EQUITABLE LIFE INSURANCE CO OF IOWA SEPARATE ACCOUNT A, 497, 2000-05-17

EQUITABLE LIFE INSURANCE CO OF IOWA SEPARATE ACCOUNT A
497, 2000-05-17

Previous: IOS CAPITAL INC, 10-Q/A, 2000-05-17

Next: WACKENHUT CORRECTIONS CORP, 10-Q, 2000-05-17

<PAGE>
<PAGE>
EQUITABLE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF IOWA
SEPARATE ACCOUNT A OF EQUITABLE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF IOWA

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PROFILE OF
EQUI-SELECT
INDIVIDUAL FLEXIBLE PREMIUM DEFERRED
VARIABLE ANNUITY CONTRACT
MAY 1, 2000
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This Profile is a summary of some of the more important points that
you should know and consider before purchasing the Contract. The
Contract is more fully described in the full prospectus which
accompanies this Profile. Please read the prospectus carefully.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. THE ANNUITY CONTRACT
The Contract offered in this prospectus is an individual flexible premium
deferred variable annuity contract between you and Equitable Life Insurance
Company of Iowa ("Equitable Life," "we," "us" or the "Company"). The Contract
provides a means for you to invest on a tax-deferred basis in one or more of 27
mutual fund investment portfolios through our Separate Account A listed under
Item 4. Keep in mind that you can lose or not make any money.

The Contract, like all deferred variable annuity contracts, has two phases: the
accumulation phase and the income phase. The accumulation phase is the period
between the contract date and the date on which you start receiving the annuity
payments under your Contract. The amounts you accumulate during the accumulation
phase will determine the amount of annuity payments you will receive. The income
phase begins when you start receiving regular annuity payments from your
Contract on the annuity start date.

You determine (1) the amount and frequency of premium payments, (2) the
investments, (3) transfers between investments, (4) the type of annuity to be
paid after the accumulation phase, (5) the beneficiary who will receive the
death benefits, and (6) the amount and frequency of withdrawals.

2. YOUR ANNUITY PAYMENTS (THE INCOME PHASE)
Annuity payments are the periodic payments you will begin receiving on the
annuity start date. You may choose one of the following fixed annuity payment
options:

EQUI-SELECT PROFILE PROSPECTUS BEGINS AFTER
PAGE 9 OF THIS PROFILE
<PAGE>

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ANNUITY OPTIONS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLAN A. INTEREST
Option 1 The contract value, less any applicable taxes not previously
deducted, may be left on deposit with the Company for five (5)
years. We will make fixed payments monthly, quarterly,
semi-annually, or annually. We do not make monthly payments if
the contract value applied to this option is less than $100,000.
You may not withdraw the proceeds until the end of the five (5)
year period.

Option 2 The cash surrender value may be left on deposit with us for a
specified period. Interest will be paid annually. All or part of
the proceeds may be withdrawn at any time.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLAN B. FIXED PERIOD
The contract value, less any applicable taxes not previously
deducted, will be paid until the proceeds, plus interest, are
paid in full. Payments may be paid annually or monthly for a
period of not more than thirty (30) years nor less than five (5)
years. The Contract provides for a table of minimum annual
payments. They are based on the age of the annuitant or the
beneficiary.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLAN C. LIFE INCOME
The contract value less any applicable taxes not previously
deducted will be paid in monthly or annual payments for as long
as the annuitant or beneficiary, whichever is appropriate, lives.
We have the right to require proof satisfactory to it of the age
and sex of such person and proof of continuing survival of such
person. A minimum number of payments may be guaranteed, if
desired. The Contract provides for a table of minimum annual
payments. They are based on the age of the annuitant or the
beneficiary.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. PURCHASE (BEGINNING OF THE ACCUMULATION PHASE)
The minimum premium payment for Non-Qualified Contracts is an aggregate of
$5,000 the first year. You may make additional payments of at least $100 or more
at any time after the free look period. Under certain circumstances, we may
waive and/or modify the minimum subsequent payment requirement. For Qualified
Contracts, you may make the minimum payments of $100 per month if payroll
deduction is used; otherwise it is an aggregate of $2,000 per year. Prior
approval must be obtained from us for subsequent payments in excess of $500,000
or for total payments in excess of $1,000,000. We reserve the right to accept or
decline any application or payment. In certain states we also accept initial and
additional premium payments by wire order. Wire transmittals must be accompanied
by sufficient electronically transmitted data.

We will issue a Contract only if both the annuitant and the contract owner are
not older than age 85.

Who may purchase this Contract? The Contract may be purchased by individuals as
part of a personal retirement plan (a "non-qualified Contract"), or as a
Contract that qualifies for special tax treatment when purchased as either an
Individual Retirement Annuity (IRA) or in connection with a qualified retirement
plan (each a "qualified Contract").

The Contract is designed for people seeking long-term tax-deferred accumulation
of assets, generally for retirement or other long-term purposes. The
tax-deferred feature is more attractive to people in high federal and state tax
brackets. You should not buy this Contract if you are looking for a short-term
investment or if you cannot risk getting back less money than you put in.

2 EQUI-SELECT PROFILE
<PAGE>

4. THE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIOS
You can direct your money into any one or more of the following 27 mutual fund
investment portfolios through our Separate Account A. The investment portfolios
are described in the prospectuses for the GCG Trust, PIMCO Variable Insurance
Trust, the Warburg Pincus Trust, ING Variable Insurance Trust and The Prudential
Series Fund, Inc. If you invest in any of the following investment portfolios,
depending on market conditions, you may make or lose money:

<TABLE>
<S> <C> <C>
THE GCG TRUST
Liquid Asset Series Rising Dividends Series Mid-Cap Growth Series
Limited Maturity Bond Series Managed Global Series Small Cap Series
Global Fixed Income Series Large Cap Value Series Growth Series
Fully Managed Series All Cap Series Real Estate Series
Total Return Series Research Series Hard Assets Series
Equity Income Series Capital Appreciation Series Developing World Series
Investors Series Capital Growth Series
Value Equity Series Strategic Equity Series

THE WARBURG PINCUS TRUST ING VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST
International Equity Portfolio ING Global Brand Names Fund

PIMCO VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST THE PRUDENTIAL SERIES FUND, INC.
PIMCO High Yield Bond Portfolio Prudential Jennison Portfolio
PIMCO StocksPLUS Growth and
Income Portfolio
</TABLE>

5. EXPENSES
The Contract has insurance features and investment features, and there are costs
related to each. The Company deducts an annual contract administrative charge of
$30. We also collect a mortality and expense risk charge and an asset-based
administrative charge. These 2 charges are deducted daily directly from the
amounts in the investment portfolios. The annual rate of the asset-based
administrative charge and the mortality and expense risk charge is as follows:

Mortality & Expense Risk Charge............................... 1.25%
Asset-Based Administrative Charge............................. 0.15%
-----
Total...................................................... 1.40%

Each investment portfolio has charges for investment management fees and other
expenses. These charges, which vary by investment portfolio, currently range
from 0.56% to 1.75% annually (see table below) of the portfolio's average daily
net asset balance.

We deduct a surrender charge if you surrender your Contract or withdraw an
amount exceeding earnings plus the free withdrawal amount. We also deduct a
surrender charge if you annuitize under Plan A Option 1.

If you withdraw money from your Contract, or if you begin receiving annuity
payments, we may deduct a premium tax of 0%-3.5% to pay to your state.

At any time you may make a withdrawal, without the imposition of a surrender
charge, of an amount equal to the sum of:

(1) earnings (Contract value less unliquidated premium payments not
withdrawn);

(2) payments in the Contract for more than eight years; and

(3) an amount which is equal to 10% of the payments in the Contract for
less than eight years, fixed at the time of the first withdrawal in
the contract year, plus 10% of the payments made after

3 EQUI-SELECT PROFILE
<PAGE>

the first withdrawal in the contract year but before the next
contract anniversary, less any withdrawals in the same Contract
year of payments less than eight years old.

The following table shows the schedule of the surrender charge that will apply.
The surrender charge is a percent of each premium payment.

COMPLETE YEARS ELAPSED 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
SINCE PREMIUM PAYMENT

SURRENDER CHARGE 8% 7% 6% 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% 0%

The following table is designed to help you understand the Contract charges. The
"Total Annual Insurance Charges" column includes the maximum mortality and
expense risk charge, the asset-based administrative charge, and reflects the
annual contract administrative charge as 0.18% (based on an average contract
value of $17,000). The "Total Annual Investment Portfolio Charges" column
reflects the portfolio charges for each portfolio and are based on actual
expenses as of December 31, 1999, except for portfolios that commenced
operations after December 31, 1999, where the charges have been annualized. The
column "Total Annual Charges" reflects the sum of the previous two columns. The
columns under the heading "Examples" show you how much you would pay under the
Contract for a 1-year period and for a 10-year period.

As required by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the examples assume that
you invested $1,000 in a Contract that earns 5% annually and that you withdraw
your money at the end of Year 1 or at the end of Year 10. For Years 1 and 10,
the examples show the total annual charges assessed during that time. For these
examples, the premium tax is assumed to be 0%.

4 EQUI-SELECT PROFILE
<PAGE>

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EXAMPLES:
TOTAL ANNUAL --------
TOTAL ANNUAL INVESTMENT TOTAL TOTAL CHARGES AT THE END OF:
INSURANCE PORTFOLIO ANNUAL
INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO CHARGES CHARGES CHARGES 1 YEAR 10 YEARS
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE GCG TRUST
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Liquid Asset 1.58% 0.56% 2.14% $102 $247
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Limited Maturity Bond 1.58% 0.57% 2.15% $102 $248
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Global Fixed Income 1.58% 1.60% 3.18% $112 $348
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fully Managed 1.58% 0.97% 2.55% $106 $289
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Return 1.58% 0.91% 2.49% $105 $283
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Equity Income 1.58% 0.96% 2.54% $106 $288
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Investors 1.58% 1.01% 2.59% $106 $292
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Value Equity 1.58% 0.96% 2.54% $106 $288
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rising Dividends 1.58% 0.96% 2.54% $106 $288
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Managed Global 1.58% 1.25% 2.83% $109 $316
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Large Cap Value 1.58% 1.01% 2.59% $106 $292
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All Cap 1.58% 1.01% 2.59% $106 $292
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Research 1.58% 0.91% 2.49% $105 $283
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Capital Appreciation 1.58% 0.96% 2.54% $106 $288
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Capital Growth 1.58% 1.05% 2.63% $107 $296
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Strategic Equity 1.58% 0.96% 2.54% $106 $288
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mid-Cap Growth 1.58% 0.91% 2.49% $105 $283
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Small Cap 1.58% 0.96% 2.54% $106 $288
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Growth 1.58% 1.04% 2.62% $107 $295
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Real Estate 1.58% 0.96% 2.54% $106 $288
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hard Assets 1.58% 0.96% 2.54% $106 $288
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Developing World 1.58% 1.75% 3.33% $114 $362
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE PIMCO VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST
PIMCO High Yield Bond 1.58% 0.75% 2.33% $104 $267
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PIMCO StocksPLUS Growth
and Income 1.58% 0.65% 2.23% $103 $256
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE WARBURG PINCUS TRUST
International Equity 1.58% 1.32% 2.90% $109 $322

ING VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ING Global Brand Names 1.58% 1.23% 2.81% $108 $314

THE PRUDENTIAL SERIES FUND, INC.
Prudential Jennison 1.58% 1.03% 2.61% $106 $294
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

The "Total Annual Investment Portfolio Charges" reflect current expense
reimbursements for applicable portfolios. The Year 1 examples above include a
8% surrender charge. For more detailed information, see the fee table in the
prospectus for the Contract.

6. TAXES
Under a qualified Contract, your premiums are generally pre-tax or tax
deductible contributions and accumulate on a tax-deferred basis. Premiums and
earnings are generally taxed as income when you make a withdrawal or begin
receiving annuity payments, presumably when you are in a lower tax bracket.

Under a non-qualified Contract, premiums are paid with after-tax dollars, and
any earnings will accumulate tax-deferred. You will be taxed on these earnings,
but not on premiums, when you withdraw them from the Contract.

5 EQUI-SELECT PROFILE
<PAGE>

For owners of most qualified Contracts, when you reach age 70 1/2 (or in some
cases, retire), you will be required by federal tax laws to begin receiving
payments from your annuity or risk paying a penalty tax. In those cases, we can
calculate and pay you the minimum required distribution amounts. If you are
younger than 59 1/2 when you take money out, in most cases, you will be charged
a 10% federal penalty tax on the amount withdrawn.

7. WITHDRAWALS
You can withdraw your money at any time during the accumulation phase. You may
elect in advance to take systematic withdrawals which are described on page 9.
Withdrawals above the free withdrawal amount may be subject to a surrender
charge. Income taxes and a penalty tax may apply to amount withdrawn.

8. PERFORMANCE
The value of your Contract will fluctuate depending on the investment
performance of the portfolio(s) you choose. The following chart shows average
annual total returns for each portfolio for the time periods shown. These
numbers reflect the deduction of the mortality and expense risk charge, the
asset-based administrative charge and the annual contract fee, but do not
reflect deductions for any surrender charges. Please keep in mind that past
performance is not a guarantee of future results.

6 EQUI-SELECT PROFILE
<PAGE>

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CALENDAR YEAR
INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Managed by A I M Capital Management, Inc.
Capital Appreciation(1) 22.73% 10.93% 26.98% 18.39% 28.34%
Strategic Equity(2) 53.88% -0.75% 21.26% 17.53% --
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Managed by Alliance Capital Management L.P.
Capital Growth (2) 23.63% 10.23% 23.22% -- --
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Managed by Baring International Investment Limited
Developing World(2) 59.23% -- -- -- --
Global Fixed Income -10.07% 10.11% -0.92% 3.35% 14.61%
Hard Assets(2) 21.48% -30.74% 4.50% 31.19% 9.12%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Managed by Capital Guardian Trust Co.
Large Cap Value -- -- -- -- --
Managed Global(4) 60.84% 27.33% 10.37% 9.92% 6.45%
Small Cap 48.33% 19.11% 8.61% 18.25% --
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Managed by Eagle Asset Management, Inc.
Value Equity -1.07% -0.04% 25.33% 8.89% 33.39%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Managed by ING Investment Management, LLC
Limited Maturity Bond -0.46% 5.19% 5.00% 2.67% 10.13%
Liquid Asset 3.10% 3.40% 3.45% 3.33% 4.01%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Managed by Janus Capital Corporation
Growth(2) 75.47% 24.88% 13.97% -- --
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Managed by Kayne Anderson Investment Management, LLC
Rising Dividends 14.08% 12.36% 27.83% 18.77% 29.23%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Managed by Massachusetts Financial Services Company
Mid-Cap Growth 76.38% 20.92% 17.81% 18.62% 27.49%
Research 22.32% 21.15% 18.27% 21.44% 34.53%
Total Return 1.75% 9.85% 19.00% 11.92% 22.64%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Managed by The Prudential Investment Corporation
Real Estate(3) -5.33% -14.84% 20.89% 33.22% 14.94%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Managed by Salomon Brothers Asset Management, Inc.
Investors -- -- -- -- --
All Cap -- -- -- -- --
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Managed by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.
Equity Income(2) -2.29% 6.57% 15.62% 7.06% 17.25%
Fully Managed 5.25% 4.24% 13.56% 14.56% 19.01%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Managed by Pacific Investment Management Company
PIMCO High Yield Bond 1.40% -- -- -- --
PIMCO StocksPLUS Growth and Income 18.00% -- -- -- --
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Managed by Credit Suisse Asset Management, LLC
International Equity Portfolio 51.11% 3.70% -3.80% 2.59% --
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Managed by Jennison Associates, LLC
Prudential Jennison Portfolio -- -- -- -- --
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Managed by ING Investment Management Advisors B.V.
ING Global Brand Names -- -- -- -- --
- --------------------------
</TABLE>

(1) Prior to April 1, 1999, a different firm managed the Portfolio.
(2) Prior to March 1, 1999, a different firm managed the Portfolio.
(3) Prior to April 28, 2000, a different firm managed the Portfolio.
(4) Prior to February 1, 2000, a different firm managed the Portfolio.

7 EQUI-SELECT PROFILE
<PAGE>

9. DEATH BENEFIT
We will pay a death benefit if the annuitant dies before the annuity start date.
Assuming you are the annuitant, if you die during the accumulation phase, your
beneficiary will receive a death benefit unless the beneficiary is your
surviving spouse and elects to continue the Contract. The death benefit value is
calculated at the close of the business day on which we receive written notice
and due proof of death, as well as properly completed required claim forms, at
our Customer Service Center. If the beneficiary elects to delay receipt of the
death benefit now, the amount of the benefit payable in the future may be
affected. The proceeds may be received in a single sum or applied to any of the
annuity options within one year of death. If we do not receive a request to
apply the death benefit proceeds to an annuity option, we will make a single sum
distribution. We will generally pay death benefit proceeds within 7 days after
our Customer Service Center has received sufficient information to make the
payment.

The death benefit may be subject to certain mandatory distribution rules
required by federal tax laws.

DEATH PROCEEDS
If the annuitant is less than AGE 67 at the time of purchase, the death benefit
is the greatest of:

(1) the contract value;

(2) the total premium payments made under the Contract after subtracting
any withdrawals; or

(3) the highest contract value (plus subsequent premiums less subsequent
withdrawals) determined on every contract anniversary on or before
your death beginning with the 8th anniversary and ending on the last
anniversary prior to attained age 76.

If the annuitant is BETWEEN THE AGES OF 67 AND 75 at the time of purchase, the
death benefit is the greatest of:

(1) the contract value;

(2) the total premium payments made under the Contract after subtracting
any withdrawals; or

(3) The contract value (plus subsequent premiums less subsequent
withdrawals) determined on the 8th contract anniversary but on or
before your death.

If the annuitant is AGE 76 OR OLDER at the time of purchase, the death benefit
is the contract value.

If the owner or annuitant dies after the annuity start date, we will continue to
pay benefits in accordance with the supplemental agreement in effect.

Note: In all cases described above, amounts could be reduced by premium
taxes owed and withdrawals not previously deducted. Please refer to the
Contract for more details.

10. OTHER INFORMATION
FREE LOOK. If you cancel your Contract within 10 days after you receive it,
you will receive a full refund of your contract value. For purposes of the
refund during the free look period, your contract value includes a refund of any
charges deducted from your contract value. Because of the market risks
associated with investing in the portfolios, the contract value returned may be
greater or less than the premium you paid. Some states require us to return to
you the amount of the paid premium (rather than the contract value) in which
case you will not be subject to investment risk during the free look period.
Also, in some states, you may be entitled to a longer free look period. We
determine your contract value at the close of the business on the day we receive
your written refund request.

TRANSFERS AMONG INVESTMENT PORTFOLIOS. Prior to the annuity start date, you
may transfer your contract value among the subaccounts in which you are invested
at the end of the free look period. We currently do not charge you for transfers
made during a contract year, but reserve the right to charge the lesser of 2% of
the Contract value transferred or $25 for each transfer after the twelfth
transfer in a contract year. We also reserve the right to limit the number of
transfers you may make and may otherwise modify or

8 EQUI-SELECT PROFILE
<PAGE>

terminate transfer privileges if required by our business judgment or in
accordance with applicable law. The transfer fee will be deducted from the
amount which is transferred.

Transfers will be based on values at the end of the business day in which the
transfer request is received at our Customer Service Center.

The minimum amount that you may transfer is $100 or, if less, your entire
contract value.

To make a transfer, you must notify our Customer Service Center and all other
administrative requirements must be met. Any transfer request received after
4:00 p.m. eastern time or the close of the New York Stock Exchange will be
effected on the next business day. Account A and the Company will not be liable
for following instructions communicated by telephone that we reasonably believe
to be genuine. We require personal identifying information to process a request
for transfer made over the telephone.

NO PROBATE. In most cases, when you die, the person you choose as your
beneficiary will receive the death benefit without going through probate. See
"Federal Tax Considerations-Taxation of Death Benefit Proceeds" in the
prospectus for the Contract.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES. This Contract has other features that may interest
you. These include:

Dollar Cost Averaging. This is a program that allows you to invest a
fixed amount of money in the investment portfolios each month, which may
give you a lower average cost per unit over time than a single one-time
purchase. Dollar cost averaging requires regular investments regardless of
fluctuating price levels, and does not guarantee profits or prevent losses
in a declining market. The minimum amount which may be transferred is $100.
You must participate for at least five (5) months and have a minimum of
$500 in the subaccount from which dollar cost averaging payments will be
taken.

Systematic Withdrawals. During the accumulation phase, you can arrange
to have money sent to you at regular intervals throughout the year. Within
limits, these withdrawals will not result in any withdrawal charge. Of
course, any applicable income and penalty taxes will apply on amounts
withdrawn.

Automatic Rebalancing. If your contract value is $25,000 or more, you
may elect to have the Company automatically readjust the money between your
investment portfolios periodically to keep the blend you select. However,
we reserve the right to offer the program on contracts with a lesser
amount.

11. INQUIRIES
If you need more information after reading this prospectus, please contact us
at:

CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER
P.O. BOX 2700
WEST CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA 19380
(800) 366-0066

or your registered representative.

9 EQUI-SELECT PROFILE
<PAGE>

This page intentionally left blank.

<PAGE>

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EQUITABLE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF IOWA
SEPARATE ACCOUNT A OF EQUITABLE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF IOWA
MAY 1, 2000
INDIVIDUAL FLEXIBLE PREMIUM
DEFERRED VARIABLE ANNUITY
EQUI-SELECT
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This prospectus describes an individual flexible premium deferred variable
Contract (the "Contract") offered by Equitable Life Insurance Company of Iowa
("Equitable Life" the "Company," "we" or "our"). The Contract is available in
connection with certain retirement plans that qualify for special federal income
tax treatment ("qualified Contracts") as well as those that do not qualify for
such treatment ("non-qualified Contracts").

The Contract provides a means for you to invest your premium payments in one or
more of 27 mutual fund investment portfolios. Your contract value will vary
daily to reflect the investment performance of the investment portfolio(s) you
select. The investment portfolios available under your Contract and the
portfolio managers are:

A I M CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC.
Capital Appreciation Series
Strategic Equity Series
ALLIANCE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT L. P.
Capital Growth Series
BARING INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT LIMITED (AN AFFILIATE)
Developing World Series
Global Fixed Income Series
Hard Assets Series
CAPITAL GUARDIAN TRUST
Large Cap Value Series
Managed Global Series
Small Cap Series
EAGLE ASSET MANAGEMENT, INC.
Value Equity Series
ING INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, LLC (AN AFFILIATE)
Limited Maturity Bond Series
Liquid Asset Series
JANUS CAPITAL CORPORATION
Growth Series
KAYNE ANDERSON INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, LLC
Rising Dividends Series
MASSACHUSETTS FINANCIAL SERVICES COMPANY
Mid-Cap Growth Series
Research Series
Total Return Series
THE PRUDENTIAL INVESTMENT CORPORATION
Real Estate Series
SALOMON BROTHERS ASSET MANAGEMENT, INC.
All Cap Series
Investors Series
T. ROWE PRICE ASSOCIATES, INC.
Equity Income Series
Fully Managed Series
PACIFIC INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT COMPANY
PIMCO High Yield Bond Portfolio
PIMCO StocksPLUS Growth and Income Portfolio
CREDIT SUISSE ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC
International Equity Portfolio
JENNISON ASSOCIATES LLC
Prudential Jennison Portfolio
ING INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT ADVISORS B.V.
(AN AFFILIATE)
ING Global Brand Names Fund

The above mutual fund investment portfolios are purchased and held by
corresponding divisions of our Separate Account A. We refer to the divisions as
"subaccounts."

For Contracts sold in some states, not all subaccounts are available. The
prospectuses of the GCG Trust, PIMCO Variable Insurance Trust and Warburg Pincus
Trust may contain portfolios not currently available in connection with your
Contract. You have the right to return the Contract within 10 days after you
receive it for a full refund of the contract value (which may be more or less
than the premium payments you paid), or if required by your state, the original
amount of your premium payment. Longer free look periods apply in some states.

This prospectus provides information that you should know before investing and
should be kept for future reference. A Statement of Additional Information,
dated May 1, 2000, has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
("SEC"). It is available without charge upon request. To obtain a copy of this
document, write to our Customer Service Center at P.O. Box 2700, West Chester,
Pennsylvania 19380 or call (800) 366-0066, or access the SEC's website
(http://www.sec.gov). The table of contents of the Statement of Additional
Information ("SAI") is on the last page of this prospectus and the SAI is made
part of this prospectus by reference.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION HAS NOT APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THESE
SECURITIES OR PASSED UPON THE ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO
THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

AN INVESTMENT IN THE GCG TRUST, PIMCO VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST, THE WARBURG
PINCUS TRUST, ING VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST OR THE PRUDENTIAL SERIES FUND, INC.
IS NOT A BANK DEPOSIT AND IS NOT INSURED OR GUARANTEED BY THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT
INSURANCE CORPORATION OR ANY OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCY.

THIS PROSPECTUS MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A CURRENT PROSPECTUS FOR THE GCG TRUST,
PIMCO VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST, THE WARBURG PINCUS TRUST, ING VARIABLE INSURANCE
TRUST AND THE PRUDENTIAL SERIES FUND, INC.

<PAGE>

This page intentionally left blank.

