Supplement dated Nov. 19, 2003*-- to the Prospectuses dated May 1, 2003

American  Express  Retirement  Advisor   Advantage(R)Variable   Annuity/American
Express Retirement Advisor Select(R)Variable Annuity S-6410 C (5/03)

American  Express  Retirement  Advisor   Advantage(R)Variable   Annuity/American
Express Retirement Advisor Select(R)Variable Annuity S-6406 F (5/03)

American Express Retirement Advisor Advantage(R)Variable Annuity - Band 3 S-6407
D (5/03)

The Variable Account and the Funds

Effective Dec. 5, 2003,  subject to shareholder  approval,  Evergreen VA Capital
Growth Fund - Class 2 will merge into the  Evergreen VA Growth and Income Fund -
Class 2 (the surviving Fund).

The investment adviser to the surviving fund is Evergreen Investment  Management
Company,  LLC. The investment  objectives and policies of the surviving fund are
described below:



- ---------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Investing In                 Investment Objectives and Policies
- ---------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          
Evergreen VA Growth and      Objective: capital growth in the value of its shares and current income. Invests
Income Fund -  Class 2       in primarily common stocks of medium- to large-sized U.S. companies whose market
                             capitalizations at time of purchase fall within the
                             range tracked by the Russell 1000(R) Index.
- ---------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The investment  managers and advisers  cannot  guarantee that the fund will meet
its  investment  objectives.  Please  read the fund's  prospectus  for facts you
should know before  investing.  This prospectus is available by contacting us at
(800) 862-7919.

Here is some important information about the surviving fund's fees and expenses:



Total annual operating expenses

(Before  fee  waivers  and/or  expense  reimbursements,   if  applicable,  as  a
percentage of average daily net assets)

                                                  Management fees         12b-1 fees       Other expenses           Total

Evergreen Variable Annuity Trust
                                                                                                       
   Evergreen VA Growth and Income Fund - Class 2     .75%                     .25%               .18%              1.18%(1)


(1)  The  Total  ratio of  expenses  to  average  net  assets  excludes  expense
     reductions  and fee  waivers.  From  time to time,  the  Fund's  investment
     advisor may, at its  discretion,  reduce or waive its fees or reimburse the
     Fund for certain of its  expenses in order to reduce  expense  ratios.  The
     fund's  investment  advisor may cease these waivers or reimbursement at any
     time.  With fee waivers and expense  reimbursement,  "Other  expenses"  and
     "Gross total annual expenses" would be 0.08% and 1.13%.



THIS SUPPLEMENT SHOULD BE RETAINED WITH THE CURRENT PROSPECTUS FOR YOUR PRODUCT.

S-6406-23 A (11/03)
* Valid until April 30, 2004