
as a funding option if you select only from among the Balanced, Growth &        
Income, Equity Index, Common Stock, Global, International, Aggressive Stock     
or Growth Investors Funds.                                                      

For Original Certificates, only the Guaranteed Interest Account and the Money   
Market, Balanced,                                                               

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PROVISIONS OF THE MOMENTUM Contract and Services We Provide (Continued)         

Common Stock and Aggressive Stock Funds are available and we do not permit      
transfers into the Money Market Fund from any of the other Investment           
Options.                                                                        

CONTRIBUTIONS                                                                   

Contributions may be made at any time and may be made only by the Employer or   
Plan Trustee by either wire transfer or check. Participants should not send     
contributions directly to Equitable Life. There is no minimum contribution.     

All contributions made by check must be drawn on a bank in the U.S., in U.S.    
dollars and made payable to Equitable Life. All checks are subject to           
collection. Contributions are credited as of the Transaction Date, if they      
are accompanied by properly completed forms. Failure to use the proper form,    
or to complete the form properly, may result in a delay in crediting            
contributions. Employers should send all contributions to Equitable Life at     
the Processing Office. (See "Part 1: Summary.")                                 

We allocate contributions to the Investment Options according to the            
allocation percentages on the Participant's enrollment form or as later         
changed. Under participant-directed plans, you, as Participant, will provide    
those allocation percentages. In trustee-directed plans, the Plan Trustee       
will provide those percentages. Employee and Employer contributions may be      
allocated in different percentages.                                             

By signing the enrollment form you are providing us with instructions to        
allocate your contributions to the Money Market Fund (if that Fund has been     
selected as an available Investment Option under your Employer's plan and) if   
your allocation instructions on the form are incomplete (e.g., do not add up    
to 100%). If your instructions add up to less than 100%, only the portion of    
the contribution for which we do not have instructions will be allocated to     
the Money Market Fund. If your instructions add up to more than 100%, the       
entire amount of the contribution will be allocated to the Money Market Fund.   
We will then notify your Employer or Plan Trustee and request that corrected    
instructions be forwarded to us. If we do not receive corrected instructions    
after three notices have been sent, but in no event later than 105 days from    
the date a contribution is first credited to the Money Market Fund, we will     
return to the Employer or Plan Trustee, as applicable, all contributions for    
which notices had been sent, plus earnings.                                     

If however, the Money Market Fund is not an available Investment Option under   
your Employer's plan, we will return the contribution to the Employer or Plan   
Trustee in five Business Days, if we have not received the signed form or       
corrected allocation instructions, unless we have obtained your permission to   
continue to hold the contribution.                                              

If we receive your initial contribution before we receive your signed           
enrollment form, we will allocate the initial contribution to the Guaranteed    
Interest Account for five Business Days. If we do not receive either the        
signed enrollment form or your consent to hold the initial contribution         
pending receipt of the form by the fifth Business Day, we will return the       
amount of the initial contribution to your Employer or Plan Trustee, as         
applicable.                                                                     

You, as a Participant, should review your confirmation notices carefully to     
determine whether your contributions have been allocated correctly. A           
certificate evidencing your participation under the MOMENTUM Contract will      
also be sent to you.                                                            

Unless restricted by your Employer's plan, allocation percentages can be        
changed at any time. To change your allocation instruction, you can file a      
change of investment allocation form with your Employer or Plan Trustee. In     
addition, your Employer may have opted to use our Telephone Operated Plan       
Support (TOPS) system to enable you to change your allocation percentages       
over the phone. The change will be effective on the Transaction Date and will   
remain in effect for future contributions unless another change is requested.   

A contribution allocated to an Investment Fund purchases Accumulation Units     
in that Investment Fund based on the Accumulation Unit Value for that           
Investment Fund computed for the Transaction Date on which we receive the       
contribution at our Processing Office. Contributions allocated to the           
Guaranteed Interest Account become part of our general account and begin to     
accrue interest on the Transaction Date.                                        

RETIREMENT ACCOUNT VALUE                                                        

The Retirement Account Value is the sum of the amounts that a Participant has   
in the Guaranteed Interest Account and the Investment Funds. See "Part 4:       
Guaranteed Interest Account".                                                   

The amount you have in an Investment Fund at any time is equal to the number    
of Accumulation Units you have in that Investment Fund times the Accumulation   
Unit Value for the Investment Fund for that Transaction Date. The number of     
Accumulation Units in an Investment Fund at any time is equal to                

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the sum of Accumulation Units purchased by contributions, transfers and loan    
repayments (including principal and interest) less the sum of Accumulation      
Units redeemed for withdrawals, transfers, loans or deductions for charges.     

The number of Accumulation Units purchased or sold in any Investment Fund is    
equal to the dollar amount of the transaction divided by the Accumulation       
Unit Value for the Investment Fund for the applicable Transaction Date. The     
number of Accumulation Units will not vary because of any later change in the   
Accumulation Unit Value. The Accumulation Unit Value varies with the            
investment performance of the corresponding Portfolios of The Hudson River      
Trust, which in turn reflects the investment income and realized and            
unrealized capital gains and losses of the Portfolios, as well as The Hudson    
River Trust fees and expenses. The Accumulation Unit Value is also stated       
after deduction of the Separate Account asset charges relating to the           
MOMENTUM Contract. A description of the computation of the Accumulation Unit    
Value is found in the SAI.                                                      

Accumulation Unit Values                                                        

The following table shows the Accumulation Unit Values, as of the last          
Business Day for the periods shown, commencing with the initial offering of     
each Fund under the MOMENTUM Contract.                                          

                                                                [Download Table]

   MOMENTUM                                                             
                MONEY  INTERMEDIATE                                     
LAST BUSINESS  MARKET   GOVERNMENT   QUALITY   HIGH    GROWTH &   EQUITY
    DAY OF      FUND    SECURITIES     BOND    YIELD    INCOME    INDEX 
-------------  ------  ------------  -------  ------   --------  -------
                                                                        
December 1993  $25.41        --          --      --        --       --  
December 1994   26.08     $ 98.19    $ 93.87  $ 95.88   $ 98.86  $100.95
December 1995   27.22      109.80     108.38   113.44    121.02   135.94
March 1996      27.47      108.56     106.45   119.41    123.33   142.60
-------------  ------  ------------  -------  ------   --------  -------

(RESTUBBED TABLE CONTINUED FROM ABOVE)  

                                                        [Enlarge/Download Table]

   MOMENTUM                                                                                      
 LAST BUSINESS   COMMON                            AGGRESSIVE  CONSERVATIVE               GROWTH 
    DAY OF       STOCK    GLOBAL   INTERNATIONAL     STOCK       INVESTORS    BALANCED  INVESTORS
-------------   -------  -------   -------------  ----------   ------------  --------   ---------
                                                                                                 
December 1993   $128.80     --          --           $55.68          --         $28.85      --   
December 1994    124.32   $104.12       --            52.88       $ 95.10       26.18    $ 96.31 
December 1995    162.42    122.06     $104.15         68.73        112.97       30.92     120.08 
March 1996       168.92    126.16      106.90         76.51        110.35       31.59     121.66 
-------------   -------  -------   -------------  ----------   ------------  --------   ---------

TRANSFERS                                                                       

Subject to certain restrictions, the MOMENTUM Contract permits transfers of     
all or a portion of your Retirement Account Value among the Investment          
Options at any time. Your Employer's plan may, however, impose restrictions     
on transfers. We also offer an automatic transfer service described under       
"Investment Simplifier: Automatic Transfer Service" in this section. There is   
no charge for transfers.                                                        

Participant transfer requests can be made by filing a written request to        
transfer with your Employer or Plan Trustee. Transfers may also be arranged     
through the TOPS service. Please contact your Equitable Life Agent or the       
Processing Office to receive the form necessary to obtain a special code        
number required for TOPS transfers.                                             

A transfer request will be effective on the Transaction Date and the transfer   
will be made at the Accumulation Unit Value for that Transaction Date. A        
transfer request does not change your percentages for allocating current or     
future contributions among the Investment Options. All transfers among the      
Investment Options will be confirmed in writing.                                

If your Employer elects to fund your plan with the Guaranteed Interest          
Account and any of the Money Market, Intermediate Government Securities,        
Quality Bond, High Yield, or Conservative Investors Funds, certain              
limitations will apply to funds transferred out of the Guaranteed Interest      
Account. During a Transfer Period, the maximum amount that may be transferred   
from the Guaranteed Interest Account to any other Fund is the greater of: (i)   
25% of the amount you had in the Guaranteed Interest Account as of the last     
Business Day of the calendar year immediately preceding the current calendar    

quarter or (ii) the total of all amounts you transferred out of the             
Guaranteed Interest Account during the same calendar year. A TRANSFER PERIOD    
is the calendar quarter in which the transfer request is made and the           
preceding three calendar quarters. Generally, this means that new               
Participants will not be able to transfer funds out of the Guaranteed           
Interest Account during the first calendar quarter of their participation       
under the Contract.                                                             

Transfers out of the Guaranteed Interest Account that were made at a time       
when no transfer limitation is in effect will not be counted for purposes of    
determining the maximum transfer amount if the transfer limitation              
subsequently goes into effect.                                                  

If assets have been transferred to the MOMENTUM Contract from another funding   
vehicle by the Em-                                                              

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ployer or Plan Trustee, you may for the remainder of the calendar year in       
which the assets have been transferred, transfer up to 25% of the amount that   
is initially allocated to the Guaranteed Interest Account on your behalf.       

However, for Original Certificates, we do not permit transfers into the Money   
Market Fund from any of the other Investment Options. No other transfer         
limitations apply to Original Certificates.                                     

INVESTMENT SIMPLIFIER: AUTOMATIC                                                
TRANSFER OPTIONS                                                                

Your Employer can elect to provide two automatic transfer options out of the    
Guaranteed Interest Account: the Fixed-Dollar Option and the Interest Sweep.    
Except for Original Certificates, the Fixed-Dollar Option is subject to the     
Guaranteed Interest Account transfer limitation described in "Transfers" in     
this Section.                                                                   

Under the Fixed-Dollar Option you may elect to have a fixed dollar amount       
transferred out of the Guaranteed Interest Account and into the Investment      
Funds of your choosing (except Money Market for Original Certificates) on a     
monthly basis. You can either specify the number of monthly transfers or        
instruct us to continue to make monthly transfers until amounts in the          
Guaranteed Interest Account are depleted. In order to elect this option you     
must have a minimum amount of $5,000 in the Guaranteed Interest Account on      
the date we receive your election form and you must elect to transfer at        
least $50 per month.                                                            

Under the Interest Sweep Option, the amount transferred each month will equal   
the amount of interest that has been credited to amounts you have in the        
Guaranteed Interest Account from the last Business Day of the prior month to    
the last Business Day of the current month. To be eligible for this option      
you must have at least $7,500 in the Guaranteed Interest Account on the date    
we receive your election and on the last Business Day of each month             
thereafter.                                                                     

You may elect either option by filing an election form with your Employer or    
Plan Trustee. For the Fixed Dollar Option, 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. For the Interest Sweep, the first monthly        
transfer will occur on the last Business Day of the month following the month   
in which we receive your election form at our Processing Office. Automatic      
transfers will terminate:                                                       

o     Under the Fixed-Dollar Option, when either the number of designated       
monthly transfers have been completed or the amount you have in the 
Guaranteed Interest Account has been depleted, as applicable; or    

o     Under the Interest Sweep, when the amount you have in the Guaranteed      
    Interest Account falls below $7,500 (determined on the last Business Day
of the month) for two consecutive months; or                        

o     Under either option, on the date we receive your written request to       
 terminate automatic transfers or on the date your participation under
the MOMENTUM Contract terminates.                                   

LOANS                                                                           

The MOMENTUM Contract permits your Employer, or Plan Trustee, to withdraw       
funds from your Retirement Account Value, without incurring a contingent        
withdrawal charge, in order to make a loan to you under your Employer's plan.   
Your Employer can tell you whether loans are available under your plan.         

Employers who adopt the Master Plan and Trust may choose to offer its loan      
feature. The availability of loans under an individually designed or            
prototype plan depends on the terms of the plan.                                

If you are a partner who owns more than 10% of the business or a                
shareholder-employee of an S Corporation who owns more than 5% of the           
business, you presently may not borrow from your vested Retirement Account      
Value without first obtaining a prohibited transaction exemption from the       
Department of Labor (DOL). Consult with your attorney or tax advisor            
regarding the advisability and procedures for obtaining such an exemption.      

Participants should apply for a plan loan through their Employer or the Plan    
Trustee, as applicable. Prior to the making of any plan loan, the Employer or   
Plan Trustee, as applicable, and the Participant must first properly complete   
and sign a loan agreement and application. Employers and Plan Trustees can      
obtain loan application forms from their Equitable Life Agent, by writing to    
our Processing Office or calling our toll-free number. Before taking a plan     
loan, married Participants must generally obtain written spousal consent. In    
addition, Participants should always consult their tax advisor before taking    
out a plan loan.                                                                

Only one outstanding plan loan will be permitted at any time; any number of     
takeover loans will be permitted at any time. The minimum loan is $1,000 and    
the maximum is a percentage of your vested                                      

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Retirement Account Value. See Part 4: Additional Loan Provisions in the SAI     
and Part 10: Federal Tax and ERISA Matters of the prospectus. However, you      
may not have both takeover loans and plan loans outstanding simultaneously.     

While you have a plan loan outstanding, an amount equal to 10% of your loan     
balance will be restricted, and may not be withdrawn from your Retirement       
Account Value. Also you should refer to "Plan Loan Charges" in Part 8 for a     
description of charges associated with plan loans.                              

The interest rate applicable to your plan loan will be set by your Employer     
or the Plan Trustee under the terms of your Employer's plan. It is the          
responsibility of each Employer or Plan Trustee to determine the interest       
rate applicable to each loan. All interest (as well as principal) that you      
pay will be added to your Retirement Account Value. The interest paid in        
repaying a loan may not be deductible, but amounts paid as interest on your     
loan will be taxable on distribution.                                           

Plan loan repayments covering interest and principal will be due in             
accordance with the repayment schedule determined in accordance with the        
terms of the Employer's plan. Participants should send plan loan repayments     
to the plan administrator and not to Equitable Life. All plan loan payments     
made by the plan administrator to us must be made by check or wire transfer.    
Checks must be drawn on a bank in the U.S., in U.S. dollars, made payable to    
Equitable Life and are subject to collection.                                   

A plan loan may be prepaid in whole or in part at any time. Any payments we     
receive will first be applied to interest, with the balance applied to          
repayment of the loan. Plan loan repayments will be allocated to the            
Investment Options in accordance with the same allocation instructions used     
in making the loan. However, a Participant may elect, in writing, to override   
these instructions and allocate all plan loan repayments to the Guaranteed      
Interest Account.                                                               

A plan loan will be in default if the amount of any scheduled repayment is      
not received by us within 90 days of its due date, or if the Participant dies   
or participation under the MOMENTUM Contract is terminated. We will then        
treat the loan principal as a withdrawal subject to the contingent withdrawal   
charge. See "Contingent Withdrawal Charge" in Part 8. See "Part 10: Federal     
Tax and ERISA Matters" for the consequences of defaulting a plan loan and       
other applicable tax matters.                                                   

WITHDRAWALS AND TERMINATION                                                     

Subject to any restrictions in your Employer's plan, the MOMENTUM Contract      
allows your Employer or Plan Trustee, as applicable, to make a withdrawal       
from a Retirement Account Value on behalf of a Participant by writing to our    
Processing Office. Your request for withdrawal must be on the proper form       
which is available from your Employer. If we have received the information we   
require, the requested withdrawal will become effective on the Transaction      
Date and proceeds will be mailed within seven days. Withdrawal proceeds will    
be sent to your Employer or Plan Trustee, unless your Employer has elected      
our full service plan recordkeeping option which provides for direct            
distribution to Participants. If we receive only partially completed            
information, we will return the request to the Employer or Plan Trustee for     
completion prior to processing.                                                 

As a deterrent to premature withdrawal (generally prior to age 59 1/2 ) the     
Code provides certain restrictions on and penalties for early withdrawals. In   
addition, for payments made directly to Participants, we withhold income        
taxes from the amount withdrawn unless an exception applies. See "Part 10:      
Federal Tax and ERISA Matters."                                                 

The Employer or Plan Trustee may also terminate its entire participation        
under the MOMENTUM Contract by writing to our Processing Office. In addition,   
if your plan is found not to qualify under the Code, or, if you fail to         
provide us with the Participant data necessary to administer the MOMENTUM       
Contract, we may return the plan assets to the Employer or Plan Trustee.        

Withdrawals or terminations may result in a contingent withdrawal charge,       
explained fully in "Part 8: Deductions and Charges."                            