<PAGE>

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PAGE
Index of Special Terms................................................... 1
Fees and Expenses........................................................ 2
Performance Information.................................................. 7
Accumulation Unit.................................................... 7
Net Investment Factor................................................ 7
Condensed Financial Information...................................... 7
Financial Statements................................................. 7
Performance Information.............................................. 7
Equitable Insurance Company of Iowa...................................... 8
The Trusts............................................................... 9
Equitable of Iowa Separate Account A..................................... 9
The Investment Portfolios................................................ 10
Investment Objectives................................................ 10
Investment Management Fees and Other Expenses........................ 13
The Annuity Contract..................................................... 14
Contract Date and Contract Year ..................................... 14
Annuity Start Date................................................... 14
Contract Owner....................................................... 14
Annuitant............................................................ 14
Beneficiary.......................................................... 15
Purchase and Availability of the Contract............................ 15
Crediting of Premium Payments........................................ 15
Administrative Procedures............................................ 16
Contract Value....................................................... 17
Contract Values in the Subaccounts................................... 17
Cash Surrender Value................................................. 17
Surrendering to Receive the Cash Surrender Value..................... 17
The Subaccounts...................................................... 17
Addition, Deletion or Substitution of Subaccounts and Other Changes.. 18
Other Important Provisions........................................... 18
Withdrawals.............................................................. 18
Regular Withdrawals.................................................. 18
Systematic Withdrawals............................................... 19
IRA Withdrawals...................................................... 19
Transfers Among Your Investments......................................... 20
Dollar Cost Averaging................................................ 21
Automatic Rebalancing................................................ 21
Death Benefit............................................................ 22
Death Benefit During the Accumulation Period......................... 22
Death Proceeds................................................... 22
Death of Annuitant............................................... 23
Death of Owner................................................... 23
Trust Beneficiary................................................ 23
Required Distributions upon Contract Owner's Death............... 24
Charges and Fees......................................................... 24
Charges Deducted from the Contract Value............................. 24
Surrender Charge................................................. 25
Free Withdrawal Amount........................................... 25

i
<PAGE>

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PAGE
Charges and Fees (continued)
Surrender Charge for Excess Withdrawals.......................... 25
Premium Taxes.................................................... 25
Administrative Charge............................................ 25
Transfer Charge.................................................. 26
Charges Deducted from the Subaccounts................................ 26
Mortality and Expense Risk Charge................................ 26
Asset-Based Administrative Charge................................ 26
Trust Expenses....................................................... 26
The Annuity Options...................................................... 26
Selecting the Annuity Start Date..................................... 26
Selecting a Payment Plan............................................. 27
Fixed Payment Plans.................................................. 27
Other Contract Provisions................................................ 28
Reports to Contract Owners........................................... 28
Suspension of Payments or Transfers.................................. 28
In Case of Errors in Your Application................................ 29
Assigning the Contract as Collateral................................. 29
Contract Changes-Applicable Tax Law.................................. 29
Free Look............................................................ 29
Group or Sponsored Arrangements...................................... 29
Selling the Contract................................................. 29
Other Information........................................................ 30
Voting Rights........................................................ 30
State Regulation..................................................... 30
Legal Proceedings.................................................... 30
Legal Matters........................................................ 30
Experts.............................................................. 30
Federal Tax Considerations............................................... 31
Statement of Additional Information
Table of Contents.................................................... 36
Appendix A
Condensed Financial Information...................................... A1
Appendix B
Surrender Charge for Excess Withdrawals Example...................... B1

ii
<PAGE>

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INDEX OF SPECIAL TERMS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The following special terms are used throughout this prospectus. Refer to the
page(s) listed for an explanation of each term:

SPECIAL TERM PAGE
Accumulation Unit 7
Annuitant 14
Annuity Start Date 14
Cash Surrender Value 17
Contract Date 14
Contract Owner 14
Contract Value 17
Contract Year 14
Free Withdrawal Amount 25
Net Investment Factor 7
Death Benefit 22

The following terms as used in this prospectus have the same or substituted
meanings as the corresponding terms currently used in the Contract:

TERM USED IN THIS PROSPECTUS CORRESPONDING TERM USED IN THE CONTRACT
Surrender Charge Withdrawal Charge
Automatic Rebalancing Automatic Portfolio Rebalancing
Systematic Withdrawals Automatic Withdrawals
Annuity Start Date Maturity Date
Premium Payment Purchase Payment
Annual Contract Administrative Charge Annual Contract Maintenance Charge
Business Day Valuation Date
Asset-Based Administrative Charge Administrative Charge
Contract Date Issue Date
Contract Year Contract Anniversary Date
Accumulation Phase Accumulation Period
Cash Surrender Value Contract Withdrawal Value

1
<PAGE>

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FEES AND EXPENSES
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONTRACT OWNER TRANSACTION EXPENSES

COMPLETE YEARS ELAPSED 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
SINCE PREMIUM PAYMENT

SURRENDER CHARGE 8% 7% 6% 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% 0%

TRANSFER CHARGE
There is no charge for the first 12 transfers in a Contract Year;
thereafter the fee is the lesser of 2% of the Contract value transferred or
$25.

ANNUAL CONTRACT ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGE
Administrative Charge........................................... $30

SEPARATE ACCOUNT ANNUAL CHARGES***
Mortality and Expense Risk Charge......................... 1.25%
Asset-Based Administrative Charge......................... 0.15%
-----
Total Separate Account Charges............................ 1.40%

***As a percentage of average assets in each subaccount.

2
<PAGE>

THE GCG TRUST ANNUAL EXPENSES (as a percentage of the average daily net assets
of a portfolio):

- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MANAGEMENT OTHER TOTAL
PORTFOLIO FEE(1) EXPENSES(2) EXPENSES(3)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Liquid Asset 0.56% 0.00% 0.56%
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Limited Maturity Bond 0.56% 0.01% 0.57%
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Global Fixed Income 1.60% 0.00% 1.60%
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fully Managed 0.96% 0.01% 0.97%
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Return 0.91% 0.00% 0.91%
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Equity Income 0.96% 0.00% 0.96%
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Investors 1.00% 0.01% 1.01%
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Value Equity 0.96% 0.00% 0.96%
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rising Dividends 0.96% 0.00% 0.96%
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Managed Global 1.25% 0.00% 1.25%
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Large Cap Value 1.00% 0.01% 1.01%
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All Cap 1.00% 0.01% 1.01%
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Research 0.91% 0.00% 0.91%
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Capital Appreciation 0.96% 0.00% 0.96%
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Capital Growth 1.04% 0.01% 1.05%
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Strategic Equity 0.96% 0.00% 0.96%
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mid-Cap Growth 0.91% 0.00% 0.91%
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Small Cap 0.96% 0.00% 0.96%
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Growth 1.04% 0.00% 1.04%
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Real Estate 0.96% 0.00% 0.96%
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hard Assets 0.96% 0.00% 0.96%
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Developing World 1.75% 0.00% 1.75%
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(1) Fees decline as the total assets of certain combined portfolios
increase. See the prospectus for the GCG Trust for more information.

(2) Other expenses generally consist of independent trustees fees and
certain expenses associated with investing in international markets.
Other expenses are based on actual expenses for the year ended
December 31, 1999, except for portfolios that commenced operations in
2000 where the charges have been estimated.

(3) Total Expenses are based on actual expenses for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 1999.

THE WARBURG PINCUS TRUST ANNUAL EXPENSES (as a percentage of the average daily
net assets of the portfolio):

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MANAGEMENT OTHER TOTAL
PORTFOLIO FEE EXPENSES EXPENSES(1)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Equity 1.00% 0.32% 1.32%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(1) Total expenses are based on actual expenses for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 1999.

3
<PAGE>

THE PIMCO VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST ANNUAL EXPENSES (as a percentage of the
average daily net assets of a portfolio):

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MANAGEMENT OTHER TOTAL
PORTFOLIO FEE(1) EXPENSES(1) EXPENSES(1)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PIMCO High Yield Bond 0.25% 0.50% 0.75%
PIMCO StocksPLUS Growth and Income 0.40% 0.25% 0.65%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(1) PIMCO has contractually agreed to reduce total annual portfolio
operating expenses to the extent they would exceed, due to the payment
of organizational expenses and Trustees' fees, 0.65% and 0.75% for the
High Yield Bond and the StocksPLUS Growth and Income Portfolios,
respectively, of average daily net assets. Without such reductions,
total annual operating expenses for the fiscal year ended December 31,
1999 would have remained unchanged for both Portfolios. Under the
Expense Limitation Agreement, PIMCO may recoup any such waivers and
reimbursements in future periods, not exceeding three years, provided
total expenses, including such recoupment, do not exceed the annual
expense limit. The fees expressed are restated as of April 1, 2000.

ING VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST ANNUAL EXPENSES (as a percentage of the average
daily net assets of the portfolio):

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OTHER TOTAL EXPENSES
MANAGEMENT 12B-1 FEE (3) EXPENSES AFTER FEE WAIVER
FEE AFTER AFTER AFTER EXPENSE AND EXPENSE
PORTFOLIO FEE WAIVER(1)(2) FEE WAIVER REIMBURSEMENT(1)(2) REIMBURSEMENT(1)(2)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
ING Global Brand Names 0.30% 0.15% 0.78% 1.23%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

(1) Since the portfolio had not commenced operations as of December 31,
1999, expenses as shown are based on estimates of the portfolio's
operating expenses for the portfolio's first fiscal year.

(2) ING Mutual Funds Management Co. LLC, the investment manager, has
entered into an expense limitation contract with the portfolio, under
which it will limit expenses of the portfolio as shown, excluding
interest, taxes, brokerage, and extraordinary expenses through
December 31, 2000. Fee waiver and/or reimbursements by the investment
manager may vary in order to achieve such contractually obligated
Total Expenses. Without this contract, and based on estimates for the
fiscal year ending December 31, 2000, total expenses are estimated to
be 2.03% for the portfolio.

(3) Pursuant to a Plan of Distribution adopted by the portfolio under Rule
12b-1 under the 1940 Act, the portfolio pays its distributor an annual
fee of up to 0.25% of average daily net assets attributable to
portfolio shares. The distribution fee may be used by the distributor
for the purpose of financing any activity which is primarily intended
to result in the sale of shares of the portfolio. For more information
see the portfolio's Statement of Additional Information.

THE PRUDENTIAL SERIES FUND ANNUAL EXPENSES (as a percentage of the average daily
net assets of the portfolio):

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MANAGEMENT OTHER TOTAL
PORTFOLIO FEE 12B-1 FEE(1) EXPENSES EXPENSES
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prudential Jennison 0.60% 0.25% 0.18% 1.03%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(1) The 12b-1 fee for the Prudential Jennison Portfolio is imposed to enable
the portfolio to recover certain sales expenses, including compensation to
broker-dealers, the cost of printing prospectuses for delivery to
prospective investors and advertising costs for the portfolio. Over a long
period of time, the total amount of 12b-1 fees paid may exceed the amount
of sales charges imposed by the product.

The purpose of the foregoing tables is to help you understand the various costs
and expenses that you will bear directly and indirectly. The tables reflect
expenses of Account A as well as the expenses of the investment portfolios. See
the prospectuses of the GCG Trust, the PIMCO Variable Insurance Trust, the

4
<PAGE>

Warburg Pincus Trust, ING Variable Insurance Trust and The Prudential Series
Fund, Inc. for additional information on portfolio expenses.

Premium taxes (which currently range from 0% to 3.5% of premium payments) may
apply, but are not reflected in the table above or the examples below.

EXAMPLES:
The following examples are based on an assumed 5% annual return.

If you surrender your contract at the end of the applicable time period, or if
you choose Payment plan A - Option 2, you would pay the following expenses for
each $1,000 invested:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
THE GCG TRUST 1 YEAR 3 YEARS 5 YEARS 10 YEARS
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Liquid Asset.................... $102 $130 $160 $247
Limited Maturity Bond........... $102 $130 $160 $248
Global Fixed Income............. $112 $161 $211 $348
Fully Managed................... $106 $142 $181 $289
Total Return.................... $105 $141 $178 $283
Equity Income................... $106 $142 $180 $288
Investors....................... $106 $144 $183 $292
Value Equity.................... $106 $142 $180 $288
Rising Dividends................ $106 $142 $180 $288
Managed Global.................. $109 $151 $194 $316
Large Cap Value................. $106 $144 $183 $292
All Cap......................... $106 $144 $183 $292
Research........................ $105 $141 $178 $283
Capital Appreciation............ $106 $142 $180 $288
Capital Growth.................. $107 $145 $185 $296
Strategic Equity................ $106 $142 $180 $288
Mid-Cap Growth.................. $105 $141 $178 $283
Small Cap....................... $106 $142 $180 $288
Growth.......................... $107 $144 $184 $295
Real Estate..................... $106 $142 $180 $288
Hard Assets..................... $106 $142 $180 $288
Developing World................ $114 $165 $219 $362

THE PIMCO VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST
PIMCO High Yield Bond........... $104 $136 $170 $267
PIMCO StocksPLUS
Growth and Income............. $103 $133 $164 $256

THE WARBURG PINCUS TRUST
International Equity............ $109 $153 $198 $322

ING VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST
ING Global Brand Names......... $108 $150 $193 $314

THE PRUDENTIAL SERIES FUND, INC.
Prudential Jennison............. $106 $144 $184 $294
</TABLE>

5
<PAGE>

If you do not surrender your Contract or if you annuitize on the annuity start
date under a payment plan other than Plan A, Option 2, you would pay the
following expenses for each $1,000 invested:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
THE GCG TRUST 1 YEAR 3 YEARS 5 YEARS 10 YEARS
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Liquid Asset.................... $22 $ 70 $120 $247
Limited Maturity Bond........... $22 $ 70 $120 $248
Global Fixed Income............. $32 $101 $171 $348
Fully Managed................... $26 $ 82 $141 $289
Total Return.................... $25 $ 81 $138 $283
Equity Income................... $26 $ 82 $140 $288
Investors....................... $26 $ 84 $143 $292
Value Equity.................... $26 $ 82 $140 $288
Rising Dividends................ $26 $ 82 $140 $288
Managed Global.................. $29 $ 91 $154 $316
Large Cap Value................. $26 $ 84 $143 $292
All Cap......................... $26 $ 84 $143 $292
Research........................ $25 $ 81 $138 $283
Capital Appreciation............ $26 $ 82 $140 $288
Capital Growth.................. $27 $ 85 $145 $296
Strategic Equity................ $26 $ 82 $140 $288
Mid-Cap Growth.................. $25 $ 81 $138 $283
Small Cap....................... $26 $ 82 $140 $288
Growth.......................... $27 $ 84 $144 $295
Real Estate..................... $26 $ 82 $140 $288
Hard Assets..................... $26 $ 82 $140 $288
Developing World................ $34 $105 $179 $362

THE PIMCO VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST
PIMCO High Yield Bond........... $24 $ 76 $130 $267
PIMCO StocksPLUS
Growth and Income............. $23 $ 73 $124 $256

THE WARBURG PINCUS TRUST
International Equity............ $29 $ 93 $158 $322

ING VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST
ING Global Brand Names......... $28 $ 90 $153 $314

THE PRUDENTIAL SERIES FUND, INC.
Prudential Jennison............. $26 $ 84 $144 $294
</TABLE>

The example above reflects the annual administrative charge as an annual charge
of 0.18% of assets (based on an average contract value of $17,000). Your charge
would be higher for smaller Contract values and lower for higher Contract
values. Premium taxes may apply and are not reflected in the example.

THESE EXAMPLES SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A REPRESENTATION OF PAST OR FUTURE
EXPENSES. ACTUAL EXPENSES MAY BE GREATER OR LESS THAN THOSE SHOWN SUBJECT TO THE
TERMS OF YOUR CONTRACT.

6
<PAGE>

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ACCUMULATION UNIT
We use accumulation units to calculate the value of a Contract. Each subaccount
of Equitable Life Separate Account A ("Account A") has its own accumulation unit
value. The accumulation units are valued each business day that the New York
Stock Exchange is open for trading. Their values may increase or decrease from
day to day according to a Net Investment Factor, which is primarily based on the
investment performance of the applicable investment portfolio. Shares in the
investment portfolios are valued at their net asset value.

NET INVESTMENT FACTOR
The Net Investment Factor is an index number which reflects charges under the
Contract and the investment performance of the subaccount. The Net Investment
Factor is calculated as follows:

(1) We take the net asset value of the subaccount at the end of each
business day.

(2) We add to (1) the amount of any dividend or capital gains distribution
declared for the subaccount and reinvested in such subaccount. We
subtract from that amount a charge for our taxes, if any.

(3) We divide (2) by the net asset value of the investment portfolio at
the end of the preceding business day.

(4) We then subtract the daily mortality and expense risk charge and the
daily asset-based administrative charge from each subaccount.

Calculations for the investment portfolios are made on a per share basis.

CONDENSED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Tables containing (i) the accumulation unit value history of each subaccount of
Separate Account A available through the Contract, offered in this prospectus
and (ii) the total investment value history of each subaccount are presented in
Appendix A - Condensed Financial Information.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The audited financial statements of Account A for the year ended December 31,
1999 and Equitable Life for the years ended December 31, 1999, 1998 and 1997 are
included in the Statement of Additional Information.

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
From time to time, we may advertise or include in reports to contract owners
performance information for the subaccounts of Account A, including the average
annual total return performance, yields and other nonstandard measures of
performance. Such performance data will be computed, or accompanied by
performance data computed, in accordance with standards defined by the SEC.

Except for the Liquid Asset subaccount, quotations of yield for the subaccounts
will be based on all investment income per unit (contract value divided by the
accumulation unit) earned during a given 30-day period, less expenses accrued
during such period. Information on standard total average annual return
performance will include average annual rates of total return for 1, 5 and 10
year periods, or lesser periods depending on how long the subaccount of Account
A has been in existence. We may show other total returns for periods of less
than one year. Total return figures will be based on the actual historic
performance of the subaccounts of Account A, assuming an investment at the
beginning of the period, withdrawal of the investment at the end of the period,
and the deduction of all applicable portfolio and contract charges. We may also
show rates of total return on amounts invested at the beginning of the period
with no withdrawal at the end of the period. Total return figures which assume
no withdrawals at the end of the period will reflect all recurring charges, but
will not reflect the surrender charge. In addition, we may present historic
performance data for the mutual fund investment portfolios since their inception
reduced by some or all of the fees and charges under the Contract. Such adjusted
historic performance includes data that precedes the

7
<PAGE>

inception dates of the subaccounts of Account A. This data is designed to show
the performance that would have resulted if the Contract had been in existence
during that time.

Current yield for the Liquid Asset subaccount is based on income received by a
hypothetical investment over a given 7-day period, less expenses accrued, and
then "annualized" (i.e., assuming that the 7-day yield would be received for 52
weeks). We calculate "effective yield" for the Liquid Asset subaccount in a
manner similar to that used to calculate yield, but when annualized, the income
earned by the investment is assumed to be reinvested. The "effective yield" will
thus be slightly higher than the "yield" because of the compounding effect of
earnings. We calculate quotations of yield for the remaining subaccounts on all
investment income per accumulation unit earned during a given 30-day period,
after subtracting fees and expenses accrued during the period.

We may compare performance information for a subaccount to: (i) the Standard &
Poor's 500 Stock Index, Dow Jones Industrial Average, Donoghue Money Market
Institutional Averages, or any other applicable market indices, (ii) other
variable annuity separate accounts or other investment products tracked by
Lipper Analytical Services (a widely used independent research firm which ranks
mutual funds and other investment companies), or any other rating service, and
(iii) the Consumer Price Index (measure for inflation) to assess the real rate
of return from an investment in the Contract. Our reports and promotional
literature may also contain other information including the ranking of any
subaccount based on rankings of variable annuity separate accounts or other
investment products tracked by Lipper Analytical Services or by similar rating
services.

Performance information reflects only the performance of a hypothetical contract
and should be considered in light of other factors, including the investment
objective of the investment portfolio and market conditions. Please keep in mind
that past performance is not a guarantee of future results.

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EQUITABLE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF IOWA
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Equitable Life Insurance Company of Iowa ("Equitable Life") was founded in Iowa
in 1867 and is the oldest life insurance company west of the Mississippi. The
Company is currently licensed to do business in the District of Columbia and all
states except New Hampshire and New York. The Company is a wholly owned
subsidiary of Equitable of Iowa Companies, Inc. ("Equitable of Iowa"), a
Delaware corporation, which in turn is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of
ING Groep N.V. ("ING"). On October 24, 1997, ING acquired all interest in
Equitable of Iowa and its subsidiaries. ING, based in The Netherlands, is a
global financial services holding company.

Equitable of Iowa is the holding company for Golden American Life Insurance
Company, Directed Services, Inc., the investment manager of the GCG Trust, and
other interests. Equitable of Iowa and another ING affiliate own ING Investment
Management Co. LLC, a portfolio manager of the GCG Trust and ING Variable
Insurance Trust. ING also owns Baring International Investment Limited, another
portfolio manager of the GCG Trust and ING Investment Management Advisors B.V.,
another portfolio manager of ING Variable Insurance Trust.

Our principal office is located at 909 Locust Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50309.
Our administrative address is Customer Service, 1475 Dunwoody Drive, West
Chester, PA, 19380. All correspondence regarding this Contract should be mailed
to our administrative address.

8
<PAGE>

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE TRUSTS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In this prospectus, we refer to The GCG Trust, The Warburg Pincus Trust, PIMCO
Variable Insurance Trust, ING Variable Insurance Trust and The Prudential Series
Fund, Inc. collectively as the "Trusts" and individually as a "Trust." The GCG
Trust is a mutual fund whose shares are available to separate accounts funding
variable annuity Contracts offered by Equitable Life.

The GCG Trust also sells its shares to separate accounts of other insurance
companies, both affiliated and not affiliated with Equitable Life. The separate
accounts may fund both variable annuity contracts and variable life policies.
Pending SEC approval, shares of the GCG Trust may also be sold to certain
qualified pension and retirement plans.

The Warburg Pincus Trust is also a mutual fund whose shares are available to
separate accounts of insurance companies, including Equitable Life, for both
variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies and by qualified
pension and retirement plans. The principal address of the Warburg Pincus Trust
is 466 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10017-3147.

The PIMCO Variable Insurance Trust is also a mutual fund whose shares are
available to separate accounts of insurance companies, including Golden
American, for both variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance
policies and by qualified pension and retirement plans. The principal address of
the PIMCO Variable Insurance Trust is 840 Newport Center Drive, Suite 300,
Newport Beach, CA 92660.

ING Variable Insurance Trust is also a mutual fund whose shares are offered to
separate accounts funding variable annuity contracts offered by Equitable Life.
Pending SEC approval, shares of ING Variable Insurance Trust may also be sold to
variable annuity and variable life insurance policies offered by other insurance
companies, both affiliated and unaffiliated with Equitable Life. The address of
ING Variable Insurance Trust is 1475 Dunwoody Drive, West Chester, PA 19380.

The Prudential Series Fund is also a mutual fund whose shares are available to
separate accounts funding variable annuity and variable life insurance polices
offered by The Prudential Insurance Company of America, its affiliated insurers
and other life insurance companies not affiliated with Prudential, including
Golden American. The address of the Prudential Series Fund is 751 Broad Street,
Newark, NJ 07102.

In the event that due to differences in tax treatment or other considerations,
the interests of contract owners of various contracts participating in the
Trusts conflict, we, the Boards of Trustees of the GCG Trust, PIMCO Variable
Insurance Trust, Warburg Pincus Trust and ING Variable Insurance Trust, the
Board of Directors of The Prudential Series Fund, Inc., and the management of
Directed Services, Inc., Credit Suisse Asset Management LLC, Pacific Investment
Management Company, ING Mutual Funds Management Co. LLC, The Prudential
Insurance Company of America, and any other insurance companies participating in
the Trusts will monitor events to identify and resolve any material conflicts
that may arise.

YOU WILL FIND COMPLETE INFORMATION ABOUT THE GCG TRUST, PIMCO VARIABLE INSURANCE
TRUST, THE WARBURG PINCUS TRUST, ING VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST AND THE PRUDENTIAL
SERIES FUND, INC. IN THE ACCOMPANYING TRUSTS' PROSPECTUSES. YOU SHOULD READ THEM
CAREFULLY BEFORE INVESTING.

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EQUITABLE OF IOWA SEPARATE ACCOUNT A
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Equitable Life Insurance Company of Iowa Separate Account A ("Account A") was
established as a separate account of the Company on July 14, 1988. It is
registered with the SEC as a unit investment trust under the Investment Company
Act of 1940 ("1940 Act"). Account A is a separate investment account used for
our variable annuity contracts. We own all the assets in Account A but such
assets are kept separate from our other accounts.

9
<PAGE>

Account A is divided in subaccounts. Each subaccount invests exclusively in
shares of one mutual fund investment portfolio of the GCG Trust, PIMCO Variable
Insurance Trust, the Warburg Pincus Trust, ING Variable Insurance Trust or The
Prudential Series Fund, Inc. Each investment portfolio has its own distinct
investment objectives and policies. Income, gains and losses, realized or
unrealized, of a portfolio are credited to or charged against the corresponding
subaccount of Account A without regard to any other income, gains or losses of
the Company. Assets equal to the reserves and other contract liabilities with
respect to each are not chargeable with liabilities arising out of any other
business of the Company. They may, however, be subject to liabilities arising
from subaccounts whose assets we attribute to other variable annuity contracts
supported by Account A. If the assets in Account A exceed the required reserves
and other liabilities, we may transfer the excess to our general account. We
are obligated to pay all benefits and make all payments provided under the
Contracts.

We currently offer other variable annuity contracts that invest in Account A but
are not discussed in this prospectus. Account A may also invest in other
investment portfolios which are not available under your Contract.

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIOS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

During the accumulation phase, you may allocate your purchase payments and
contract value to any of the investment portfolios listed below. YOU BEAR THE
ENTIRE INVESTMENT RISK FOR AMOUNTS YOU ALLOCATE TO THE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIOS AND
MAY LOSE YOUR PRINCIPAL.

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES
The investment objective of each investment portfolio is set forth below. You
should understand that there is no guarantee that any portfolio will meet its
investment objectives. Meeting objectives depends on various factors, including,
in certain cases, how well the portfolio managers anticipate changing economic
and market conditions. Account A also has other subaccounts investing in other
portfolios which are not available to the Contracts described in this
prospectus. YOU CAN FIND MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT THE INVESTMENT
PORTFOLIOS IN THE PROSPECTUSES FOR THE GCG TRUST, PIMCO VARIABLE INSURANCE
TRUST, THE WARBURG PINCUS TRUST, ING VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST AND THE PRUDENTIAL
SERIES FUND, INC. YOU SHOULD READ THESE PROSPECTUSES BEFORE INVESTING. TO OBTAIN
FREE COPIES OF THESE PROSPECTUSES, PLEASE WRITE TO OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER
AT P.O. BOX 2700, WEST CHESTER, PA 19380 OR CALL (800) 366-0066 OR ACCESS THE
SEC'S WEBSITE (HTTP://WWW.SEC.GOV).

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE GCG TRUST
Liquid Asset Seeks high level of current income consistent with the
preservation of capital and liquidity.

Invests primarily in obligations of the U.S. Government
and its agencies and instrumentalities, bank
obligations, commercial paper and short-term corporate
debt securities. All securities will mature in less than
one year.
--------------------------------------------------------
Limited Maturity Seeks highest current income consistent with low risk to
Bond principal and liquidity. Also seeks to enhance its total
return through capital appreciation when market factors,
such as falling interest rates and rising bond prices,
indicate that capital appreciation may be available
without significant risk to principal.

Invests primarily in diversified limited maturity debt
securities with average maturity dates of five years or
shorter and in no cases more than seven years.
--------------------------------------------------------

10
<PAGE>

Invests primarily in high-grade fixed income securities,
both foreign and domestic.
--------------------------------------------------------
Fully Managed Seeks, over the long term, a high total investment
return consistent with the preservation of capital and
with prudent investment risk.

Invests primarily in the common stocks of established
companies believed by the portfolio manager to have
above-average potential for capital growth.
--------------------------------------------------------
Total Return Seeks above-average income (compared to a portfolio
entirely invested in equity securities) consistent with
the prudent employment of capital.

Invests primarily in a combination of equity and fixed
income securities.
--------------------------------------------------------
Equity Income Seeks substantial dividend income as well as long-term
growth of capital.

Invests primarily in common stocks of well-established
companies paying above-average dividends.
--------------------------------------------------------
Investors Seeks long-term growth of capital. Current income is a
secondary objective.

Invests primarily in equity securities of U.S. companies
and to a lesser degree, debt securities.
--------------------------------------------------------
Value Equity Seeks capital appreciation. Dividend income is a
secondary objective.

Invests primarily in common stocks of domestic and
foreign issuers which meet quantitative standards
relating to financial soundness and high intrinsic value
relative to price.
--------------------------------------------------------
Rising Dividends Seeks capital appreciation. A secondary objective is
dividend income.

Invests in equity securities that meet the following
quality criteria: regular dividend increases; 35% of
earnings reinvested annually; and a credit rating of "A"
to "AAA."
--------------------------------------------------------
Managed Global Seeks capital appreciation. Current income is only an
incidental consideration.

Invests primarily in common stocks traded in securities
markets throughout the world.
--------------------------------------------------------
Large Cap Value Seeks long-term growth of capital and income.

Invests primarily in equity and equity-related
securities of companies with market capitalizations
greater than $1 billion.
--------------------------------------------------------
All Cap Seeks capital appreciation through investment in
securities which the portfolio manager believes have
above-average capital appreciation potential.

Invests primarily in equity securities of U.S. companies
of any size.
--------------------------------------------------------
Research Seeks long-term growth of capital and future income.

Invests primarily in common stocks or securities
convertible into common stocks of companies believed to
have better than average prospects for long-term growth.
--------------------------------------------------------
Strategic Equity Seeks capital appreciation.

Invests primarily in common stocks of medium- and
small-sized companies.
--------------------------------------------------------
Capital Appreciation Seeks long-term capital growth.

