SUPPLEMENT DATED SEPTEMBER 15, 1998 TO PROSPECTUS
DATED MAY 1, 1998
RETIREMENT INVESTMENT ACCOUNT
FUNDED UNDER A GROUP ANNUITY CONTRACT WITH
THE EQUITABLE LIFE ASSURANCE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES
This Supplement amends certain information in the Prospectus dated May 1, 1998
for the Retirement Investment Account. Capitalized terms in this Supplement have
the same meaning as in the Prospectus.
On page 14, "Investment Policies and Objectives," the third sentence of the
second paragraph relating to the Alliance Bond Fund is deleted and replaced by
the following:
The weighted average duration of the total portfolio will be close to
that of the Lehman Intermediate Government/Corporate Bond Index. During
the past ten years the weighted average of this Index was approximately
3.2 years.
On page 22, under "Alliance Bond Fund," the second sentence of the third
paragraph is deleted and replaced by the following:
The weighted average duration will be close to that of the Lehman
Intermediate Government/Corporate Bond Index.
PLEASE RETAIN THIS SUPPLEMENT FOR FUTURE REFERENCE ALONG WITH
YOUR RETIREMENT INVESTMENT ACCOUNT PROSPECTUS AND STATEMENT OF
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DATED MAY 1, 1998.