While you have a loan outstanding, an amount equal to 10% of your loan          
balance will be restricted, and may not be withdrawn from your Retirement       
Account Value.                                                                  

FORFEITURES                                                                     

Forfeitures can arise when a Participant who is not fully vested under a plan   
terminates employment. Under the terms of the Master Plan and Trust and the     
Pooled Trust, Equitable Life is directed under these circumstances to           
withdraw the unvested portion of the Retirement Account Value and deposit       
such amount in a Forfeiture Account, which is to be allocated to the Default    
Option.                                                                         

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We will re-allocate amounts in the Forfeiture Account as contributions in       
accordance with instructions received by the Employer or Plan Trustee, as       
applicable. Special rules apply to the application of the contingent            
withdrawal charge when forfeitures have occurred. See "MOMENTUM Contract--      
Contingent Withdrawal Charge" in Part 8.                                        

DISTRIBUTION OPTIONS                                                            

The MOMENTUM Contract is an annuity contract, even though you may elect to      
receive your benefits in another form.                                          

Subject to the terms of your Employer's plan, payout options under the          
MOMENTUM Contract include:                                                      

o     Lump sum or partial withdrawals;                                          

o     Payments for as long as you live;                                         

o     Payments for as long as both you and your joint annuitant live; or        

o     Payments for a specific length of time (not longer than your life         
expectancy or that of the joint life expectancy of you and your     
designated beneficiary).                                            

You may also be eligible for our "Automatic Minimum Withdrawal" feature,        
which is designed to help you satisfy the Code's "minimum distribution"         
requirements. Qualified plans are subject to the Code's minimum distribution    
requirements. Generally, such distributions must commence by April 1 of the     
calendar year following the calendar year in which the Participant attains      
age 70 1/2. The plan administrator is responsible for complying with the        
Code's minimum distribution requirements. For more information about the        
minimum distribution requirements, see "Part 10: Federal Tax and ERISA          
Matters."                                                                       

Your choice may be subject to applicable withdrawal charges. see "Part 8:       
Deductions and Charges."                                                        

ANNUITY DISTRIBUTION OPTIONS                                                    

The annuity distribution options available under the MOMENTUM Contract          
include:                                                                        

o     LIFE ANNUITY: An annuity which guarantees payments to you for the rest    
of your life. Payments end with the last monthly payment before your
 death. Because there is no death benefit associated with this annuity
    form, it provides the highest monthly payment of any of the life annuity
distribution options.                                               

o     LIFE ANNUITY-PERIOD CERTAIN: This annuity form also guarantees payments   
to you for the rest of your life. In addition, if you die before a  
 previously selected minimum payment period (the "certain period") has
    ended, payments will continue to your beneficiary for the balance of the
period certain. The minimum period is usually 5, 10, 15 or 20 years.

o     LIFE ANNUITY-REFUND CERTAIN: This annuity form guarantees payments to     
    you for the rest of your life. In addition, if you die before the amount
applied to purchase this annuity option has been recovered, payments
   will continue to your beneficiary until that amount has been recovered.
This option is available only as a fixed annuity.                   

o     PERIOD CERTAIN ANNUITY: This annuity form guarantees payments to you for  
a specific period of time, usually 5, 10, 15 or 20 years. If you die
before the period certain has ended, payments will continue to your 
beneficiary for the balance of the period certain.                  

o     QUALIFIED JOINT AND SURVIVOR LIFE ANNUITY: This annuity form guarantees   
    life income to you and, after your death, continuation of income to your
    surviving spouse. Generally, unless married Participants elect otherwise
  with the written consent of their spouse, this will be the normal form
    of annuity payment for plans such as the Master Plan and Trust. See Part
10: "Federal Tax and ERISA Matters."                                

All of the life annuity distribution options outlined above (with the           
exception of Qualified Joint and Survivor Life Annuity) are available as        
either Single or Joint life annuities.                                          

The MOMENTUM Contract also offers both fixed and variable annuity               
distribution options. Fixed annuity payments, funded through our general        
account, do not change and will be based on the tables of guaranteed annuity    
values in the MOMENTUM Contract or on our current annuity rates, whichever is   
more favorable for the Participant. For all Participants, our normal form of    
annuity provides for fixed payments. Variable payments will be funded through   
your choice of the 13 Investment Funds of the Hudson River Trust through the    
purchase of annuity units.                                                      

We offer other forms not outlined here. Your Equitable Life Agent can provide   
details.                                                                        

ELECTING AN ANNUITY DISTRIBUTION                                                
OPTION                                                                          

In order to elect an annuity distribution option, a Retirement Account Value    
must be at least $3,500.                                                        

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The size of the payments will depend on the amount applied to purchase the      
annuity, the type of annuity chosen and, in the case of a life contingency      
annuity distribution option, the Participant's age (or the Participant's and    
joint annuitant's ages).                                                        

Once you choose an annuity distribution option and payments have commenced,     
no change can be made, other than transfers among the investment funds if       
permitted in the future and if a variable annuity is selected. Remember, as a   
deterrent to premature withdrawal (generally prior to age 59 1/2) the Code      
provides certain restrictions on and penalties for early withdrawals. See       
"Part 10: Federal Tax and ERISA Matters."                                       

MINIMUM DISTRIBUTIONS                                                           
(AUTOMATIC MINIMUM WITHDRAWAL)--OVER AGE 70 1/2                                 

Under the Code, distributions from qualified plans must generally begin no      
later than April 1st of the calendar year following the calendar year in        
which the plan participant attains age 70 1/2 (the "required beginning          
date"). Subsequent distributions must be made by December 31st of each          
calendar year (including the calendar year of your required beginning date).    
If the minimum distribution is not made, the plan participant may be required   
to pay a penalty tax in an amount equal to 50% of the difference between the    
amount required to be distributed and the amount actually distributed. See      
"Part 10: Federal Tax and ERISA Matters" for a discussion of various special    
rules concerning the minimum distribution requirements.                         

We offer a payment option which we call "Automatic Minimum Withdrawal," which   
is intended to meet minimum distribution requirements. You may elect            
Automatic Minimum Withdrawal if you, the Participant, are at least age 70 1/2   
and have a Retirement Account Value of at least $3,500. You can elect           
Automatic Minimim Withdrawal by filing the proper election form with your       
Employer. If you elect Automatic Minimum Withdrawal, we will withdraw the       
amount which the Code requires you to withdraw from your Retirement Account     
Value. We calculate the Automatic Minimum Withdrawal amount based on the        
information you give us, the various choices you make and certain               
assumptions. In performing this calculation, we assume that the only funds      
subject to the Code's minimum distribution requirements are those held under    
the MOMENTUM Contract. In addition, we rely on the information you provide to   
us, and we will not be responsible for errors that result from inaccuracies     
in this information. The choices you can make are described in Part 6 of the    
SAI.                                                                            

Your Automatic Minimum Withdrawal election is revocable. Automatic Minimum      
Withdrawal is not available to Participants who have an outstanding loan.       
Generally, electing this option does not restrict you from taking additional    
partial withdrawals or subsequently electing an annuity distribution option.    

The minimum check that will be sent is $300, or, if less, your Retirement       
Account Value.                                                                  

Any applicable withdrawal charges will be deducted from your Retirement         
Account Value in addition to the amount of the Automatic Minimum Withdrawal.    
See "MOMENTUM Contract--Contingent Withdrawal Charge" in Part 8.                

DEATH BENEFIT                                                                   

In general, the death benefit is equal to the greater of: (i) the Retirement    
Account Value and (ii) the "minimum death benefit."                             

The Master Plan and Trust and the Pooled Trust direct the automatic transfer    
of a Retirement Account Value to the Default Option on the date Equitable       
Life receives due proof of a Participant's death, unless the beneficiary        
provides contrary instructions. All amounts are held in the default option      
until your beneficiary requests a distribution or transfer.                     

The minimum death benefit equals all contributions made less withdrawals of     
contributions (including loans that default upon death). For example, assume    
that a $1,000 contribution is made, and that the contribution earns $1,000      
(for a balance of $2,000). A $1,500 withdrawal is then made leaving a balance   
of $500. Assume that a new $500 contribution is subsequently made. If the       
participant subsequently dies, the minimum death benefit will be $500 because   
there was a $500 contribution that had not been withdrawn, borrowed or          
forfeited.                                                                      

The law requires the distribution of benefits to be completed no more than      
five years after the date of your death, unless payments of your benefit to a   
designated beneficiary commence within one year after your death and are made   
over the beneficiary's life or over a period not exceeding the beneficiary's    
life expectancy. If the beneficiary is your surviving spouse, the spouse can    
elect to begin distributions over the spouse's life or over a period not        
exceeding the spouse's life expectancy at any time up to when                   

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you would have attained age 70 1/2. If you had already begun to receive         
benefits, your beneficiary can continue to receive benefits based on the        
payment option you selected. To designate a beneficiary or to change an         
earlier designation, you should file a beneficiary designation with your plan   
administrator. Your spouse must consent in writing to a designation of any      
non-spouse beneficiary, as explained in "Distributions from Qualified Plans     
and TSAs--Spousal Consent Rules" in Part 10.                                    

If the Participant dies while a loan is outstanding, the loan will              
automatically default and be subject to Federal income tax as a plan            
distribution. This defaulted loan will also be treated as a withdrawal for      
purposes of calculating the minimum death benefit. Defaulted takeover loans     
will not, however, be considered withdrawals for this purpose.                  

The beneficiary may elect, subject to certain exceptions explained below,       
Equitable Life's rules then in effect and any other applicable requirements     
under the Code to: (a) receive the death benefit in a single sum, (b) apply     
the death benefit to an annuity distribution option offered by Equitable        
Life, (c) apply the death benefit to provide any other form of benefit          
payment offered by Equitable Life, or (d) have the death benefit credited to    
an account under the MOMENTUM Contract maintained on behalf of the              
beneficiary in accordance with the beneficiary's investment allocation          
instructions. If the beneficiary elects (d) then (1) the beneficiary will be    
entitled to delay distribution of his or her account as permitted under the     
terms of the Employer's plan and the minimum distribution rules under the       
Code; (2) the value of the beneficiary's account will be determined at the      
time of distribution to the beneficiary and, depending upon investment gains    
or losses, may be worth more or less than the value of the beneficiary's        
initial account and (3) if the beneficiary dies prior to taking a               
distribution of his or her entire account the beneficiary of the deceased       
beneficiary will be entitled to a death benefit as though the deceased          
beneficiary were a Participant, based on the deceased beneficiary's initial     
account.                                                                        

If you die before your entire vested benefit has been distributed to you, any   
remaining benefits will be payable to your beneficiary.                         

Our consultants can explain these and other requirements affecting death        
benefits if you call them at 1-800-528-0204.                                    

PAYMENTS OF PROCEEDS                                                            

Payments of proceeds from the Investment Funds will be made within seven days   
of the Transaction Date. Payments or applications of proceeds from the          
Investment Funds can be deferred for any period during which (1) the New York   
Stock Exchange has been closed or trading on it is restricted, (2) sales of     
securities or determination of the fair market value of an Investment Fund's    
assets is not reasonably practicable because of an emergency, or (3) the SEC,   
by order, permits us to defer payment in order to protect persons with          
interests in the Investment Funds.                                              

We can defer payment of any portion of your Retirement Account Value in the     
Guaranteed Interest Account for up to six months while you are living.          

PLAN RECORDKEEPING SERVICES                                                     

Equitable Life offers two plan recordkeeping options, one of which must be      
elected for each plan. Employers can elect our basic plan recordkeeping         
service option, which includes:                                                 

o     Accounting by Participant;                                                
o     Accounting by Source;                                                     
o     Provision of annual 5500 series Schedule A report information for use in  
 making the plan's annual report to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
and DOL; and                                                        
o     Plan loan processing, if applicable.                                      

As an added service under our Basic Recordkeeping Service, Employers may        
enter into a written agreement with Equitable Life whereby Equitable Life,      
based on information submitted by Employers, direct distribution of plan        
benefits and withdrawals to participants, including tax withholding and         
reporting to the IRS. The written agreement specifies the fees for such         
service.                                                                        

The MOMENTUM Program also offers a full service plan recordkeeping option;      
Employers who elect this option must adopt the Master Plan and Trust. This      
option is only available to Employers who have adopted the Master Plan and      
Trust. If this option is chosen, Equitable Life will provide the following      
plan recordkeeping services in addition to the services described above:        

o     Master Plan and Trust documents approved by the Internal Revenue Service  
(IRS);                                                              

o     Assistance in interpreting the Master Plan and Trust, including plan      
installation and ongoing administrative support;                    

o     Assistance in annual reporting with the IRS and DOL;                      

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o     Plan administration manual and forms (including withdrawal, transfer,     
loan processing, and account allocation forms);                     

o     Performance of vesting calculations;                                      

o     Performance of special non-discrimination tests applicable to Code        
Section 401(k) plans;                                               

o     Tracking of hardship withdrawal amounts in Code Section 401(k) plans;     
and                                                                 

o     Direct distribution of plan benefits and withdrawals to Participants,     
including tax withholding and reporting to the IRS.                 

Any additional services that Equitable Life will provide are indicated in the   
plan recordkeeping services agreement. This agreement is required for           
Employers or Plan Trustees who elect the full service recordkeeping option      
and specifies the fees for the services to be provided. See "MOMENTUM           
Contract--Charge for Plan Recordkeeping Services" in Part 8.                    

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      PART 8: DEDUCTIONS AND CHARGES
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ALL CONTRACTS                                                                   

Most charges applied to your Contract apply to all Investment Options.          
However, Trust Charges to Portfolios and Charges to Investment Funds do not     
apply to the Guaranteed Interest Account or to the Fixed Maturity Account.      
See "Allocation of Certain Charges to the Fixed Maturity Account" below.        

TRUST CHARGES TO PORTFOLIOS                                                     

Investment advisory fees charged daily against the Trust's assets, direct       
operating expenses of the Trust (such as trustees' fees, expenses of            
independent auditors and legal counsel, bank and custodian charges and          
liability insurance), and certain investment-related expenses of the Trust      
(such as brokerage commissions and other expenses related to the purchase and   
sale of securities), are reflected in each Portfolio's daily share price. The   
maximum investment advisory fees paid annually by the Portfolios cannot be      
increased without a vote of that Portfolio's shareholders. The maximum fees     
are as follows:                                                                 

                                                                [Download Table]

                         DAILY AVERAGE NET ASSETS    
                     ------------------------------- 
                        FIRST                        
                        $350     NEXT $400  OVER $750
                       MILLION    MILLION    MILLION 
                     ---------  ---------  --------- 
                                                     
Common Stock,                                        
 Money Market                                        
 and Balanced ......    .400%      .375%      .350%  
Aggressive Stock                                     
 and Intermediate                                    
 Government                                          
 Securities ........    .500%      .475%      .450%  
High Yield, Global,                                  
 Conservative                                        
 Investors and                                       
 Growth Investors  .    .550%      .525%      .500%  

                                                                [Download Table]

                      DAILY AVERAGE NET ASSETS   
                  -------------------------------
                     FIRST                       
                     $500     NEXT $500   OVER $1
                    MILLION    MILLION    BILLION
                  ---------  ---------  ---------
                                                 
Quality Bond and                                 
 Growth and                                      
 Income .........    .550%      .525%      .500% 

                                                                [Download Table]

                   FIRST                        
                   $750     NEXT $750  OVER $1.5
                  MILLION    MILLION    BILLION 
                ---------  ---------  --------- 
                                                
EQUITY INDEX  .    .350%      .300%      .250%  

                                                                [Download Table]

                    FIRST                        
                    $500      NEXT $1   OVER $1.5
                   MILLION    BILLION    BILLION 
                 ---------  ---------  --------- 
                                                 
International  .    .900%      .850%      .800%  


Investment advisory fees are established under investment advisory agreements   
between the Trust and its investment adviser, Alliance. All of these fees and   
expenses are described more fully in the Trust prospectus. Since Trust shares   
are purchased at their net asset value, these fees and expenses are, in         
effect, passed on to the Separate Account and are reflected in the              
Accumulation Unit Values for the Investment Funds.                              

CHARGES FOR STATE PREMIUM AND OTHER                                             
APPLICABLE TAXES                                                                

Currently, we deduct a charge for applicable taxes, such as state or local      
premium taxes, from the amount applied to provide an annuity distribution       
option if elected. The current tax charge that might be imposed varies by       
state and ranges from 0% to 3.5%; however, the rate is 1% in Puerto Rico and    
5% in the Virgin Islands.                                                       

We reserve the right to deduct any such charge from each contribution or from   
distributions or upon termination. If we have deducted any applicable tax       
charges from contributions, we will not deduct a charge for the same taxes at   
a later time. If, however, an additional tax is later imposed upon us when      
you withdraw from, terminate or annuitize, we reserve the right to deduct a     
charge at such time.                                                            

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EQUI-VEST IRA, QP IRA, SEP AND NQ CONTRACTS (SERIES 300 AND 400 ONLY)   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHARGES TO INVESTMENT FUNDS                                                     

We make a daily charge at a guaranteed maximum effective annual rate of 1.35%   
against the assets held in each of the Investment Funds. This charge is         
reflected in the Accumulation Unit Values for the particular Investment Fund    
and covers mortality and expense risk charges of 1.10% and expenses of .25%.    
For a limited period of time we will charge .24% against the assets of the      
Intermediate Government Securities, Quality Bond, High Yield, Growth            

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EQUI-VEST IRA, QP IRA, SEP AND NQ CONTRACTS (SERIES 300 AND 400 ONLY)           
(Continued)                                                                     

& Income, Equity Index, Global, International, Conservative Investors and       
Growth Investors Funds for expenses.                                            

The mortality and expense risk charge is comprised of .60% for mortality risk   
and .50% for expense risk, although the allocation of these risk charges may    
vary. We assume a mortality risk by (a) our obligation to pay a death benefit   
that will not be less than the total value of all contributions made (less      
any applicable taxes) adjusted for total withdrawals, (b) our obligation to     
make annuity payments for the life of the Annuitant under guaranteed fixed      
annuity options, regardless of the Annuitant's longevity, (c) our guarantees    
relating to annuity purchase rates, the actuarial basis for which can be        
changed only for new contributions and only on the fifth anniversary of the     
Contract Date and every five years thereafter, and (d) our obligation to        
waive the contingent withdrawal charge upon the payment of a death benefit.     

The expense risk we assume is the risk that, over time, our actual expense of   
administering the Contracts may exceed the amounts realized from the expense    
charge and the annual administrative expense charge. Part of the mortality      
and expense risk charge may be considered to be an indirect reimbursement for   
certain sales and promotional expenses relating to the Contracts to the         
extent that the charge is not needed to meet the actual expenses incurred.      