Invests primarily in equity securities believed by the
portfolio manager to be undervalued.
--------------------------------------------------------

11
<PAGE>

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Capital Growth Seeks long-term total return.
(previously Growth
& Income) Invests primarily in common stocks of companies where
the potential for change (earnings acceleration) is
significant.
--------------------------------------------------------
Mid-Cap Growth Seeks long-term growth of capital.

Invests primarily in equity securities of companies with
medium market capitalization which the portfolio manager
believes have above-average growth potential.
--------------------------------------------------------
Small Cap Seeks long-term capital appreciation.

Invests primarily in equity securities of companies that
have a total market capitalization within the range of
companies in the Russell 2000 Growth Index or the
Standard & Poor's Small-Cap 600 Index.
--------------------------------------------------------
Growth Seeks capital appreciation.

Invests primarily in common stocks of growth companies
that have favorable relationships between price/earnings
ratios and growth rates in sectors offering the
potential for above-average returns.
--------------------------------------------------------
Real Estate Seeks capital appreciation. Current income is a
secondary objective.

Invests primarily in publicly traded real estate equity
securities.
--------------------------------------------------------
Hard Assets Seeks long-term capital appreciation.

Invests primarily in hard asset securities. Hard asset
companies produce a commodity which the portfolio
manager is able to price on a daily or weekly basis.
--------------------------------------------------------
Developing World Seeks capital appreciation.

Invests primarily in equity securities of developing or
emerging countries.
--------------------------------------------------------
THE WARBURG PINCUS TRUST
International Equity Seeks long-term capital appreciation by investing
primarily in a broadly diversified portfolio of equity
securities of companies, that in the judgment of the
portfolio manager have their principal business
activities and interest outside the United States.

Invests substantially all of its assets -- but no less
than 65% of its total assets -- in common stocks,
warrants and securities convertible into or exchangeable
for common stocks. Generally the Portfolio will hold no
less than 65% of its total assets in at least three
countries other than the United States.
--------------------------------------------------------
THE PIMCO VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST
PIMCO High Yield Seeks to maximize total return, consistent with
Bond preservation of capital and prudent investment
management.

Invests at least 65% of its assets in a diversified
portfolio of junk bonds rated at least B by Moody's
Investor Services, Inc. or Standard & Poor's or, if
unrated, determined by the portfolio manager to be of
comparable quality.
--------------------------------------------------------
PIMCO StocksPLUS Seeks to achieve a total return which exceeds the total
return performance of the Growth and Income S&P 500.

Invests primarily in common stocks, options, futures,
options on futures and swaps.
--------------------------------------------------------

12
<PAGE>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ING VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST
ING Global Brand
Names Fund Seeks long-term capital appreciation.

Invests at least 65% of its total assets in equity
securities of companies that have a well recognized
franchise, a global presence and derive most of their
revenues from sales of consumer goods.
--------------------------------------------------------

THE PRUDENTIAL SERIES FUND, INC.
Prudential Jennison Seeks long-term growth of capital.

Invests primarily in companies that have shown growth in
earnings and sales, high return on equity and assets or
other strong financial data and are also attractively
valued in the opinion of the manager. Dividend income
from investments will be incidental.
--------------------------------------------------------

INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT FEES AND OTHER EXPENSES
Directed Services, Inc. ("Directed Services") serves as the overall manager to
each portfolio of the GCG Trust. The GCG Trust pays Directed Services a monthly
fee for its investment advisory and management services. The monthly fee is
based on the average daily net assets of an investment portfolio, and in some
cases, the combined total assets of certain grouped portfolios. Directed
Services has retained portfolio managers to manage the assets of each portfolio
of the GCG Trust. Directed Services provides or procures, at its own expense,
the services necessary for the operation of the portfolios. Directed Services
(and not the GCG Trust) pays each portfolio manager a monthly fee for managing
the assets of a portfolio, based on the annual rates of the average daily net
assets of a portfolio. For a list of the portfolio managers, see the front cover
of this prospectus. Directed Services does not bear the expense of brokerage
fees and other transactional expenses for securities, taxes (if any) paid by a
portfolio, interest on borrowing, fees and expenses of the independent trustees,
and extraordinary expenses, such as litigation or indemnification expenses.

Pacific Investment Management Company ("PIMCO") serves as investment advisor to
each portfolio of the PIMCO Variable Insurance Trust. PIMCO provides the overall
business management and administrative services necessary for each portfolio's
operation. PIMCO provides or procures, at its own expense, the services and
information necessary for the proper conduct of business and ordinary operation
of each portfolio. The PIMCO Variable Insurance Trust pays PIMCO a monthly
advisory fee and a separate monthly administrative fee per year, each fee based
on the average daily net assets of each of the investment portfolios for
managing the assets of the portfolios and for administering the PIMCO Variable
Insurance Trust. PIMCO does not bear the expense of brokerage fees and other
transactional expenses for securities, taxes (if any) paid by a portfolio,
interest on borrowing, fees and expense of the independent trustees, and
extraordinary expenses, such as litigation or indemnification expenses.

Credit Suisse Asset Management, LLC ("Credit Suisse") serves as the investment
advisor of the Warburg Pincus Trust. The Warburg Pincus Trust pays Credit Suisse
a monthly advisory fee based on the average daily net assets of the investment
portfolio and also procures the services necessary for the operation of its
portfolios. The Warburg Pincus Trust pays monthly administrative fees to two
co-administrators for administrative services, one of which is an affiliate of
Credit Suisse. The monthly administrative fee is based on the portfolio's
average daily net assets. Credit Suisse does not bear any portfolio expenses.

ING Mutual Funds Management Co. LLC ("ING") serves as the overall manager of ING
Variable Insurance Trust. ING supervises all aspects of the Trust's operations
and provides investment advisory services to the portfolios of the Trust,
including engaging portfolio managers, as well as monitoring and evaluating the
management of the assets of each portfolio by its portfolio manager. ING, as
well as each portfolio manager it engages, is a wholly owned indirect subsidiary
of ING Groep N.V.

13
<PAGE>

The Prudential Insurance Company of America ("Prudential") serves as the overall
investment adviser for The Prudential Series Fund, Inc. Prudential is
responsible for the management of The Prudential Series Fund, Inc. and provides
investment advice and related services. Prudential engages Jennison Associates
LLC to serve as a sub-adviser and to provide day-to-day management. Prudential
pays the sub-adviser out of the fee Prudential receives from The Prudential
Series Fund, Inc.

Each portfolio deducts portfolio management fees and charges from the amounts
you have invested in the portfolios. In addition, two portfolios deduct a
distribution or 12b-1 fee, which is used to finance any activity that is
primarily intended to result in the sale of shares of the applicable portfolio.
For 1999, total portfolio fees and charges ranged from 0.56% to 1.75%. See "Fees
and Expenses" in this prospectus.

We may receive compensation from the investment advisors, administrators and
distributors or directly from the portfolios in connection with administrative,
distribution or other services and cost savings attributable to our services. It
is anticipated that such compensation will be based on assets of the particular
portfolios attributable to the Contract. The compensation paid by advisors,
administrators or distributors may vary.

You can find more detailed information about each portfolio in the prospectus
for each trust. You should read these prospectuses before investing.

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE ANNUITY CONTRACT
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Contract described in this prospectus is an individual flexible premium
deferred variable annuity Contract. The Contract provides a means for you to
invest in one or more of the available mutual fund portfolios of the GCG Trust,
PIMCO Variable Insurance Trust, the Warburg Pincus Trust, ING Variable Insurance
Trust and The Prudential Series Fund, Inc. in which the subaccounts funded by
Account A invest.

CONTRACT DATE AND CONTRACT YEAR
The date the Contract became effective is the contract date. Each 12-month
period following the contract date is a contract year.

ANNUITY START DATE
The annuity start date is the date you start receiving annuity payments under
your Contract. The Contract, like all deferred variable annuity contracts, has
two phases: the accumulation phase and the income phase. The accumulation phase
is the period between the contract date and the annuity start date. The income
phase begins when you start receiving regular annuity payments from your
Contract on the annuity start date.

CONTRACT OWNER
You are the contract owner. You are also the annuitant unless another annuitant
is named in the application. You have the rights and options described in the
Contract. One or more persons may own the Contract.

JOINT OWNER. For non-qualified Contracts only, joint owners may be named in
a written request before the Contract is in effect. Joint owners may
independently exercise transfers and other transactions allowed under the
Contract. All other rights of ownership must be exercised by both owners. Joint
owners own equal shares of any benefits accruing or payments made to them. All
rights of a joint owner end at death of that owner if the other joint owner
survives. The entire interest of the deceased joint owner in the Contract will
pass to the surviving joint owner.

14
<PAGE>
must begin and the amount of the annuity payments to be paid. You are the
annuitant unless you choose to name another person. The annuitant may not
be changed after the Contract is in effect.

The contract owner will receive the annuity benefits of the Contract if the
annuitant is living on the annuity start date.

BENEFICIARY
The beneficiary is named by you in a written request. The beneficiary is the
person who receives any death benefit proceeds. We pay death benefits to the
primary beneficiary (unless there are joint owners, in which case death proceeds
are payable to the surviving owner(s)).

You have the right to change beneficiaries during the annuitant's lifetime
unless you have designated an irrevocable beneficiary. When an irrevocable
beneficiary has been designated, you and the irrevocable beneficiary may have to
act together to exercise some of the rights and options under the Contract.

Unless you, as the owner, state otherwise, all rights of a beneficiary,
including an irrevocable beneficiary, will end if he or she dies before the
annuitant. If any beneficiary dies before the annuitant, that beneficiary's
interest will pass to any other beneficiaries according to their respective
interests. If all beneficiaries die before the annuitant, upon the annuitant's
death we will pay the death proceeds to the owner, if living, otherwise to the
owner's estate or legal successors.

CHANGE OF CONTRACT OWNER OR BENEFICIARY. During the annuitant's lifetime,
you may transfer ownership of a non-qualified Contract. A change in ownership
may affect the amount of the death benefit and the guaranteed death benefit. You
may also change the beneficiary. All requests for changes must be in writing and
submitted to our Customer Service Center in good order. The change will be
effective as of the day you sign the request. The change will not affect any
payment made or action taken by us before recording the change.

PURCHASE AND AVAILABILITY OF THE CONTRACT
The minimum premium payment for Non-Qualified Contracts is an aggregate of
$5,000 the first year. You may make additional payments of at least $100 or more
at any time after the free look period. Under certain circumstances, we may
waive and/or modify the minimum subsequent payment requirement. For Qualified
Contracts, you may make the minimum payments of $100 per month if payroll
deduction is used; otherwise it is an aggregate of $2,000 per year. Prior
approval must be obtained from us for subsequent payments in excess of $500,000
or for total payments in excess of $1,000,000. We reserve the right to accept or
decline any application or payment.

IRAs and other qualified plans already have the tax-deferral feature found in
this Contract. For an additional cost, the Contract provides other benefits
including death benefits and the ability to receive a lifetime income. See "Fees
and Expenses" in this prospectus. We will issue a Contract only if both the
annuitant and the contract owner are not older than age 85.

CREDITING OF PREMIUM PAYMENTS
We will process your initial premium payment within 2 business days after
receipt, if the application and all information necessary for processing the
Contract are complete. We will process subsequent premium payments within 1
business day if we receive all necessary information. In certain states we also
accept initial and additional premium payments by wire order. Wire transmittals
must be accompanied by sufficient electronically transmitted data. We may retain
premium payments for up to 5 business days while attempting to complete an
incomplete application. If the application cannot be completed within this
period, we will inform you of the reasons for the delay. We will also return the
premium payment immediately unless you direct us to hold it until the
application is completed.

We will allocate your initial payment according to the instructions you
specified. If a subaccount is not available or requested in error, we will make
inquiry about a replacement subaccount. If we are unable to reach you or your
representative, we will allocate your initial payment proportionally among the
other subaccount(s) in your instructions. For initial premium payments, the
payment will be credited at the

15
<PAGE>
accumulation unit value next determined after we receive your premium payment
and the completed application. Once the completed application is received, we
will allocate the payment within 2 business days.

We will make inquiry to discover any missing information related to subsequent
payments. We will allocate the subsequent payment(s) pro rata according to the
current variable subaccount allocation unless you specify otherwise. Any fixed
allocation(s) will not be considered in the pro rata calculations. If a
subaccount is no longer available or requested in error, we will allocate the
subsequent payment(s) proportionally among the other subaccount(s) in your
current allocation or your allocation instructions. For any subsequent premium
payments, the payment will be credited at the accumulation unit value next
determined after receipt of your premium payment and instructions.

We will allocate your initial premium payment to the subaccount(s) of Account A
selected by you. Unless otherwise changed by you, subsequent premium payments
are allocated in the same manner as the initial premium payment. If you give us
allocation instructions along with a subsequent premium payment, the allocation
instructions will apply to only that payment unless you specify otherwise.

Once we allocate your premium payment to the subaccount(s) selected by you, we
convert the premium payment into accumulation units. We divide the amount of the
premium payment allocated to a particular subaccount by the value of an
accumulation unit for the subaccount to determine the number of accumulation
units of the subaccount to be held in Account A with respect to the Contract.
The net investment results of each subaccount vary with its investment
performance.

If your Contract is issued in a state that requires us to return your premium
payment during the free look period, then the portion of the first premium
payment that you had directed to the subaccounts may be placed in a subaccount
specifically designated by us (currently the Liquid Asset subaccount) for the
duration of the free look period. If you keep your Contract after the free look
period and the premium payment was allocated to a subaccount specifically
designated by us, we will convert your contract value (your initial premium,
plus any earnings less any expenses) into accumulation units of the subaccounts
you previously selected. The accumulation units will be allocated based on the
accumulation unit value next computed for each subaccount.

If your premium payment was transmitted by wire order from your broker-dealer,
we will follow one of the following two procedures after we receive and accept
the wire order and investment instructions. The procedure we follow depends on
state approval and the procedures of your broker-dealer.

(1) If either your state or broker-dealer do not permit us to issue a
Contract without an application, we reserve the right to rescind the
Contract if we do not receive and accept a properly completed
application or enrollment form within 5 days of the premium payment.
If we do not receive the application or form within 5 days of the
premium payment, we will refund the contract value plus any charges we
deducted, and the Contract will be voided. Some states require that we
return the premium paid, in which case we will comply.

(2) If your state and broker dealer allow us to issue a Contract without
an application, we will issue and mail the Contract to you or your
representative, together with an Application Acknowledgement Statement
for your execution. Until our Customer Service Center receives the
executed Application Acknowledgement Statement, neither you nor the
broker-dealer may execute any financial transactions on your Contract
unless they are requested in writing by you.

ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES
We may accept a request for Contract service in writing, by telephone, or other
approved electronic means, subject to our administrative procedures, which vary
depending on the type of service requested and may include proper completion of
certain forms, providing appropriate identifying information, and/or other
administrative requirements. We will process your request at the accumulation
value next determined only after you have met all administrative requirements.

CONTRACT VALUE
We determine your contract value on a daily basis beginning on the contract
date. Your contract value is the sum of the contract value in each subaccount in
which you are invested.

16
<PAGE>

CONTRACT VALUE IN THE SUBACCOUNTS.
On the contract date, the contract value in the subaccount in which you are
invested is equal to the initial premium paid and designated to be allocated to
the subaccount. On the contract date, we allocate your contract value to each
subaccount specified by you, unless the Contract is issued in a state that
requires the return of premium payments during the free look period, in which
case, the portion of your initial premium may be allocated to a subaccount
specially designated by the Company during the free look period for this purpose
(currently, the Liquid Asset subaccount).

On each business day after the contract date, we calculate the amount of
contract value in each subaccount as follows:

(1) We take the contract value in the subaccount at the end of the
preceding business day.

(2) We multiply (1) by the subaccount's Net Investment Factor since the
preceding business day.

(3) We add (1) and (2).

(4) We add to (3) any additional premium payments, and then add or
subtract transfers to or from that subaccount.

(5) We subtract from (4) any withdrawals and any related charges, and then
subtract any contract fees, and distribution fee (annual sales load)
and premium taxes.

CASH SURRENDER VALUE
The cash surrender value is the amount you receive when you surrender the
Contract. The cash surrender value will fluctuate daily based on the investment
results of the subaccounts in which you are invested. We do not guarantee any
minimum cash surrender value. On any date during the accumulation phase, we
calculate the cash surrender value as follows: we start with your contract
value, then we deduct any surrender charge, any annual contract administrative
charge, any charge for premium taxes, and any other charges incurred but not yet
deducted.

SURRENDERING TO RECEIVE THE CASH SURRENDER VALUE
You may surrender the Contract at any time while the annuitant is living and
before the annuity start date. A surrender will be effective on the date your
written request and the Contract are received at our Customer Service Center. We
will determine and pay the cash surrender value at the price next determined
after receipt of your request. Once paid, all benefits under the Contract will
be terminated. For administrative purposes, we will transfer your money to a
specially designated subaccount (currently the Liquid Asset subaccount) prior to
processing the surrender. This transfer will have no effect on your cash
surrender value. You may receive the cash surrender value in a single sum
payment or apply it under one or more annuity options. We will usually pay the
cash surrender value within 7 days.

Consult your tax adviser regarding the tax consequences associated with
surrendering your Contract. A surrender made before you reach age 59 1/2 may
result in a 10% tax penalty. See "Federal Tax Considerations" for more details.

THE SUBACCOUNTS
Each of the 27 subaccounts of Account A offered under this prospectus invests in
an investment portfolio with its own distinct investment objectives and
policies. Each subaccount of Account A invests in a corresponding portfolio of
the GCG Trust, a corresponding portfolio of the Warburg Pincus Trust, a
corresponding portfolio of the PIMCO Variable Insurance Trust, a corresponding
portfolio of the ING Variable Insurance Trust or a corresponding portfolio of
the Prudential Series Fund, Inc.

17
<PAGE>

ADDITION, DELETION OR SUBSTITUTION OF SUBACCOUNTS AND OTHER CHANGES
We may make additional subaccounts available to you under the Contract. These
subaccounts will invest in investment portfolios we find suitable for your
Contract.

We may amend the Contract to conform to applicable laws or governmental
regulations. If we feel that investment in any of the investment portfolios has
become inappropriate to the purposes of the Contract, we may, with approval of
the SEC (and any other regulatory agency, if required) substitute another
portfolio for existing and future investments. If you have elected the dollar
cost averaging, systematic withdrawals or automatic rebalancing programs or if
you have other outstanding instructions, and we substitute or otherwise
eliminate a portfolio which is subject to those instructions, we will execute
your instructions using the substituted or proposed replacement portfolio,
unless you request otherwise.

We also reserve the right to: (i) deregister Account A under the 1940 Act; (ii)
operate Account A as a management company under the 1940 Act if it is operating
as a unit investment trust; (iii) operate Account A as a unit investment trust
under the 1940 Act if it is operating as a managed separate account; (iv)
restrict or eliminate any voting rights as to Account A; and (v) combine Account
A with other accounts.

We will, of course, provide you with written notice before any of these changes
are effected.

We offer other variable annuity contracts that also invest in the same
portfolios of the Trusts. These contracts have different charges that could
effect their performance, and may offer different benefits more suitable to your
needs. To obtain more information about these other contracts, contact our
Customer Service Center or your registered representative.

OTHER IMPORTANT PROVISIONS
See "Withdrawals," "Transfers Among Your Investments," "Death Benefit Choices,"
"Charges and Fees," "The Annuity Options" and "Other Contract Provisions" in
this prospectus for information on other important provisions in your Contract.

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WITHDRAWALS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Any time prior to the annuity start date and before the death of the annuitant,
you may withdraw all or part of your money. Keep in mind that if at least $100
does not remain in a subaccount, we will treat it as a request to surrender the
Contract. For Contracts issued in Idaho, no withdrawal may be made for 30 days
after the date of purchase. We will terminate the Contract if a total withdrawal
is made. If any single withdrawal or the sum of withdrawals exceeds the Free
Withdrawal Amount, you will incur a surrender charge. See "Charges and Fees --
Surrender Charge for Excess Withdrawals." You need to submit to us a written
request specifying accounts from which amounts are to be withdrawn, otherwise
the withdrawal will be made on a pro rata basis from all of the subaccounts in
which you are invested. We will pay the amount of any withdrawal from the
subaccounts within 7 calendar days of receipt of a request, unless the
"Suspension of Payments or Transfers" provision is in effect. We will determine
the contract value as of the close of business on the day we receive your
withdrawal request at our Customer Service Center. The Contract value may be
more or less than the premium payments made. Keep in mind that a withdrawal will
result in the cancellation of accumulation units for each applicable subaccount
of the Account A.

For administrative purposes, we will transfer your money to a specially
designated subaccount (currently, the Liquid Asset subaccount) prior to
processing the withdrawal. This transfer will not effect the withdrawal amount
you receive.

We offer the following three withdrawal options:

REGULAR WITHDRAWALS
After the free look period, you may make regular withdrawals. Each withdrawal
must be a minimum of $100 or your entire interest in the subaccount.

18
<PAGE>

SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWALS
You may choose to receive automatically systematic withdrawals on the 15th of
each month, or any other monthly date mutually agreed upon, from your contract
value in the subaccount(s). Each withdrawal payment must be at least $100 (or
the owner's entire interest in the subaccount, if less) and is taken pro rata
from the subaccount(s). We reserve the right to charge a fee for systematic
withdrawals. Currently, however, there are no charges for systematic
withdrawals. The minimum Contract value which must remain in a subaccount after
any partial withdrawal is $100 or the withdrawal transaction will be deemed a
request to surrender the contract.

You may change the amount of your systematic withdrawal once each contract year
or cancel this option at any time by sending satisfactory notice to our Customer
Service Center at least 7 days before the next scheduled withdrawal date. You
may elect to have this option begin in a contract year where a regular
withdrawal has been taken but you may not change the amount of your withdrawals
in any contract year during which you had previously taken a regular withdrawal.
You may not elect this if you are taking IRA withdrawals.

IRA WITHDRAWALS
If you have a non-Roth IRA Contract and will be at least age 70 1/2 during the
current calendar year, you may elect to have distributions made to you to
satisfy requirements imposed by federal tax law. IRA withdrawals provide payout
of amounts required to be distributed by the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS")
rules governing mandatory distributions under qualified plans. We will send you
a notice before your distributions commence. You may elect to take IRA
withdrawals at that time, or at a later date. You may
not elect IRA withdrawals and participate in systematic withdrawals at the same
time. If you do not elect to take IRA withdrawals, and distributions are
required by federal tax law, distributions adequate to satisfy the requirements
imposed by federal tax law may be made. Thus, if you are participating in
systematic withdrawals, distributions under that option must be adequate to
satisfy the mandatory distribution rules imposed by federal tax law.

You may choose to receive IRA withdrawals on a monthly, quarterly or annual
basis. Under this option, you may elect payments to start as early as 28 days
after the contract date. You select the day of the month when the withdrawals
will be made, but it cannot be later than the 28th day of the month. If no date
is selected, we will make the withdrawals on the same calendar day of the month
as the contract date.

You may request that we calculate for you the amount that is required to be
withdrawn from your Contract each year based on the information you give us and
various choices you make. For information regarding the calculation and choices
you have to make, see the Statement of Additional Information. The minimum
dollar amount you can withdraw is $100. When we determine the required IRA
withdrawal amount for a taxable year based on the frequency you select, if that
amount is less than $100, we will pay $100. At any time where the IRA withdrawal
amount is greater than the contract value, we will cancel the Contract and send
you the amount of the cash surrender value.

You may change the payment frequency of your IRA withdrawals once each contract
year or cancel this option at any time by sending us satisfactory notice to our
Customer Service Center at least 7 days before the next scheduled withdrawal
date.

CONSULT YOUR TAX ADVISER REGARDING THE TAX CONSEQUENCES ASSOCIATED WITH TAKING
WITHDRAWALS. You are responsible for determining that withdrawals comply with
applicable law. A withdrawal made before the taxpayer reaches age 59 1/2 may
result in a 10% penalty tax. See "Federal Tax Considerations" for more details.

TEXAS OPTIONAL RETIREMENT PROGRAM
A Contract issued to a participant in the Texas Optional Retirement Program
("ORP") will contain an ORP endorsement that will amend the Contract as follows:

19
<PAGE>

A) If for any reason a second year of ORP participation is not begun, the
total amount of the State of Texas' first-year contribution will be
returned to the appropriate institute of higher education upon its
request.

B) We will not pay any benefits if the participant surrenders the
Contract or otherwise, until the participant dies, accepts retirement,
terminates employment in all Texas institutions of higher education or
attains the age of 70 1/2. The value of the Contract may, however, be
transferred to other contracts or carriers during the period of ORP
participation. A participant in the ORP is required to obtain a
certificate of termination from the participant's employer before the
value of a Contract can be withdrawn.

REDUCTION OR ELIMINATION OF THE WITHDRAWAL CHARGE
The amount of the withdrawal charge on the Contracts may be reduced or
eliminated when sales of the Contracts are made to individuals or to a group of
individuals in a manner that results in savings of sales expenses. We will
determine whether we will reduce withdrawal charges after examining all the
relevant factors such as:

(1) The size and type of group to which sales are to be made. Generally,
the sales expenses for a larger group are less than for a smaller
group because of the ability to implement large numbers of Contracts
with fewer sales contacts.

(2) The total amount of premium payments to be received. Per Contract
sales expenses are likely to be less on larger premium payments than
on smaller ones.

(3) Any prior or existing relationship with the Company. Per Contract
sales expenses are likely to be less when there is a prior existing
relationship because of the likelihood of implementing the Contract
with fewer sales contacts.

The withdrawal charge may be eliminated when the Contracts are issued to an
officer, director or employee of the Company or any of its affiliates. In no
event will reductions or elimination of the withdrawal charge be permitted where
reductions or elimination will be unfairly discriminatory to any person.

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TRANSFERS AMONG YOUR INVESTMENTS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Prior to the annuity start date and after the free look period, you may transfer
your contract value among the subaccounts in which you are invested at the end
of the free look period until the annuity start date. If more than 12 transfers
are made in any contract year, we will charge a transfer fee equal to the lesser
of 2% of the Contract value transferred or $25 for each transfer after the
twelfth transfer in a contract year. We also reserve the right to limit the
number of transfers you may make and may otherwise modify or terminate transfer
privileges if required by our business judgment or in accordance with applicable
law. The transfer fee will be deducted from the amount which is transferred.

Transfers will be based on values at the end of the business day in which the
transfer request is received at our Customer Service Center. Any transfer fee
will be deducted from the amount which is transferred.

The minimum amount that you may transfer is $100 or, if less, your entire
contract value.

To make a transfer, you must notify our Customer Service Center and all other
administrative requirements must be met. Any transfer request received after
4:00 p.m. eastern time or the close of the New York Stock Exchange will be
effected on the next business day. Account A and the Company will not be liable
for following instructions communicated by telephone or other approved
electronic means that we reasonably believe to be genuine. We require personal
identifying information to process a request for transfer made over the
telephone.

20
<PAGE>

DOLLAR COST AVERAGING
You may elect to participate in our dollar cost averaging program if you have at
least $500 of contract value in any subaccount. That subaccount will serve as
the source account from which we will, on a monthly basis, automatically
transfer a set dollar amount of money to other subaccount(s) you select. Dollar
Cost Averaging is designed to lessen the impact of market fluctuation on your
investment. Since we transfer the same dollar amount to other subaccounts each
month, more units of a subaccount are purchased if the value of its unit is low
and less units are purchased if the value of its unit is high. Therefore, a
lower than average value per unit may be achieved over the long term. However,
we cannot guarantee this. When you elect the dollar cost averaging program, you
are continuously investing in securities regardless of fluctuating price levels.
You should consider your tolerance for investing through periods of fluctuating
price levels.

