AXA Equitable recently released the latest episode in its “Retirement Reality Show” video series, which uses interviews with real people to explore retirement preparedness issues.

Discretion Winter, director of external communications at AXA Equitable, said the idea for the series came last year. AXA Equitable publishes research on retirement and has subject-matter experts speak about it, but they wanted to try something new that would support their research efforts.

“We thought ... why don’t we go out and talk to real people about what financial independence means to them,” Winter said. “What they had to say was very interesting and compelling, and we thought it was worth sharing.”

In the latest video, launched just in time for National Retirement Planning Week, vacationers on Liberty Island in New York are asked how much time they spent planning their vacations versus planning their retirement. (View the video at the end of the article.) Other videos have explored themes such as protecting retirement and having income throughout the course of retirement.

Five videos have been released so far, but there’s no cap on how many are to come.

“We don’t really have a number in mind,” Winter said. “It’s only limited to the number of people who are willing to share their stories with us.”

Video was the best medium for the message, Winter said, because it’s the perfect way to tell a three-dimensional story.

“It allows us to go out and listen to people,” she said. “I think unfortunately we don’t often seen financial services companies listening to people or talking to them. Since video is so three-dimensional, it allows us to show AXA Equitable listening to people and hearing what they have to say.”

Winter added that many AXA Equitable advisors find the videos useful in their practice, emailing them to their clients or showing them during prospect presentations.

“People are really struggling with these issues, with the money they may have lost in the market downturn, they’re struggling with their defined benefits going away,” she said. “A lot of people are just seeking connections and advice, and this is one way for them to get those connections.”

Instant Insights /

AXA Equitable uses video as retirement education tool

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