The charge for expenses, together with the annual administrative charge         
described below, is designed to reimburse us for our costs in providing         
administrative services in connection with the Contracts, and is not designed   
to include an element of profit.                                                

ANNUAL ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGE                                                    

On the last Business Day of each Contract Year, we deduct from the Annuity      
Account Value an annual administrative charge equal to the lesser of $30 or     
2% of the Annuity Account Value on such Business Day for the first two          
Contract Years, and $30 for each Contract Year thereafter. This charge is       
deducted on a pro rata basis from the Investment Funds and the Guaranteed       
Interest Account, and from the Fixed Maturity Account should collection from    
the other Options be insufficient and we have not been otherwise reimbursed.    
This charge will be prorated for a fractional year if, before the end of the    
Contract Year, you surrender your Contract, the Annuitant dies or you elect     
an annuity distribution option. Accumulation Units will be redeemed in order    
to pay any portion of the charge deducted from an Investment Fund. Any          
portion of the charge deducted from the Guaranteed Interest Account or Fixed    
Maturity Account is withdrawn in dollars.                                       

We reserve the right to increase this charge if our administrative costs        
increase, but the charge is guaranteed never to exceed $65 annually, subject    
to applicable law. We also reserve the right to eliminate the administrative    
charge for IRA, SEP, SARSEP Contracts and NQ Contracts having a minimum         
Annuity Account Value of a specified amount currently set at $20,000 (IRA,      
SEP, and SARSEP) and $25,000 (NQ), on the last Business Day of each Contract    
Year. We also reserve the right to deduct this charge on a quarterly, rather    
than annual, basis.                                                             

CONTINGENT WITHDRAWAL CHARGE                                                    

No sales charges are deducted from contributions. However, to assist us in      
defraying the various sales and promotional expenses incurred in connection     
with selling the Contracts, we assess a charge on amounts withdrawn when you    
make a partial withdrawal or terminate your Contract if the amount withdrawn    
is in excess of the free corridor amount (defined below) or if no exception     
applies. The amount of the withdrawal and the applicable withdrawal charge      
are deducted pro rata from the Investment Funds and the Guaranteed Interest     
Account and from the Fixed Maturity Account should collection from the other    
Options be insufficient. The amount deducted to pay the withdrawal charge is    
also subject to the withdrawal charge.                                          

The contingent withdrawal charge is equal to 6% of the amount attributable to   
withdrawn contributions which have been made in the current and five prior      
Contract Years. In the case of a termination, we will pay the greater of (i)    
the Annuity Account Value after the withdrawal charge has been imposed, as      
described above or (ii) the free corridor amount plus 94% of the remaining      
Annuity Account Value. For purposes of calculating the withdrawal charge (i)    
we treat contributions as being withdrawn before earnings on a first-in,        
first-out basis, and (2) amounts withdrawn up to the free corridor amount are   
not considered a withdrawal of contributions. Although we treat contributions   
as withdrawn before earnings for purposes of calculating the withdrawal         
charge, the Federal income tax law treats earnings on NQ Contracts as           
withdrawn first. See "Part 10: Federal Tax and ERISA Matters."                  

We reserve the right to change the amount of the contingent withdrawal          
charge, provided that it will not exceed 6% of the amount deemed attributable   
to withdrawn contributions. Applicable regulations                              

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EQUI-VEST IRA, QP IRA, SEP AND NQ CONTRACTS (SERIES 300 AND 400 ONLY)           
(Continued)                                                                     

would not permit such a change where it would be unfairly discriminatory to     
any person. Moreover, the withdrawal charge will be reduced if needed in        
order to comply with any state law that applies. See New York                   
Contracts--Fixed Maturity Account below. The tax consequences of withdrawals    
are discussed under "Part 10: Federal Tax and ERISA Matters."                   

Free Withdrawal Amount (Free Corridor)                                          

No withdrawal charge will be applied during any Contract Year in which the      
amount withdrawn is less than or equal to 10% of the Annuity Account Value at   
the time the withdrawal is requested minus any amount previously withdrawn      
during that Contract Year. This 10% portion is called the FREE CORRIDOR         
AMOUNT. Any withdrawal requested that exceeds the free corridor amount will     
be subject to the contingent withdrawal charge, unless one of the following     
exceptions applies.                                                             

Exceptions to the Contingent Withdrawal Charge                                  

A contingent withdrawal charge will not apply upon any of the events listed     
below.                                                                          

o     the Annuitant dies and a death benefit is payable to the beneficiary, or  

o     we receive a properly completed election form providing for the Annuity   
Account Value to be used to buy a life contingent annuity.          

A contingent withdrawal charge will not apply in the following events.          
However, we reserve the right to impose a contingent withdrawal charge, in      
accordance with your Contract and applicable state law, for pre-existing        
conditions or conditions which began within 12 months of your Contract Date     
for these events:                                                               

o     the Annuitant has qualified to receive Social Security disability         
benefits as certified by the Social Security Administration, or     

o     we receive proof satisfactory to us that the Annuitant's life expectancy  
  is six months or less (such proof must include, but is not limited to,
certification by a licensed physician), or                          

o     the Annuitant has been confined to a nursing home for more than a 90 day  
   period (or such other period, if required in your state) as verified by
    a licensed physician. A nursing home for this purpose means one which is
   (a) approved by Medicare as a provider of skilled nursing care service,
  or (b) licensed as a skilled nursing home by the state or territory in
  which it is located (it must be within the United States, Puerto Rico,
U.S. Virgin Islands, or Guam) and meets all of the following:       

--    its main function is to provide skilled, intermediate, or custodial   
nursing care;                                                   
--    it provides continuous room and board to three or more persons;       
--    it is supervised by a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse;   
--    it keeps daily medical records of each patient;                       
--    it controls and records all medications dispensed; and                
--    its primary service is other than to provide housing for residents.   

Additionally, a withdrawal charge will not apply to an IRA, QP IRA, or SEP      
Contract upon the following events:                                             

o     the Annuitant has completed at least six Contract Years and has attained  
age 59 1/2 or                                                       

o     a request is made for a refund of a contribution in excess of amounts     
    allowed to be contributed under the Code within one month of the date on
which the contribution is made.                                     

New York Contracts--Fixed Maturity Account                                      

For Contracts issued in New York, the contingent withdrawal charge applicable   
to contributions to the Fixed Maturity Account (including amounts transferred   
to that Account from the other Investment Options) and which are withdrawn      
from the Fixed Maturity Account, will never exceed 6%; however, the             
contingent withdrawal charge could be lower.                                    

For the Fixed Maturity Account, the contingent withdrawal charge will be the    
greater of that determined by applying the New York Declining Scale             
("Declining Scale") and the New York Alternative Scale ("Alternative Scale"),   
not to exceed 6%. As to the withdrawal of amounts that have been transferred    
within the Fixed Maturity Account from one Maturity Period to another, the      
Alternative Scale is applied if it produces a higher charge than the            
Declining Scale.                                                                

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EQUI-VEST IRA, QP IRA, SEP AND NQ CONTRACTS (SERIES 300 AND 400 ONLY)           
(Continued)                                                                     

                                                                [Download Table]

 DECLINING SCALE           ALTERNATIVE SCALE        
-------------------------  -------------------------
                                                    
Year of Investment in      Year of Transfer within  
 Fixed Maturity Account*    Fixed Maturity Account* 
 Within Year 1     6%         Within Year 1   5%    
         2         6%               2         4%    
         3         5%               3         3%    
         4         4%               4         2%    
         5         3%               5         1%    
         6         2%      After Year 5       0%    
After Year 6       0%                               
                           Not to exceed 1% times   
                           the number of years      
                           remaining in Maturity    
                           Period, rounded to the   
                           higher number of years.  
                           In other words, if 4.3   
                           years remain, it would be
                           a 5% charge.             
-----------------  ------  -------------------------

* Measured from the Contract Anniversary Date prior to the date of the    
contribution or transfer.                                                       

For example, compare the withdrawal charge that would be applicable to a        
withdrawal from a Series 400 Contract that has an Annuity Account Value of      
$10,000--$8,000 from contributions made three years ago and $2,000 from         
positive investment performance.                                                

o     For any contributions withdrawn in the first six years after they are     
made, the normal Series 400 withdrawal charge would be $480 (6% of  
  $8,000). However, if the contributions were made to the Fixed Maturity
    Account, the withdrawal charge would be lower. According to the New York
Declining Scale described above, in the third year, the withdrawal  
charge would be limited to 5% of the $8,000, or $400.               

o     Now assume that, although the contributions had been made to the Fixed    
Maturity Account three years ago, they were transferred to a new    
    Maturity Period within the Fixed Maturity Account in the third year, and
   further assume that there is exactly one year remaining in the Maturity
Period to which the amounts were transferred. Because there was a   
transfer within the Fixed Maturity Account, the New York Alternative
Scale may now apply. Based on this Scale, a contribution that was so
  transferred will be subject to a 5% withdrawal charge, if withdrawn in
the year of the transfer, such charge not to exceed 1% for each year
remaining in the Maturity Period. Since, in this example, the time  
remaining is exactly one year, the Alternative Scale would limit the
 withdrawal charge to 1%. However, New York regulations allow that the
greater of the Declining Scale or the Alternative Scale is used.    
Therefore, the withdrawal charge would be 5%, or $400, based on the 
Declining Scale.                                                    

o     In no event would the contingent withdrawal charge exceed that otherwise  
applicable under the Contract; application of the New York Scale can
  only result in a lower charge. Thus, if a contribution had been in the
  Contract for more than six years and was thus exempt from a withdrawal
charge, no such charge would be applicable.                         

o     For withdrawals from an Investment Option other than the Fixed Maturity   
Account, the amount available for withdrawal without a contingent   
    withdrawal charge is reduced by the amount of contributions in the Fixed
Maturity Account to which no withdrawal charge applies.             

o     As of any date on which 50% or more of your Annuity Account Value is      
 held in the Fixed Maturity Account, the Free Corridor Amount is zero.

o     If you have not made a prior election for the reinvestment of your        
    Maturity Amount when it reaches the Expiration Date, such Amount will be
reinvested in whichever Fixed Maturity Period then offered has the  
    nearest Expiration Date; if no Fixed Maturity Periods are being offered,
it will be reinvested in the Money Market Fund.                     

The potential for the contingent withdrawal charge applicable to withdrawals    
from the Fixed Maturity Account to be lower than the otherwise applicable       
charge and the potential for the Free Corridor Amount to also be lower than     
that which would otherwise apply should be considered in making allocations     
to, or transfers to or from, the Fixed Maturity Account.                        

ALLOCATION OF CERTAIN CHARGES TO THE                                            
FIXED MATURITY ACCOUNT                                                          

The annual administration charge and the contingent withdrawal charge will be   
deducted from the Guaranteed Interest Account and the Investment Funds, as      

discussed above. In the event that amounts in those Options are insufficient    
to cover these charges, we reserve the right to deduct those charges from the   
Fixed Maturity Periods. Charges applied to the Fixed Maturity Periods are       
considered withdrawals and, as such, will result in a market value              
adjustment. See "Part 5: The Fixed Maturity Account."                           

CHARGE ON THIRD PARTY TRANSFER OR EXCHANGE                                      

If you ask us to make a direct transfer to a third party of amounts under       
your Contract, or request that your Contract be exchanged for another con-      

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EQUI-VEST IRA, QP IRA, SEP AND NQ CONTRACTS (SERIES 300 AND 400 ONLY)           
(Continued)                                                                     

tract or certificate issued by another carrier, we deduct from the Annuity      
Account Value both a contingent withdrawal charge as described above (if any)   
and a charge of $25 per occurrence. We reserve the right to increase this $25   
fee to a maximum of $65 for each direct transfer or exchange.                   

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ALL EQUI-VEST EDC, TSA AND TRUSTEED CONTRACTS PLUS IRA, QP IRA, SEP AND NQ    
(SERIES 100 AND 200 ONLY)           
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LIMITATION ON CHARGES                                                           

Under the terms of these Contracts, for the Money Market, Balanced, Common      
Stock and Aggressive Stock Funds, the aggregate amount of the Separate          
Account charge made to those Funds, the Trust charges for investment advisory   
fees and the direct operating expenses of the Trust may not exceed a total      
effective annual rate of 1.75% of the value of the assets held in those         
Investment Funds.                                                               

CHARGES TO INVESTMENT FUNDS                                                     

We make a daily charge against the assets held in each of the Investment        
Funds. This charge is reflected in the Accumulation Unit Values for the         
particular Investment Fund and covers expenses, expense risks, mortality        
risks (for the annuity rate guarantee), death benefits (for the minimum death   
benefit) and financial accounting. For the Money Market, Balanced and Common    
Stock Funds, the charge is made at an annual rate guaranteed not to exceed      
1.49%. For all other Investment Funds, the charge is made at an annual rate     
guaranteed not to exceed 1.34%.                                                 

Specific charges for each series are set forth below:                           

                                                                [Download Table]

                   SERIES 100                  
-----------------------------------------------
                        MONEY MARKET,          
                       BALANCED, COMMON   OTHER
                         STOCK FUNDS      FUNDS
                      ----------------  -------
                                               
Expenses                     .60%          .60%
Expense Risks                .30           .15 
Mortality Risks              .30           .30 
Death Benefits               .05           .05 
Financial Accounting         .24           .24 
--------------------  ----------------  -------

                                                                [Download Table]

                    SERIES 200                   
-------------------------------------------------
                          MONEY MARKET,          
                         BALANCED, COMMON   OTHER
                           STOCK FUNDS      FUNDS
                                                 
Expenses and Financial                           
 Accounting                    .25%          .25%
Expense Risks                  .55           .49 
Mortality Risks and                              
 Death Benefits                .60           .60 
----------------------  ----------------  -------

The charge for expenses is designed to reimburse us for various research and    
development costs and for administrative expenses that exceed the annual        
administrative charge described below. The expense risk we assume is the risk   
that, over time, our actual administrative expense may exceed the amounts       
realized from the expense and the annual administrative expense charges,        
which may not be increased. We assume a mortality risk by (a) our obligation    
to pay a death benefit that will not be less than the total value of all        
contributions made (less any applicable taxes) adjusted for total               
withdrawals, (b) our obligation to make annuity payments for the life of the    
Annuitant under guaranteed fixed annuity options, regardless of the             
Annuitant's longevity, (c) our guarantees relating to annuity purchase rates,   
the actuarial basis for which can be changed only for new contributions and     
only on the fifth anniversary of the Contract Date and every five years         
thereafter, and (d) our obligation to waive the contingent withdrawal charge    
upon the payment of a death benefit. The charge for financial accounting        
services is designed to reimburse us for our costs in providing those           
services in connection with the Contracts, and, like the charge for expenses,   
is not designed to include an element of profit. The total of these charges     
may be reallocated among the categories of charges shown above; however, we     
intend to limit any possible reallocation to include only the charges for       
expense risks, mortality risks and death benefits.                              

Part of the respective charges for expense risks, mortality risks and death     

benefits may be considered to be an indirect reimbursement for certain sales    
and promotional expenses relating to the Contracts to the extent that the       
charges are not needed to meet the actual expenses incurred.                    

ANNUAL ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGE                                                    

Except as discussed below, on the last Business Day of each Contract Year we    
deduct from the Annuity Account Value an annual administrative charge equal     
to the lesser of $30 or 2% of the Annuity Account Value on such Business Day    
(adjusted to include any withdrawals made during the year). This charge is      
deducted from each Investment Option on a pro rata basis. This charge will be   
prorated                                                                        

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ALL EQUI-VEST EDC, TSA AND TRUSTEED CONTRACTS PLUS IRA, QP IRA, SEP AND NQ      
(SERIES 100 AND 200 ONLY) (Continued)                                           

for a fractional year if, before the end of the Contract Year, you surrender    
your Contract, the Annuitant dies or you elect an annuity distribution          
option. Accumulation Units will be redeemed in order to pay any portion of      
the charge deducted from an Investment Fund.                                    

Any portion of the charge deducted from the Guaranteed Interest Account is      
withdrawn in dollars.                                                           

Exceptions to Annual Administrative Charge                                      

For IRA, QP IRA, NQ, SEP, Unincorporated Trusteed, and Annuitant-Owned HR-10    
Contracts, the charge is zero if the Annuity Account Value is at least          
$10,000 at the end of the Contract Year.                                        

For TSA, EDC and Corporate Trusteed Contracts, the charge is zero if the        
Annuity Account Value is at least $25,000 at the end of the Contract Year.      

CONTINGENT WITHDRAWAL CHARGE                                                    

No sales charges are deducted from contributions. However, to assist us in      
defraying the various and promotional expenses incurred in connection with      
selling the Contracts, we assess a charge on amounts withdrawn when you make    
a partial withdrawal or terminate your Contract if the amount withdrawn is in   
excess of the free corridor amount (defined below) or if no exception           
applies. The withdrawal charge is deducted pro rata from the Annuity Account    
Value in addition to the amount of the requested withdrawal; the amount         
deducted which is applied to pay the withdrawal charge is also subject to the   
withdrawal charge.                                                              

Free Withdrawal Amount (Free Corridor)                                          

For NQ, Trusteed, TSA and QP IRA Contracts, (but not IRA or QP IRA group        
Contracts), no withdrawal charge will be applied during any Contract Year in    
which the amount withdrawn is less than or equal to 10% of the Annuity          
Account Value at the time the withdrawal is requested minus any amount          
previously withdrawn during that Contract Year. This 10% portion is called      
the FREE CORRIDOR AMOUNT. For EDC, SEP, IRA and QP IRA Series 100 and 200       
group Contracts, the free corridor amount is available only after three         
Contract Years have been completed or the Annuitant has reached age 59 1/2.     

HOW THE CONTINGENT WITHDRAWAL CHARGE IS APPLIED FOR SERIES 100 AND 200 NQ AND   
TRUSTEED CONTRACTS                                                              

Partial withdrawals in excess of the free corridor amount will be subject to    
a withdrawal charge of 6% of the amount of the contributions made during the    
current and five prior Contract Years. In the case of a termination, we will    
pay the greater of (i) the Annuity Account Value after the withdrawal charge    
has been imposed, as described above and after giving effect to any             
outstanding loan balance (including accrued interest), or (ii) the free         
corridor amount plus 94% of the remaining Annuity Account Value. For NQ         
Contracts issued to Annuitants age 59 or older, this percentage will be 95%     
in the fifth Contract Year and 96% in the sixth Contract Year. For Trusteed     
Contracts issued to Annuitants age 60 or older, this percentage is 95% in the   
fifth Contract Year. For NQ and Trusteed group Contracts, there is no           
reduction in the contingent withdrawal charge for older Annuitants (referred    
to above) in the fifth and sixth Contract Year.                                 