You elect the dollar amount you want transferred under this program. Each
monthly transfer must be at least $100. You must participate in any dollar cost
averaging program for at least five (5) months.

All dollar cost averaging transfers will be made on the 15th of each month or
another monthly date mutually agreed upon (or the next business day if the 15th
of the month is not a business day). Such transfers currently are not taken into
account in determining any transfer fees. We reserve the right to treat dollar
cost averaging transfers as standard transfers when determining the number of
transfers in a year and imposing any applicable transfer fees. If you, as an
owner, participate in the dollar cost averaging program you may not make
automatic withdrawals of your contract value or participate in the automatic
rebalancing program.

If you do not specify the subaccounts to which the dollar amount of the source
account is to be transferred, we will transfer the money to the subaccounts in
which you are invested on a proportional basis. If, on any transfer date, your
contract value in a source account is equal or less than the amount you have
elected to have transferred, the entire amount will be transferred and the
program will end. You may terminate the dollar cost averaging program at any
time by sending satisfactory notice to our Customer Service Center at least 7
days before the next transfer date.

We may in the future offer additional subaccounts or withdraw any subaccount to
or from the dollar cost averaging program, or otherwise modify, suspend or
terminate this program. Of course, such change will not affect any dollar cost
averaging programs in operation at the time.

AUTOMATIC REBALANCING
If you have at least $25,000 of contract value invested in the subaccounts of
Account A, you may elect to have your investments in the subaccounts
automatically rebalanced. We will transfer funds under your Contract on a
quarterly, semi-annual, or annual calendar basis among the subaccounts to
maintain the investment blend of your selected subaccounts. The minimum size of
any allocation must be in full percentage points. Rebalancing does not affect
any amounts that you have allocated. The program may be used in conjunction with
the systematic withdrawal option only if withdrawals are taken pro rata.
Automatic rebalancing is not available if you participate in dollar cost
averaging. Automatic rebalancing will not take place during the free look
period. All automatic rebalancing transfers will be made on the 15th of the
month that rebalancing is requested or another monthly date mutually agreed upon
(or the next valuation date, if the 15th of the month is not a business day).

To participate in automatic rebalancing, send satisfactory notice to our
Customer Service Center. We will begin the program on the last business day of
the period in which we receive the notice. You may cancel the program at any
time. The program will automatically terminate if you choose to reallocate your
contract value among the subaccounts or if you make an additional premium
payment or partial withdrawal on other than a pro rata basis. Additional premium
payments and partial withdrawals effected on a pro rata basis will not cause the
automatic rebalancing program to terminate.

If you, as the contract owner, are participating in automatic rebalancing, such
transfers currently are not taken into account in determining any transfer fee.
We reserve the right to treat automatic rebalancing transfers as standard
transfers when determining the number of transfers in a year and imposing any
applicable transfer fees.

21
<PAGE>

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DEATH BENEFIT
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DEATH BENEFIT DURING THE ACCUMULATION PERIOD
We will pay a death benefit if the annuitant dies before the annuity start date.
Assuming you are also the contract owner, your beneficiary will receive a death
benefit unless the beneficiary is your surviving spouse and elects to continue
the Contract. The death benefit value is calculated at the close of the business
day on which we receive written notice and due proof of death as well as
properly completed required claim forms, at our Customer Service Center. If the
beneficiary elects to delay receipt of the death benefit, the amount of the
death benefit payable in the future may be affected. If the deceased annuitant
was not an owner, the proceeds may be received in a single sum or applied to any
of the annuity options within one year of death. If the deceased annuitant was
an owner, then death proceeds must be distributed in accordance with the Death
of Owner provisions below. If we do not receive a request to apply the death
benefit proceeds to an annuity option, we will make a single sum distribution.
We will generally pay death single lump sum payments benefit proceeds within 7
days after our Customer Service Center has received sufficient information to
make the payment. For more information on required distributions under federal
income tax laws, you should see "Required Distributions upon Contract Owner's
Death."

DEATH PROCEEDS
If the annuitant is LESS THAN AGE 67 at the time of purchase, the death benefit
is the greatest of:

(1) the contract value;

(2) the total premium payments made under the Contract after subtracting
any withdrawals; or

(3) the highest contract value (plus subsequent premiums less subsequent
withdrawals and taxes) determined on every contract anniversary on or
before your death beginning with the 8th anniversary and ending on the
last anniversary prior to attained age 76.

If the annuitant is BETWEEN THE AGES OF 67 AND 75 at the time of purchase, the
death benefit is the greatest of:

(1) the contract value;

(2) the total premium payments made under the Contract after subtracting
any withdrawals; or

(3) the contract value (plus subsequent premiums less subsequent
withdrawals and taxes) determined on the 8th contract anniversary but
on or before your death.

If the annuitant is AGE 76 OR OLDER at the time of purchase, the death benefit
is the contract value.

Note: In all cases described above, amounts could be reduced by premium
taxes owed and withdrawals not previously deducted. Please refer to
the Contract for more details.

The beneficiary may choose an annuity payment option only during the 60-day
period beginning with the date we receive acceptable due proof of death.

The beneficiary may elect to have a single lump payment or choose one of the
annuity options.

The entire death proceeds must be paid within five (5) years of the date of
death unless:

(1) the beneficiary elects to have the death proceeds:

(a) payable under a payment plan over the life of the beneficiary or
over a period not extending beyond the life expectancy of the
beneficiary; and

(b) payable beginning within one year of the date of death; or

(2) if the beneficiary is the deceased owner's spouse, the beneficiary may
elect to become the owner of the Contract and the Contract will
continue in effect.

22
<PAGE>

DEATH OF THE ANNUITANT
(1) If the annuitant dies prior to the annuity start date, we will pay the
death proceeds as provided above.

(2) If the annuitant dies after the annuity start date but before all of
the proceeds payable under the Contract have been distributed, the
Company will pay the remaining proceeds to the beneficiary(ies)
according to the terms of the supplementary contract.

If the owner or annuitant dies after the annuity start date, we will continue to
pay benefits in accordance with the supplement agreement in effect.

DEATH OF OWNER
(1) If any owner of the Contract dies before the annuity start date, the
following applies:

(a) If the new owner is the deceased owner's spouse, the Contract
will continue and, if the deceased owner was also the annuitant,
the deceased owner's spouse will also be the annuitant.

(b) If the new owner is someone other than the deceased owner's
spouse, the entire interest in the Contract must be distributed
to the new owner:

(i) within 5 years of the deceased owner's death

(ii) over the life of the new owner or over a period not
extending beyond the life expectancy of the new owner, as
long as payments begin within one year of the deceased
owner's death.

If the deceased owner was the annuitant, the new owner will be the joint owner,
if any, or if there is no joint owner, the beneficiary.

If the deceased owner was not the annuitant, the new owner will be the joint
owner, if any, or if there is no joint owner, the contingent owner named under
the Contract. If there is no surviving joint or contingent owner, the new owner
will be the deceased owner's estate.

If the new owner under (b) above dies after the deceased owner but before the
entire interest has been distributed, any remaining distributions will be to the
new owner's estate.

(2) If the deceased owner was also the annuitant, the death of owner
provision shall apply in lieu of any provision providing payment under
the Contract when the annuitant dies before the annuity start date.

(3) If any owner dies on or after the annuity start date, but before all
proceeds payable under this Contract have been distributed, the
Company will continue payments to the annuitant (or, if the deceased
owner was the annuitant, to the beneficiary) under the payment method
in effect at the time of the deceased owner's death.

(4) For purposes of this section, if any owner of this Contract is not an
individual, the death or change of any annuitant shall be treated as
the death of an owner.

TRUST BENEFICIARY
If a trust is named as a beneficiary but we lack proof of the existence of the
trust at the time proceeds are to be paid to the beneficiary, that beneficiary's
interest will pass to any other beneficiaries according to their respective
interests (or to the annuitant's estate or the annuitant's legal successors, if
there are no other beneficiaries) unless proof of the existence of such trust is
provided.

23
<PAGE>

REQUIRED DISTRIBUTIONS UPON CONTRACT OWNER'S DEATH
We will not allow any payment of benefits provided under the Contract which do
not satisfy the requirements of Section 72(s) of the Code.

If an owner of a Non-Qualified Contract dies before the annuity start date, the
death benefit payable to the beneficiary will be distributed as follows: (a) the
death benefit must be completely distributed within 5 years of the contract
owner's date of death; or (b) the beneficiary may elect, within the 1-year
period after the contract owner's date of death, to receive the death benefit in
the form of an annuity from us, provided that (i) such annuity is distributed in
substantially equal installments over the life of such beneficiary or over a
period not extending beyond the life expectancy of such beneficiary; and (ii)
such distributions begin not later than 1 year after the contract owner's date
of death.

Notwithstanding (a) and (b) above, if the sole contract owner's beneficiary is
the deceased owner's surviving spouse, then such spouse may elect, to continue
the Contract under the same terms as before the contract owner's death. Upon
receipt of such election from the spouse at our Customer Service Center: (1) all
rights of the spouse as contract owner's beneficiary under the Contract in
effect prior to such election will cease; (2) the spouse will become the owner
of the Contract and will also be treated as the contingent annuitant, if none
has been named and only if the deceased owner was the annuitant; and (3) all
rights and privileges granted by the Contract or allowed by Equitable Life will
belong to the spouse as contract owner of the Contract. This election will be
deemed to have been made by the spouse if such spouse makes a premium payment to
the Contract or fails to make a timely election as described in this paragraph.
If the owner's beneficiary is a nonspouse, the distribution provisions described
in subparagraphs (a) and (b) above, will apply even if the annuitant and/or
contingent annuitant are alive at the time of the contract owner's death.

If we do not receive an election from a nonspouse owner's beneficiary within the
1-year period after the contract owner's date of death, then we will pay the
death benefit to the owner's beneficiary in a cash payment within five years
from date of death. We will determine the death benefit as of the date we
receive proof of death. We will make payment of the proceeds on or before the
end of the 5-year period starting on the owner's date of death. Such cash
payment will be in full settlement of all our liability under the Contract.

If the annuitant dies after the annuity start date, we will continue to
distribute any benefit payable at least as rapidly as under the annuity option
then in effect.

If the contract owner dies after the annuity start date, we will continue to
distribute any benefit payable at least as rapidly as under the annuity option
then in effect. All of the contract owner's rights granted under the Contract or
allowed by us will pass to the contract owner's beneficiary.

If the Contract has joint owners we will consider the date of death of the first
joint owner as the death of the contract owner and the surviving joint owner
will become the contract owner of the Contract.

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHARGES AND FEES
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We deduct the charges described below to cover our cost and expenses, services
provided and risks assumed under the Contracts. We incur certain costs and
expenses for distributing and administrating the Contracts, for paying the
benefits payable under the Contracts and for bearing various risks associated
with the Contracts. The amount of a charge will not always correspond to the
actual costs associated. For example, the surrender charge collected may not
fully cover all of the distribution expenses incurred by us with the service or
benefits provided. In the event there are any profits from fees and charges
deducted under the Contract, we may use such profits to finance the distribution
of contracts.

24
<PAGE>

premium payments in the Contract for more than eight years (these premium
payments are liquidated on a first in, first out basis); 3) additional free
amount (which is equal to 10% of the premium payments in the Contract for less
than eight years, fixed at the time of the first withdrawal in the Contract
year, plus 10% of the premium payments made after the first withdrawal in the
Contract year but before the next Contract anniversary, less any withdrawals
in the same Contract year of premium payments less than eight years old); and
4) premium payments in the Contract for less than eight years (these premium
payments are removed on a first in, first out basis).

SURRENDER CHARGE. We will deduct a contingent deferred sales charge (a
"surrender charge") if you surrender your Contract or if you take a withdrawal
in excess of the Free Withdrawal Amount during the 8-year period from the date
we receive and accept a premium payment. The surrender charge is based on a
percentage of each premium payment. This charge is intended to cover sales
expenses that we have incurred. We may in the future reduce or waive the
surrender charge in certain situations and will never charge more than the
maximum surrender charges. The percentage of premium payments deducted at the
time of surrender or excess withdrawal depends on the number of complete years
that have elapsed since that premium payment was made. We determine the
surrender charge as a percentage of each premium payment as follows:

COMPLETE YEARS ELAPSED 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
SINCE PREMIUM PAYMENT

SURRENDER CHARGE 8% 7% 6% 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% 0%

FREE WITHDRAWAL AMOUNT. At any time, you may make a withdrawal without the
imposition of a surrender charge, of an amount equal to the sum of:

o earnings (contract value less unliquidated purchase payments);

o premium payments in the contract for more than eight years, and

o an amount which is equal to 10% of the premium payments in the
contract for less than eight years, fixed at the time of the first
withdrawal in the contract year, plus 10% of the premium payment made
after the first withdrawal in the contract year (but before the next
contract anniversary, less any withdrawals in the same contract year
of premium payments less than eight years old).

SURRENDER CHARGE FOR EXCESS WITHDRAWALS. We will deduct a surrender charge
for excess withdrawals. We consider a withdrawal to be an "excess withdrawal"
when the amount you withdraw in any contract year exceeds the free withdrawal
amount. Where you are receiving systematic withdrawals, any combination of
regular withdrawals taken and any systematic withdrawals expected to be received
in a contract year will be included in determining the amount of the excess
withdrawal. Such a withdrawal will be considered a partial surrender of the
contract and we will impose a surrender charge and any associated premium tax.

PREMIUM TAXES. We may make a charge for state and local premium taxes
depending on the contract owner's state of residence. The tax can range from 0%
to 3.5% of the premium. We have the right to change this amount to conform with
changes in the law or if the contract owner changes state of residence.

We deduct the premium tax from your contract value on the annuity start date.
However, some jurisdictions impose a premium tax at the time that initial and
additional premiums are paid, regardless of when the annuity payments begin. In
those states we may defer collection of the premium taxes from your contract
value and deduct it on surrender of the contract, on excess withdrawals or on
the annuity start date.

ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGE. We deduct an annual administrative charge on each
contract anniversary, or if you surrender your Contract prior to a contract
anniversary, at the time we determine the cash surrender

25
<PAGE>
value payable to you. The amount deducted is $30 per Contract, unless waived
by the Company. We deduct the annual administrative charge proportionately
from all subacounts in which you are invested

TRANSFER CHARGE. You may make 12 free transfers each contract year. We will
assess a transfer charge equal to the lesser of 2% of the contract value
transferred or an amount not greater than $25 for each transfer after the
twelfth transfer in a contract year. If such a charge is assessed, we would
deduct the charge as noted in "Charges Deducted from the Contract Value" above.
The charge will not apply to any transfers due to the election of dollar cost
averaging, automatic rebalancing and transfers we make to and from any
subaccount specially designated by the Company for such purpose. However, we
reserve the right to treat multiple transfers in a single day, auto rebalancing
and dollar cost averaging as standard transfers when determining annual
transfers and imposing the transfer charge.

CHARGES DEDUCTED FROM THE SUBACCOUNTS
MORTALITY AND EXPENSE RISK CHARGE. We deduct on each business day a
mortality and expense risk charge which is equal, on an annual basis, to 1.25%
of the average daily net asset value of the Separate Account. The charge is
deducted on each business day at the rate of .003446% for each day since the
previous business day.

If the mortality and expense risk charge is insufficient to cover the
actual costs, the loss will be borne by the Company. Conversely, if the amount
deducted proves more than sufficient, the excess will be a profit to the
Company.

The mortality and expense risk charge is guaranteed by the Company and
cannot be increased.

ASSET-BASED ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGE. We will deduct a daily charge from the
assets in each subaccount, to compensate us for a portion of the administrative
expenses under the Contract. The daily charge is at a rate of .000411%
(equivalent to an annual rate of 0.15%) on the assets in each subaccount.

TRUST EXPENSES
There are fees and charges deducted from each investment portfolio of the
Trusts. Each portfolio deducts portfolio management fees and charges from the
amounts you have invested in the portfolios. In addition, two portfolios deduct
12b-1 fees. For 1999 total portfolio fees and charges ranged from 0.54% to
1.20%. See "Fees and Expenses" in this Prospectus.

Additionally, we may receive compensation from the investment advisers,
administrators, distributors of the portfolios in connection with
administrative, distribution or other services and cost savings experienced by
the investment advisers, administrators or distributors. It is anticipated that
such compensation will be based on assets of the particular portfolios
attributable to the Contract. Some advisers, administrators or distributors may
pay us more than others.

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE ANNUITY OPTIONS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SELECTING THE ANNUITY START DATE
You, as the owner, select an annuity start date at the date of purchase and may
elect a new annuity start date at any time by making a written request to the
Company at its Customer Service Center at least seven days prior to the annuity
start date. The annuity start date must be at least 1 year from the contract
date but before the month immediately following the annuitant's 90th birthday,
or 10 years from the contract date, if later. If, on the annuity start date, a
surrender charge remains, the elected annuity option must include a period
certain of at least 5 years.

If you do not select an annuity start date, it will automatically begin in the
month following the annuitant's 90th birthday, or 10 years from the contract
date, if later.

26
<PAGE>

If the annuity start date occurs when the annuitant is at an advanced age, such
as over age 85, it is possible that the Contract will not be considered an
annuity for federal tax purposes. See "Federal Tax Considerations" and the
Statement of Additional Information. For a Contract purchased in connection with
a qualified plan, other than a Roth IRA, distributions must commence not later
than April 1st of the calendar year following the calendar year in which you
attain age 70 1/2, or, in some cases, retire. Distributions may be made through
annuitization or withdrawals. Consult your tax adviser.

SELECTING A PAYMENT PLAN
On the annuity start date, we will begin making payments to the contract owner
under a payment plan. We will make these payments under the payment plan you
choose. The amount of the payments will be determined by applying the maturity
proceeds to the payment plan. If payment Plan A, Option 1; Plan B; or Plan C are
elected, the maturity proceeds will be the Contract value less any applicable
taxes not previously deducted. If the maturity proceeds are paid in cash or by
any other method not listed above, the maturity proceeds equal the contract
value less:

(1) any applicable taxes not previously deducted; less

(2) the withdrawal charge, if any; less

(3) the annual contract administrative charge, if any.

You must elect a payment plan in writing at least seven (7) days before the
annuity start date. If no election is made, an automatic option of monthly
income for a minimum of 120 months and as long thereafter as the annuitant lives
will be applied.

The owner chooses a plan by sending a written request to the Customer Service
Center. The Company will send the owner the proper forms to complete. The
request, when recorded at the Company's Customer Service Center, will be in
effect from the date it was signed, subject to any payments or actions taken by
the Company before the recording. If, for any reason, the person named to
receive payments (the payee) is changed, the change will go into effect when the
request is recorded at the Company's Customer Service Center, subject to any
payments or actions taken by the Company before the recording.

FIXED PAYMENT PLANS
After the first Contract year, the maturity proceeds may be applied under one or
more of the payment plans described below. Payment plans not specified below may
be available only if they are approved both by the Company and the owner.

No withdrawal charge is deducted if Plan A-Option 1, Plan B or Plan C is
elected.

A plan is available only if the periodic payment is $100 or more. If the payee
is other than a natural person (such as a corporation), a plan will be available
only with our consent.

A supplementary contract will be issued in exchange for the Contract when
payment is made under a payment plan. The effective date of a payment plan shall
be a date upon which we and the owner mutually agree.

The minimum interest rate for Plans A and B is 3.0% a year, compounded yearly.
The minimum rates for Plan C were based on the 1983a Annuity Table at 3.0%
interest, compounded yearly. The Company may pay a higher rate at its
discretion.

27
<PAGE>

Option 1 The contract value less any applicable taxes not previously
deducted may be left on deposit with us for five (5) years. Fixed
payments will be made monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or
annually. We do not allow a monthly payment if the contract value
applied under this option is less than $100,000. The proceeds may
not be withdrawn until the end of the five (5) year period.

Option 2 The cash surrender value may be left on deposit with the Company
for a specified period. Interest will be paid annually. All or
part of the proceeds may be withdrawn at any time.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLAN B. FIXED PERIOD

The contract value less any applicable taxes not previously
deducted will be paid until the proceeds, plus interest, are paid
in full. Payments may be paid annually or monthly. The payment
period cannot be more than thirty (30) years nor less than five
(5) years. The Contract provides for a table of minimum annual
payments. They are based on the age of the annuitant or the
beneficiary.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLAN C. LIFE INCOME

The contract value less any applicable taxes not previously
deducted will be paid in monthly or annual payments for as long
as the annuitant or beneficiary, whichever is appropriate, lives.
The Company has the right to require proof satisfactory to it of
the age and sex of such person and proof of continuing survival
of such person. A minimum number of payments may be guaranteed,
if desired. The Contract provides for a table of minimum annual
payments. They are based on the age of the annuitant or the
beneficiary.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OTHER CONTRACT PROVISIONS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

REPORTS TO CONTRACT OWNERS
We will send you a quarterly report within 31 days after the end of each
calendar quarter. The report will show the contract value, cash surrender value,
and the death benefit as of the end of the calendar quarter. The report will
also show the allocation of your contract value and reflects the amounts
deducted from or added to the contract value since the last report. We will also
send you copies of any shareholder reports of the investment portfolios in which
Account A invests, as well as any other reports, notices or documents we are
required by law to furnish to you.

SUSPENSION OF PAYMENTS OR TRANSFERS
The Company reserves the right to suspend or postpone payments (in Illinois, for
a period not exceeding six months) for withdrawals or transfers for any period
when:

(1) the New York Stock Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend
and holiday closings);

(2) trading on the New York Stock Exchange is restricted;

(3) an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of securities held
in the Account A is not reasonably practicable or it is not reasonably
practicable to determine the value of the Account A's net assets;

(4) when the Company's Customer Service Center is closed; or

28
<PAGE>

(5) during any other period when the SEC, by order, so permits for the
protection of owners; provided that applicable rules and regulations
of the SEC will govern as to whether the conditions described in (2)
and (3) exist.

IN CASE OF ERRORS IN YOUR APPLICATION
If the age or gender given in the application or enrollment form is misstated,
the amounts payable or benefits provided by the Contract shall be those that the
premium payment would have bought at the correct age or gender.

ASSIGNING THE CONTRACT AS COLLATERAL
You may assign a non-qualified Contract as collateral security for a loan but
understand that your rights and any beneficiary's rights may be subject to the
terms of the assignment. An assignment may have federal tax consequences. You
must give us satisfactory written notice at our Customer Service Center in order
to make or release an assignment. We are not responsible for the validity of any
assignment.

CONTRACT CHANGES -- APPLICABLE TAX LAW
We have the right to make changes in the Contract to continue to qualify the
Contract as an annuity. You will be given advance notice of such changes.

FREE LOOK
In most cases, you may cancel your Contract within your 10-day free look period.
We deem the free look period to expire 15 days after we mail the Contract to
you. Some states may require a longer free look period. To cancel, you need to
send your Contract to our Customer Service Center or to the agent from whom you
purchased it. We will refund the contract value. For purposes of the refund
during the free look period, your contract value includes a refund of any
charges deducted from your contract value. Because of the market risks
associated with investing in the portfolios, the contract value returned may be
greater or less than the premium payment you paid. Some states require us to
return to you the amount of the paid premium (rather than the contract value) in
which case you will not be subject to investment risk during the free look
period. In these states, your premiums designated for investment in the
subaccounts may be allocated during the free look period to a subaccount
specially designated by the Company for this purpose (currently, the Liquid
Asset subaccount). We may, in our discretion, require that premiums designated
for investment in the subaccounts from all other states be allocated to the
specially designated subaccount during the free look period. Your Contract is
void as of the day we receive your Contract and your request. We determine your
contract value at the close of business on the day we receive your written
refund request. If you keep your Contract after the free look period and the
investment is allocated to a subaccount specially designated by the Company, we
will put your money in the subaccount(s) chosen by you, based on the
accumulation unit value next computed for each subaccount.

GROUP OR SPONSORED ARRANGEMENTS
For certain group or sponsored arrangements, we may reduce any surrender,
administration, and mortality and expense risk charges. We may also change the
minimum initial and additional premium requirements, or offer an alternative or
reduced death benefit. See "Reduction or Elimination of the Withdrawal Charge"
for more details.

SELLING THE CONTRACT
Directed Services, Inc. ("Directed Services") is the principal underwriter and
distributor of the Contract issued through Account A. The principal address of
Directed Services is 1475 Dunwoody Drive, West Chester, PA 19380. Directed
Services enters into sales agreements with broker-dealers to sell the Contracts
through registered representatives who are licensed to sell securities and
variable insurance products. These broker-dealers are registered with the SEC
and are members of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. The
selling broker-dealer whose registered representative sold the contract receives
a maximum of 7.75% commission, and passes through 100% of the commission.
Certain sales agreements may

29
<PAGE>
provide for a combination of a certain percentage
of commission at the time of sale and an annual trail commission (which when
combined could exceed 7.75% of total premium payments).

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OTHER INFORMATION
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

VOTING RIGHTS
We will vote the shares of a Trust owned by Account A according to your
instructions. However, if the 1940 Act or any related regulations should change,
or if interpretations of it or related regulations should change, and we decide
that we are permitted to vote the shares of a Trust in our own right, we may
decide to do so.

We determine the number of shares that you have in a subaccount by dividing the
Contract's contract value in that subaccount by the net asset value of one share
of the portfolio in which a subaccount invests. We count fractional votes. We
will determine the number of shares you can instruct us to vote 180 days or less
before a Trust's meeting. We will ask you for voting instructions by mail at
least 10 days before the meeting. If we do not receive your instructions in
time, we will vote the shares in the same proportion as the instructions
received from all Contracts in that subaccount. We will also vote shares we hold
in Account A which are not attributable to contract owners in the same
proportion.

STATE REGULATION
We are regulated by the Insurance Department of the State of Iowa. We are also
subject to the insurance laws and regulations of all jurisdictions where we do
business. The variable Contract offered by this prospectus has been approved
where required by those jurisdictions. We are required to submit annual
statements of our operations, including financial statements, to the Insurance
Departments of the various jurisdictions in which we do business to determine
solvency and compliance with state insurance laws and regulations.

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
We, like other insurance companies, may be involved in lawsuits, including class
action lawsuits. In some class action and other lawsuits involving insurers,
substantial damages have been sought and/or material settlement payments have
been made. We believe that currently there are no pending or threatened lawsuits
that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse impact on the Company or
Account A.

LEGAL MATTERS
The legal validity of the Contracts was passed on by James Mumford, Esquire,
Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Equitable Life
Insurance Company of Iowa. Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP of Washington, D.C.
has provided advice on certain matters relating to federal securities laws.

EXPERTS
The audited financial statements of Equitable Life and Account A appearing or
incorporated by reference in the Statement of Additional Information and
Registration Statement have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent
auditors, as set forth in their reports thereon appearing or incorporated by
reference in the Statement of Additional Information and in the Registration
Statement and are included or incorporated by reference in reliance upon such
reports given upon the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and
auditing.

30
<PAGE>

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FEDERAL TAX CONSIDERATIONS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The following summary provides a general description of the federal income tax
considerations associated with this Contract and does not purport to be complete
or to cover all tax situations. This discussion is not intended as tax advice.
You should consult your counsel or other competent tax advisers for more
complete information. This discussion is based upon our understanding of the
present federal income tax laws. We do not make any representations as to the
likelihood of continuation of the present federal income tax laws or as to how
they may be interpreted by the IRS.

