Equitable

Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company (NAIC 62944) is one of the oldest names in U.S. life insurance. It was incorporated in New York in 1859, and later converted to a mutual company in the 1920s as it scaled policyholder protection and long-duration guarantees. [1] Decades later, global consolidation reshaped the franchise. In the 2010s, AXA positioned its U.S. life and retirement platform for public markets, launching and then pricing the initial public offering of AXA Equitable Holdings in May 2018. [2][3] The IPO era also accelerated a brand shift away from the AXA name in the United States; the life company formally changed its name from AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company to Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company in 2020. [4]

Equitable's history spans interest-rate shocks, recessions, and evolving regulation. Like other large life insurers, the carrier has repeatedly had to align its product mix and investment strategy with the realities of credit cycles and reserving rules, while maintaining distribution through advisors and institutional channels. That longevity has also been a marketing asset for customers buying long-term guarantees. Public examination reports confirm the key legal-entity milestones, while detailed product and reinsurance arrangements are typically documented in statutory filings rather than consumer summaries. [1][4]

Sources: [1] https://www.dfs.ny.gov/reports-and-publications/exam-reports/life-insurance/62944m15; [2] https://www.axa.com/en/press/press-releases/axa-launches-initial-public-offering-of-axa-equitable-holdings-inc; [3] https://equitable.gcs-web.com/news-releases/news-release-details/axa-equitable-holdings-inc-prices-initial-public-offering; [4] https://www.dfs.ny.gov/reports-and-publications/exam-reports/life-insurance/62944m20.