For purposes of calculating the withdrawal charge, (1) we treat contributions   
as being withdrawn before earnings, on a first-in first-out basis, and (2)      
amounts withdrawn up to the free corridor amount are not considered a           
withdrawal of any contributions. Although we treat contributions as withdrawn   
before earnings for purposes of calculating the withdrawal charge, the          
federal income tax law treats earnings on NQ Contracts as withdrawn first.      
See "Part 10: Federal Tax and ERISA Matters."                                   

No charge will be applied to any amount withdrawn from an NQ or Trusteed        
Contract if:                                                                    

o     the amount withdrawn is applied to the election of a life annuity         
distribution option; or                                             

o     the Annuitant dies and the death benefit is made available to the         
beneficiary.                                                        

No charge will be applied to any amount withdrawn from a Trusteed Contract      
if:                                                                             

o     the Owner has completed at least five Contract Years and the Annuitant    
has reached age 59 1/2; or                                          

o     a request is made for a refund of an excess contribution within one       
month of the date on which the contribution is made.                

No charge will be applied to any amount withdrawn from a Corporate Trusteed     
Contract if the Annuitant has reached age 59 1/2 and has either retired or      
terminated employment, regardless of the number of completed Contract Years.    

HOW THE CONTINGENT WITHDRAWAL CHARGE                                            
IS APPLIED FOR SERIES 100 AND 200 IRA, SEP, TSA, EDC AND ANNUITANT-OWNED        
HR-10 CONTRACTS                                                                 

Withdrawals under these Contracts and defaulted loan amounts under TSA          
Contracts (in excess of the free corridor amount, if applicable) may be         
subject to                                                                      

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ALL EQUI-VEST EDC, TSA AND TRUSTEED CONTRACTS PLUS IRA, QP IRA, SEP AND NQ      
(SERIES 100 AND 200 ONLY) (Continued)                                           

a charge of up to 6% of the amount withdrawn or the defaulted loan amount, as   
the case may be. The percentage charged will be based on the Contract Year in   
which the withdrawal is made, as shown below:                                   

                                                                [Download Table]

     CONTRACT               
     YEAR(S)         CHARGE 
----------------  ----------
                            
1 through 5       6%*       
6 through 8       5         
9                 4         
10                3         
11                2         
12                1         
13 and later      0         

* This percentage will be reduced to 5% for Contracts issued to Annuitants,     
in year 5, if age 60 or older under individual Contracts only.                  

The total of all withdrawal charges assessed will not exceed 8% of all          
contributions made during the current Contract Year and the nine prior          
Contract Years before the withdrawal is made.                                   

No charge will be applied to any amount withdrawn from an IRA, QP IRA, SEP,     
TSA, EDC or Annuitant-Owned HR-10 Contract if:                                  

o     the Contract Owner has completed at least five Contract Years and the     
Annuitant has reached age 59 1/2;                                   

o     a request is made for a refund of an excess contribution within one       
month of the date on which the contribution is made;                

o     the Annuitant dies and the death benefit is made available to the         
beneficiary;                                                        

o     the Contract Owner has completed at least five Contract Years, the        
Annuitant has reached age 55 and the amount withdrawn is used to    
purchase from us a period certain annuity that extends beyond the   
Annuitant's age 59 1/2 and allows no prepayment;                    

o     the Contract Owner has completed at least three Contract Years and the    
 amount withdrawn is used to purchase from us a period certain annuity
for a term of at least 10 years that allows no prepayment;          

o     the amount withdrawn is applied to the election of a life contingent      
  annuity distribution option (this form of payment is not available for
Annuitants in governmental EDC plans in New York);                  

o     the amount withdrawn is applied to the election of a period certain       
   annuity of at least 15 years, but not in excess of the Annuitant's life
   expectancy, that allows no prepayment (this provision is available only
for Annuitants in governmental EDC plans in New York).              

No charge will be applied to any amount withdrawn from a TSA Contract if:       

o     the Contract Owner has completed at least five Contract Years, has        
reached age 55 and has separated from service.                      

No charge will be applied to any amount withdrawn from a SEP Contract funding   
SARSEP arrangements if:                                                         

o     the amount withdrawn is a distribution of deferrals disallowed (plus or   
   minus any gain or loss) by reason of the employer's failure to meet the
 Code's requirement that 50% of eligible employees elect SARSEP within
  the plan year and the request for withdrawal is made by the April 15th
of the calendar year following the calendar year in which you were  
notified of such disallowance; or                                   

o     the amount withdrawn is an "excess contribution" (as such term is         
    defined in Section 408(k)(6)(C)(ii) of the Code), plus or minus any gain
    or loss, and the request for withdrawal is made by the April 15th of the
calendar year following the calendar year in which the excess       
contributions were made; or                                         

o     the amount withdrawn is an "excess deferral" (as such term is defined in  
   Section 402(g)(2) of the Code), plus or minus any gain or loss, and the
 request for withdrawal is made by the April 15th of the calendar year
 following the calendar year in which such excess deferrals were made.

We reserve the right to reduce or eliminate the withdrawal charge in certain    
cases, including transfers to an IRA or QP IRA from another EQUI-VEST           
Contract. In no event would such reduction or elimination be permitted where    

it would be unfairly discriminatory to any person.                              

The tax consequences of withdrawals are discussed under "Part 10: Federal Tax   
and ERISA Matters."                                                             

As a result of regulations which apply to EDC plans of governmental employers   
in New York (NY EDC PLANS), EQUI-VEST Contracts which fund New York EDC Plans   
contain special provisions which apply to all NY EDC Plans whose EQUI-VEST      
funding arrangements became effective or were renewed on or after July 1,       
1989.                                                                           

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ALL EQUI-VEST EDC, TSA AND TRUSTEED CONTRACTS PLUS IRA, QP IRA, SEP AND NQ      
(SERIES 100 AND 200 ONLY) (Continued)                                           

These provisions permit the automatic termination of all Contracts issued in    
connection with a NY EDC Plan five years after the effective date (or any       
renewal date) of its EQUI-VEST funding arrangement without the deduction of     
any contingent withdrawal charges. If agreed to by the employer and us, the     
period may be shorter than five years. A decision to permit the automatic       
termination of all Contracts would result in the transfer of each Contract's    
Annuity Account Value to a successor funding vehicle designated by the          
employer.                                                                       

The employer sponsoring a NY EDC Plan can prevent such a termination and        
transfer by renewing the EQUI-VEST funding arrangement in a written notice to   
us which includes a certification of compliance with procedures under the       
applicable regulations. We are not responsible for the validity of any          
certification by the employer. The written notice must be received at our       
Processing Office and accepted by us not later than seven days before the       
date on which a transfer would otherwise occur.                                 

No further investment experience, whether positive or negative, will be         
credited under a NY EDC Plan Contract once the Contract terminates. As with     
other tax-favored retirement programs in which the funding is affected by       
actions of a sponsoring employer, we are not required to provide Annuitants     
with information relating to an employer's decision to exercise any             
termination right.                                                              

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 MOMENTUM CONTRACT
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

LIMITATION ON CHARGES                                                           

Under the terms of the MOMENTUM Contract for the Money Market, Balanced,        
Common Stock and Aggressive Stock Funds, the aggregate amount of the Separate   
Account charge made to those Funds, the Trust charges for investment advisory   
fees and the direct operating expenses of the Trust may not exceed a total      
effective annual rate of 1.75% of the value of the assets held in those Funds   
for the MOMENTUM Contract.                                                      

CHARGES TO INVESTMENT FUNDS                                                     

We make a daily charge against the assets held in each of the Investment        
Funds for expenses of the MOMENTUM Contract. This charge is reflected in the    
Accumulation Unit Values for the particular Investment Fund and covers          
expenses, expense risks, mortality (for the annuity rate guarantee), death      
benefits (for the minimum death benefit) and financial accounting. For the      
Money Market, Balanced and Common Stock Funds, the charge is made at an         
annual rate not to exceed 1.49% which consists of .60% for expenses, .30% for   
expense risks, .30% for mortality risks, .05% for death benefits and .24% for   
financial accounting. For all other Investment Funds, the charge is made at     
an annual rate not to exceed 1.34% which consists of .60% for expenses, .15%    
for expense risks, .30% for mortality risk, .05% for death benefits and .24%    
for financial accounting.                                                       

The charge for expenses is designed to reimburse us for various research and    
development costs and for administrative expenses that exceed the quarterly     
administrative charge described below. The expense risk we assume is the risk   
that, over time, our actual expense of administering the MOMENTUM Contract      
may exceed the amounts realized from the expense and the quarterly              
administrative expense charges. We assume a mortality risk by (a) our           
obligation to pay a death benefit that will not be less than the total value    
of all contributions made (less any applicable taxes) adjusted for total        
withdrawals, (b) our obligation to make annuity payments for the life of the    
Annuitant under guaranteed fixed annuity options, regardless of the             
Annuitant's longevity, (c) our guarantees relating to annuity purchase rates,   
the actuarial basis for which can be changed only for new contributions and     
only on the fifth anniversary of the Contract Date and every five years         
thereafter, and (d) our obligation to waive the contingent withdrawal charge    
upon the payment of a death benefit. The charge for financial accounting        
services is designed to reimburse us for our costs in providing those           
services in connection with the MOMENTUM Contract, and, like the charge for     
expenses, is not designed to include an element of profit.                      

Under the MOMENTUM Contract, the total of these charges may be reallocated      
among the categories of charges discussed above. However, notwithstanding       
provisions of the Momentum Contract, we intend to limit any possible            
reallocation to include only the charges for expense risks, mortality risks     
and death benefits.                                                             

Part of the respective charges for expense risks, mortality risks and death     
benefits may be considered to be an indirect reimbursement for certain          

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MOMENTUM CONTRACT (Continued)                                                   

sales and promotional expenses relating to the MOMENTUM Contract to the         
extent that the charges are not needed to meet the actual expenses incurred.    

QUARTERLY ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGE                                                 

Except as discussed below, on the last Business Day of each calendar quarter    
we deduct from each Retirement Account Value an administrative charge which     
is currently equal to $7.50 or, if less, .50% of the total of the Retirement    
Account Value plus the amount of any Active Loan. This charge is deducted by    
Source from each Investment Option in a specified order described under "How    
We Deduct the Quarterly Administrative Charge" in the SAI.                      

Any portion of the charge deducted from an Investment Fund will reduce the      
number of Accumulation Units you have in that Investment Fund. Any portion of   
the charge deducted from the Guaranteed Interest Account is withdrawn in        
dollars.                                                                        

There is currently no charge for any calendar quarter in which the Retirement   
Account Value plus any Active Loan is at least $25,000 as of the last           
Business Day of that quarter. We reserve the right to increase this charge if   
our administrative costs increase. We will give Employers or Plan Trustees 90   
days written notice of any increase. We may also reduce this charge under       
certain circumstances. See "Special Circumstances" in this Section.             

You, as Employer, may choose to have this quarterly administrative charge       
billed to you directly.                                                         

CHARGE FOR PLAN RECORDKEEPING                                                   
SERVICES                                                                        

The annual charge for the basic plan recordkeeping option is $300 (pro-rated    
in the first year) and will be billed directly to the Employer. The $300        
charge is not imposed on plans that converted to the MOMENTUM Contract from     
our EQUI-VEST Corporate Trusteed Contract. Employers may enter into a written   
agreement with Equitable Life for direct distribution of plan benefits and      
withdrawals to Participants, including tax withholding and reporting to the     
IRS. For this service, a $25 checkwriting fee shall be charged by Equitable     
Life for each check drawn. We reserve the right to increase these charges if    
our plan recordkeeping costs increase. We will give Employers or Plan           
Trustees 90 days written notice of any increase.                                

There are additional charges if the Employer or Plan Trustee elects to use      
our full service plan recordkeeping option; these additional charges will       
depend upon the service used. Employers will be required to execute an          
agreement governing additional recordkeeping services and related charges.      

CONTINGENT WITHDRAWAL CHARGE                                                    

No sales charges are deducted from contributions. However, to assist us in      
defraying the various sales and promotional expenses incurred in connection     
with selling the MOMENTUM Contract, we assess a sales charge on amounts         
withdrawn from Retirement Account Values. Under certain conditions, the         
contingent withdrawal charge will not apply to some or all of the amount        
withdrawn.                                                                      

Free Withdrawal Amount (Free Corridor)                                          

Subject to certain restrictions, no withdrawal charge will be applied during    
any Participation Year in which the amount withdrawn does not exceed 10% of     
the sum of the Retirement Account Value and any Active Loan at the time the     
withdrawal is requested, minus any amount previously withdrawn during that      
Participation Year (including any defaulted loan amounts and forfeited          
amounts). This 10% portion is called the FREE CORRIDOR AMOUNT.                  

If you, as the Employer, have transferred your plan assets to the MOMENTUM      
Program from another qualified plan and we have not yet received from you the   
allocation of values among Participants, we will treat the total amount we      
hold as one Retirement Account Value. Withdrawals from this Retirement          
Account Value will not have the benefit of a free corridor amount. However,     
once the amount we hold is allocated among the various Participants,            
withdrawals will have the benefit of the free corridor amount.                  

How the Contingent Withdrawal Charge is                                         
Applied                                                                         

Partial withdrawals in excess of the free corridor amount will be subject to    
a withdrawal charge of 6% of the lesser of (i) such excess or (ii) the amount   
of the withdrawal attributable to contributions made by or on behalf of the     
Participant during the current and five prior Participation Years.              

In the case of a full withdrawal of a Retirement Account Value, the plan will   
receive from us the greater of your Retirement Account Value after the          
withdrawal charge of 6% has been imposed upon the amount of the contributions   
made by or on behalf of a Participant during the current and five prior         

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MOMENTUM CONTRACT (Continued)                                                   

Participation Years, or the free corridor amount plus 94% of the sum of the     
remaining Retirement Account Value and any Active Loan, less the Active Loan.   
This charge will also apply in the case of a termination of participation       
under the MOMENTUM Contract by the Employer or Plan Trustee.                    

The withdrawal charge described above is deducted from the Retirement Account   
Value in addition to the amount of the requested withdrawal; the portion of     
the amount withdrawn that is applied to pay the withdrawal charge is also       
subject to the withdrawal charge.                                               

For purposes of calculating the withdrawal charge, (1) the oldest               
contributions will be treated as the first withdrawn and more recent            
contributions next, (2) amounts withdrawn up to the free corridor amount will   
not be considered a withdrawal of any contributions and (3) Active Loans do     
not include takeover loans for this purpose.                                    

If a portion of your Retirement Account Value is forfeited under the terms of   
your plan, we will assess a withdrawal charge only against vested               
contribution amounts. Under Basic Service, the Plan Trustee must tell us the    
vested balance. The balance of the withdrawal charge will be waived at that     
time. However, if you, as the Employer or Plan Trustee, withdraw the            
forfeited amount from the MOMENTUM Contract before it is reallocated to other   
Participants, you will incur the balance of the withdrawal charge at that       
time.                                                                           

No charge will be applied to any amount withdrawn, if:                          

o     the amount withdrawn is applied to the election of a life annuity         
distribution option;                                                

o     you die;                                                                  

o     you have been a Participant for at least five Participation Years and     
have reached age 59 1/2;                                            

o     you have reached age 59 1/2 and have separated from service (regardless   
of the number of Participation Years);                              

o     the amount withdrawn is the result of a request for a refund of "excess   
contributions" or "excess aggregate contributions" as such terms are
  defined in Section 401(k)(8)(B) and 401(m)(6)(B), respectively, of the
    Code, including any gains or losses, and the withdrawal is made no later
than the end of the plan year following the plan year for which such
contributions were made;                                            

o     the amount withdrawn is a request for a refund of "excess deferrals" as   
such term is defined in Section 402(g)(2) of the Code, including any
    gains or losses, provided the withdrawal is made no later than April 15,
 following the calendar year in which such excess deferrals were made;

o     the amount withdrawn is a request for a refund of contributions made due  
  to mistake of fact made in good faith, provided the withdrawal is made
within 12 months of the date such mistake of fact contributions were
made and any earnings attributable to such contributions are not    
included in such withdrawal;                                        

o     the amount withdrawn is a request for a refund of contributions           
disallowed as a deduction by the Employer for Federal income tax    
 purposes, provided such withdrawal is made within 12 months after the
   disallowance of the deduction has occurred and no earnings attributable
to such contributions are included in such withdrawal; or           

o     the amount withdrawn is a withdrawal for disability as defined in         
Section 72(m) of the Code.                                          

In addition, there will be no contingent withdrawal charge imposed on any       
Annuity Account Value under an EQUI-VEST Corporate Trusteed certificate when    
it is converted to a MOMENTUM Contract. For purposes of calculating any         
contingent withdrawal charge under the MOMENTUM Contract, we will carry over    
the history of the contributions made under a converted EQUI-VEST               
certificate. For example, if an EQUI-VEST Corporate Trusteed certificate was    
purchased on behalf of a Participant on June 1, 1987 with a single $5,000       
contribution, we will continue to treat the $5,000 contribution as made on      
June 1, 1987 under the MOMENTUM Contract. This means that you will not lose     
the benefit of "aging" contributions by converting EQUI-VEST certificates to    
the MOMENTUM Contract.                                                          

PLAN LOAN CHARGES                                                               

A $25 loan set-up charge will be deducted from your Retirement Account Value    
at the time a plan loan is made. Also, we will deduct a recordkeeping charge    
of $6 from your Retirement Account Value on the last Business Day of each       
calendar quarter if there is an Active Loan on that date. The $6 per quarter    
recordkeeping charge, but not the $25 set-up charge, will be applicable to      
takeover loans and to loans converted from EQUI-VEST Corporate Trusteed to      
MOMENTUM.                                                                       

Your employer may elect to pay these charges. These charges are intended to     
reimburse us for the added                                                      

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MOMENTUM CONTRACT (Continued)                                                   

administrative costs associated with processing loans. We reserve the right     
to increase these administrative charges if our costs increase. We will give    
Employers or Plan Trustees 90 days written notice of any increase.              