TYPES OF CONTRACTS: NON-QUALIFIED OR QUALIFIED
The Contract may be purchased on a non-tax-qualified basis or purchased on a
tax-qualified basis. Qualified Contracts are designed for use by individuals for
whom premium payments are comprised solely of proceeds from and/or contributions
under retirement plans that are intended to qualify as plans entitled to special
income tax treatment under Sections 401(a), 403(b), 408, or 408A of the Internal
Revenue Code (the "Code"). The ultimate effect of federal income taxes on the
amounts held under a Contract, or annuity payments, depends on the type of
retirement plan, on the tax and employment status of the individual concerned,
and on our tax status. In addition, certain requirements must be satisfied in
purchasing a qualified Contract with proceeds from a tax-qualified plan and
receiving distributions from a qualified Contract in order to continue receiving
favorable tax treatment. Some retirement plans are subject to distribution and
other requirements that are not incorporated into our Contract administration
procedures. Contract owners, participants and beneficiaries are responsible for
determining that contributions, distributions and other transactions with
respect to the Contract comply with applicable law. Therefore, you should seek
competent legal and tax advice regarding the suitability of a Contract for your
particular situation. The following discussion assumes that qualified Contracts
are purchased with proceeds from and/or contributions under retirement plans
that qualify for the intended special federal income tax treatment.

TAX STATUS OF THE CONTRACTS
DIVERSIFICATION REQUIREMENTS. The Code requires that the investments of a
variable account be "adequately diversified" in order for the Contracts to be
treated as annuity contracts for federal income tax purposes. It is intended
that Account A, through the subaccounts, will satisfy these diversification
requirements.

INVESTOR CONTROL. In certain circumstances, owners of variable annuity
contracts have been considered for federal income tax purposes to be the owners
of the assets of the separate account supporting their contracts due to their
ability to exercise investment control over those assets. When this is the case,
the contract owners have been currently taxed on income and gains attributable
to the separate account assets. There is little guidance in this area, and some
features of the Contracts, such as the flexibility of a contract owner to
allocate premium payments and transfer contract values, have not been explicitly
addressed in published rulings. While we believe that the Contracts do not give
contract owners investment control over Account A assets, we reserve the right
to modify the Contracts as necessary to prevent a contract owner from being
treated as the owner of the Account B assets supporting the Contract.

REQUIRED DISTRIBUTIONS. In order to be treated as an annuity contract for
federal income tax purposes, the Code requires any non-qualified Contract to
contain certain provisions specifying how your interest in the Contract will be
distributed in the event of your death. The non-qualified Contracts contain
provisions that are intended to comply with these Code requirements, although no
regulations interpreting these requirements have yet been issued. We intend to
review such provisions and modify them if necessary to assure that they comply
with the applicable requirements when such requirements are clarified by
regulation or otherwise.

Other rules may apply to Qualified Contracts.

The following discussion assumes that the Contracts will qualify as annuity
contracts for federal income tax purposes.

31
<PAGE>

TAX TREATMENT OF ANNUITIES
IN GENERAL. We believe that if you are a natural person you will generally
not be taxed on increases in the value of a Contract until a distribution occurs
or until annuity payments begin. (For these purposes, the agreement to assign or
pledge any portion of the contract value, and, in the case of a qualified
Contract, any portion of an interest in the qualified plan, generally will be
treated as a distribution.)

TAXATION OF NON-QUALIFIED CONTRACTS
NON-NATURAL PERSON. The owner of any annuity contract who is not a natural
person generally must include in income any increase in the excess of the
contract value over the "investment in the contract" (generally, the premiums or
other consideration paid for the contract) during the taxable year. There are
some exceptions to this rule and a prospective contract owner that is not a
natural person may wish to discuss these with a tax adviser. The following
discussion generally applies to Contracts owned by natural persons.

WITHDRAWALS. When a withdrawal from a non-qualified Contract occurs, the
amount received will be treated as ordinary income subject to tax up to an
amount equal to the excess (if any) of the contract value (unreduced by the
amount of any surrender charge) immediately before the distribution over the
contract owner's investment in the Contract at that time.

In the case of a surrender under a non-qualified Contract, the amount received
generally will be taxable only to the extent it exceeds the contract owner's
investment in the Contract.

PENALTY TAX ON CERTAIN WITHDRAWALS. In the case of a distribution from a
non-qualified Contract, there may be imposed a federal tax penalty equal to 10%
of the amount treated as income. In general, however, there is no penalty on
distributions:

o made on or after the taxpayer reaches age 59 1/2;

o made on or after the death of a contract owner;

o attributable to the taxpayer's becoming disabled; or

o made as part of a series of substantially equal periodic payments for
the life (or life expectancy) of the taxpayer.

Other exceptions may be applicable under certain circumstances and special rules
may be applicable in connection with the exceptions enumerated above. A tax
adviser should be consulted with regard to exceptions from the penalty tax.

ANNUITY PAYMENTS. Although tax consequences may vary depending on the
payment option elected under an annuity contract, a portion of each annuity
payment is generally not taxed and the remainder is taxed as ordinary income.
The non-taxable portion of an annuity payment is generally determined in a
manner that is designed to allow you to recover your investment in the Contract
ratably on a tax-free basis over the expected stream of annuity payments, as
determined when annuity payments start. Once your investment in the Contract has
been fully recovered, however, the full amount of each annuity payment is
subject to tax as ordinary income.

TAXATION OF DEATH BENEFIT PROCEEDS. Amounts may be distributed from a
Contract because of your death or the death of the annuitant. Generally, such
amounts are includible in the income of recipient as follows: (i) if distributed
in a lump sum, they are taxed in the same manner as a surrender of the Contract,
or (ii) if distributed under a payment option, they are taxed in the same way as
annuity payments.

TRANSFERS, ASSIGNMENTS, OR EXCHANGES, AND ANNUITY DATES OF A CONTRACT. A
transfer or assignment of ownership of a Contract, the designation of an
annuitant, the selection of certain dates for commencement of the annuity phase,
or the exchange of a Contract may result in certain tax consequences to you that
are not discussed herein. A contract owner contemplating any such transfer,
assignment or exchange, should consult a tax advisor as to the tax consequences.

32
<PAGE>

WITHHOLDING. Annuity distributions are generally subject to withholding for
the recipient's federal income tax liability. Recipients can generally elect,
however, not to have tax withheld from distributions.

MULTIPLE CONTRACTS. All non-qualified deferred annuity contracts that are
issued by us (or our affiliates) to the same contract owner during any calendar
year are treated as one annuity contract for purposes of determining the amount
includible in such contract owner's income when a taxable distribution occurs.

TAXATION OF QUALIFIED CONTRACTS
The Contracts are designed for use with several types of qualified plans. The
tax rules applicable to participants in these qualified plans vary according to
the type of plan and the terms and contributions of the plan itself. Special
favorable tax treatment may be available for certain types of contributions and
distributions. Adverse tax consequences may result from: contributions in excess
of specified limits; distributions before age 59 1/2 (subject to certain
exceptions); distributions that do not conform to specified commencement and
minimum distribution rules; and in other specified circumstances. Therefore, no
attempt is made to provide more than general information about the use of the
Contracts with the various types of qualified retirement plans. Contract owners,
annuitants, and beneficiaries are cautioned that the rights of any person to any
benefits under these qualified retirement plans may be subject to the terms and
conditions of the plans themselves, regardless of the terms and conditions of
the Contract, but we shall not be bound by the terms and conditions of such
plans to the extent such terms contradict the Contract, unless the Company
consents.

DISTRIBUTIONS. Annuity payments are generally taxed in the same manner as
under a non-qualified Contract. When a withdrawal from a qualified Contract
occurs, a pro rata portion of the amount received is taxable, generally based on
the ratio of the contract owner's investment in the Contract (generally, the
premiums or other consideration paid for the Contract) to the participant's
total accrued benefit balance under the retirement plan. For Qualified
Contracts, the investment in the Contract can be zero. For Roth IRAs,
distributions are generally not taxed, except as described below.

For qualified plans under Section 401(a) and 403(b), the Code requires that
distributions generally must commence no later than the later of April 1 of the
calendar year following the calendar year in which the contract owner (or plan
participant) (i) reaches age 70 1/2 or (ii) retires, and must be made in a
specified form or manner. If the plan participant is a "5 percent owner" (as
defined in the Code), distributions generally must begin no later than April 1
of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the contract owner (or
plan participant) reaches age 70 1/2. For IRAs described in Section 408,
distributions generally must commence no later than the later of April 1 of the
calendar year following the calendar year in which the contract owner (or plan
participant) reaches age 70 1/2. Roth IRAs under Section 408A do not require
distributions at any time before the contract owner's death.

WITHHOLDING. Distributions from certain qualified plans generally are
subject to withholding for the contract owner's federal income tax liability.
The withholding rates vary according to the type of distribution and the
contract owner's tax status. The contract owner may be provided the opportunity
to elect not to have tax withheld from distributions. "Eligible rollover
distributions" from section 401(a) plans and section 403(b) tax-sheltered
annuities are subject to a mandatory federal income tax withholding of 20%. An
eligible rollover distribution is the taxable portion of any distribution from
such a plan, except certain distributions that are required by the Code or
distributions in a specified annuity form. The 20% withholding does not apply,
however, if the contract owner chooses a "direct rollover" from the plan to
another tax-qualified plan or IRA.

Brief descriptions of the various types of qualified retirement plans in
connection with a Contract follow. We will endorse the Contract as necessary to
conform it to the requirements of such plan.

CORPORATE AND SELF-EMPLOYED PENSION AND PROFIT SHARING PLANS
Section 401(a) of the Code permits corporate employers to establish various
types of retirement plans for employees, and permits self-employed individuals
to establish these plans for themselves and their employees. These retirement
plans may permit the purchaser of the Contracts to accumulate retirement

33
<PAGE>

savings under the plans. Adverse tax or other legal consequences to the plan, to
the participant, or to both may result if this Contract is assigned or
transferred to any individual as a means to provide benefit payments, unless the
plan complies with all legal requirements applicable to such benefits before
transfer of the Contract. Employers intending to use the Contract with such
plans should seek competent advice.

INDIVIDUAL RETIREMENT ANNUITIES
Section 408 of the Code permits eligible individuals to contribute to an
individual retirement program known as an "Individual Retirement Annuity" or
"IRA." These IRAs are subject to limits on the amount that can be contributed,
the deductible amount of the contribution, the persons who may be eligible, and
the time when distributions commence. Also, distributions from certain other
types of qualified retirement plans may be "rolled over" or transferred on a
tax-deferred basis into an IRA. There are significant restrictions on rollover
or transfer contributions from Savings Incentive Match Plans (SIMPLE), under
which certain employers may provide contributions to IRAs on behalf of their
employees, subject to special restrictions. Employers may establish Simplified
Employee Pension (SEP) Plans to provide IRA contributions on behalf of their
employees. Sales of the Contract for use with IRAs may be subject to special
requirements of the IRS.

ROTH IRA
Section 408A of the Code permits certain eligible individuals to contribute to a
Roth IRA. Contributions to a Roth IRA, which are subject to certain limitations,
are not deductible, and must be made in cash or as a rollover or transfer from
another Roth IRA or other IRA. A rollover from or conversion of an IRA to a Roth
IRA may be subject to tax, and other special rules may apply. Distributions from
a Roth IRA generally are not taxed, except that, once aggregate distributions
exceed contributions to the Roth IRA, income tax and a 10% penalty tax may apply
to distributions made (1) before age 59 1/2 (subject to certain exceptions) or
(2) during the five taxable years starting with the year in which the first
contribution is made to the Roth IRA. A 10% penalty may apply to amounts
attributable to a conversion from an IRA if they are distributed during the five
taxable years beginning with the year in which the conversion was made.

TAX SHELTERED ANNUITIES
Section 403(b) of the Code allows employees of certain Section 501(c)(3)
organizations and public schools to exclude from their gross income the premium
payments made, within certain limits, on a Contract that will provide an annuity
for the employee's retirement. These premium payments may be subject to FICA
(Social Security) tax. Distributions of (1) salary reduction contributions made
in years beginning after December 31, 1988; (2) earnings on those contributions;
and (3) earnings on amounts held as of the last year beginning before January 1,
1989, are not allowed prior to age 59 1/2, separation from service, death or
disability. Salary reduction contributions may also be distributed upon
hardship, but would generally be subject to penalties.

ENHANCED DEATH BENEFIT
The Contract includes an enhanced death benefit that in some cases may exceed
the greater of the premium payments or the account value. The IRS has not ruled
whether an enhanced death benefit could be characterized as an incidental
benefit, the amount of which is limited in any Code section 401(a) pension or
profit-sharing plan or Code section 403(b) tax-sheltered annuity. Because the
enhanced death benefit may exceed this limitation, employers using the Contract
in connection with such plans should consult their tax adviser. Further, the IRS
has not reviewed the Contract for qualification as an IRA or Roth IRA, and has
not addressed in a ruling of general applicability whether a death benefit
provision such as the enhanced death benefit provision in the Contract comports
with IRA qualification requirements.

OTHER TAX CONSEQUENCES
As noted above, the foregoing comments about the federal tax consequences under
the Contracts are not exhaustive, and special rules are provided with respect to
other tax situations not discussed in this prospectus. Further, the federal
income tax consequences discussed herein reflect our understanding of current
law, and the law may change. Federal estate and state and local estate,
inheritance and other tax consequences of ownership or receipt of distributions
under a Contract depend on the individual

34
<PAGE>

circumstances of each contract owner or recipient of the distribution. A
competent tax adviser should be consulted for further information.

POSSIBLE CHANGES IN TAXATION
Although the likelihood of legislative change is uncertain, there is always the
possibility that the tax treatment of the Contracts could change by legislation
or other means. It is also possible that any change could be retroactive (that
is, effective before the date of the change). You should consult a tax adviser
with respect to legislative developments and their effect on the Contract.

<PAGE>
This page intentionally left blank
<PAGE>

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ITEM PAGE
Company.............................................................. 1
Experts.............................................................. 1
Legal Opinions....................................................... 1
Distributor.......................................................... 1
Yield Calculations for the Money Market Subaccounts.................. 1
Performance Information.............................................. 2
Annuity Provisions................................................... 5
Financial Statements................................................. 5

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

PLEASE TEAR OFF, COMPLETE AND RETURN THE FORM BELOW TO ORDER A FREE STATEMENT OF
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR THE CONTRACTS OFFERED UNDER THE PROSPECTUS. ADDRESS
THE FORM TO OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER; THE ADDRESS IS SHOWN ON THE COVER.

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

PLEASE SEND ME A FREE COPY OF THE STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR
SEPARATE ACCOUNT A.

Please Print or Type:

--------------------------------------------------
NAME

--------------------------------------------------
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER

--------------------------------------------------
STREET ADDRESS

--------------------------------------------------
CITY, STATE, ZIP

106964 5/00

37
<PAGE>

This page intentionally left blank.

<PAGE>

APPENDIX A

CONDENSED FINANCIAL INFORMATION

The following tables give (1) the accumulation unit value ("AUV"), (2) the total
number of accumulation units, and (3) the total accumulation unit value, for
each subaccount of Equitable of Iowa Separate Account A available under the
Contract for the indicated periods. The date on which the subaccount became
available to investors and the starting accumulation unit value are indicated on
the last row of each table.

LIQUID ASSET

TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- ------------------------------------------------------------
1999 $14.79 3,594,772 $ 53,181
1998 14.33 2,338,381 33,498
8/17/98 14.14 -- --
- ------------------------------------------------------------

LIMITED MATURITY BOND

TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- ------------------------------------------------------------
1999 $16.72 2,225,953 $ 37,221
1998 16.77 2,627,993 44,068
8/17/98 16.41 -- --
- ------------------------------------------------------------

GLOBAL FIXED INCOME

TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- ------------------------------------------------------------
1999 $11.79 767,498 $ 9,051
1998 13.09 946,714 12,391
1997 11.87 1,003,152 11,905
1996 11.96 705,870 8,440
1995 11.55 311,689 3,500
1994 10.06 5,098 51,288
10/7/94 10.00 -- --
- ------------------------------------------------------------

A1
<PAGE>

FULLY MANAGED

TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- ------------------------------------------------------------
1999 $21.65 763,935 $ 16,537
1998 20.53 779,994 16,015
1997 19.66 430,012 8,456
2/3/97 17.40 -- --
- ------------------------------------------------------------

TOTAL RETURN

TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- ------------------------------------------------------------
1999 $18.06 11,904,760 $ 214,998
1998 17.72 12,496,442 221,408
1997 16.10 9,244,077 148,852
1996 13.51 4,354,338 58,835
1995 12.05 1,312,565 15,822
1994 9.81 33,106 325
10/7/94 10.00 -- --
- ------------------------------------------------------------

EQUITY INCOME

TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- ------------------------------------------------------------
1999 $21.47 128,090 $ 2,751
1998 21.94 43,654 958
6/1/98 21.36 -- --
- ------------------------------------------------------------

VALUE EQUITY

TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- ------------------------------------------------------------
1999 $18.14 83,288 $ 1,512
1998 18.31 13,489 247
6/1/98 18.81 -- --
- ------------------------------------------------------------

A2
<PAGE>

RISING DIVIDENDS

TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- ------------------------------------------------------------
1999 $25.83 2,969,233 $ 76,703
1998 22.61 2,936,233 66,385
1997 20.09 1,561,703 31,375
2/3/97 16.36 -- --
- ------------------------------------------------------------

RESEARCH

TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- ------------------------------------------------------------
1999 $28.04 13,175,523 $ 369,426
1998 22.89 14,188,466 324,775
1997 18.87 10,840,733 204,520
1996 15.93 4,845,240 77,175
1995 13.10 1,255,752 16,447
1994 9.72 69,177 672
10/7/94 10.00 -- --
- ------------------------------------------------------------

CAPITAL APPRECIATION

TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- ------------------------------------------------------------
1999 $30.11 118,847 $ 3,579
1998 24.50 68,343 1,674
6/1/98 23.72 -- --
- ------------------------------------------------------------

CAPITAL GROWTH

TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- ------------------------------------------------------------
1999 $21.06 6,297,934 $ 132,629
1998 17.01 6,865,903 116,791
1997 15.41 5,699,245 87,808
1996 12.49 2,228,888 27,830
4/1/96 10.00 -- --
- ------------------------------------------------------------

A3
<PAGE>

STRATEGIC EQUITY

TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- ------------------------------------------------------------
1999 $21.92 259,811 $ 5,696
1998 14.23 12,125 173
6/1/98 15.03 -- --
- ------------------------------------------------------------

MID-CAP GROWTH

TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- ------------------------------------------------------------
1999 $39.59 5,971,804 $ 236,452
1998 22.43 5,924,179 132,856
1997 18.52 4,824,991 89,357
1996 15.70 2,602,724 40,853
1995 13.21 759,597 10,037
1994 10.35 63,781 660
10/7/94 10.00 -- --
- ------------------------------------------------------------

SMALL CAP

TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- ------------------------------------------------------------
1999 $22.82 1,648,148 $ 37,613
1998 15.37 1,310,457 20,138
1997 12.88 885,024 11,401
2/3/97 11.98 -- --
- ------------------------------------------------------------

GROWTH

TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- ------------------------------------------------------------
1999 $28.62 6,813,659 $ 195,012
1998 16.29 5,276,364 85,977
1997 13.03 4,326,368 56,374
1996 11.42 1,238,349 14,136
4/1/96 10.00 -- --
- ------------------------------------------------------------

A4
<PAGE>

REAL ESTATE

TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- ------------------------------------------------------------
1999 $20.62 35,911 $ 741
1998 21.74 11,546 252
6/1/98 24.06 -- --
- ------------------------------------------------------------

HARD ASSETS

TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- ------------------------------------------------------------
1999 $17.37 54,852 $ 955
1998 14.28 23,848 341
6/1/98 18.34 -- --
- ------------------------------------------------------------

DEVELOPING WORLD

TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- ------------------------------------------------------------
1999 $11.61 414,703 $ 4,815
1998 7.28 81,839 596
2/19/98 10.00 -- --
- ------------------------------------------------------------

WARBURG PINCUS INTERNATIONAL
EQUITY PORTFOLIO

TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- ------------------------------------------------------------
1999 $15.57 3,737,373 $ 58,172
1998 10.29 4,170,018 42,903
1997 9.90 3,908,832 38,713
1996 10.28 2,026,704 20,825
4/1/96 10.00 -- --
- ------------------------------------------------------------

A5
<PAGE>

PIMCO HIGH YIELD BOND

TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- ------------------------------------------------------------
1999 $10.24 429,523 $ 4,398
1998 10.08 200,928 2,025
6/1/98 10.00 -- --
- ------------------------------------------------------------

PIMCO STOCKSPLUS GROWTH
AND INCOME

TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- ------------------------------------------------------------
1999 $13.13 621,031 $ 8,154
1998 11.11 573,722 6,377
6/1/98 9.59 -- --
- ------------------------------------------------------------

A6
<PAGE>

APPENDIX B

SURRENDER CHARGE FOR EXCESS WITHDRAWALS EXAMPLE

The following assumes you made an initial premium payment of $25,000 and
additional premium payments of $25,000 in each of the second and third contract
years, for total premium payments under the Contract of $75,000. It also assumes
a withdrawal at the beginning of the fifth contract year of 30% of the contract
value of $90,000. In this example, $22,500 (sum of $15,000 earnings and $75,000
x .10) is the maximum free withdrawal amount that you may withdraw during the
contract year without a surrender charge. The total withdrawal would be $27,000
($90,000 x .30). Therefore, $4,500 ($27,000 - $22,500) is considered an excess
withdrawal of a part of the initial premium payment of $25,000 and would be
subject to a 4% surrender charge of $180 ($4,500 x .04).

B1
<PAGE>

EQUITABLE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF IOWA
Equitable Life Insurance Company of Iowa is a stock company domiciled in Iowa

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

106964 5/00

<PAGE>
<PAGE>
File Nos. 33-79170, 811-8524
Filed under Rule 497(c)

EQUITABLE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF IOWA
SEPARATE ACCOUNT A OF EQUITABLE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF IOWA

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PROFILE OF
PRIMELITE
INDIVIDUAL FLEXIBLE PREMIUM DEFERRED
VARIABLE ANNUITY CONTRACT
MAY 1, 2000
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This Profile is a summary of some of the more important points that
you should know and consider before purchasing the Contract. The
Contract is more fully described in the full prospectus which
accompanies this Profile. Please read the prospectus carefully.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. THE ANNUITY CONTRACT
The Contract offered in this prospectus is an individual flexible premium
deferred variable annuity contract between you and Equitable Life Insurance
Company of Iowa ("Equitable Life," "we," "us" or the "Company"). The Contract
provides a means for you to invest on a tax-deferred basis in one or more of 13
mutual fund investment portfolios through our Separate Account A listed under
Item 4. Keep in mind that you can lose or not make any money.

PRIMELITE PROFILE PROSPECTUS BEGINS AFTER
PAGE 7 OF THIS PROFILE
<PAGE>

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ANNUAL OPTIONS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLAN A. INTEREST
Option 1 The contract value, less any applicable taxes not previously
deducted, may be left on deposit with the Company for five (5)
years. We will make fixed payments monthly, quarterly,
semi-annually or annually. We do not make monthly payments if the
contract value applied to this option is less than $100,000. You
may not withdraw the proceeds until the end of the five (5) year
period.

The contract value, less any applicable taxes not previously
deducted, will be paid until the proceeds, plus interest, are
paid in full. Payments may be paid annually or monthly for a
period of not more than thirty (30) years nor less than five (5)
years. The Contract provides for a table of minimum annual
payments. They are based on the age of the annuitant or the
beneficiary.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLAN C. LIFE INCOME

The contract value less any applicable taxes not previously
deducted will be paid in monthly or annual payments for as long
as the annuitant or beneficiary, whichever is appropriate, lives.
We have the right to require proof satisfactory to it of the age
and sex of such person and proof of continuing survival of such
person. A minimum number of payments may be guaranteed, if
desired. The Contract provides for a table of minimum annual
payments. They are based on the age of the annuitant or the
beneficiary.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We will issue a Contract only if both the annuitant and the contract owner are
not older than age 85.

2 PRIMELITE PROFILE
<PAGE>

4. THE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIOS
You can direct your money into any one or more of the following 13 mutual fund
investment portfolios through our Separate Account A. The investment portfolios
are described in the prospectuses for the GCG Trust, Travelers Series Fund Inc.,
Greenwich Street Series Fund and Smith Barney Concert Allocation Series Inc. If
you invest in any of the following investment portfolios, depending on market
conditions, you may make or lose money:

THE GCG TRUST
Total Return Series
Research Series
Mid-Cap Growth Series

TRAVELERS SERIES FUND INC.
Smith Barney Large Cap Value Portfolio
Smith Barney International Equity Portfolio
Smith Barney High Income Portfolio
Smith Barney Money Market Portfolio

GREENWICH STREET SERIES FUND
Appreciation Portfolio

SMITH BARNEY CONCERT ALLOCATION SERIES INC.
Select High Growth Portfolio
Select Growth Portfolio
Select Balanced Portfolio
Select Conservative Portfolio
Select Income Portfolio

Mortality & Expense Risk Charge............................ 1.25%
Asset-Based Administrative Charge.......................... 0.15%
-----
Total................................................... 1.40%

Each investment portfolio has charges for investment management fees and other
expenses. These charges, which vary by investment portfolio, currently range
from 0.54% to 1.20% annually (see table below) of the portfolio's average daily
net asset balance.

If you withdraw money from your Contract, or if you begin receiving annuity
payments, we may deduct a premium tax of 0%-3.5% to pay to your state.

At any time you may make a withdrawal, without the imposition of a surrender
charge, of an amount equal to the sum of:

(1) earnings (contract value less unliquidated premium payments not
withdrawn);

(2) payments in the Contract for more than eight years; and

3 PRIMELITE PROFILE
<PAGE>

(3) an amount which is equal to 10% of the payments in the Contract for
less than eight years, fixed at the time of the first withdrawal in
the contract year, plus 10% of the payments made after the first
withdrawal in the contract year but before the next contract
anniversary, less any withdrawals in the same Contract year of
payments less than eight years old.

The following table shows the schedule of the surrender charge that will apply.
The surrender charge is a percent of each premium payment.

COMPLETE YEARS ELAPSED 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
SINCE PREMIUM PAYMENT

SURRENDER CHARGE 8% 7% 6% 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% 0%

The following table is designed to help you understand the Contract charges. The
"Total Annual Insurance Charges" column includes the maximum mortality and
expense risk charge, the asset-based administrative charge, and reflects the
annual contract administrative charge as 0.07% (based on an average contract
value of $45,000). The "Total Annual Investment Portfolio Charges" column
reflects the portfolio charges for each portfolio and are based on actual
expenses as of December 31, 1999 for the GCG Trust and the Greenwich Street
Series Fund; as of January 31, 2000 for the Concert Allocation Series Inc.; and
as of October 31, 1999 for the Travelers Series Fund Inc. The column "Total
Annual Charges" reflects the sum of the previous two columns. The columns under
the heading "Examples" show you how much you would pay under the Contract for a
1-year period and for a 10-year period.

4 PRIMELITE PROFILE
<PAGE>

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL ANNUAL EXAMPLES:
TOTAL ANNUAL INVESTMENT TOTAL TOTAL CHARGES AT THE END OF:
INSURANCE PORTFOLIO ANNUAL -----------------------------
INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO CHARGES CHARGES CHARGES 1 YEAR 10 YEARS
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE GCG TRUST
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Total Return 1.47% 0.91% 2.38% $104 $ 272
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Research 1.47% 0.91% 2.38% $104 $ 272
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mid-Cap Growth 1.47% 0.91% 2.38% $104 $ 272

TRAVELERS SERIES
FUND INC.
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Smith Barney Large Cap Value 1.47% 0.67% 2.14% $102 $ 247
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Smith Barney International
Equity 1.47% 1.00% 2.47% $105 $ 281
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Smith Barney High Income 1.47% 0.66% 2.13% $102 $ 246
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Smith Barney Money Market 1.47% 0.54% 2.01% $100 $ 234

GREENWICH STREET SERIES
FUND
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Appreciation 1.47% 0.79% 2.26% $103 $ 260
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SMITH BARNEY CONCERT
ALLOCATION SERIES INC.