Any defaulted loan amount will incur a contingent withdrawal charge as          
described above under "Contingent Withdrawal Charge."                           

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES                                                           

Subject to any necessary governmental or regulatory approvals, the contingent   
withdrawal charge, quarterly administrative charge, loan charges and basic      
plan recordkeeping fee for a particular plan participating under the Contract   
may be reduced or eliminated when sales are made in a manner that results in    
savings of sales or administrative expenses. The entitlement to such a          
reduction or elimination will be determined by us based on factors such as      
the number of Participants, performance of sales or administrative functions    
by the Employer or plan administrator, frequency of contributions or the use    
of automated techniques in transmitting data.                                   

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------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
PART 9: VOTING RIGHTS     
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

TRUST VOTING RIGHTS                                                             

As explained previously, contributions allocated to the Investment Funds are    
invested in shares of the corresponding Portfolios of the Trust. Since we own   
the assets of the Separate Account, we are the legal owner of the shares and,   
as such, have the right to vote on certain matters. Among other things, we      
may vote:                                                                       

o     to elect the Trust's Board of Trustees,                                   

o     to ratify the selection of independent auditors for the Trust, and        

o     on any other matters described in the Trust's current prospectus or       
requiring a vote by shareholders under the 1940 Act.                

Because the Trust is a Massachusetts business trust, annual meetings are not    
required. Whenever a shareholder vote is taken, we will give Contract Owners    
and Employers, if appropriate, the opportunity to instruct us how to vote the   
number of shares attributable to their Contracts. If we do not receive          
instructions in time from all Contract Owners and Employers, if appropriate,    
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 because of amounts we have in an Investment Fund in   
the same proportions that Contract Owners vote.                                 

All Trust shares are entitled to one vote. Fractional shares will be counted.   
Voting generally is on a Portfolio-by-Portfolio basis except that shares will   
be voted on an aggregate basis when universal matters, such as election of      
Trustees and ratification of independent auditors, are voted upon. However,     
if the Trustees determine that shareholders in a Portfolio are not affected     
by a particular matter, then such shareholders generally would not be           
entitled to vote on that matter.                                                

SEPARATE ACCOUNT VOTING RIGHTS                                                  

Under the 1940 Act, certain actions (such as some of those described under      
"Changes in Applicable Law and Otherwise," below) may require Contract Owner    
approval. In that case, Contract Owners will be entitled to one vote for each   
Accumulation Unit they have in the Investment Funds. We will cast votes         
attributable to any amounts we have in the Investment Divisions in the same     
proportion as votes cast by Contract Owners.                                    

VOTING RIGHTS OF OTHERS                                                         

Currently, we control the Trust. Trust shares are held by other separate        
accounts of ours and by separate accounts of insurance companies affiliated     
and 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 Contract Owners, we currently   
do not foresee any disadvantages arising out of this. The Trust's Board of      
Trustees intends to monitor events in order to identify any material            
irreconcilable conflicts that possibly may arise and to determine what          
action, if any, should be taken in response. If we believe that the Trust's     
response to any of those events insufficiently protects our Contract Owners,    
we will see to it that appropriate action is taken to protect our 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       
promulgated 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.                                                                    

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------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
PART 10: FEDERAL TAX AND ERISA MATTERS  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

ANNUITIES                                                                       

This prospectus briefly describes our understanding of the current Federal      
income tax rules that apply to an annuity purchased with after-tax dollars      
(non-qualified annuity) and some of the special tax rules that apply to an      
annuity purchased to fund a tax-favored retirement program (qualified           
annuity). A qualified annuity may be purchased under a TSA, IRA, QP IRA, SEP    
or EDC plan (EQUI-VEST only) or qualified plan (plans funded by Trusteed and    
Annuitant-Owned HR-10 contracts and the MOMENTUM program). Rights and           
benefits of the Annuitant or Participant under an annuity purchased to fund a   
tax-favored retirement program may be restricted in order to qualify for its    
special treatment under Federal tax law.                                        

Additional tax information appears in the SAI. This prospectus and the SAI do   
not provide detailed tax information and do not address state and local         
income and other taxes, or federal gift and estate taxes. Not every Contract    
has every feature discussed in this section. Please consult a tax adviser       
when considering the tax aspects of your Contract.                              

TAXATION OF EQUI-VEST NON-QUALIFIED ANNUITIES                                   

Equitable has designed the EQUI-VEST Contract to qualify as an "annuity" for    
purposes of Federal income tax law.                                             

Gains in the Annuity Account Value of the Contract generally will not be        
taxable to an individual until a distribution occurs, either by a withdrawal    
of part or all of its value or as a series of periodic payments. However,       
there are some exceptions to these rules (1) if a Contract fails investment     
diversification requirements; (2) if an individual transfers a Contract as a    
gift to someone other than a spouse (or divorced spouse), any gain in its       
Annuity Account Value will be taxed at the time of transfer; (3) the            
assignment or pledge of any portion of the value of a Contract will be          
treated as a distribution of that portion of the Contract; and (4) when an      
insurance company (or its affiliate) issues more than one non-qualified         
deferred annuity Contract during any calendar year to the same taxpayer, the    
contracts are required to be aggregated in computing the taxable amount of      
any distribution.                                                               

Corporations, partnerships, trusts and other non-natural persons generally      
cannot defer the taxation of current income credited to the Contract unless     
an exception under the Code applies.                                            

Prior to the annuity starting date, any partial withdrawals are taxable to      
the Contract Owner to the extent that there has been a gain in the Annuity      
Account Value. The balance of the distribution is treated as a return of the    
"investment" or "basis" in the Contract and is not taxable. Generally, the      
investment or basis in the Contract equals the contributions made less any      
amounts previously withdrawn which were not taxable.                            

If you surrender your Contract, the distribution is taxable to the extent it    
exceeds the investment in the Contract.                                         

Once annuity payments begin, a portion of each payment is considered to be a    
tax-free return of investment based on the ratio of the investment to the       
expected return under the Contract. The remainder of each payment will be       
taxable. In the case of a variable annuity, special rules apply if the          
payments received in a year are less than the amount permitted to be            
recovered tax-free. After the total investment has been recovered, future       
payments are fully taxable. If payments cease as a result of death, a           
deduction for any unrecovered investment will be allowed.                       

The taxable portion of a distribution is treated as ordinary income and is      
subject to income tax withholding. See "Federal and State Income Tax            
Withholding," below. In addition, a penalty tax of 10% applies to the taxable   
portion of a distribution unless the distribution is (1) made on or after the   
date the taxpayer attains age 59-1/2, (2) made on or after the death of the     
Contract Owner, (3) attributable to the disability of the taxpayer, (4) part    
of a series of substantially equal installments as an annuity for the life      
(or life expectancy) of the taxpayer or the joint lives (or joint life          
expectancies) of the taxpayer and a beneficiary, or (5) with respect to         
income allocable to amounts contributed to an annuity contract prior to         
August 14, 1982 which are transferred to the Contract in a tax-free exchange.   

If, as a result of the Annuitant's death, the beneficiary is entitled to        
receive the death benefit described in Part 6, the beneficiary is generally     
subject                                                                         

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to the same tax treatment as the Contract Owner (discussed above), had the      
Contract Owner surrendered the contract.                                        

If the beneficiary elects to take the death benefit in the form of a life       
income or installment option, the election should be made within 60 days        
after the day on which a lump sum death benefit first becomes payable and       
before any benefit is actually paid. The tax computation will reflect your      
investment in the Contract.                                                     

Special distribution requirements apply upon the death of the owner of a        
non-qualified annuity. See "Part 5--Tax Rules: Special Aspects" in the SAI.     

SPECIAL RULES FOR TAX-FAVORED                                                   
RETIREMENT PROGRAMS                                                             

An annuity contract may be used to fund certain employer-sponsored retirement   
programs.                                                                       

The Code describes how a retirement program can qualify for tax-favored         
status and sets requirements for various features including: participation,     
nondiscrimination, vesting and funding; limits on contributions,                
distributions and benefits; penalties; and withholding, reporting and           
disclosure. This section provides a brief description of the various tax-       
favored retirement programs which can be funded through EQUI-VEST and           
MOMENTUM. More information appears in the SAI. Certain tax advantages of a      
tax-favored retirement program may not be available under state and local tax   
laws.                                                                           

TAX-QUALIFIED RETIREMENT PLANS                                                  
(QUALIFIED PLANS)                                                               

Corporations, partnerships and sole proprietorships may establish qualified     
plans for the working owners and their employees which provide for              
contributions to be made to the Contracts. Both employer and employee           
contributions to these plans are subject to a variety of limitations, some of   
which are discussed here briefly. Certain penalties for violating               
contribution limits are discussed further in the SAI. Qualified plans must      
not discriminate in favor of highly compensated employees. In addition, "top    
heavy" rules apply to plans where more than 60% of the account balances are     
allocated to "key employees" as defined in the Code. See your tax adviser for   
more information.                                                               

The annual limit of employer and employee contributions (as defined in          
Section 415(c) of the Code) which may be made on behalf of an employee to all   
of the defined contribution plans of an employer is the lesser of $30,000 or    
25% of compensation or earned income. Compensation or earned income in excess   
of $150,000 cannot be considered in calculating contributions to the plan.      
This amount may be adjusted for cost of living changes in future years. Any     
reallocated forfeitures and voluntary nondeductible employee contributions      
will generally be included for purposes of the contribution limit. Salary       
reduction contributions made under a cash or deferred arrangement (401(K)       
PROGRAM) are limited to $7,000, as adjusted annually for cost of living         
changes. In 1996, the annual dollar limit on these "elective deferrals" is      
$9,500. This limit applies to the aggregate of all elective deferrals under     
all tax-favored plans in which the individual participates, including those     
made under SARSEPs, EDC plans and TSAs.                                         

Special limits on contributions apply to anyone who participates in more than   
one qualified plan or who controls another trade or business. There is also     
an overall limit on the total amount of contributions and benefits under all    
tax-favored retirement programs in which a person participates.                 

In certain cases a Contract may be funded by a tax-deferred rollover            
contribution not subject to the above limits.                                   

TAX-SHELTERED ANNUITY                                                           
(TSAS) ARRANGEMENTS                                                             

An employee of an employer which is either (i) an organization described in     
Section 501(c)(3) of the Code which is exempt from Federal income tax under     
Section 501(a) of the Code or (ii) a state, political subdivision of a state,   
or an agency or instrumentality of any one or more of these entities (but       
only where the employee performs services for an educational organization       
described in Section 170(b)(1)(A)(ii) of the Code) may exclude from Federal     
gross income for a tax year contributions made by the employer to a TSA         
Contract. Some or all of the contributions may be made under a salary           
reduction agreement between the employee and the employer, subject to certain   
limitations. Generally, the contribution limit is the lowest of the             
following: (1) the annual exclusion allowance for the employee (20% of          
includable salary times years of service less previous contributions to         
qualified plans, TSAs and EDC plans), (2) the annual limit on employer          
contributions to defined contribution plans and (3) the annual limit on all     
elective deferrals. Items 2 and 3 are discussed in "Tax Qualified Retirement    
Plans (Qualified Plans)," above. Contributions to a TSA Contract under a        
salary reduction agreement cannot exceed $9,500 per year. Special provisions    

may allow "catch-up" contributions to compensate for smaller contributions      
made in previous years. In addition, there may be adverse tax consequences      
for excess elective deferrals. See "Penalties for Excess Defer-                 

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rals" in Part 5 of the SAI. Tax-free transfer or rollover contributions from    
another TSA arrangement are not subject to the above limits. Note, however,     
that the maximum salary reduction contribution that may be made by an           
annuitant who participates both in a TSA arrangement and an EDC plan will be    
limited to the maximum allowed under Code Section 457 (i.e., generally          
$7,500).                                                                        

Employees are permitted to enter into only one salary reduction agreement per   
year with each Employer. Because the salary reduction agreement is between      
the TSA plan participant and the Employer, Equitable Life and its Agents are    
not responsible for monitoring such agreements.                                 

DISTRIBUTIONS FROM QUALIFIED PLANS                                              
AND TSAS                                                                        

Amounts held under qualified plans and TSAs are generally not subject to        
Federal income tax until benefits are distributed. Generally, amounts           
distributed are fully taxable as ordinary income. For rules requiring 20%       
Federal income tax withholding applicable to certain distributions from         
qualified plans or TSAs, see "Federal and State Income Tax Withholding"         
below. In addition, qualified plan and TSA distributions may be subject to      
additional tax penalties. For information regarding tax penalties which may     
apply, see "Penalty Tax on Early Distributions" and "Tax Penalties for          
Insufficient Distributions" later in this section. The SAI contains             
additional information about qualified plan distributions, including            
penalties on excessive retirement plan distributions.                           

Loans may be made from a qualified plan or TSA plan, which permits them,        
without being treated as a distribution. However, if the amount of the loan     
exceeds permissible limits under the Code when made, the amount of the excess   
is treated (solely for tax purposes) as a taxable distribution. Additionally,   
if the loan is not repaid at least quarterly amortizing interest and            
principal, the amount not repaid when due may be treated as a taxable           
distribution. Under Proposed Treasury Regulations which are not yet             
effective, the IRS would require the entire unpaid balance of the loan to be    
includible in income in the year of the default. See the discussion in Part 6   
under "Loans (for TSA and Corporate Trusteed only)," the discussion below and   
in Part 4 of the SAI for certain additional Equitable Life, Code and ERISA      
rules covering loans from qualified plans or TSAs.                              

In certain cases, direct transfers between TSA issuers are not treated as       
taxable distributions. A tax-deferred rollover, if permitted, can also          
postpone taxation. See "Tax-Free Rollover," in this section.                    

If a Contract is surrendered for its value, the distribution is taxable to      
the extent the amount received exceeds the basis (if any). A taxpayer will      
have a basis in the Contract if, for example, after-tax contributions have      
been made.                                                                      

The amount of any partial distribution from a qualified plan or a TSA prior     
to the annuity starting date is generally taxable, except to the extent that    
the distribution is treated as a withdrawal of after-tax contributions.         
Distributions are normally treated as pro rata withdrawals of after-tax         
contributions and earnings on those contributions.                              

If an annuity distribution option is elected, any basis will be recovered       
under the rules which apply to non-qualified annuities. See "Taxation of Non-   
qualified Annuities."                                                           

Qualified plan distributions (but not TSAs) may be eligible for the special     
tax treatment accorded lump sum distributions (favorable five-year averaging,   
and in certain cases, favorable ten-year averaging and long-term capital gain   
treatment). This treatment is not available unless the balance to the credit    
of a plan participant who has participated in the plan for at least five        
years is paid to the recipient within one taxable year, and is payable (i)      
after the participant attains age 59-1/2 or (ii) on account of the              
participant's (a) death, (b) separation from service (not applicable to         
self-employed individuals), or (c) disability (applicable only to               
self-employed individuals).                                                     

The rules governing taxation of distributions made on account of the death of   
the Annuitant in a qualified plan or TSA are similar to those governing death   
benefit distributions in non-qualified annuities. See "Taxation of              
Non-Qualified Annuities," above. In some instances, distributions from a        
qualified plan or TSA made to a surviving spouse may be rolled over to an IRA   
or other individual retirement arrangement on a tax-deferred basis. See "Tax    
Free Rollover," and "Tax-Qualified Individual Retirement Annuities (IRAs),"     
below.                                                                          

Tax Free Rollover                                                               

Any distribution from a qualified plan or a TSA which is an "eligible           
rollover distribution" may be rolled over into another eligible retirement      
plan, either as a direct rollover or a rollover within 60 days of receiving     
the distribution. To the extent a distribution is rolled over, it remains tax   
deferred.                                                                       

A distribution from a qualified plan may be rolled over to another qualified    
plan which will accept rollover contributions or an individual retirement       
arrangement; a TSA distribution may be rolled over to another TSA or            
individual retirement arrange-                                                  

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ment. Death benefits received by a spousal beneficiary may only be rolled       
over to an IRA.                                                                 

The taxable portion of most distributions will be eligible for rollover,        
except as specifically excluded under the Code. Distributions which cannot be   
rolled over generally include periodic payments for life or for a period of     
10 years or more, and minimum distributions required under Section 401(a)(9)    
of the Code (discussed below). Eligible rollover distributions are discussed    
in greater detail under "Federal and State Income Tax Withholding", below.      

Minimum Distributions After Age 70 1/2                                          

The minimum distribution rules mandate qualified retirement plan participants   
and TSA annuitants to start taking annual distributions from their retirement   
plans by age 70 1/2. The distribution requirements are designed to use up       
the participant's interest in the plan over the individual's life expectancy.   
Whether the correct amount has been distributed is calculated on a year by      
year basis; there are no provisions to allow amounts taken in excess of the     
required amount to be carried over or carried back and credited to other        
years.                                                                          

Generally, an individual must take the first required minimum distribution      
with respect to the calendar year in which the individual turns age 70 1/2.     
The individual has the choice to take the first required minimum distribution   
during the calendar year he or she turns age 70 1/2, or to delay taking it      
until the three month (January 1-April 1) period in the next calendar year.     
(Distributions must commence no later than the "Required Beginning Date,"       
which is the April 1st of the calendar year following the calendar year in      
which the individual turns age 70 1/2.) If the individual chooses to delay      
taking the first annual minimum distribution, then the individual will have     
to 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 every year.                                      

Some individuals may be entitled to delay commencement of required minimum      
distributions for all or part of their account balance until after age          
70 1/2. Consult your tax adviser to determine whether you may qualify for this  
exception.                                                                      

There are two general ways to take minimum distributions--"account based" or    
"annuity based"--and there are a number of distribution options in both of      
these categories. These choices are intended to give individuals a great deal   
of flexibility to provide for themselves and their families.                    