Select High Growth 1.47% 1.20% 2.67% $107 $ 300
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Select Growth 1.47% 1.13% 2.60% $106 $ 293
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Select Balanced 1.47% 1.07% 2.54% $106 $ 288
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Select Conservative 1.47% 1.07% 2.54% $106 $ 288
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Select Income 1.47% 1.02% 2.49% $105 $ 283
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

The examples above reflect an 8% surrender charge for Year 1. For more detailed
information, see the fee table in the prospectus for the Contract.

7. WITHDRAWALS
You can withdraw your money at any time during the accumulation phase. You may
elect in advance to take systematic withdrawals which are described on page 7.
Withdrawals above earnings and the free withdrawal amount may be subject to a
surrender charge. Income tax and a penalty tax may apply to amounts withdrawn.

5 PRIMELITE PROFILE
<PAGE>

These numbers reflect the deduction of the mortality and expense risk charge,
the asset-based administrative charge and the annual contract fee, but do not
reflect deductions for any surrender charges. Please keep in mind that past
performance is not a guarantee of future results.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FISCAL YEARS
INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Managed by Massachusetts Financial Services Company***
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Mid-Cap Growth 76.48% 21.02% 17.91% 18.72% 27.59%
Research 22.42% 21.26% 18.37% 21.54% 34.63%
Total Return 1.86% 9.96% 19.10% 12.02% 22.74%
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Managed by SSB Citi Fund Management LLC**
Smith Barney Large Cap Value -1.45% 8.22% 24.78% 17.98% --
Smith Barney International Equity 65.32% 4.95% 1.20% 15.05% --
Smith Barney High Income 1.06% -1.04% 12.19% 11.50% --
Smith Barney Money Market 3.21% 3.52% 3.56% 3.38% --
Appreciation 11.44% 17.41% 24.55% 12.38% --
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Managed by Travelers Investment Adviser, Inc.*
Select High Growth 25.00% 13.69% -- -- --
Select Growth 14.42% 12.29% -- -- --
Select Balanced 5.95% 7.93% -- -- --
Select Conservative 2.58% 4.61% -- -- --
Select Income -0.86% 4.03% -- -- --
- ----------------------
</TABLE>

* Year Ended January 31, 2000

** Year Ended October 31, 1999 for all portfolios except the Appreciation
Portfolio, whose average annual total return is based on a December 31,
1999 fiscal year end.

*** Year Ended December 31, 1999

9. DEATH BENEFIT
We will pay a death benefit if the annuitant dies before the annuity start date.
Assuming you are the annuitant, your beneficiary will receive a death benefit
unless the beneficiary is your surviving spouse and elects to continue the
Contract. The death benefit value is calculated at the close of the business day
on which we receive written notice and due proof of death, as well as properly
completed required claim forms, at our Customer Service Center and the
beneficiary's election regarding payment. If the beneficiary elects to delay
receipt of the death benefit now, the amount of the benefit payable in the
future may be affected. The proceeds may be received in a single sum or applied
to any of the annuity options within one year of death. If we do not receive a
request to apply the death benefit proceeds to an annuity option, we will make a
single sum distribution. We will generally pay death benefit proceeds within 7
days after our Customer Service Center has received sufficient information to
make the payment.

The death benefit may be subject to certain mandatory distribution rules
required by federal tax law.

DEATH PROCEEDS
If the annuitant is AGE 67 OR YOUNGER at the time of purchase, the death benefit
is the greatest of:

(1) the contract value;

(2) the total premium payments made under the Contract after subtracting
any withdrawals; or

If the annuitant is BETWEEN THE AGES OF 68 AND 75 at the time of purchase, the
death benefit is the greatest of:

6 PRIMELITE PROFILE
<PAGE>

(1) the contract value;

(2) the total premium payments made under the Contract after subtracting
any withdrawals; or

(3) The contract value (plus subsequent premiums less subsequent
withdrawals) determined on the 8th contract anniversary but on or
before your death.

If the annuitant is AGE 76 OR OLDER at the time of purchase, the death benefit
is the contract value.

Note: In all cases described above, amounts could be reduced by premium taxes
owed and withdrawals not previously deducted.

If the owner or annuitant dies after the annuity start date, we will continue to
pay benefits in accordance with the supplemental agreement in effect.

10. OTHER INFORMATION
FREE LOOK. If you cancel the Contract within 10 days after you receive it,
you will receive a full refund of your contract value. For purposes of the
refund during the free look period, your contract value includes a refund of any
charges deducted from your contract value. Because of the market risks
associated with investing in the portfolios, the contract value returned may be
greater or less than the premium payment you paid. Some states require us to
return to you the amount of the paid premium (rather than the contract value) in
which case you will not be subject to investment risk during the free look
period. Also, in some states, you may be entitled to a longer free look period.
We determine your contract value at the close of business on the day we receive
your written refund request.

Transfers will be based on values at the end of the business day in which the
transfer request is received at our Customer Service Center.

The minimum amount that you may transfer is $100 or, if less, your entire
contract value.

NO PROBATE. In most cases, when you die, the person you choose as your
beneficiary will receive the death benefit without going through probate. See
"Federal Tax Considerations--Taxation of Death Benefit Proceeds" in the
prospectus for the Contract.

7 PRIMELITE PROFILE
<PAGE>

ADDITIONAL FEATURES. This Contract has other features that may interest
you. These include:

Automatic Rebalancing. If your contract value is $25,000 or more, you
may elect to have the Company automatically readjust the money between your
investment portfolios periodically to keep the blend you select.
Investments in the fixed account are not eligible for automatic
rebalancing. However, we reserve the right to offer the program on
contracts with a lesser amount.

11. INQUIRIES
If you need more information after reading this prospectus, please contact us
at:

CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER
P.O. BOX 2700
WEST CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA 19380
(800) 366-0066

or your registered representative.

8 PRIMELITE PROFILE
<PAGE>

This page intentionally left blank.

<PAGE>

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EQUITABLE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF IOWA
SEPARATE ACCOUNT A OF EQUITABLE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF IOWA

MAY 1, 2000
INDIVIDUAL FLEXIBLE PREMIUM
DEFERRED VARIABLE ANNUITY
PRIMELITE
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This prospectus describes an Individual Flexible Premium Deferred Variable
Contract (the "Contract") offered by Equitable Life Insurance Company of Iowa
("Equitable Life," the "Company," "we" or "our"). The Contract is available in
connection with certain retirement plans that qualify for special federal income
tax treatment ("qualified Contracts") as well as those that do not qualify for
such treatment ("non-qualified Contracts").

The Contract provides a means for you to invest your premium payments in one or
more of 13 mutual fund investment portfolios. Your contract value will vary
daily to reflect the investment performance of the investment portfolio(s) you
select. The investment portfolios available under your Contract and the
portfolio managers are:

MASSACHUSETTS FINANCIAL SERVICES
COMPANY
Total Return Series
Research Series
Mid-Cap Growth Series

TRAVELERS INVESTMENT ADVISER, INC.
Select High Growth Portfolio
Select Growth Portfolio
Select Balanced Portfolio
Select Conservative Portfolio
Select Income Portfolio

SSB CITI FUND MANAGEMENT LLC
Smith Barney Large Cap Value Portfolio
Smith Barney International Equity Portfolio
Smith Barney High Income Portfolio
Smith Barney Money Market Portfolio
Appreciation Portfolio

The above mutual fund investment portfolios are purchased and held by
corresponding divisions of our Separate Account A. We refer to the divisions as
"subaccounts."

For Contracts sold in some states, not all subaccounts are available. The
prospectuses of the GCG Trust, Travelers Series Fund, Inc., Greenwich Street
Series Fund and Smith Barney Concert Allocation Series Inc. may contain
portfolios not currently available in connection with your Contract. You have
the right to return the Contract within 10 days after you receive it for a full
refund of the contract value (which may be more or less than the premium
payments you paid), or if required by your state, the original amount of your
premium payment. Longer free look periods apply in some states.

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION HAS NOT APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THESE
SECURITIES OR PASSED UPON THE ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO
THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

AN INVESTMENT IN THE GCG TRUST, TRAVELERS SERIES FUND INC., GREENWICH STREET
SERIES FUND AND SMITH BARNEY CONCERT ALLOCATION SERIES INC. IS NOT A BANK
DEPOSIT AND IS NOT INSURED OR GUARANTEED BY THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE
CORPORATION OR ANY OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCY.

THIS PROSPECTUS MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A CURRENT PROSPECTUS FOR THE GCG TRUST,
TRAVELERS SERIES FUND INC., GREENWICH STREET SERIES FUND AND SMITH BARNEY
CONCERT ALLOCATION SERIES INC.

<PAGE>

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PAGE

Index of Special Terms.................................................. 1
Fees and Expenses....................................................... 2
Performance Information................................................. 5
Accumulation Unit................................................... 5
Net Investment Factor............................................... 5
Condensed Financial Information..................................... 5
Financial Statements................................................ 5
Performance Information............................................. 5
Equitable Insurance Company of Iowa..................................... 6
The Trusts.............................................................. 7
Equitable Insurance Company of Iowa Separate Account A.................. 7
The Investment Portfolios............................................... 8
Investment Objectives............................................... 8
Investment Management Fees and Other Expenses....................... 9
The Annuity Contract.................................................... 10
Contract Date and Contract Year .................................... 10
Annuity Start Date.................................................. 10
Contract Owner...................................................... 11
Annuitant........................................................... 11
Beneficiary......................................................... 11
Purchase and Availability of the Contract........................... 11
Crediting of Premium Payments....................................... 12
Administrative Procedures........................................... 12
Contract Value...................................................... 12
Cash Surrender Value................................................ 13
Surrendering to Receive the Cash Surrender Value.................... 13
The Subaccounts..................................................... 13
Addition, Deletion or Substitution of Subaccounts and Other Changes. 13
Other Important Provisions.......................................... 14
Withdrawals............................................................. 14
Regular Withdrawals................................................. 14
Systematic Withdrawals.............................................. 14
IRA Withdrawals..................................................... 15
Texas Optional Retirement Program................................... 15
Reduction or Elimination of the Withdrawal Charge................... 16
Transfers Among Your Investments........................................ 16
Dollar Cost Averaging............................................... 16
Automatic Rebalancing............................................... 17
Death Benefit........................................................... 18
Death Benefit During the Accumulation Phase......................... 18
Death Proceeds.................................................. 18
Death of the Annuitant.......................................... 19
Death of Owner.................................................. 19
Trust Beneficiary............................................... 19
Required Distribution upon Contract Owner's Death................... 19

i
<PAGE>

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PAGE
Charges and Fees........................................................ 20
Charges Deducted from the Contract Value............................ 20
Surrender Charge................................................ 21
Free Withdrawal Amount.......................................... 21
Surrender Charge for Excess Withdrawals......................... 21
Premium Taxes................................................... 21
Administrative Charge........................................... 21
Transfer Charge................................................. 21
Charges Deducted from the Subaccounts............................... 22
Mortality and Expense Risk Charge............................... 22
Asset-Based Administrative Charge............................... 22
Trust Expenses...................................................... 22
The Annuity Options..................................................... 22
Selecting the Annuity Start Date.................................... 22
Selecting a Payment Plan............................................ 23
Fixed Payment Plans................................................. 23
Other Contract Provisions............................................... 24
Reports to Contract Owners.......................................... 24
Suspension of Payments.............................................. 24
In Case of Errors in Your Application............................... 25
Assigning the Contract as Collateral................................ 25
Contract Changes-Applicable Tax Law................................. 25
Free Look........................................................... 25
Group or Sponsored Arrangements..................................... 25
Selling the Contract................................................ 25
Other Information....................................................... 26
Voting Rights....................................................... 26
State Regulation.................................................... 26
Legal Proceedings................................................... 26
Legal Matters....................................................... 26
Experts............................................................. 26
Federal Tax Considerations.............................................. 27
Statement of Additional Information
Table of Contents................................................... 30

Appendix A
Condensed Financial Information..................................... A1
Appendix B
Surrender Charges for Excess Withdrawals Example.................... B1

ii
<PAGE>

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INDEX OF SPECIAL TERMS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The following special terms are used throughout this prospectus. Refer to the
page(s) listed for an explanation of each term:

SPECIAL TERM PAGE
Accumulation Unit 5
Annuitant 11
Annuity Options 22
Annuity Start Date 10
Cash Surrender Value 13
Contract Date 10
Contract Owner 11
Contract Value 12
Contract Year 10
Free Withdrawal Amount 21
Net Investment Factor 5
Death Benefit 18

The following terms as used in this prospectus have the same or substituted
meanings as the corresponding terms currently used in the Contract:

1
<PAGE>

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FEES AND EXPENSES
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONTRACT OWNER TRANSACTION EXPENSES

COMPLETE YEARS ELAPSED 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
SINCE PREMIUM PAYMENT

SURRENDER CHARGE 8% 7% 6% 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% 0%

TRANSFER CHARGE

There is no charge for the first 12 transfers in a Contract Year;
thereafter the fee is the lesser of 2% of the Contract value transferred or
$25.

ANNUAL CONTRACT ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGE

Administrative Charge.......................................... $30

SEPARATE ACCOUNT ANNUAL CHARGES*

Mortality and Expense Risk Charge........................ 1.25%
Asset-Based Administrative Charge........................ 0.15%
-----
Total Separate Account Charges........................... 1.40%
* As a percentage of average assets in each subaccount.

THE GCG TRUST ANNUAL EXPENSES (as a percentage of the average daily net assets
of a portfolio):

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MANAGEMENT OTHER TOTAL
PORTFOLIO FEE(1) EXPENSES(2) EXPENSES(3)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Return 0.91% 0.00% 0.91%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Research 0.91% 0.00% 0.91%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mid-Cap Growth 0.91% 0.00% 0.91%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(1) Fees decline as the total assets of certain combined portfolios
increase. See the prospectus for the GCG Trust for more information.

(3) Total Expenses are based on actual expenses for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 1999.

TRAVELERS SERIES FUND ANNUAL EXPENSES (as a percentage of the average daily net
assets of the portfolio):

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MANAGEMENT OTHER TOTAL
PORTFOLIO FEE EXPENSES(1) EXPENSES
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Smith Barney Large Cap Value 0.65% 0.02% 0.67%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Smith Barney International Equity 0.90% 0.10% 1.00%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Smith Barney High Income 0.60% 0.06% 0.66%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Smith Barney Money Market 0.50% 0.04% 0.54%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(1) Other expenses are based on actual expenses for the fiscal year ended
October 31, 1999.

2
<PAGE>

GREENWICH STREET SERIES FUND ANNUAL EXPENSES (as a percentage of the average
daily net assets of the portfolio):

(1) Other expenses are based on actual expenses for the year ended
December 31, 1999.

SMITH BARNEY CONCERT ALLOCATION SERIES INC. ANNUAL EXPENSES (as a percentage of
the average daily net assets of the portfolio):

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MANAGEMENT OTHER TOTAL
PORTFOLIO FEE EXPENSES(1) EXPENSES
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Smith Barney Select High Growth 0.35% 0.85% 1.20%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Smith Barney Select Growth 0.35% 0.78% 1.13%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Smith Barney Select Balanced 0.35% 0.72% 1.07%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Smith Barney Select Conservative 0.35% 0.72% 1.07%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Smith Barney Select Income 0.35% 0.67% 1.02%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(1) Other expenses are based on a weighted average of the expense ratios
of the underlying funds in which a particular portfolio was invested
on January 31, 2000. The expense ratios for the underlying funds are
based on actual expense for each fund's Class Y shares as of the end
of such fund's most recent fiscal year.

Premium taxes (which currently range from 0% to 3.5% of premium payments) may
apply, but are not reflected in the tables above or in the examples below.

3
<PAGE>

EXAMPLES:
The following examples are based on an assumed 5% annual return.

If you surrender your contract at the end of the applicable time period, or if
you choose Payment Plan A - Option 2, you would pay the following expenses for
each $1,000 invested:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
THE GCG TRUST 1 YEAR 3 YEARS 5 YEARS 10 YEARS
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Total Return.................... $104 $ 128 $ 163 $ 272
Research........................ $104 $ 128 $ 163 $ 272
Mid-Cap Growth.................. $104 $ 128 $ 163 $ 272

TRAVELERS SERIES FUND INC.
Smith Barney Large Cap Value.... $102 $ 121 $ 151 $ 247
Smith Barney International Equity $105 $ 131 $ 168 $ 281
Smith Barney High Income........ $102 $ 121 $ 150 $ 246
Smith Barney Money Market....... $100 $ 117 $ 144 $ 234

GREENWICH STREET SERIES FUND
Appreciation.................... $103 $ 125 $ 157 $ 260

SMITH BARNEY CONCERT
ALLOCATION SERIES INC.
Select High Growth.............. $107 $ 137 $ 177 $ 300
Select Growth................... $106 $ 135 $ 174 $ 293
Select Balanced................. $106 $ 133 $ 171 $ 288
Select Conservative............. $106 $ 133 $ 171 $ 288
Select Income................... $105 $ 132 $ 169 $ 283
</TABLE>

If you do not surrender your Contract or if you annuitize on the annuity start
date under a payment plan other than Plan A, Option 2, you would pay the
following expenses for each $1,000 invested:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
THE GCG TRUST 1 YEAR 3 YEARS 5 YEARS 10 YEARS
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Total Return.................... $ 24 $ 68 $ 123 $ 272
Research........................ $ 24 $ 68 $ 123 $ 272
Mid-Cap Growth.................. $ 24 $ 68 $ 123 $ 272

TRAVELERS SERIES FUND INC.
Smith Barney Large Cap Value.... $ 22 $ 61 $ 111 $ 247
Smith Barney International Equity $ 25 $ 71 $ 128 $ 281
Smith Barney High Income........ $ 22 $ 61 $ 110 $ 246
Smith Barney Money Market....... $ 20 $ 57 $ 104 $ 234

GREENWICH STREET SERIES FUND
Appreciation.................... $ 23 $ 65 $ 117 $ 260

SMITH BARNEY CONCERT
ALLOCATION SERIES INC.
Select High Growth.............. $ 27 $ 77 $ 137 $ 300
Select Growth................... $ 26 $ 75 $ 134 $ 293
Select Balanced................. $ 26 $ 73 $ 131 $ 288
Select Conservative............. $ 26 $ 73 $ 131 $ 288
Select Income................... $ 25 $ 72 $ 129 $ 283
</TABLE>

The examples above reflect the annual administrative charge as an annual charge
of 0.07% of assets (based on an average contract value of $45,000). Your charge
would be higher for smaller Contract values and lower for higher Contract
values. Premium taxes may apply and are not reflected in the example.

4
<PAGE>

THESE EXAMPLES SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A REPRESENTATION OF PAST OR FUTURE
EXPENSES. ACTUAL EXPENSES MAY BE GREATER OR LESS THAN THOSE SHOWN SUBJECT TO THE
TERMS OF YOUR CONTRACT.

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE NET INVESTMENT FACTOR
The Net Investment Factor is an index number which reflects charges under the
Contract and the investment performance of the subaccount. The Net Investment
Factor is calculated as follows:

(1) We take the net asset value of the subaccount at the end of each
business day.

(2) We add to (1) the amount of any dividend or capital gains distribution
declared for the subaccount and reinvested in such subaccount. We
subtract from that amount a charge for our taxes, if any.

(3) We divide (2) by the net asset value of the subaccount at the end of
the preceding business day.

(4) We then subtract the daily mortality and expense risk charge and the
daily asset-based administrative charge from each subaccount.

Calculations for the subaccount are made on a per share basis.

CONDENSED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Tables containing (i) the accumulation unit value history of each subaccount of
Account A available through the Contract, offered in this prospectus and (ii)
the total investment value history of each subaccount are presented in Appendix
A -- Condensed Financial Information.

Except for the Smith Barney Money Market subaccount, quotations of yield for the
subaccounts will be based on all investment income per unit (contract value
divided by the accumulation unit) earned during a given 30-day period, less
expenses accrued during such period. Information on standard total average
annual return performance will include average annual rates of total return for
1, 5 and 10 year periods, or lesser periods depending on how long the subaccount
of Account A has been in existence. We may show other total returns for periods
less than one year. Total return figures will be based on the actual historic
performance of the subaccounts of Account A, assuming an investment at the
beginning of the period, withdrawal of the investment at the end of the period,
and the deduction of all applicable portfolio and contract charges. We may also
show rates of total return on amounts invested at the beginning of the period
with no withdrawal

5
<PAGE>

at the end of the period. Total return figures which assume no withdrawals at
the end of the period will reflect all recurring charges, but will not reflect
the surrender charge. In addition, we may present historic performance data for
the mutual fund investment portfolios since their inception reduced by some or
all of the fees and charges under the Contract. Such adjusted historic
performance includes data that precedes the inception dates of the subaccounts
of Account A. This data is designed to show the performance that would have
resulted if the Contract had been in existence during that time.

Current yield for the Smith Barney Money Market subaccount is based on income
received by a hypothetical investment over a given 7-day period, less expenses
accrued, and then "annualized" (i.e., assuming that the 7-day yield would be
received for 52 weeks). We calculate "effective yield" for the Smith Barney
Money Market subaccount in a manner similar to that used to calculate yield, but
when annualized, the income earned by the investment is assumed to be
reinvested. The "effective yield" will thus be slightly higher than the "yield"
because of the compounding effect of earnings. We calculate quotations of yield
for the remaining subaccounts on all investment income per accumulation unit
earned during a given 30-day period, after subtracting fees and expenses accrued
during the period.

Equitable Life Insurance Company of Iowa ("Equitable Life") was founded in Iowa
in 1867 and is the oldest life insurance company west of the Mississippi. The
Company is currently licensed to do business in the District of Columbia and all
states except New Hampshire and New York. The Company is a wholly owned
subsidiary of Equitable of Iowa Companies, Inc. ("Equitable of Iowa"), a
Delaware corporation, which in turn is a wholly owned subsidiary of ING Groep
N.V. ("ING"). On October 24, 1997, ING acquired all interest in Equitable of
Iowa and its subsidiaries. ING, based in The Netherlands, is a global financial
services holding company.

Equitable of Iowa is the holding company for Golden American Life Insurance
Company, Directed Services, Inc., the investment manager of the GCG Trust, and
other interests. Equitable of Iowa and another ING affiliate own ING Investment
Management, LLC, a portfolio manager of the GCG Trust. ING also owns Baring
International Investment Limited, another portfolio manager of the GCG Trust.
Our principal office is located at 909 Locust Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50309.

Our administrative address is Customer Service, 1475 Dunwoody Drive, West
Chester, PA 19380. All correspondence regarding this contract should be mailed
to our administrative address.

6
<PAGE>

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE TRUSTS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In this prospectus, we refer to the GCG Trust, Travelers Series Fund Inc.,
Greenwich Street Series Fund and Smith Barney Concert Allocation Series
collectively as the "Trusts" and individually as a "Trust."

The GCG Trust is a mutual fund whose shares are available to separate accounts
funding variable annuity contracts offered by Equitable and other insurance
companies and variable life insurance policies offered by other insurance
companies. Pending SEC approval, shares of the GCG Trust may also be sold to
certain qualified pension and retirement plans.

The Travelers Series Fund Inc., Greenwich Street Series Fund and Smith Barney
Concert Allocation Series Inc. are also mutual funds whose shares are available
to Account A which funds variable insurance products offered by Equitable Life.
The Travelers Series Fund Inc., and Greenwich Street Series Fund shares may also
be available to other separate accounts funding variable insurance products
offered by Equitable Life. The Travelers Series Fund Inc., Greenwich Street
Series Fund and Smith Barney Concert Allocation Series Inc. may also sell their
shares to separate accounts of other insurance companies, both affiliated and
not affiliated with Equitable Life. The principal address of Travelers Series
Fund Inc., Greenwich Street Series Fund and Smith Barney Concert Allocation
Series is 388 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10013.

In the event that, due to differences in tax treatment or other considerations,
the interests of contract owners of various contracts participating in the
Trusts conflict, we, the Boards of Trustees of the GCG Trust, and Greenwich
Street Series Fund, the Boards of Directors of Travelers Series Fund Inc. and
Smith Barney Concert Allocation Series Inc., and the management of Directed
Services, Inc., and any other insurance companies participating in the Trusts
will monitor events to identify and resolve any material conflicts that may
arise.

YOU WILL FIND COMPLETE INFORMATION ABOUT THE GCG TRUST, TRAVELERS SERIES FUND
INC., GREENWICH STREET SERIES FUND AND SMITH BARNEY CONCERT ALLOCATION SERIES IN
THE ACCOMPANYING PROSPECTUS FOR EACH TRUST. YOU SHOULD READ THEM CAREFULLY
BEFORE INVESTING.

Equitable Life Insurance Company of Iowa Separate Account A ("Account A") was
established as a separate account of the Company on July 14, 1988. It is
registered with the SEC as a unit investment trust under the Investment Company
Act of 1940. Account A is a separate investment account used for our variable
annuity contracts. We own all the assets in Account A but such assets are kept
separate from our other accounts.

Account A is divided in subaccounts. Each subaccount invests exclusively in
shares of one mutual fund investment portfolio of the GCG Trust, Travelers
Series Fund Inc., Greenwich Street Series Fund and Smith Barney Concert
Allocation Series Inc. Each investment portfolio has its own distinct investment
objectives and policies. Income, gains and losses, realized or unrealized, of a
portfolio are credited to or charged against the corresponding subaccount of
Account A without regard to any other income, gains or losses of the Company.
Assets equal to the reserves and other contract liabilities with respect to each
are not chargeable with liabilities arising out of any other business of the
Company. They may, however, be subject to liabilities arising from subaccounts
whose assets we attribute to other variable annuity contracts supported by
Account A. If the assets in Account A exceed the required reserves and other
liabilities, we may transfer the excess to our general account. We are obligated
to pay all benefits and make all payments provided under the Contracts.

7
<PAGE>

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIOS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

During the accumulation phase, you may allocate your premium payments and
contract value to any of the investment portfolios listed below. YOU BEAR THE
ENTIRE INVESTMENT RISK FOR AMOUNTS YOU ALLOCATE TO THE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIOS AND
MAY LOSE YOUR PRINCIPAL.

TO OBTAIN FREE COPIES OF THESE PROSPECTUSES, PLEASE WRITE TO OUR CUSTOMER
SERVICE CENTER AT P.O. BOX 2700, WEST CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA 19380 OR CALL (800)
366-0066 OR ACCESS THE SEC'S WEBSITE (HTTP://WWW.SEC.GOV).

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Return Seeks above-average income (compared to a portfolio
entirely invested in equity securities) consistent with
the prudent employment of capital.

Invests primarily in a combination of equity and fixed
income securities.
--------------------------------------------------------
Research Seeks long-term growth of capital and future income.

Invests primarily in common stocks of U.S. companies
having market capitalization of at least $5 billion at
the time of investment.
--------------------------------------------------------
Smith Barney
International Equity Seeks total return on its assets from growth of capital
and income.

Invests primarily in a diversified portfolio of equity
securities of established non-U.S. issuers.
--------------------------------------------------------
Smith Barney High
Income Seeks high current income. Secondary objective: capital
appreciation.

Invests in high-yielding corporate debt obligations and
preferred stock of foreign issuers. In addition, the
portfolio may invest up to 20% of its assets in the
securities of foreign issuers that are denominated in
currencies other than U.S. dollars.
--------------------------------------------------------

8
<PAGE>

Invests in bank obligations and high quality commercial
paper, corporate obligations and municipal obligations
in addition to U.S. government securities and related
repurchase agreements.
--------------------------------------------------------
GREENWICH STREET SERIES FUND
Appreciation Seeks long-term appreciation of capital.