You should discuss with your tax adviser which minimum distribution options     
are best for your own personal situation. Individuals who are participants in   
more than one tax-favored retirement plan may be able to choose different       
distribution options for each plan.                                             

Generally, the minimum distribution must be calculated annually for, and        
taken from, each tax qualified retirement plan and TSA. Distributions in        
excess of the amount required in any year from a qualified plan, for example,   
will not satisfy the required amount for a TSA the individual also              
participates in. In Notice 88-38, the IRS indicated that an individual          
maintaining more than one Code Section 403(b) arrangement may choose to take    
the annual required minimum distribution for all TSAs from any one or more      
TSAs the individual maintains, as long as the required distribution is          
calculated separately for each TSA and all the minimum distribution amounts     
are added together.                                                             

An account based minimum distribution method may be a lump sum payment, or a    
periodic withdrawal made over a period which does not extend beyond the         
individual's life expectancy or the joint life expectancies of the individual   
and a designated beneficiary. In the alternative, an individual could meet      
the minimum distribution requirements by applying the Retirement Account        
Value or Annuity Account Value to an annuity over the individual's life or      
the joint lives of the individual and a designated beneficiary, or over a       
period certain not extending beyond applicable life expectancies.               

If an individual dies before the Required Beginning Date or before              
distributions in the form of an annuity begin, distributions of the entire      
interest under the contract must be completed within five years after death,    
unless payments to a designated beneficiary begin within one year of the        
Annuitant's death and are made over the beneficiary's life or over a period     
certain which does not extend beyond the Beneficiary's life expectancy. If      
the surviving spouse is the designated beneficiary, the spouse may delay the    
commencement of such payments up until the individual would have attained age   
70-1/2. In the alternative, such spouse can roll over the death benefit to an   
IRA. See "Tax-Free Rollover" above. If an individual dies after the Required    
Beginning Date or after distributions in the form of an annuity have begun,     
payments after death must continue to be made at least as rapidly as the        
payments made before the death of the Annuitant. Distributions received by a    
beneficiary are generally given the same tax treatment the Annuitant would      
have received if distribution had been made to the Annuitant.                   

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Limitations on Distributions                                                    

Restrictions apply to the salary reduction (elective deferral) portion of a     
TSA or 401(k) program, including both contributions and earnings.               
Distributions of restricted salary reduction amounts generally may be made      
only if the Annuitant attains age 59-1/2, dies, is disabled, separates from     
service or on account of financial hardship. Hardship withdrawals are limited   
to the amount actually contributed under a salary reduction agreement,          
without earnings. These restrictions do not apply to the amount of your TSA     
Contract as of December 31, 1988 attributable to salary reduction               
contributions and earnings (or to the extent such amount is properly carried    
over from an existing TSA to an EQUI-VEST TSA Contract). To take advantage of   
this grandfathering you must properly notify us in writing at our Processing    
Office of your December 31, 1988 account balance if you have qualifying         
amounts transferred to your TSA Contract.                                       

Spousal consent rules                                                           

In the case of many qualified plans and certain TSAs, if an Annuitant is        
married at the time a loan, withdrawal, or other distribution is requested      
under the Contract, spousal consent is required. In addition, unless the        
Annuitant elects otherwise with the written consent of the spouse, the          
retirement benefits payable under the plan or arrangement must be paid in the   
form of a "qualified joint and survivor annuity" (QJSA). A QJSA is an annuity   
payable for the life of the Annuitant with a survivor annuity for the life of   
the spouse in an amount which is not less than one-half of the amount payable   
to the Annuitant during his or her lifetime. In addition, a married             
Annuitant's beneficiary must be the spouse, unless the spouse consents in       
writing to the designation of a different beneficiary.                          

TAX-QUALIFIED INDIVIDUAL RETIREMENT                                             
ANNUITIES (IRAS)                                                                

Your Contract is designed to qualify as an IRA under Section 408(b) of the      
Code. Your rights under the Contract cannot be forfeited.                       

This prospectus contains the information which the IRS requires to be           
disclosed to an individual before he or she purchases an IRA. This section of   
Part 10 covers some of the special tax rules that apply to individual           
retirement arrangements. You should be aware that an IRA is subject to          
certain restrictions in order to qualify for its special treatment under the    
Federal tax law.                                                                

Further information on IRA tax matters can be obtained from any IRS district    
office. Additional information regarding IRAs, including a discussion of        
required distributions, can be found in Internal Revenue Service Publication    
590, entitled "Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs)," which is generally   
updated annually.                                                               

We have received favorable opinion letters from the IRS approving the forms     
of the individual Contract and group certificates for all EQUI-VEST Contracts   
as an IRA. Such IRS approval is a determination only as to the form of the      
annuity and does not represent a determination of the merits of the annuity     
as an investment. The Contract is also subject to certain state regulatory      
requirements.                                                                   

Cancellation                                                                    

You can cancel a Contract issued as an IRA by following the directions in       
Part 1 under "10-Day Free Look." Since there may be adverse tax consequences    
if a Contract is cancelled (and because we are required to report to the IRS    
certain IRA distributions from cancelled IRAs), you should consult with a tax   
adviser before making any such decision.                                        

Contributions to IRAs                                                           

Individuals may make three different types of contributions to purchase an      
IRA, or as later additions to an existing IRA: "regular" contributions out of   
earnings, tax-free "rollover" contributions from tax-qualified plans, or        
direct custodian-to-custodian transfers from other individual retirement        
arrangements ("direct transfers"). See "Contributions Under the Contracts" in   
Part 6. The immediately following discussion relates to "regular" IRA           
contributions. Transfer and rollover contributions are discussed below under    
"Tax Free Transfers and Rollovers."                                             

Generally, $2,000 is the maximum amount of deductible and nondeductible         
contributions which may be made to all IRAs by an individual in any taxable     
year. The above limit may be less where the individual's earnings are below     
$2,000. This limit does not apply to rollover or direct transfer                
contributions into an IRA.                                                      

If the individual's spouse does not work or elects to be treated as having no   
compensation, the individual and the individual's spouse may contribute up to   
$2,250 to individual retirement arrangements (but no more than $2,000 to any    
one individual retirement arrangement). The non-working spouse owns his or      
her individual retirement arrangements, even if the working spouse makes        
contributions to purchase the spousal individual retirement arrangements.       

The amount of IRA contribution for a tax year that an individual can deduct     
depends on whether the                                                          
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individual (or the individual's spouse, if a joint return is filed) is          
covered by an employer-sponsored tax-favored retirement plan (including a       
qualified plan, TSA or SEP, but not an EDC plan). If neither the individual     
nor the individual's spouse is covered during any part of the taxable year by   
such a plan, then regardless of adjusted gross income (AGI), each working       
spouse may make a deductible contribution to an IRA for each tax year           
(MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE DOLLAR DEDUCTION) up to the lesser of $2,000 or 100% of    
compensation.                                                                   

In certain cases, individuals covered by a tax-favored retirement plan          
include persons eligible to participate in the plan although not actually       
participating. Whether or not a person is covered by a retirement plan will     
be reported on an employee's Form W-2.                                          

If the individual is single and covered by such a plan during any part of the   
taxable year, the deduction for IRA contributions phases out with AGI between   
$25,000 and $35,000. If the individual is married and files a joint return,     
and either the individual or the spouse is covered by such a plan during any    
part of the taxable year, the deduction for IRA contributions phases out with   
AGI between $40,000 and $50,000. If the individual is married, files a          
separate return and is covered by a tax-favored retirement plan during any      
part of the taxable year, the IRA deduction phases out with AGI between $0      
and $10,000. Married individuals filing separate returns must take into         
account the retirement plan coverage of the other spouse, unless the couple     
has lived apart for the entire taxable year. If AGI is below the phase-out      
range, an individual is entitled to the Maximum Permissible Dollar Deduction.   
In computing the partial IRA deduction the individual must round the amount     
of the deduction to the nearest $10. The permissible deduction for IRA          
contributions is a minimum of $200 if AGI is less than the amount at which      
the deduction entirely phases out.                                              

If the individual (or the individual's spouse, unless the couple has lived      
apart the entire taxable year and their filing status is married, filing        
separately) is covered by a tax-favored retirement plan, the deduction for      
IRA contributions must be computed using one of two methods. Under the first    
method, the individual determines AGI and subtracts $25,000 if the individual   
is a single person, $40,000 if the individual is married and files a joint      
return with the spouse, or $0 if the individual is married and files a          
separate return. The resulting amount is the individual's Excess AGI. The       
individual then determines the limit on the deduction for IRA contributions     
using the following formula:                                                    

                                                                [Download Table]

                                                                               
  $10,000-Excess AGI                                                           
-----------------------        Maximum Permissible              Adjusted Dollar
        $10,000            x     Dollar Deduction        =      Deduction Limit

Under the second method, the individual determines his or her Excess AGI and    
then refers to the following chart originally prepared by the IRS to            
determine the deduction.                                                        

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IRS Chart                                                                       
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------   

ESTIMATED DEDUCTION TABLE   

If your Maximum Permissible Dollar Deduction is $2,000, use this table to       
estimate the amount of your contribution which will be deductible.              

                                                        [Enlarge/Download Table]

 EXCESS AGI     DEDUCTION    EXCESS AGI    DEDUCTION    EXCESS AGI    DEDUCTION    EXCESS AGI    DEDUCTION
------------  -----------  ------------  -----------  ------------  -----------  ------------  -----------
                                                                                                          
    $    0       $2,000        $2,550       $1,490        $5,050        $990        $ 7,550        $490   
        50        1,990         2,600        1,480         5,100         980          7,600         480   
       100        1,980         2,650        1,470         5,150         970          7,650         470   
       150        1,970         2,700        1,460         5,200         960          7,700         460   
       200        1,960         2,750        1,450         5,250         950          7,750         450   
       250        1,950         2,800        1,440         5,300         940          7,800         440   
       300        1,940         2,850        1,430         5,350         930          7,850         430   
       350        1,930         2,900        1,420         5,400         920          7,900         420   
       400        1,920         2,950        1,410         5,450         910          7,950         410   
       450        1,910         3,000        1,400         5,500         900          8,000         400   
       500        1,900         3,050        1,390         5,550         890          8,050         390   
       550        1,890         3,100        1,380         5,600         880          8,100         380   
       600        1,880         3,150        1,370         5,650         870          8,150         370   
       650        1,870         3,200        1,360         5,700         860          8,200         360   
       700        1,860         3,250        1,350         5,750         850          8,250         350   
       750        1,850         3,300        1,340         5,800         840          8,300         340   
       800        1,840         3,350        1,330         5,850         830          8,350         330   
       850        1,830         3,400        1,320         5,900         820          8,400         320   
       900        1,820         3,450        1,310         5,950         810          8,450         310   
       950        1,810         3,500        1,300         6,000         800          8,500         300   
     1,000        1,800         3,550        1,290         6,050         790          8,550         290   
     1,050        1,790         3,600        1,280         6,100         780          8,600         280   
     1,100        1,780         3,650        1,270         6,150         770          8,650         270   
     1,150        1,770         3,700        1,260         6,200         760          8,700         260   
     1,200        1,760         3,750        1,250         6,250         750          8,750         250   
     1,250        1,750         3,800        1,240         6,300         740          8,800         240   
     1,300        1,740         3,850        1,230         6,350         730          8,850         230   
     1,350        1,730         3,900        1,220         6,400         720          8,900         220   
     1,400        1,720         3,950        1,210         6,450         710          8,950         210   
     1,450        1,710         4,000        1,200         6,500         700          9,000         200   
     1,500        1,700         4,050        1,190         6,550         690          9,050         200   
     1,550        1,690         4,100        1,180         6,600         680          9,100         200   
     1,600        1,680         4,150        1,170         6,650         670          9,150         200   
     1,650        1,670         4,200        1,160         6,700         660          9,200         200   
     1,700        1,660         4,250        1,150         6,750         650          9,250         200   
     1,750        1,650         4,300        1,140         6,800         640          9,300         200   
     1,800        1,640         4,350        1,130         6,850         630          9,350         200   
     1,850        1,630         4,400        1,120         6,900         620          9,400         200   
     1,900        1,620         4,450        1,110         6,950         610          9,450         200   
     1,950        1,610         4,500        1,100         7,000         600          9,500         200   
     2,000        1,600         4,550        1,090         7,050         590          9,550         200   
     2,050        1,590         4,600        1,080         7,100         580          9,600         200   
     2,100        1,580         4,650        1,070         7,150         570          9,650         200   
     2,150        1,570         4,700        1,060         7,200         560          9,700         200   
     2,200        1,560         4,750        1,050         7,250         550          9,750         200   
     2,250        1,550         4,800        1,040         7,300         540          9,800         200   
     2,300        1,540         4,850        1,030         7,350         530          9,850         200   
     2,350        1,530         4,900        1,020         7,400         520          9,900         200   
     2,400        1,520         4,950        1,010         7,450         510          9,950         200   
     2,450        1,510         5,000        1,000         7,500         500         10,000           0   
     2,500        1,500                                                                                   

------------                                                                    

Excess AGI =  Your AGI minus your THRESHOLD LEVEL:                        
     If you are single, your Threshold Level is $25,000.
      If you are married, your Threshold Level is $40,000.
         If you are married and file a separate tax return, your
Excess AGI = your AGI.                        

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Contributions may be made for a tax year until the deadline for filing a        
Federal income tax return for that tax year (without extensions). No            
contributions are allowed for the tax year in which an individual attains age   
70-1/2 or any tax year after that. A working spouse age 70-1/2 or over,         
however, can contribute up to the lesser of $2,000 or 100% of "earned income"   
to a spousal IRA for a non-working spouse until the year in which the           
non-working spouse reaches age 70-1/2.                                          

An individual not eligible to deduct part or all of the IRA contribution may    
still make nondeductible contributions on which earnings will accumulate on a   
tax-deferred basis. The deductible and nondeductible contributions may not,     
however, together exceed the lesser of the $2,000 limit (or $2,250 spousal      
limit) or 100% of compensation for each tax year. See "Excess Contributions."   
Individuals must keep their own records of deductible and nondeductible         
contributions in order to prevent double taxation on the distribution of        
previously taxed amounts. See "Distributions from IRA Contracts."               

An individual making nondeductible contributions in any taxable year, or        
receiving amounts from any IRA to which he or she has made nondeductible        
contributions, must file the required information with the IRS. Moreover,       
individuals making nondeductible IRA contributions must retain all income tax   
returns and records pertaining to such contributions until interests in such    
IRAs are fully distributed.                                                     

Excess Contributions                                                            

Excess contributions to an IRA are subject to a 6% excise tax for the year in   
which made and for each year thereafter until withdrawn. In the case of         
"regular" IRA contributions any contribution in excess of the lesser of         
$2,000 or 100% of compensation or earned income is an "excess contribution,"    
(without regard to the deductibility or nondeductibility of IRA contributions   
under this limit). Also, any "regular" contributions made after you reach age   
70 1/2 are excess contributions. In the case of rollover IRA contributions,     
excess contributions are 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). An excess contribution     
(rollover or "regular") which is withdrawn, however, before the time for        
filing the individual's federal income tax return for the tax year (including   
extensions) is not includable in income and is not subject to the 10% penalty   
tax on early distributions (discussed below under "Penalty Tax on Early         
Distributions"), provided any earnings attributable to the excess               
contribution are also withdrawn and no tax deduction is taken for the excess    
contribution. The withdrawn earnings on the excess contribution, however,       
would be includable in the individual's gross income for the tax year in        
which the excess contribution from which they arose was made and would be       
subject to the 10% penalty tax. If excess contributions are not withdrawn       
before the time for filing the individual's federal income tax return for the   
tax year (including extensions), the "regular" contributions may still be       
withdrawn after that time if the IRA contribution for the tax year did not      
exceed $2,250 and no tax deduction was taken for the excess contribution; in    
that event, the excess contribution would not be includable in gross income     
and would not be subject to the 10% penalty tax. Lastly, excess "regular"       
contributions may also be reduced by underutilizing the allowable               
contribution limits for a later year.                                           

If excess rollover contributions are not withdrawn before the time for filing   
the individual's Federal tax return for the year (including extensions) and     
the excess contribution occurred as a result of incorrect information           
provided by the plan, any such excess amount can be withdrawn if no tax         
deduction was taken for the excess contribution. As above, excess rollover      
contributions withdrawn under those circumstances would not be includable in    
gross income and would not be subject to the 10% penalty tax.                   

Tax-Free Transfers and Rollovers                                                

Rollover contributions may be made to an IRA from these sources: (i)            
qualified plans, (ii) TSAs (including 403(b)(7) custodial accounts) and (iii)   
other individual retirement arrangements.                                       

The rollover amount must be transferred to the Contract either as a direct      
rollover of an "eligible rollover distribution" (described below) or as a       
rollover by the individual plan participant or owner of the individual          
retirement arrangement. In the latter cases, the rollover must be made within   
60 days of the date the proceeds from another individual retirement             
arrangement or an eligible rollover distribution from a qualified plan or TSA   
were received. Generally the taxable portion of any distribution from a         
qualified plan or TSA is an eligible rollover distribution and may be rolled    
over tax-free to an IRA unless the distribution is (i) a required minimum       
distribution under Section 401(a)(9) of the Code; or (ii) one of a series of    
substantially equal periodic payments made (not less frequently than            
annually) (a) for the life (or life expectancy) of the plan participant or      
the joint lives (or joint life expectancies) of the plan participant and his    
or her designated beneficiary, or (b) for a specified period of ten years or    
more. See "Federal and State Income Tax Withholding--Mandatory Withholding      
from Qualified Plans and TSAs," below.                                          

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Under some circumstances, amounts from a Contract may be rolled over on a       
tax-free basis to a qualified plan. To get this "conduit" IRA treatment, the    
source of funds used to establish the IRA must be a rollover contribution       
from the qualified plan and the entire amount received from the 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.                                       

We offer a separate IRA contract subject to separate charges, designed to       
serve as a "conduit" IRA for this purpose (QP IRA Contract). Therefore          
amounts in a QP IRA contract which are not commingled with "regular" IRA        
Contributions or nonqualified plan funds (or TSA funds, as the case may be)     
may be eligible to be rolled over into another qualified plan (or TSA, as the   
case may be) which accepts such contributions.                                  