The fund invests primarily in equity securities of U.S.
companies. The fund typically invests in medium and
large capitalization companies but may also invest in
small capitalization companies. Equity securities
include exchange traded and over-the-counter common
stocks and preferred stocks, debt convertible into
equity securities, and warrants and rights relating to
equity securities.
--------------------------------------------------------
SMITH BARNEY CONCERT ALLOCATION SERIES INC.
Select High Growth Seeks capital appreciation.

Invests a large portion of its assets in aggressive
equity mutual funds that focus on smaller, more
speculative companies as well as mid-sized (or larger)
companies with the potential for rapid growth. A
significant portion of the portfolio may be invested in
international or emerging markets funds in order to
achieve a greater level of diversification.
--------------------------------------------------------
Select Growth Seeks long-term growth of capital.

Invests primarily in mutual funds that focus on
large-capitalization equity securities, to provide
growth. The portfolio also invests in small- and
middle-capitalization equity securities and
international securities. In addition, a significant
portion of the portfolio is also allocated to funds that
invest in fixed income securities to help reduce
volatility.
--------------------------------------------------------
Select Balanced Seeks long-term growth of capital and income, placing
equal emphasis on current income and capital
appreciation.

The portfolio divides its assets roughly between equity
and fixed-income mutual funds. The equity funds are
primarily large-capitalization, dividend-paying stock
funds. The fixed-income portion of the portfolio is
mainly invested in funds that invest in U.S. government
and agency securities, as well as mortgage-backed
securities.
--------------------------------------------------------
Select Conservative Seeks income, and secondarily, long-term capital growth.

The portfolio consists primarily of taxable fixed income
funds, with a significant portion invested in equity
funds that invest primarily in large-capitalization U.S.
stocks.
--------------------------------------------------------
Select Income Seeks high current income.

The portfolio allocates most of its assets to taxable
fixed-income funds designed to generate a high level of
income consistent with safety and relative stability of
principal. A small portion of the portfolio is invested
in equity funds that primarily invest in
large-capitalization U.S. stocks.
--------------------------------------------------------

9
<PAGE>

manage the assets of each portfolio of the GCG Trust. Directed Services (and not
the GCG Trust) pays each portfolio manager a monthly fee for managing the assets
of a portfolio, based on the average daily net assets of a portfolio. For a list
of the portfolio managers, see the front cover of this prospectus.

SSB Citi Fund Management LLC ("SSB Citi") serves as the investment advisor for
the Travelers Series Fund Inc. and the Greenwich Street Series Fund. The
Travelers Series Fund Inc. and the Greenwich Street Series Fund each pay SSB
Citi a monthly advisory fee for its investment advisory services based on the
average daily net assets of the respective investment portfolios.

Travelers Investment Advisers, Inc. ("Travelers") serves as the investment
advisor for the Smith Barney Concert Allocation Series Inc. Smith Barney Concert
Allocation Series Inc. pays a monthly advisory fee to Travelers based on the
average daily net assets of the investment portfolios.

Directed Services, SSB Citi and Travelers provide or procure, at their own
expense, the services necessary for the operation of the portfolios, including
the retention of portfolio managers to manage the assets of the certain
portfolios. Directed Services, SSB Citi and Travelers do not bear the expense of
brokerage fees and other transactional expenses for securities, taxes (if any)
paid by a portfolio, interest on borrowing, fees and expenses of the independent
trustees, and extraordinary expenses, such as litigation or indemnification
expenses.

Each portfolio deducts portfolio management fees and charges from the amounts
you have invested in the portfolios. For 1999, total portfolio fees and charges
ranged from 0.54% to 1.20%. See "Fees and Expenses" in this prospectus.

Equitable Life may receive compensation from the investment advisors,
administrators and distributors or directly from the portfolios in connection
with administrative, distribution or other services we provide and other cost
savings attributable to our services. It is anticipated that such compensation
will be based on assets of the particular portfolios attributable to the
Contract. The compensation paid by advisors, administrators or distributors may
vary.

You can find more detailed information about each portfolio's management fees in
the prospectuses for each Trust. You should read these prospectuses before
investing.

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE ANNUITY CONTRACT
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Contract described in this prospectus is an individual flexible premium
deferred variable annuity Contract. The Contract provides a means for you to
invest in one or more of the available mutual fund portfolios of the GCG Trust,
Travelers Series Fund Inc., Greenwich Street Series Fund and Smith Barney
Concert Allocation Series Inc. in which the subaccounts funded by Account A
invest.

CONTRACT DATE AND CONTRACT YEAR
The date the Contract became effective is the contract date. Each 12-month
period following the contract date is a contract year.

10
<PAGE>

ANNUITANT
The annuitant is the person designated by you to be the measuring life in
determining annuity payments. The annuitant also determines the death benefit.
The annuitant's age determines when the income phase must begin and the amount
of the annuity payments to be paid. You are the annuitant unless you choose to
name another person. The annuitant may not be changed after the Contract is in
effect.

The contract owner will receive the annuity benefits of the Contract if the
annuitant is living on the annuity start date.

11
<PAGE>

We will issue a Contract only if both the annuitant and the contract owner are
not older than age 85.

CREDITING OF PREMIUM PAYMENTS
We will allocate your premium payments within 2 business days after receipt, if
the application and all information necessary for processing the Contract are
complete. In certain states we also accept initial and additional premium
payments by wire order. Wire transmittals must be accompanied by sufficient
electronically transmitted data. We may retain premium payments for up to 5
business days while attempting to complete an incomplete application. If the
application cannot be completed within this period, we will inform you of the
reasons for the delay. We will also return the premium payment immediately
unless you direct us to hold it until the application is completed. We will
allocate your initial payment according to the instructions you specified. If
a subaccount is not available or requested in error, we will make inquiry about
a replacement subaccount. If we are unable to reach you or your representative,
we will allocate your initial payment proportionally among the other
subaccount(s) in your instructions. Once the completed application is received,
we will allocate the payment within 2 business days.

We will make inquiry to discover any missing information related to
subsequent payments. We will allocate the subsequent payment(s) pro rata
according to the current variable subaccount allocation unless you specify
otherwise. Any fixed allocation(s) will not be considered in the pro rata
calculations. If a subaccount is no longer available or requested in error,
we will allocate the subsequent payment(s) proportionally among the other
subaccount(s) in your current allocation or your allocation instructions.
For any subsequent premium payments, the payment will be credited at the
accumulation unit value next determined after receipt of your premium payment
and instructions.

We will allocate your initial premium payment to the subaccount(s) of Account A
as elected by you. Unless otherwise changed by you, subsequent premium payments
are allocated in the same manner as the initial premium payment. If you give us
allocation instructions along with a subsequent premium payment, the allocation
instructions will apply to only that payment unless you specify otherwise.

CONTRACT VALUE
We determine your contract value on a daily basis beginning on the contract
date. Your contract value is the sum of the contract value in each subaccount in
which you are invested.

12
<PAGE>

On the contract date, we allocate your contract value to each subaccount
specified by you, unless the Contract is issued in a state that requires the
return of premium payments during the free look period, in which case, the
portion of your initial premium may be allocated to a subaccount specially
designated by the Company during the free look period for this purpose
(currently, the Smith Barney Money Market subaccount).

On each business day after the contract date, we calculate the amount of
contract value in each subaccount as follows:

(1) We take the contract value in the subaccount at the end of the
preceding business day.

(2) We multiply (1) by the subaccount's Net Investment Factor since the
preceding business day.

(3) We add (1) and (2).

(4) We add to (3) any additional premium payments, and then add or
subtract transfers to or from that subaccount.

(5) We subtract from (4) any withdrawals and any related charges, and then
subtract any contract fees, and distribution fee (annual sales load)
and premium taxes.

CASH SURRENDER VALUE
The cash surrender value is the amount you receive when you surrender the
Contract. The cash surrender value will fluctuate daily based on the investment
results of the subaccounts in which you are invested. We do not guarantee any
minimum cash surrender value. On any date during the accumulation phase, we
calculate the cash surrender value as follows: we start with your contract
value, then we deduct any surrender charge, any Annual Contract Administration
Charge, any charge for premium taxes, and any other charges incurred but not yet
deducted.

SURRENDERING TO RECEIVE THE CASH SURRENDER VALUE
You may surrender the Contract at any time while the annuitant is living and
before the annuity start date. A surrender will be effective on the date your
written request and the Contract are received at our Customer Service Center. We
will determine and pay the cash surrender value at the price next determined
after receipt of your request. Once paid, all benefits under the Contract will
be terminated. For administrative purposes, we will transfer your money to a
specially designated subaccount (currently the Smith Barney Money Market
subaccount) prior to processing the surrender. This transfer will have no effect
on your cash surrender value. You may receive the cash surrender value in a
single sum payment or apply it under one or more annuity options. We will
usually pay the cash surrender value within 7 days.

Consult your tax advisor regarding the tax consequences associated with
surrendering your Contract. A surrender made before you reach age 59 1/2 may
result in a 10% tax penalty. See "Federal Tax Considerations" for more details.

THE SUBACCOUNTS
Each of the 13 subaccounts of Account A offered under this prospectus invests in
an investment portfolio with its own distinct investment objectives and
policies. Each subaccount of Account A invests in a corresponding portfolio of
the GCG Trust, a corresponding portfolio of the Travelers Series Fund, Inc., a
corresponding portfolio of the Greenwich Street Series Fund, or a corresponding
portfolio of the Smith Barney Concert Allocation Series Inc.

13
<PAGE>
may, with approval of the SEC (and any other regulatory agency, if required)
substitute another portfolio for existing and future investments. If you have
elected the dollar cost averaging, systematic withdrawals or automatic
rebalancing programs or if you have other outstanding instructions, and we
substitute or otherwise eliminate a portfolio which is subject to those
instructions, we will execute your instructions using the substituted or
proposed replacement portfolio, unless you request otherwise.

We will, of course, provide you with written notice before any of these changes
are effected.

OTHER IMPORTANT PROVISIONS
See "Withdrawals," "Transfers Among Your Investments," "Death Benefit," "Charges
and Fees," "The Annuity Options" and "Other Contract Provisions" in this
prospectus for information on other important provisions in your Contract.

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WITHDRAWALS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Any time prior to the annuity start date and before the death of the annuitant,
you may withdraw all or part of your money. Keep in mind that if at least $100
does not remain in a subaccount, we will treat it as a request to surrender the
Contract. For Contracts issued in Idaho, no withdrawal may be made for 30 days
after the date of purchase. We will terminate the Contract if a total withdrawal
is made. If any single withdrawal or the sum of withdrawals exceeds the Free
Withdrawal Amount, you will incur a surrender charge. See "Charges and Fees --
Surrender Charge for Excess Withdrawals." You need to submit to us a written
request specifying accounts from which amounts are to be withdrawn, otherwise
the withdrawal will be made on a pro rata basis from all of the subaccounts in
which you are invested. We will pay the amount of any withdrawal from the
subaccounts within (7) calendar days of receipt of a request, unless the
"Suspension of Payments or Transfers" provision is in effect. We will determine
the contract value as of the close of business on the day we receive your
withdrawal request at our Customer Service Center. The Contract value may be
more or less than the premium payments made. Keep in mind that a withdrawal will
result in the cancellation of Accumulation Units for each applicable subaccount
of the Account A.

For administrative purposes, we will transfer your money to a specially
designated subaccount (currently, the Smith Barney Money Market subaccount)
prior to processing the withdrawal. This transfer will not effect the withdrawal
amount you receive.

We offer the following three withdrawal options:

REGULAR WITHDRAWALS
After the free look period, you may make regular withdrawals. Each withdrawal
must be a minimum of $100 or your entire interest in the subaccount.

SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWALS
You may choose to receive automatic systematic withdrawals on the 15th of each
month, or any other monthly date mutually agreed upon, from your contract value
in the subaccount(s). Each withdrawal payment must be at least $100 (or the
owner's entire interest in the subaccount, if less) and is taken pro rata from
the

14
<PAGE>

subaccount(s). We reserve the right to charge a fee for systematic withdrawals.
Currently, however, there are no charges for systematic withdrawals. You must
keep $100 in the subaccount or the withdrawal transaction will be deemed a
request to surrender the Contract.

IRA WITHDRAWALS
If you have a non-Roth IRA Contract and will be at least age 70 1/2 during the
current calendar year, you may elect to have distributions made to you to
satisfy requirements imposed by federal tax law. IRA withdrawals provide payout
of amounts required to be distributed by the Internal Revenue Service rules
governing mandatory distributions under qualified plans. We will send you a
notice before your distributions commence. You may elect to take IRA withdrawals
at that time, or at a later date. You may not elect IRA withdrawals and
participate in systematic withdrawals at the same time. If you do not elect to
take IRA withdrawals, and distributions are required by federal tax law,
distributions adequate to satisfy the requirements imposed by federal tax law
may be made. Thus, if you are participating in systematic withdrawals,
distributions under that option must be adequate to satisfy the mandatory
distribution rules imposed by federal tax law.

CONSULT YOUR TAX ADVISOR REGARDING THE TAX CONSEQUENCES ASSOCIATED WITH TAKING
WITHDRAWALS. You are responsible for determining that withdrawals comply with
applicable law. A withdrawal made before the taxpayer reaches age 59 1/2 may
result in a 10% penalty tax. See "Federal Tax Considerations" for more details.

TEXAS OPTIONAL RETIREMENT PROGRAM
A Contract issued to a participant in the Texas Optional Retirement Program
("ORP") will contain an ORP endorsement that will amend the Contract as follows:

15
<PAGE>

other contracts or carriers during the period of ORP
participation. A participant in the ORP is required to obtain a
certificate of termination from the participant's employer before the
value of a Contract can be withdrawn.

(2) The total amount of premium payments to be received. Per Contract
sales expenses are likely to be less on larger premium payments than
on smaller ones.

(3) Any prior or existing relationship with the Company. Per Contract
sales expenses, are likely to be less when there is a prior existing
relationship because of the likelihood of implementing the Contract
with fewer sales contacts.

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TRANSFERS AMONG YOUR INVESTMENTS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Prior to the annuity start date and after the free look period, you may transfer
your contract value among the subaccounts in which you are invested at the end
of the free look period until the annuity start date. If more than 12 transfers
are made in any Contract Year, we will charge a transfer fee equal to the lesser
of 2% of the Contract value transferred or $25 for each transfer after the
twelfth transfer in a contract year. We also reserve the right to limit the
number of transfers you may make and may otherwise modify or terminate transfer
privileges if required by our business judgment or in accordance with applicable
law. The transfer fee will be deducted from the amount which is transferred.

The minimum amount that you may transfer is $100 or, if less, your entire
contract value.

To make a transfer, you must notify our Customer Service Center and all other
administrative requirements must be met. Any transfer request received after
4:00 p.m. eastern time or the close of the New York Stock Exchange will be
effected on the next business day. Account A and the Company will not be liable
for following instructions communicated by telephone or other approved
electronic means that we reasonably believe to be genuine. We require personal
identifying information to process a request for transfer made over the
telephone.

16
<PAGE>

unit may be achieved over the long term. However,
we cannot guarantee this. When you elect the dollar cost averaging program, you
are continuously investing in securities regardless of fluctuating price levels.
You should consider your tolerance for investing through periods of fluctuating
price levels.

If you, as the Contract owner, are participating in automatic rebalancing, such
transfers currently are not taken into account in determining any transfer fee.
We reserve the right to treat automatic rebalancing transfers as standard
transfers when determining the number of transfers in a year and imposing any
applicable transfer fees.

17
<PAGE>

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DEATH BENEFIT
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DEATH BENEFIT DURING THE ACCUMULATION PERIOD
We will pay a death benefit if the annuitant dies before the annuity start date.
Assuming you are also the contract owner, your beneficiary will receive a death
benefit unless the beneficiary is your surviving spouse and elects to continue
the Contract. The death benefit value is calculated at the close of the business
day on which we receive written notice and due proof of death, as well as
properly completed required forms, at our Customer Service Center. If the
beneficiary elects to delay receipt of the death benefit, the amount of the
death benefit payable in the future may be affected. If the deceased annuitant
was not an owner, the proceeds may be received in a single sum or applied to any
of the annuity options within one year of death. If the deceased annuitant was
an owner, then death proceeds must be distributed in accordance with the Death
of Owner provisions below. If we do not receive a request to apply the death
benefit proceeds to an annuity option, we will make a single sum distribution.
We will generally pay death single lump sum payments benefit proceeds within 7
days after our Customer Service Center has received sufficient information to
make the payment. For more information on required distributions under Federal
income tax laws, you should see "Required Distributions upon Contract Owner's
Death."

DEATH PROCEEDS
If the annuitant is less than AGE 67 at the time of purchase, the death benefit
is the greatest of:

(1) the contract value;

(2) the total premium payments made under the Contract after subtracting
any withdrawals; or

If the annuitant is BETWEEN THE AGES OF 67 THROUGH 75 at the time of purchase,
the death benefit is the greatest of:

(1) the contract value;

(2) the total premium payments made under the Contract after subtracting
any withdrawals; or

(3) The contract value (plus subsequent premiums less subsequent
withdrawals and taxes) determined on the 8th contract anniversary but
on or before your death.

If the annuitant is AGE 76 OR OLDER at the time of purchase, the death benefit
is the contract value.

Note: In all cases described above, amounts could be reduced by premium taxes
owed and withdrawals not previously deducted.

The beneficiary may choose an annuity payment option only during the 60-day
period beginning with the date we receive acceptable due proof of death.

The beneficiary may elect to have a single lump payment or choose one of the
annuity options.

The entire death proceeds must be paid within five (5) years of the date of
death unless:

(1) the beneficiary elects to have the death proceeds:

(a) payable under a payment plan over the life of the beneficiary or
over a period not extending beyond the life expectancy of the
beneficiary; and

(b) payable beginning within one year of the date of death; or

(2) if the beneficiary is the deceased owner's Spouse, the beneficiary may
elect to become the owner of the Contract and the Contract will
continue in effect.

18
<PAGE>

DEATH OF THE ANNUITANT
(1) If the annuitant dies prior to the annuity start date, we will pay the
death proceeds as provided above.

DEATH OF OWNER
(1) If any owner of this Contract dies before the annuity start date, the
following applies:

(a) If the new owner is the deceased owner's spouse, this Contract
will continue and, if the deceased owner was also the annuitant,
the deceased owner's spouse will also be the annuitant.

(b) If the new owner is someone other than the deceased owner's
spouse, the entire interest in the Contract must be distributed
to the new owner:

(i) within 5 years of the deceased owner's death

(ii) over the life of the new owner or over a period not
extending beyond the life expectancy of the new owner, as
long as payments begin within one year of the deceased
owner's death.

If the deceased owner was the annuitant, the new owner will be the joint owner,
if any, or if there is no joint owner, the beneficiary.

If the new owner under (b) above dies after the deceased owner but before the
entire interest has been distributed, any remaining distributions will be to the
new owner's estate.

(4) For purposes of this section, if any owner of this Contract is not an
individual, the death or change of any annuitant shall be treated as
the death of an owner.

REQUIRED DISTRIBUTIONS UPON CONTRACT OWNER'S DEATH
We will not allow any payment of benefits provided under the Contract which do
not satisfy the requirements of Section 72(s) of the Code.

19
<PAGE>

Notwithstanding (a) and (b) above, if the sole contract owner's beneficiary is
the deceased owner's surviving spouse, then such spouse may elect, to continue
the Contract under the same terms as before the contract owner's death. Upon
receipt of such election from the spouse at our Customer Service Center: (1) all
rights of the spouse as contract owner's beneficiary under the Contract in
effect prior to such election will cease; (2) the spouse will become the owner
of the Contract and will also be treated as the contingent annuitant, if none
has been named and only if the deceased owner was the annuitant; and (3) all
rights and privileges granted by the Contract or allowed by Golden American will
belong to the spouse as contract owner of the Contract. This election will be
deemed to have been made by the spouse if such spouse makes a premium payment to
the Contract or fails to make a timely election as described in this paragraph.
If the owner's beneficiary is a nonspouse, the distribution provisions described
in subparagraphs (a) and (b) above, will apply even if the annuitant and/or
contingent annuitant are alive at the time of the contract owner's death.

If the annuitant dies after the annuity start date, we will continue to
distribute any benefit payable at least as rapidly as under the annuity option
then in effect.

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHARGES AND FEES
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SURRENDER CHARGES DEDUCTED FROM THE CONTRACT VALUE
For purposes of determining any applicable surrender charges under the Contract,
Contract value is removed in the following order: 1) earnings (Contract value
less premium payments not withdrawn); 2) premium payments in the Contract for
more than eight years (these premium payments are liquidated on a first in,
first out basis); 3) additional free amount (which is equal to 10% of the
premium payments in the Contract for less than eight years, fixed at the time of
the first withdrawal in the Contract year, plus 10% of the premium payments made
after the first withdrawal in the Contract year but before the next Contract

20
<PAGE>

anniversary, less any withdrawals in the same Contract year of premium payments
less than eight years old); and 4) premium payments in the Contract for less
than eight years (these premium payments are removed on a first in, first out
basis).

COMPLETE YEARS ELAPSED 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
SINCE PREMIUM PAYMENT

SURRENDER CHARGE 8% 7% 6% 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% 0%

FREE WITHDRAWAL AMOUNT. At any time, you may make a withdrawal without the
imposition of a surrender charge, of an amount equal to the sum of:

o earnings (contract value less unliquidated purchase payments);

o premium payments in the contract for more than eight years, and

o an amount which is equal to 10% of the premium payments in the
Contract for less than eight years, fixed at the time of the first
withdrawal in the Contract year, plus 10% of the premium payment made
after the first withdrawal in the Contract year (but before the next
Contract anniversary, less any withdrawals in the same Contract year
of premium payments less than eight years old).

SURRENDER CHARGE FOR EXCESS WITHDRAWALS. We will deduct a surrender charge
for excess withdrawals. We consider a withdrawal to be an "excess withdrawal"
when the amount you withdraw in any contract year exceeds the free withdrawal
amount. Where you are receiving systematic withdrawals, any combination of
regular withdrawals taken and any systematic withdrawals expected to be received
in a contract year will be included in determining the amount of the excess
withdrawal. Such a withdrawal will be considered a partial surrender of the
Contract and we will impose a surrender charge and any associated premium tax.

We deduct the premium tax from your contract value on the annuity start date.
However, some jurisdictions impose a premium tax at the time that initial and
additional premiums are paid, regardless of when the annuity payments begin. In
those states we may defer collection of the premium taxes from your contract
value and deduct it on surrender of the Contract, on excess withdrawals or on
the annuity start date.

ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGE. We deduct an annual administrative charge on each
Contract anniversary, or if you surrender your Contract prior to a Contract
anniversary, at the time we determine the cash surrender value payable to you.
The amount deducted is $30 per Contract unless waived by the Company. We deduct
the annual administrative charge proportionately from all subaccounts in which
you are invested.

TRANSFER CHARGE. You may make 12 free transfers each contract year. We will
assess a transfer charge equal to the lesser of 2% of the Contract value
transferred or an amount not greater than $25 for each transfer after the
twelfth transfer in a contract year. If such a charge is assessed, we would
deduct the

21
<PAGE>

charge as noted in "Charges Deducted from the Contract Value" above.
The charge will not apply to any transfers due to the election of dollar cost
averaging, automatic rebalancing and transfers we make to and from any
subaccount specially designated by the Company for such purpose. However, we
reserve the right to treat multiple transfers in a single day, auto rebalancing
and dollar cost averaging as standard transfers when determining annual
transfers and imposing the Transfer Charge.

CHARGES DEDUCTED FROM THE SUBACCOUNTS
MORTALITY AND EXPENSE RISK CHARGE. We deduct on each business day a
Mortality and Expense Risk Charge which is equal, on an annual basis, to 1.25%
of the average daily net asset value of the Separate Account. The charge is
deducted on each business day at the rate of .003446% for each day since the
previous business day.

If the Mortality and Expense Risk Charge is insufficient to cover the
actual costs, the loss will be borne by the Company. Conversely, if the amount
deducted proves more than sufficient, the excess will be a profit to the
Company.

The Mortality and Expense Risk Charge is guaranteed by the Company and
cannot be increased.

TRUST EXPENSES
There are fees and charges deducted from each investment portfolio of the
Trusts. Each portfolio deducts portfolio management fees and charges from the
amounts you have invested in the portfolios. For 1999, total portfolio fees and
charges ranged from 0.54% to 1.20%. See "Fees and Expenses" in this Prospectus
for details.

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE ANNUITY OPTIONS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The annuity start date must be at least 1 year from the contract date but before
the month immediately following the annuitant's 90th birthday, or 10 years from
the contract date, if later. If, on the annuity start date, a surrender charge
remains, the elected annuity option must include a period certain of at least 5
years.

If you do not select an annuity start date, it will automatically begin in the
month following the annuitant's 90th birthday, or 10 years from the contract
date, if later.

22
<PAGE>

calendar year following the calendar year in which you
attain age 70 1/2, or, in some cases, retire. Distributions may be made through
annuitization or withdrawals. Consult your tax advisor.

(1) any applicable taxes not previously deducted; less

(2) the withdrawal charge, if any; less

(3) the annual contract administrative charge, if any.

No withdrawal charge is deducted if Plan A-Option 1; Plan B or Plan C is
elected.

A plan is available only if the periodic payment is $100 or more. If the payee
is other than a natural person (such as a corporation), a plan will be available
only with our consent.

23
<PAGE>

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ANNUITY PAYMENT PLANS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLAN A. INTEREST
Option 1 The Contract value less any applicable taxes not previously
deducted may be left on deposit with us for five (5) years. Fixed
payments will be made monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or
annually. We do not allow a monthly payment if the Contract value
applied under this option is less than $100,000. The proceeds may
not be withdrawn until the end of the five (5) year period.

Option 2 The cash surrender value may be left on deposit with the Company
for a specified period. Interest will be paid annually. All or
part of the Proceeds may be withdrawn at any time.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLAN B. FIXED PERIOD
The Contract value less any applicable taxes not previously
deducted will be paid until the proceeds, plus interest, are paid
in full. Payments may be paid annually or monthly. The payment
period cannot be more than thirty (30) years nor less than five
(5) years. The Contract provides for a table of minimum annual
payments. They are based on the age of the annuitant or the
beneficiary.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLAN C. LIFE INCOME
The Contract value less any applicable taxes not previously
deducted will be paid in monthly or annual payments for as long
as the annuitant or beneficiary, whichever is appropriate, lives.
The Company has the right to require proof satisfactory to it of
the age and sex of such person and proof of continuing survival
of such person. A minimum number of payments may be guaranteed,
if desired. The Contract provides for a table of minimum annual
payments. They are based on the age of the annuitant or the
beneficiary.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OTHER CONTRACT PROVISIONS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(1) the New York Stock Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend
and holiday closings);

(2) trading on the New York Stock Exchange is restricted;

(3) an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of securities held
in the Separate Account is not reasonably practicable or it is not
reasonably practicable to determine the value of the Separate
Account's net assets;

24
<PAGE>

(4) when the Company's Customer Service Center is closed; or

IN CASE OF ERRORS IN YOUR APPLICATION
If an age or sex given in the application or enrollment form is misstated, the
amounts payable or benefits provided by the Contract shall be those that the
premium payment would have bought at the correct age or sex.

CONTRACT CHANGES -- APPLICABLE TAX LAW
We have the right to make changes in the Contract to continue to qualify the
Contract as an annuity. You will be given advance notice of such changes.

FREE LOOK
In most cases, you may cancel your Contract within your 10-day free look period.
We deem the free look period to expire 15 days after we mail the Contract to
you. Some states may require a longer free look period. To cancel, you need to
send your Contract to our Customer Service Center or to the agent from whom you
purchased it. We will refund the contract value. For purposes of the refund
during the free look period, your contract value includes a refund of any
charges deducted from your contract value. Because of the market risks
associated with investing in the portfolios, the contract value returned may be
greater or less than the premium payment you paid. Some states require us to
return to you the amount of the paid premium (rather than the contract value) in
which case you will not be subject to investment risk during the free look
period. In these states, your premiums designated for investment in the
subaccounts will be allocated during the free look period to a subaccount
specially designated by the Company for this purpose (currently, the Smith
Barney Money Market subaccount). We may, in our discretion, require that
premiums designated for investment in the subaccounts from all other states
be allocated to the specially designated subaccount during the free look
period. Your Contract is void as of the day we receive your Contract and
your request. We determine your contract value at the close of business on
the day we receive your written refund request. If you keep your Contract after
the free look period and the investment is allocated to a subaccount specially
designated by the Company, we will put your money in the subaccount(s) chosen
by you, based on the accumulation unit value next computed for each subaccount.

SELLING THE CONTRACT
Directed Services, Inc. ("Directed Services") is the principal underwriter and
distributor of the Contract issued through Account A. The principal address of
DSI is 1475 Dunwoody Drive, West Chester, PA 19380. Directed Services enters
into sales agreements with broker-dealers to sell the Contracts through
registered representatives who are licensed to sell securities and variable
insurance products. These broker-dealers are registered with the SEC and are
members of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. The selling
broker-dealer whose registered representative sold the contract receives a
maximum of 7.75% commission.

25
<PAGE>

Certain sales agreements may provide for a
combination of a certain percentage of commission at the time of sale and an
annual trail commission (which when combined could exceed 7.75% of total premium
payments).

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OTHER INFORMATION
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LEGAL MATTERS
The legal validity of the Contracts was passed on by James Mumford, Esquire,
Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Equitable Life.
Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP of Washington, D.C. has provided advice on
certain matters relating to federal securities laws.

26
<PAGE>

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FEDERAL TAX CONSIDERATIONS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TYPES OF CONTRACTS: NON-QUALIFIED OR QUALIFIED
The Contract may be purchased on a non-tax-qualified basis or purchased on a
tax-qualified basis. Qualified Contracts are designed for use by individuals
whom premium payments are comprised solely of proceeds from and/or contributions
under retirement plans that are intended to qualify as plans entitled to special
income tax treatment under Sections 401(a), 403(b), 408, or 408A of the Internal
Revenue Code (the "Code"). The ultimate effect of federal income taxes on the
amounts held under a Contract, or annuity payments, depends on the type of
retirement plan, on the tax and employment status of the individual concerned,
and on our tax status. In addition, certain requirements must be satisfied in
purchasing a qualified Contract with proceeds from a tax-qualified plan and
receiving distributions from a qualified Contract in order to continue receiving
favorable tax treatment. Some retirement plans are subject to distribution and
other requirements that are not incorporated into our Contract administration
procedures. Contract owners, participants and beneficiaries are responsible for
determining that contributions, distributions and other transactions with
respect to the Contract comply with applicable law. Therefore, you should seek
competent legal and tax advice regarding the suitability of a Contract for your
particular situation. The following discussion assumes that qualified Contracts
are purchased with proceeds from and/or contributions under retirement plans
that qualify for the intended special federal income tax treatment.

Other rules may apply to Qualified Contracts.

The following discussion assumes that the Contracts will qualify as annuity
contracts for federal income tax purposes.

27
<PAGE>

In the case of a surrender under a non-qualified Contract, the amount received
generally will be taxable only to the extent it exceeds the contract owner's
investment in the Contract.

o made on or after the taxpayer reaches age 59 1/2;

o made on or after the death of a contract owner;

o attributable to the taxpayer's becoming disabled; or

o made as part of a series of substantially equal periodic payments for
the life (or life expectancy) of the taxpayer.

ANNUITY PAYMENTS. Although tax consequences may vary depending on the
payment option elected under an annuity contract, a portion of each annuity
payment is generally not taxed and the remainder is taxed as ordinary income.
The non-taxable portion of an annuity payment is generally determined in a
manner that is designed to allow you to recover your investment in the Contract
ratably on a tax-free basis over the expected stream of annuity payments, as
determined when annuity payments start. Once your investment in the Contract
has been fully recovered, however, the full amount of each annuity payment is
subject to tax as ordinary income.

28
<PAGE>

Brief descriptions of the various types of qualified retirement plans in
connection with a Contract follow. We will endorse the Contract as necessary to
conform it to the requirements of such plan.

CORPORATE AND SELF-EMPLOYED PENSION AND PROFIT SHARING PLANS.
Section 401(a) of the Code permits corporate employers to establish various
types of retirement plans for employees, and permits self-employed individuals
to establish these plans for themselves and their employees. These retirement
plans may permit the purchaser of the Contracts to accumulate retirement

29
<PAGE>

saving sunder the plans. Adverse tax or other legal consequences to the plan,
to the participant, or to both may result if this Contract is assigned or
transferred to any individual as a means to provide benefit payments, unless
the plan complies with all legal requirements applicable to such benefits before
transfer of the Contract. Employers intending to use the Contract with such
plans should seek competent advice.

Distributions of (1) salary reduction contributions made in years beginning
after December 31, 1988; (2) earnings on those contributions; and (3) earnings
on amounts held as of the last year beginning before January 1, 1989, are not
allowed prior to age 59 1/2, separation from service, death or disability.
Salary reduction contributions may also be distributed upon hardship, but would
generally be subject to penalties.

30
<PAGE>

circumstances of each contract owner
or recipient of the distribution. A competent tax adviser should be consulted
for further information.

<PAGE>

This page intentionally left blank.

<PAGE>

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ITEM PAGE
Company............................................................. 1
Experts............................................................. 1
Legal Opinions...................................................... 1
Distributor......................................................... 1
Yield Calculations for the Money Market Subaccounts................. 1
Performance Information............................................. 2
Annuity Provisions.................................................. 5
Financial Statements................................................ 5

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

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

PLEASE SEND ME A FREE COPY OF THE STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR
SEPARATE ACCOUNT A.

Please Print or Type:

--------------------------------------------------
NAME

--------------------------------------------------
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER

--------------------------------------------------
STREET ADDRESS

--------------------------------------------------
CITY, STATE, ZIP

106966 5/00
33
<PAGE>

This page intentionally left blank.

<PAGE>

APPENDIX A

CONDENSED FINANCIAL INFORMATION

MID-CAP GROWTH

- -----------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- -----------------------------------------------------------
1999 $39.59 5,971,804 $ 236,452
1998 22.43 5,924,179 132,856
1997 18.52 4,824,991 89,357
1996 15.70 2,602,724 40,853
1995 13.21 759,597 10,037
1994 10.35 63,781 660
10/7/94 10.00 -- --
- -----------------------------------------------------------

RESEARCH

- -----------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- -----------------------------------------------------------
1999 $28.04 13,175,523 $ 369,426
1998 22.89 14,188,466 324,775
1997 18.87 10,840,733 204,520
1996 15.93 4,845,240 77,175
1995 13.10 1,255,752 16,447
1994 9.72 69,177 672
10/7/94 10.00 -- --
- -----------------------------------------------------------

TOTAL RETURN

- -----------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- -----------------------------------------------------------
1999 $18.06 11,904,760 $ 214,998
1998 17.72 12,496,442 221,408
1997 16.10 9,244,077 148,852
1996 13.51 4,354,338 58,835
1995 12.05 1,312,565 15,822
1994 9.81 33,106 325
10/7/94 10.00 -- --
- -----------------------------------------------------------

A1
<PAGE>

SMITH BARNEY LARGE CAP VALUE

- -----------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- -----------------------------------------------------------
1999 $ 18.98 5,498,197 $ 104,328
1998 19.24 6,212,287 119,526
1997 17.77 4,211,810 74,830
1996 14.23 1,579,649 22,471
1995 12.05 295,134 3,555
4/5/95 10.00 -- --
- -----------------------------------------------------------

SMITH BARNEY INTERNATIONAL EQUITY

- -----------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- -----------------------------------------------------------
1999 $ 23.61 1,887,697 $ 44,572
1998 14.28 2,094,601 29,904
1997 13.59 1,734,132 23,573
1996 13.42 804,975 10,805
1995 11.56 154,388 1,785
3/27/95 10.00 -- --
- -----------------------------------------------------------

SMITH BARNEY HIGH INCOME

- -----------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- -----------------------------------------------------------
1999 $13.74 1,532,714 $ 21,057
1998 13.58 1,927,035 26,177
1997 13.72 1,544,897 21,190
1996 12.22 670,736 8,195
1995 10.94 72,283 791
4/28/95 10.00 -- --
- -----------------------------------------------------------

SMITH BARNEY MONEY MARKET

- -----------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- -----------------------------------------------------------
1999 $ 11.74 1,482,594 $ 17,406
1998 11.37 770,258 8,755
1997 10.97 1,142,815 12,539
1996 10.59 348,906 3,694
1995 10.23 125,048 1,280
5/24/95 10.00 -- --
- -----------------------------------------------------------

A2
<PAGE>

APPRECIATION

- -----------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- -----------------------------------------------------------
1999 $ 18.36 5,018,540 $ 92,147
1998 16.47 4,865,715 80,117
1997 14.01 2,177,729 30,521
1996 11.24 497,034 5,586
3/25/96 10.00 -- --
- -----------------------------------------------------------

SELECT HIGH GROWTH

- -----------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- -----------------------------------------------------------
1999 $ 15.47 3,133,145 $ 48,465
1998 12.33 3,352,071 41,316
1997 10.87 1,866,333 20,288
2/5/97 10.00 -- --
- -----------------------------------------------------------

SELECT GROWTH

- -----------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- -----------------------------------------------------------
1999 $ 14.21 5,002,402 $ 71,104
1998 12.29 5,366,983 65,955
1997 11.05 2,767,613 30,577
2/5/97 10.00 -- --
- -----------------------------------------------------------

SELECT BALANCED

- -----------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- -----------------------------------------------------------
1999 $ 12.66 4,619,781 $ 58,498
1998 11.79 5,194,870 61,265
1997 11.06 2,668,341 29,507
2/5/97 10.00 -- --
- -----------------------------------------------------------

A3
<PAGE>

SELECT CONSERVATIVE

- -----------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- -----------------------------------------------------------
1999 $ 11.89 1,212,873 $ 14,426
1998 11.52 1,417,361 16,327
1997 11.07 671,234 7,429
2/5/97 10.00 -- --
- -----------------------------------------------------------

SELECT INCOME

- -----------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL # OF
ACCUMULATION
AUV AT UNITS AT TOTAL
YEAR END (AND YEAR END (AND AUV AT
AT BEGINNING OF AT BEGINNING OF YEAR END
FOLLOWING YEAR) FOLLOWING YEAR) (IN THOUSANDS)
- -----------------------------------------------------------
1999 $ 11.39 518,879 $ 5,911
1998 11.45 644,938 7,387
1997 11.03 250,841 2,766
2/5/97 10.00 -- --
- -----------------------------------------------------------

A4
<PAGE>

APPENDIX B

SURRENDER CHARGE FOR EXCESS WITHDRAWALS EXAMPLE

In this example, $22,500 (sum of $15,000 earnings and $75,000 x .10) is the
maximum free withdrawal amount that you may withdraw during the contract year
without a surrender charge. The total withdrawal would be $27,000 ($90,000 x
.30). Therefore, $4,500 ($27,000 - $22,500) is considered an excess withdrawal
of a part of the initial premium payment of $25,000 and would be subject to a 4%
surrender charge of $180 ($4,500 x .04).

B1
<PAGE>

EQUITABLE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF IOWA

Equitable Life Insurance Company of Iowa is a stock company domiciled in Iowa

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

106966 5/00

<PAGE>
<PAGE>
File Nos. 33-79170, 811-8524
Filed under Rule 497(c)

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

INDIVIDUAL FLEXIBLE PURCHASE PAYMENT DEFERRED
VARIABLE AND FIXED ANNUITY CONTRACTS

ISSUED BY

EQUITABLE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF IOWA SEPARATE ACCOUNT A

AND

EQUITABLE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF IOWA

This is not a prospectus. This Statement of Additional Information should be
read in conjunction with the Prospectus dated May 1, 2000, for the Individual
Flexible Purchase Payment Deferred Variable and Fixed Annuity Contracts which
are referred to herein.

The Prospectus concisely sets forth information that a prospective investor
ought to know before investing. For a copy of the Prospectus call or write the
Company at: P.O. Box 2700, West Chester, Pennsylvania 19380, (800) 344-6864.

DATE OF PROSPECTUS AND STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
MAY 1, 2000.

<PAGE>

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ITEM PAGE

Company ................................................................. 1

Experts ................................................................. 1

Legal Opinions........................................................... 1

Distributor.............................................................. 1

Yield Calculations For Money Market Subaccounts.......................... 1

Performance Information.................................................. 2

Annuity Provisions....................................................... 5

Financial Statements..................................................... 5

<PAGE>
COMPANY

Information regarding Equitable Life Insurance Company of Iowa (the "Company")
and its ownership is contained in the Prospectus.

EXPERTS
- -------
The financial statements and schedules of the Company as of December 31, 1999
and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 1999, and the
Statement of Net Assets of Equitable Life Insurance Company of Iowa Separate
Account A as of December 31, 1999, and the related statements of operations for
the year then ended and changes in net assets for each of the two years for the
period then ended have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent auditors,
as set forth in their reports appearing elsewhere herein, and are included in
reliance upon such reports given upon the authority of such firm as experts in
accounting and auditing.

LEGAL OPINIONS
- --------------
The legal validity of the Contract described in the prospectus and herein has
been passed upon by James R. Mumford, Esquire, General Counsel and Secretary of
the Company. The law firm of Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP, of Washington,
D.C. has provided advice on certain matters relating to Federal Securities laws.

DISTRIBUTOR
- -----------
The offering of contracts under the prospectus associated with this Statement of
Additional Information is continuous. Directed Services, Inc., an affiliate of
the Company, acts as the principal underwriter (as defined in the Securities Act
of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended) of the variable
insurance products issued by Company. Prior to Directed Services, Inc. becoming
distributor, the variable insurance products were distributed by ING Funds
Distributors, Inc. (formerly, Equitable Securities Network, Inc.), which is also
an affiliate of the company. For the years ended 1999 and 1998 commissions paid
by the Company to the broker/dealers who sold contracts aggregated $11,094,846
and $36,579,786, respectively. Directed Services, Inc. is located at 1475
Dunwoody Drive, West Chester, Pennsylvania 19380-1478.

YIELD CALCULATION FOR MONEY MARKET SUBACCOUNTS
- ----------------------------------------------
The money market subaccounts of the Separate Account will calculate their
current yield based upon the seven days ended on the date of calculation. For
the seven calendar days ended December 31, 1999, the annualized yield and
effective yield for the Liquid Assets Subaccount were 4.14% and 4.23%,
respectively. For the seven calendar days ended December 31, 1999, the
annualized yield and effective yield for the Smith Barney Money Market
subaccount were 3.89% and 3.97%, respectively.

The current yields of the money market subaccounts are computed by determining
the net change (exclusive of capital changes) in the value of a hypothetical
pre-existing Owner account having a balance of one Accumulation Unit of the
Subaccount at the beginning of the period, subtracting the Mortality and Expense
Risk Charge, the Administrative Charge and the Annual Contract Maintenance
Charge, dividing the difference by the value of the account at the beginning of
the same period to obtain the base period return and multiplying the result by
(365/7).

The money market subaccounts compute their effective compound yield according to
the method prescribed by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The effective
yield reflects the reinvestment of net income earned daily on money market
subaccounts assets.

Net investment income for yield quotation purposes will not include either
realized capital gains and losses or unrealized appreciation and depreciation,
whether reinvested or not.

1
<PAGE>

The yields quoted should not be considered a representation of the yield of the
money market subaccounts in the future since the yield is not fixed. Actual
yields will depend not only on the type, quality and maturities of the
investments held by the money market subaccounts and changes in the interest
rates on such investments, but also on changes in the money market subaccounts'
expenses during the period.

Yield information may be useful in reviewing the performance of the money market
subaccounts and for providing a basis for comparison with other investment
alternatives. However, the money market subaccounts' yield fluctuates, unlike
bank deposits or other investments which typically pay a fixed yield for a
stated period of time. The yield information does not reflect the deduction of
any applicable Withdrawal Charge at the time of the surrender. (See "Charges and
Deductions - Deduction for Withdrawal Charge (Sales Load)" in the Prospectus.)

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
- -----------------------
From time to time, the Company may advertise performance data as described in
the Prospectus. Any such advertisement will include average annual total return
figures for the time periods indicated in the advertisement. Such total return
figures will reflect the deduction of a 1.25% Mortality and Expense Risk Charge,
a 0.15% Administrative Charge, the expenses for the underlying Portfolio being
advertised and any applicable Annual Contract Maintenance Charge and Withdrawal
Charges.

SEC STANDARD AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN
The hypothetical value of a Contract purchased for the time periods described in
the advertisement will be determined by using the actual Accumulation Unit
values for an initial $1,000 purchase payment, and deducting any applicable
Annual Contract Maintenance Charge and any applicable Withdrawal Charge to
arrive at the ending hypothetical value. The average annual total return is then
determined by computing the fixed interest rate that a $1,000 purchase payment
would have to earn annually, compounded annually, to grow to the hypothetical
value at the end of the time periods described. The formula used in these
calculations is

P(1+T)^(n)=ERV

Where:
(1) [P] equals a hypothetical initial premium payment of $1,000
(2) [T] equals an average annual total return
(3) [n] equals the number of years
(4) [ERV] equals the ending redeemable value of a hypothetical $1,000
initial premium payment made at the beginning of the period
(or fractional portion thereof)

SEC STANDARD 30-DAY YIELD FOR NON-MONEY MARKET SUBACCOUNTS
Quotations of yield for the remaining subaccounts will be based on all
investment income a subaccount earned during a particular 30-day period, less
expenses accrued during the period ("net investment income"), and will be
computed by dividing net investment income by the value of an accumulation unit
on the last day of the period, according to the following formula:

Yield = 2 x [((a - b)/(c x d) + 1)^6 - 1]

2
<PAGE>

Where:
[a] equals the net investment income earned during the period by the
investment portfolio attributable to shares owned by a subaccount
[b] equals the expenses accrued for the period (net of
reimbursements)
[c] equals the average daily number of units outstanding during the
period based on the accumulation unit value
[d] equals the value (maximum offering price) per accumulation unit
value on the last day of the period

Yield on subaccounts of Separate Account A is earned from the increase in net
asset value of shares of the Series in which the Subaccount invests and from
dividends declared and paid by the investment portfolio, which are automatically
reinvested in shares of the investment portfolio.

SEC STANDARD AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN FOR ALL SUBACCOUNTS
Quotations of average annual total return for any subaccount will be expressed
in terms of the average annual compounded rate of return of a hypothetical
investment in a contract over a period of one, five and 10 years (or, if less,
up to the life of the subaccount), calculated pursuant to the formula:

P(1+T)^(n)=ERV

All total return figures reflect the deduction of the maximum sales load, the
administrative charges, and the mortality and expense risk charges. The
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") requires that an assumption be
made that the contract owner surrenders the entire contract at the end of the
one, five and 10 year periods (or, if less, up to the life of the security) for
which performance is required to be calculated. This assumption may not be
consistent with the typical contract owner's intentions in purchasing a contract
and may adversely affect returns. Quotations of total return may simultaneously
be shown for other periods, as well as quotations of total return that do not
take into account certain contractual charges such as sales load.

Except for the All Cap, Investors, Large Cap Value, ING Global Brand Names and
Prudential Jennison subaccounts which had not commenced operations as of
December 31, 1999, Average Annual Total Return for the subaccounts presented on
a standardized basis, which includes deductions for the mortality and expense
risk charge, administrative charge and surrender charge for the year ending
December 31, 1998 were as follows:

3
<PAGE>

Average Annual Total Return for Periods Ending 12/31/99 - Standardized
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

1 Year 5 Years 10 Years Inception Date
THE GCG TRUST
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Liquid Asset -4.90% 2.76% 3.21%* 3.51%* 1/25/89
Limited Maturity Bond -8.46% 3.79% 4.29%* 4.69%* 1/25/89
Global Fixed Income -18.07% 2.35%* n/a 2.55%* 10/7/94
Fully Managed -2.75% 10.68% 7.62%* 7.19%* 1/25/89
Total Return -6.24% 12.33%* n/a 11.46% 10/7/94
Equity Income -10.29% 8.06% 7.03%* 7.12%* 1/25/89
Investors n/a n/a n/a n/a 2/1/00
Value Equity -9.07% n/a n/a 12.03% 1/1/95
Rising Dividends 6.08% 19.91% n/a 16.14% 10/4/93
Managed Global 52.85% 21.11%* n/a 12.67%* 10/21/92
Large Cap Value n/a n/a n/a n/a 2/1/00
All Cap n/a n/a n/a n/a 2/1/00
Research 14.32% 23.10%* n/a 21.39%* 10/7/94
Capital Appreciation 14.73% 20.96% n/a 15.30%* 5/4/92
Capital Growth 15.63% n/a n/a 21.05% 4/1/96
Strategic Equity 45.89% n/a n/a 19.61% 10/2/95
Mid-Cap Growth 68.38% 30.34%* n/a 29.74%* 10/7/94
Small Cap 40.33% n/a n/a 22.10% 1/2/96
Growth 67.47% n/a n/a 31.58%* 4/1/96
Real Estate -13.33% 7.79% 7.64%* 6.71%* 1/25/89
Hard Assets 13.46% 4.06% 3.83%* 5.05%* 1/25/89
Developing World 51.23% n/a n/a 4.63% 2/18/98

THE PIMCO TRUST
High Yield Bond -6.60%* n/a n/a -2.89%* 5/1/98
StocksPLUS Growth & Income 10.00%* n/a n/a 13.80%* 5/1/98

THE WARBURG PINCUS TRUST
International Equity 43.11% n/a n/a 11.38%* 4/1/96

ING VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST
ING Global Brand Names n/a n/a n/a n/a 5/1/00

THE PRUDENTIAL TRUST SERIES FUND, INC.
Prudential Jennison n/a n/a n/a n/a 5/1/00

TRAVELERS SERIES FUND, INC.
Smith Barney Large Cap Value -9.45% n/a n/a 13.91% 4/5/95
Smith Barney International Equity 57.32% n/a n/a 19.27% 3/27/95
Smith Barney High Income -6.93% n/a n/a 6.30% 4/28/95
Smith Barney Money Market -4.78% n/a n/a 2.71% 5/24/95

GREENWICH STREET SERIES FUND
Appreciation 3.45% n/a n/a 16.54% 3/22/96

SMITH BARNEY CONCERT ALLOCATION SERIES, INC.
Select High Growth 17.01% n/a n/a 14.59% 2/5/97
Select Growth 6.42% n/a n/a 11.16% 2/5/97
Select Balanced -2.04% n/a n/a 6.63% 2/5/97
Select Conservative -5.41% n/a n/a 4.24% 2/5/97
Select Income -8.85% n/a n/a 2.61% 2/5/97
</TABLE>
- -------------------------
* Total return calculation reflects partial waiver of fees and expenses.

4
<PAGE>

NON-STANDARD AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN FOR ALL SUBACCOUNTS
Quotations of non-standard average annual total return for any subaccount will
be expressed in terms of the average annual compounded rate of return of a
hypothetical investment in a contract over a period of one, five and 10 years
(or, if less, up to the life of the subaccount), calculated pursuant to the
formula:

[P(1+T)(n)]=ERV

All total return figures reflect the deduction of the mortality and expense risk
charge and the administrative charges, but not the deduction of the maximum
sales load and the annual contract fee.

5
<PAGE>

Average Annual Total Return for Periods Ending 12/31/99 - Non-Standardized
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
From Inception
1 Year 5 Years 10 Years Inception Date
THE GCG TRUST
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Liquid Asset 3.27% 3.63% 3.36%* 3.65%* 1/25/89
Limited Maturity Bond -0.28% 4.62% 4.44%* 4.81%* 1/25/89
Global Fixed Income -9.90% 3.22%* n/a 3.20%* 10/7/94
Fully Managed 5.43% 11.34% 7.75%* 7.32%* 1/25/89
Total Return 1.93% 12.96%* n/a 11.95%* 10/7/94
Equity Income -2.11% 8.78% 7.16%* 7.24%* 1/25/89
Investors n/a n/a n/a n/a 2/1/00
Value Equity -0.89% n/a n/a 12.65% 1/1/95
Rising Dividends 14.26% 20.41% n/a 16.42% 10/4/93
Managed Global 61.02% 21.63%* n/a 12.91%* 10/21/92
Large Cap Value n/a n/a n/a n/a 2/1/00
All Cap n/a n/a n/a n/a 2/1/00
Research 22.49% 23.56%* n/a 21.76%* 10/7/94
Capital Appreciation 22.90% 21.45% n/a 15.47%* 5/4/92
Capital Growth 23.80% n/a n/a 21.95% 4/1/96
Strategic Equity 54.06% n/a n/a 20.29% 10/2/95
Mid-Cap Growth 76.56% 30.74%* n/a 30.06%* 10/7/94
Small Cap 48.50% n/a n/a 22.93% 1/2/96
Growth 75.65% n/a n/a 32.33%* 4/1/96
Real Estate -5.15% 8.51% 7.77%* 6.84%* 1/25/89
Hard Assets 21.64% 4.88% 3.99%* 5.18%* 1/25/89
Developing World 59.40% n/a n/a 8.32% 2/18/98

THE PIMCO TRUST
High Yield Bond 1.58%* n/a n/a 1.43%* 5/1/98
StocksPLUS Growth & Income 18.17%* n/a n/a 17.70%* 5/1/98

THE WARBURG PINCUS TRUST
International Equity 51.29% n/a n/a 12.51%* 4/1/96

ING VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST
ING Global Brand Names n/a n/a n/a n/a 5/1/00

THE PRUDENTIAL TRUST SERIES FUND, INC.
Prudential Jennison n/a n/a n/a n/a 5/1/00

TRAVELERS SERIES FUND, INC.
Smith Barney Large Cap Value -1.38% n/a n/a 14.46% 4/5/95
Smith Barney International Equity 65.39% n/a n/a 19.75% 3/27/95
Smith Barney High Income 1.14% n/a n/a 7.02% 4/28/95
Smith Barney Money Market 3.29% n/a n/a 3.54% 5/24/95

GREENWICH STREET SERIES FUND
Appreciation 11.51% n/a n/a 17.44% 3/22/96

SMITH BARNEY CONCERT ALLOCATION SERIES, INC.
Select High Growth 25.08% n/a n/a 16.21% 2/5/97
Select Growth 14.49% n/a n/a 12.87% 2/5/97
Select Balanced 6.02% n/a n/a 8.47% 2/5/97
Select Conservative 2.65% n/a n/a 6.16% 2/5/97
Select Income -0.78% n/a n/a 4.59% 2/5/97
</TABLE>
- -------------------------
* Total return calculation reflects partial waiver of fees and expenses.

Owners should note that the investment results of each Subaccount will fluctuate
over time, and any presentation of the Subaccount's total return or yield for
any period should not be considered

6
<PAGE>

as a representation of what an investment may earn or what an Owner's total
return or yield may be in any future period.

ANNUITY PROVISIONS
- ------------------
Currently, the Company makes available payment plans on a fixed basis only. (See
the Prospectus - "Contract Proceeds - Fixed Payment Plans" for a description of
the Payment Plans.)

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
- --------------------
The financial statements of the Company and Separate Account A included herein
should be considered only as bearing upon the ability of the Company to meet its
obligations under the Contracts.

7
<PAGE>