Under the conditions and limitations of the Code, an individual may elect for   
each IRA to make a tax-free rollover once every 12-month period among           
individual retirement arrangements (including rollovers from retirement bonds   
purchased before 1983). Custodian-to-custodian transfers are not rollovers      
and can be made more frequently than once a year.                               

The same tax-free treatment applies to amounts withdrawn from the Contract      
and rolled over into other individual retirement arrangements unless the        
distribution was received under an inherited IRA.                               

Tax-free rollovers are also available to the surviving spouse beneficiary, of   
a deceased individual, or a spousal alternate payee of a qualified domestic     
relations order applicable to a qualified plan or TSA. In some cases, IRAs      
can be transferred on a tax-free basis between spouses or former spouses        
incidental to a judicial decree of divorce or separation.                       

Distributions from IRA Contracts                                                

Income or gains on contributions under IRAs are not subject to Federal income   
tax until benefits are distributed to the individual. Distributions include     
withdrawals from your Contract, surrender of your Contract and annuity          
payments from your Contract. Death benefits are also distributions. Except as   
discussed below, the amount of any distribution from an IRA is fully            
includable by the individual in gross income.                                   

If the individual makes nondeductible IRA contributions, those contributions    
are recovered tax-free when distributions are received. The individual must     
keep records of all nondeductible contributions. At the end of each tax year    
in which the individual has received a distribution, the individual             
determines a ratio of the total nondeductible IRA contributions (less any       
amounts previously withdrawn tax-free) to the total account balances of all     
IRAs held by the individual at the end of the tax year (including rollover      
IRAs and SEPs) plus all IRA distributions made during such tax year. The        
resulting ratio is then multiplied by all distributions from the IRA during     
that tax year to determine the nontaxable portion of each distribution.         

In addition, a distribution (other than a required minimum distribution         
discussed below is not taxable if (1) the amount received is a return of        
excess contributions which are withdrawn, as described under "Excess            
Contributions," (2) the entire amount received is rolled over to another        
individual retirement arrangement (see "Tax-Free Transfers and Rollovers") or   
(3) in certain limited circumstances, where the IRA acts as a "conduit," the    
entire amount is paid into a qualified plan or TSA that accepts such            
contributions.                                                                  

Distributions from an 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.                                             

Minimum Distributions After Age 70 1/2                                          

The minimum distribution rules discussed above under "Qualified Plans and       
TSAs--Minimum Distributions After Age 70 1/2" also generally apply to IRAs.     
Individuals who are participants in more than one individual retirement         
arrangement or other tax favored retirement plan may be able to choose          
different distribution options for each arrangement. Your minimum               
distribution for any taxable year is calculated by adding together the          
separate minimum distribution amounts from each of your individual retirement   
arrangements. The IRS, however, does not require that you take out the          
minimum distribution from each individual retirement arrangement that you       
maintain. As long as the total amount distributed annually for all IRAs         
satisfies your overall minimum distribution requirement for IRAs, you may       
choose to take your annual required distribution for IRAs from any one or       
more individual retirement arrangements that you maintain.                      

This special rule applies only to IRAs and TSAs and does not apply to           
qualified plans. A distribution from a TSA will not satisfy a distribution      
requirement for IRAs.                                                           

If the individual dies after distribution in the form of an annuity has         
begun, or after the Required Beginning Date, payment of the remaining           
interest must be made at least as rapidly as under the method used prior to     
the individual's death. The IRS has indicated that an exception to this rule    
may apply if the beneficiary of the IRA is the surviving spouse. In some        

circumstances, the surviving spouse may elect to "make the IRA his or her       
own" and halt distributions until he or she reaches age 70 1/2. If an           
individual dies before the Required Beginning Date and before distributions     
in the form of an annuity begin,                                                

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distributions of the individual's entire interest under the Contract must be    
completed within five years after death, unless payments to a designated        
beneficiary begin within one year of the individual's death and are made over   
the beneficiary's life or over a period certain which does not extend beyond    
the beneficiary's life expectancy.                                              

If the surviving spouse is the designated beneficiary, the spouse may delay     
the commencement of such payments up until the individual would have attained   
age 70-1/2. In the alternative, a surviving spouse may elect to roll over the   
inherited IRA into the surviving spouse's own IRA. Under Series 300 and 400     
Contracts, if you elect to have your spouse be the sole primary beneficiary     
and to be the Successor Annuitant and Contract Owner, then your surviving       
spouse automatically becomes both the successor Contract Owner and Annuitant,   
and no death benefit is payable until the surviving spouse's death.             

If there is an insufficient distribution in any year, a 50% tax may be          
imposed on the amount by which the minimum required to be distributed exceeds   
the amount actually distributed. The penalty tax may be waived by the           
Secretary of the Treasury in certain limited circumstances. Failure to have     
distributions made as the Code and Treasury regulations require may result in   
disqualification of your IRA. See "Tax Penalty for Insufficient                 
Distributions" below.                                                           

Taxation of Death Benefit                                                       

Distributions received by a beneficiary are generally given the same tax        
treatment the individual would have received if distribution had been made to   
the individual.                                                                 

Prohibited Transaction                                                          

An IRA may not be borrowed against or used as collateral for a loan or other    
obligation. If the IRA is borrowed against or used as collateral, its tax-      
favored status will be lost as of the first day of the tax year in which the    
event occurred. If this happens, the individual must include in Federal gross   
income for that year an amount equal to the fair market value of the IRA        
Contract as of the first day of that tax year, less the amount of any           
nondeductible contributions not previously withdrawn. Also, the early           
distribution penalty tax of 10% will apply if the individual has not reached    
age 59-1/2 before the first day of that tax year. See "Penalty Tax on Early     
Distributions."                                                                 

Illustration of Guaranteed Rates                                                

The following two tables which the IRS requires us to furnish to prospective    
IRA Contract Owners illustrate guaranteed rates for contributions assumed to    
be allocated entirely to the Guaranteed Interest Account under Series 300 and   
400 Contracts. Table I illustrates a $1,000 contribution made annually on the   
Contract Date and on each subsequent anniversary, assuming no withdrawals or    
transfers were made from the Contract. Table II assumes a single initial        
contribution of $1,000, with no further contributions, withdrawals or           
transfers. The 3% guaranteed rate is the minimum guaranteed interest rate in    
the Contract.                                                                   

As explained in "Part 8: Deductions and Charges," the values shown assume the   
contingent withdrawal charge applies. These values reflect the effect of the    
annual administrative charge deducted at the end of each Contract Year in       
which the Annuity Account Value is less than $20,000.                           

To find the appropriate value for the end of the Contract Year at any           
attained age, subtract the issue age (age nearest birthday) from the attained   
age and enter the table at the corresponding year. Years that correspond to     
an attained age in excess of 70 should be ignored.                              

The information shown in the tables should be considered in light of your       
present age and (with respect to Table I) your ability to contribute $1,000     
annually. You should also understand that in order to avoid severe tax          
penalties, distribution of the values under your Contract generally must        
commence not later than April 1st of the calendar year after the calendar       
year you attain age 70-1/2. Subsequent distributions must be made by December   
31st of each calendar year. See "Penalty Tax on Early Distributions" and "Tax   
Penalties for Insufficient Distributions." Any change in the amounts            
contributed annually, or in the amount of the single contribution, would, of    
course, change the results shown.                                               

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TABLE I   
ANNUITY ACCOUNT VALUES AND  
CASH VALUES   
(Assuming $1,000 Contributions Made Annually  
at the beginning of the Contract Year)  

                                                                [Download Table]

          3% MINIMUM GUARANTEE        
--------------------------------------
               ANNUITY                
 CONTRACT      ACCOUNT                
 YEAR END       VALUE       CASH VALUE
----------  ------------  ------------
                                      
      1      $  1,009.40   $    954.89
      2         2,039.68      1,929.54
      3         3,100.87      2,933.43
      4         4,193.90      3,967.43
      5         5,319.72      5,032.45
      6         6,479.31      6,129.42
      7         7,673.69      7,313.69
      8         8,903.90      8,543.90
      9        10,171.01      9,811.01
     10        11,476.14     11,116.14
     11        12,820.43     12,460.43
     12        14,205.04     13,845.04
     13        15,631.19     15,271.19
     14        17,100.13     16,740.13
     15        18,613.13     18,253.13
     16        20,201.53     19,841.53
     17        21,837.57     21,477.57
     18        23,522.70     23,162.70
     19        25,258.38     24,898.38
     20        27,046.13     26,686.13
     21        28,887.52     28,527.52
     22        30,784.14     30,424.14
     23        32,737.67     32,377.67
     24        34,749.80     34,389.80
     25        36,822.29     36,462.29
     26        38,956.96     38,596.96
     27        41,155.67     40,795.67
     28        43,420.34     43,060.34
     29        45,752.95     45,392.95
     30        48,155.53     47,795.53
     31        50,630.20     50,270.20
     32        53,179.11     52,819.11
     33        55,804.48     55,444.48
     34        58,508.61     58,148.61
     35        61,293.87     60,933.87
     36        64,162.69     63,802.69
     37        67,117.57     66,757.57
     38        70,161.10     69,801.10
     39        73,295.93     72,935.93
     40        76,524.81     76,164.81
     41        79,850.55     79,490.55
     42        83,276.07     82,916.07
     43        86,804.35     86,444.35
     44        90,438.48     90,078.48
     45        94,181.64     93,821.64
     46        98,037.08     97,677.08
     47       102,008.20    101,648.20
     48       106,098.44    105,738.44
     49       110,311.40    109,951.40
     50       114,650.74    114,290.74

TABLE II  
ANNUITY ACCOUNT VALUES AND  
CASH VALUES   
(Assuming a Single Contribution of $1,000 and   
No Further Contribution)  

                                                                [Download Table]

                3% MINIMUM GUARANTEE          
--------------------------------------------- 
                         ANNUITY              
       CONTRACT          ACCOUNT              
       YEAR END           VALUE     CASH VALUE
--------------------  -----------  ---------- 
                                              
           1            $1,009.40   $  954.89 
           2             1,018.89      963.87 
           3             1,019.46      964.40 
           4             1,020.04      964.96 
           5             1,020.64      965.53 
           6             1,021.26      966.11 
           7             1,021.90    1,021.90 
           8             1,022.55    1,022.55 
           9             1,023.23    1,023.23 
          10             1,023.93    1,023.93 
          11             1,024.65    1,024.65 
          12             1,025.38    1,025.38 
          13             1,026.15    1,026.15 
          14             1,026.93    1,026.93 
          15             1,027.74    1,027.74 
          16             1,028.57    1,028.57 
          17             1,029.43    1,029.43 
          18             1,030.31    1,030.31 
          19             1,031.22    1,031.22 
          20             1,032.16    1,032.16 
          21             1,033.12    1,033.12 
          22             1,034.11    1,034.11 
          23             1,035.14    1,035.14 
          24             1,036.19    1,036.19 
          25             1,037.28    1,037.28 
          26             1,038.40    1,038.40 
          27             1,039.55    1,039.55 
          28             1,040.73    1,040.73 
          29             1,041.96    1,041.96 
          30             1,043.22    1,043.22 
          31             1,044.51    1,044.51 
          32             1,045.85    1,045.85 
          33             1,047.22    1,047.22 
          34             1,048.64    1,048.64 
          35             1,050.10    1,050.10 
          36             1,051.60    1,051.60 
          37             1,053.15    1,053.15 
          38             1,054.74    1,054.74 
          39             1,056.39    1,056.39 
          40             1,058.08    1,058.08 
          41             1,059.82    1,059.82 
          42             1,061.61    1,061.61 
          43             1,063.46    1,063.46 
          44             1,065.37    1,065.37 
          45             1,067.33    1,067.33 
          46             1,069.35    1,069.35 
          47             1,071.43    1,071.43 
          48             1,073.57    1,073.57 
          49             1,075.78    1,075.78 
          50             1,078.05    1,078.05 

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SIMPLIFIED EMPLOYEE PENSIONS (SEPS)                                             

An employer can establish a SEP for its employees and can make contributions    
to a Contract for each eligible employee. A SEP Contract is a form of IRA       
Contract, owned by the employee-Annuitant and most of the rules applicable to   
IRAs discussed above apply. A major difference is the amount of permissible     
contributions. Rules similar to those discussed above under "Tax Qualified      
Retirement Plans" (Qualified Plans) apply. Due to statutory limits, in 1996     
an employer can annually contribute an amount for an employee up to the         
lesser of $22,500 or 15% of the employee's compensation, determined without     
taking into account the employer's contribution to the SEP. This $22,500        
maximum, based on the statutory compensation limit of $150,000, may be          
adjusted for cost of living changes in future years. Under our current          
practice, IRA contributions by the employee may not be made under a SEP         
Contract and are put into a separate IRA Contract. Employers with 25 or fewer   
eligible employees may allow such employees to make salary reduction            
contributions to a SEP (SARSEP). SARSEP programs are subject to a number of     
special rules, some of which are discussed in the SAI.                          

SEP plans are available under EQUI-VEST Series 300 in most states. EQUI-VEST    
SEP Series 200 are available in states where the 300 Series is not available.   

PUBLIC AND TAX-EXEMPT ORGANIZATION                                              
EMPLOYEE DEFERRED COMPENSATION                                                  
PLANS (EDC PLANS)                                                               

Employees and independent contractors who perform services for a state          
(including any subdivision or agency of the state) or other tax-exempt          
employer may exclude from Federal gross income certain salary reduction         
amounts. To qualify, the employer must maintain an EDC plan satisfying the      
requirements of Section 457 of the Code. EQUI-VEST Series 100 or 200            
Contracts are used to fund EDC plans that must be owned by the employer, and    
are subject to the claims of the employer's general creditors. However, the     
EDC plan may permit the employee to choose among various investment options.    
Tax-exempt, non-governmental employers are generally subject to ERISA, and      
may be required by the provisions of that Act to limit participation in an      
EDC plan to a select group of management or highly compensated employees.       

Generally, the maximum contribution amount that can be excluded from gross      
income in any tax year under an EDC plan is 33 1/3% of the employee's           
"includable compensation," up to $7,500. Special rules may permit "catch-up"    
contributions during the three years preceding normal retirement age under      
the EDC plan.                                                                   

In general, no amounts may be withdrawn from an EDC plan prior to the           
calendar year in which the employee attains age 70-1/2, separates from          
service or in the event of an unforeseen emergency. Income or gains on          
contributions under an EDC plan are subject to Federal income tax when          
amounts are distributed or made available to the employee or beneficiary.       

Distributions from EDC plans generally must commence no later than April 1st    
of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the employee          
attains 70-1/2. Special rules apply, however, to employees in EDC plans which   
are governmental plans.                                                         

If the Annuitant does not commence minimum distributions in the calendar year   
in which the Annuitant attains age 70 1/2, and waits until the three month      
(January 1-April 1) period in the next calendar year to commence minimum        
distributions, then the Annuitant must take two required minimum                
distributions in that calendar year.                                            

Distributions from an EDC plan may not be rolled over or transferred to an      
IRA.                                                                            

Distributions to an EDC plan participant are characterized as "wages" for       
income tax reporting and withholding purposes. No election out of withholding   
is possible. See "Federal and State Income Tax Withholding," below. These       
amounts are not subject to FICA tax, if FICA tax was withheld by the employer   
when wages were deferred. In certain circumstances, receipt of payments from    
an EDC plan may result in a reduction of an employee's Social Security          
benefits.                                                                       

If the EDC plan so provides, a deceased employee's beneficiary may be able to   
elect to receive death benefits in installments instead of a lump sum, and      
will be taxed as the payments are received. However, the death benefits must    
be received within 15 years of the date of the deceased employee's death (or    
within the period of the life expectancy of the surviving spouse if the         
spouse is the designated beneficiary).                                          

Due to unrelated business income tax rules, annuity Contracts may not be an     
appropriate funding vehicle for an EDC plan maintained by any organization      
exempt from tax under the following Code Sections: 501(c)(7) (social club);     
501(c)(9) (VEBA); 501(c)(17) (supplemental unemployment compensation benefit    
plan trust); or 501(c)(20) (legal services plan trust). Please contact your     
tax adviser to see if these limits may apply to your EDC plan.                  

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PENALTY TAX ON EARLY DISTRIBUTIONS                                              

The taxable portion of distributions from a qualified plan or TSA will be       
subject to a 10% penalty tax unless the distribution is made on or after the    
Annuitant's death, attributable to the Annuitant becoming disabled, or when     
the Annuitant reaches age 59-1/2. The penalty tax will also not apply if the    
Annuitant (i) separates from service and elects a payout over his or her life   
or life expectancy (or joint and survivor lives or life expectancies), (ii)     
has attained age 55 and separates from service, or (iii) uses the               
distribution to pay certain extraordinary medical expenses. The taxable         
portion of IRA and SEP distributions are also subject to the 10% penalty tax    
unless the distribution is made (1) on or after your death, (2) because you     
have become disabled, (3) on or after the date when you reach age 59 1/2, or    
(4) in the form of a substantially equal periodic payout over your life or      
life expectancy (or joint and survivor lives or life expectancies), to be       
made at least annually is also not subject to penalty tax.                      

This penalty tax does not apply to employees in an EDC plan.                    

TAX PENALTY FOR INSUFFICIENT                                                    
DISTRIBUTIONS                                                                   

Failure to make required distributions may cause the disqualification of the    
IRA, SEP, TSA, qualified plan, or EDC plan. Disqualification results in         
current taxation of the Annuitant's entire benefit. In addition, a 50%          
penalty tax is imposed on the difference between the required distribution      
amount and the amount actually distributed, if any.                             

It is the plan administrator's responsibility to see that minimum               
distributions from a qualified plan are made. It is the TSA or IRA owner's      
responsibility to see that the minimum distributions are made with respect to   
a contract. We do not automatically make distributions from a Contract before   
the Retirement Date unless a request has been made. We will notify you when     
our records show that your age 70 1/2 is approaching. In the case of IRA and    
TSA contracts, if you do not select a method, we will assume you are taking     
your minimum distribution from another TSA or IRA that you maintain. You        
should consult with your tax adviser concerning these rules and their proper    
application to your situation. See "Distributions From Qualified Plans and      
TSAs and Tax Qualified IRAs--Minimum Distributions After Age 70 1/2"            
elsewhere in this section.                                                      

FEDERAL AND STATE INCOME TAX                                                    
WITHHOLDING                                                                     

Equitable Life is required to withhold Federal income tax on the taxable        
portion of qualified plan payments and payments from annuity contracts. The     
rate of withholding will depend on the type of distribution and, in certain     
cases, the amount of the distribution. (In the case of MOMENTUM and Trusteed    
Contracts which continue to be owned by the trustee, any required Federal       
income tax withholding is the responsibility of the plan administrator.)        
Unless the payment is an "eligible rollover distribution" from a qualified      
plan or a TSA, the recipient generally may elect not to be subject to income    
tax withholding. Compare "Elective Withholding" and "Mandatory Withholding      
From Qualified Plans and TSAs," below. However, payments under EDC plans are    
also subject to mandatory wage withholding rules; no election out is            
permitted. The employer (and not Equitable Life) is generally responsible for   
such wage withholding.                                                          

Certain states have indicated that pension and annuity withholding will apply   
to payments made to residents. Generally, an election out of Federal            
withholding will also be considered an election out of state withholding. In    
some states, a recipient may elect out of state withholding, even if Federal    
withholding applies. It is not clear whether such states may require            
mandatory withholding with respect to eligible rollover distributions           
(described below). Contact your tax adviser to see how state income tax         
withholding may apply to your payment.                                          

Special withholding rules apply to foreign recipients and United States         
citizens residing outside the United States. See your tax adviser if you may    
be affected by such rules. Withholding may also apply to taxable amounts paid   
under a 10-day free look cancellation.                                          

Elective Withholding                                                            

Requests not to withhold Federal income tax must be made in writing prior to    
receiving benefits under the Contract. The Processing Office will provide       
forms for this purpose. No election out of withholding is valid unless the      
recipient provides us with the correct taxpayer identification number and a     
United States residence address.                                                

If a recipient does not have sufficient income tax withheld or does not make    
sufficient estimated income tax payments, the recipient may incur penalties     
under the estimated income tax rules. Recipients should consult their tax       
advisers to determine whether they should elect out of withholding.             

Periodic payments are generally subject to wage-bracket type withholding (as    
if such payments were wages by an employer to an employee) unless the           

recipient elects no withholding. If a recipient does not elect out of           
withholding or does not specify the number of withholding exemptions,           
withholding will                                                                

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generally be made as if the recipient is married and claiming three             
withholding exemptions. There is an annual threshold of taxable income from     
periodic payments which is exempt from withholding based on this assumption.    
For 1996 a recipient of periodic payments (e.g., monthly or annual payments     
which are not "eligible rollover distributions") which total less than          
$14,075 taxable amount will generally be exempt from Federal income tax         
withholding, unless the recipient specifies a different choice of withholding   
exemption. If a recipient fails to provide a correct taxpayer identification    
number, withholding is made as if the recipient is single with no exemptions.   

A recipient of a partial or total non-periodic distribution (other than         
"eligible rollover distributions" discussed below) will generally be subject    
to withholding at a flat 10% rate. A recipient who provides a United States     
residence address and a correct taxpayer identification number will generally   
be permitted to elect not to have tax withheld.                                 

All recipients receiving periodic and non-periodic payments will be further     
notified of the withholding requirements and of their right, if any, to make    
withholding elections.                                                          

Mandatory Withholding From Qualified Plans and TSAs                             

All "eligible rollover distributions" are subject to mandatory Federal income   
tax withholding of 20% unless the employee elects to have the distribution      
directly rolled over to a qualified plan or individual retirement               
arrangement. The following are not eligible rollover distributions subject to   
mandatory 20% withholding:                                                      

o     any distribution to the extent that the distribution is a "required       
minimum distribution" under Section 401(a)(9) of the Code;          
o     any distribution which is one of a series of substantially equal          
 periodic payments made (not less frequently than annually (1) for the
  life (or life expectancy) of the employee or the joint lives (or joint
life expectancies) of the employee and his or her designated        
beneficiary, or (2) for a specified period of 10 years or more;     

o     certain corrective distributions under Code Sections 401(k), 401(m) and   
402(g);                                                             

o     loans that are treated as deemed distributions;                           

o     P.S. 58 costs (incurred if the plan provides life insurance protection    
for participants); and                                              
o     a distribution to a beneficiary other than to a surviving spouse or a     
current or former spouse under a qualified domestic relations order.

If a distribution is made to a plan participant's surviving spouse, or to a     
current or former spouse under a qualified domestic relations order, the        
distribution may be an eligible rollover distribution, subject to mandatory     
20% withholding, unless one of the exceptions described above applies.          

If a distribution is not an "eligible rollover distribution," the rules on      
elective withholding described above, apply.                                    

OTHER WITHHOLDING                                                               

In certain cases Equitable may be required to withhold, or temporarily hold     
back, an amount of death benefit due to potential application of state          
inheritance or estate tax rules or federal "generation skipping tax," which     
is a form of estate tax. The potential application of these rules varies        
depending on the amount of the death benefit, the relationship of the           
beneficiaries to the deceased, and the residence of the parties. You should     
consult with your tax or legal adviser concerning potential application of      
these rules to your own personal situation.                                     

SPECIAL RULES FOR NQ AND TRUSTEED CONTRACTS ISSUED IN PUERTO RICO               

Only NQ and Trusteed Contracts are available in Puerto Rico.                    

EQUI-VEST TRUSTEED--The tax treatment of qualified plans by the United States   
and by Puerto Rico is similar in many respects, but may not be identical.       
Please consult your tax adviser to determine any differences which may affect   
your own situation.                                                             

NQ--Under current law, Equitable Life treats income from such 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 these Contracts is also subject   
to Puerto Rico tax. The computation of the taxable portion of amounts           
distributed from a Contract may differ in the two jurisdictions. Therefore,     
an individual might have to file both U.S. and Puerto Rico tax returns,         
showing different amounts of income for each. Puerto Rico generally provides    
a credit against Puerto Rico tax for U.S. tax paid. Depending on an             
individual's personal situation and the timing of the different tax             
liabilities, an individual may not be able to take full advantage of this       
credit.                                                                         

Please consult your tax adviser to determine the applicability of these rules   
to your own tax situation.                                                      
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IMPACT OF TAXES TO EQUITABLE LIFE                                               

The Contracts provide that we may charge the Separate Account for taxes. We     
can also set up reserves for taxes.                                             

TRANSFERS AMONG INVESTMENT OPTIONS                                              

There will not be any tax liability if you transfer the Annuity Account Value   
among the Investment Funds, the Guaranteed Interest Account and the Fixed       
Maturity Account.                                                               

TAX CHANGES                                                                     

The United States Congress has in the past considered, and may in the future    
consider legislative proposals that, if enacted, could change the tax           
treatment of annuities and retirement plans. In addition, the Treasury          
Department may amend existing regulations, issue new regulations, or adopt      
new interpretations of existing laws. State tax laws or, if you are not a       
United States resident, foreign tax laws, may affect the tax consequences to    
you or the beneficiary. These laws may change from time to time without         
notice and, as a result, the tax consequences may be altered. There is no way   
of predicting whether, when or in what form any such change would be adopted.   
Any such change could have retroactive effects regardless of the date of        
enactment. We suggest you consult your legal or tax adviser.                    

ERISA MATTERS                                                                   

ERISA rules are designed to save and protect qualified retirement plan assets   
to be paid to plan participants when they retire.                               

Qualified Plans under 401 of the Code are generally subject to ERISA. Some      
TSAs may be subject to Title I of ERISA, generally dependent on the level of    
employer involvement, for example if the employer makes matching                
contributions.                                                                  

CERTAIN RULES APPLICABLE TO PLAN LOANS                                          

Qualified plans and TSA loans are subject to Code limits and may also be        
subject to the limits of the applicable plan. Code requirements apply even if   
the plan is not subject to ERISA. For example loans offered by certain          
qualified plans and TSAs are subject to the following conditions:               

o     The amount of a loan to a participant, when aggregated with all other     
loans to the participant from all qualified plans of the employer,  
cannot exceed the greater of $10,000 or 50% of the participant's    
non-forefeitable accrued benefits, and cannot exceed $50,000 in any 
event. This $50,000 limit is reduced by the excess (if any) of the  
 highest outstanding loan balance over the previous twelve months over
the outstanding balance of plan loans on the date the loan was made.
o     In general, the term of the loan cannot exceed five years unless the      
  loan is used to acquire the participant's primary residence. EQUI-VEST
 Contracts have a term limit of 10 years for loans used to acquire the
participant's primary residence.                                    
o     All principal and interest must be amortized in substantially level       
 payments over the term of the loan, with payments being made at least
quarterly.                                                          
o     If the loan does not qualify under the conditions above, the participant  
    fails to repay the interest or principal when due, or in some instances,
    if the participant separates from service or the plan is terminated, the
amount borrowed or not repaid may be treated as a distribution. The 
participant may be required to include as ordinary income the unpaid
  amount due and a 10% penalty tax on early distributions may apply. The
    plan should report the amount of the unpaid loan balance to the IRS as a
distribution.                                                       
o     Many plans provide that the participant's spouse must consent in writing  
to the loan.                                                        
o     Except to the extent permitted in accordance with the terms of a          
   prohibited transaction exemption issued by DOL defined below, loans are
  not available (i) in a Keogh (non-corporate) plan to an owner-employee
or a partner who owns more than 10% of a partnership or (ii) to 5%  
shareholders in an S corporation.                                   

In addition, certain loan rules apply only to loans under ERISA plans:          

o     For contracts which are subject to ERISA, the trustee or sponsoring       
employer is responsible for insuring that any loan meets applicable 
   Department of Labor (DOL) requirements. It is the responsibility of the
plan administrator, the trustee of the qualified plan and/or the    
  employer, and not Equitable Life, to properly administer any loan made
    to plan participants. With respect to specific loans made by the plan to
    a plan participant, the plan administrator determines the interest rate,
the maximum term and all other terms and conditions of the loan.    

o     With respect to specific loans made by the plan to a plan participant,    
 the plan administrator determines the interest rate, the maximum term
and all other terms and conditions of the loan.                     

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o     Only 50% of the participant's vested account balance may serve as         
   security for a loan. To the extent that a participant borrows an amount
which should be secured by more than 50% of the participant's vested
account balance, it is the responsibility of the trustee or plan    
administrator to obtain the additional security.                    

o     Each new or renewed loan must bear a reasonable rate of interest          
   commensurate with the interest rates charged by persons in the business
of lending money for loans that would be made under similar         
circumstances.                                                      

o     Loans must be available to all plan Participants, former Participants     
    who still have account balances under the plan, beneficiaries (after the
   death of a Participant) and alternate payees on a reasonably equivalent
basis.                                                              

CERTAIN RULES APPLICABLE TO PLANS                                               
DESIGNED TO COMPLY WITH SECTION                                                 
404(C) OF ERISA.                                                                

Section 404(c) of ERISA, and the related DOL regulation, provide that if a      
plan participant or beneficiary exercises control over the assets in his or     
her plan account, plan fiduciaries will not be liable for any loss that is      
the direct and necessary result of the plan participant's or beneficiary's      
exercise of control. As a result, if the plan complies with Section 404(c)      
and the DOL regulation thereunder, the plan participant can make and is         
responsible for the results of his or her own investment decisions.             

Section 404(c) plans must provide, among other things that a broad range of     
investment choices are available to plan participants and beneficiaries and     
must provide such plan participants and beneficiaries with enough information   
to make informed investment decisions. Compliance with the Section 404(c)       
regulation is completely voluntary by the plan sponsor, and the plan sponsor    
may choose not to comply with Section 404(c).                                   

The EQUI-VEST Trusteed, HR-10 Annuitant-Owned and TSA and the MOMENTUM          
programs provide the broad range of investment choices and information needed   
in order to meet the requirements of the Section 404(c) regulation. If the      
plan is intended to be a Section 404(c) plan, it is, however, the plan          
sponsor's responsibility to see that the requirements of the DOL regulation     
are met. Equitable Life and its Agents shall not be responsible if a plan       
fails to meet the requirements of Section 404(c).                               

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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PART 11: INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The consolidated financial statements of Equitable Life for the years ended     
December 31, 1995, 1994, and 1993 included in Equitable Life's Annual Report    
on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1995, incorporated by reference    
in the prospectus, have been audited by Price Waterhouse LLP, independent       
accountants, whose report thereon is incorporated herein by reference. Such     
consolidated financial statements have been incorporated herein by reference    
in reliance upon the report of Price Waterhouse LLP given upon their            
authority as experts in accounting and auditing.                                

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------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
APPENDIX I: AN EXAMPLE OF EQUI-VEST MARKET VALUE ADJUSTMENT       
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

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 were to be invested on June 14, 1996 to a Fixed Maturity Period with   
an Expiration Date of June 15, 2005 at a Rate to Maturity of 7.00% resulting    
in a Maturity Amount at the Expiration Date of $183,846. We further assume      
that a withdrawal of $50,000 will be made on June 15, 2000. See "Part 5: The    
Fixed Maturity Account" for a description of the market value adjustment.       

                                                                [Download Table]

                                                           ASSUMED         
                                                    FIXED MATURITY RATE ON 
                                                        JUNE 15, 2000      
                                                   ----------------------  
                                                      5.00%       9.00%    
                                                   ----------  ----------  
                                                                           
As of June 15, 2000 (Before Withdrawal)                                    
-------------------------------------------------                          
(1) Market Adjusted Amount ........................   $144,048    $119,487 
(2) Book Value ....................................    131,080     131,080 
(3) Market Value Adjustment: (1)-(2) ..............     12,968     (11,593)

On June 15, 2000 (After Withdrawal)                                        
-------------------------------------------------                          
(4) Portion of Market Value Adjustment Associated                          
    with Withdrawal: (3) X [$50,000 / (1)] .......       4,501      (4,851)
(5) Reduction in Book Value: [$50,000-(4)]  .......     45,499      54,851 
(6) Book Value: (2)-(5) ...........................     85,581      76,229 
(7) Maturity Amount ...............................    120,032     106,915 
(8) Revised Market Adjusted Amount ................     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.                                                         

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-----------------------------------------------------------------------------   
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION   
TABLE OF CONTENTS   
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------   

                                                                [Download Table]

                                                                             
PART 1:       ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE MOMENTUM PROGRAM       Page 3 
PART 2:       HOW WE DEDUCT THE MOMENTUM QUARTERLY                           
               ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGE                                  Page 3 
PART 3:       DESCRIPTION OF CONTRIBUTION SOURCES FOR THE MOMENTUM    Page 4 
                 PROGRAM                                                     
PART 4:       ADDITIONAL LOAN PROVISIONS                              Page 4 
PART 5:       TAX RULES: SPECIAL ASPECTS                              Page 7 
PART 6:       REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTRIBUTIONS OPTION/AUTOMATIC                
                MINIMUM WITHDRAWAL OPTION                             Page 9 
PART 7:       ACCUMULATION UNIT VALUES                                Page 10
PART 8:       CALCULATION OF ANNUITY PAYMENTS                         Page 10
PART 9:       THE REORGANIZATION                                      Page 12
PART 10:      MONEY MARKET FUND YIELD INFORMATION                     Page 12
PART 11:      OTHER YIELD INFORMATION                                 Page 13
PART 12:      DISTRIBUTION                                            Page 13
PART 13:      KEY FACTORS IN RETIREMENT PLANNING                      Page 13
PART 14:      LONG TERM MARKET TRENDS                                 Page 18
PART 15:      CUSTODIAN AND INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS                   Page 20
PART 16:      FINANCIAL STATEMENTS                                    Page 20

HOW TO OBTAIN THE EQUI-VEST AND MOMENTUM STATEMENT OF   
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION  

Send this request form to:                                                      

FOR EQUI-VEST                                                     
Individual Annuity Center                                         
The Equitable                                                     
P.O. Box 2996                                                     
New York, NY 10116-2996                                           

FOR MOMENTUM                                                      
Momentum Administrative Services                                  
P.O. Box 2919                                                     
New York, NY 10116                                                

Please send me a Statement of Additional Information                            

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------   
Name                                                                            
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------   
Address                                                                         
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------   
City                                  State                          Zip        

91                

Dates Referenced Herein   and   Documents Incorporated by Reference

				Referenced-On Page
This ‘424B5’ Filing		Date		First		Last			Other Filings
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		6/15/00		91
		7/1/96		11		46
		6/14/96		91
Filed on:		5/13/96							497
		5/1/96		1
		12/31/95		2		90			10-K
		11/1/95		41
		8/17/95		41
		7/10/95		41		44
		4/3/95		16		35
		12/31/94		90
		3/1/94		28		35
		1/3/94		41
		12/31/93		90
		10/1/93		27		35
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