Guide
How much life insurance do you need?
A tool and the thinking behind it: how many years of income, what debts matter, education costs, and what you've already set aside.
The typical approach is to add up what your paycheck could have provided and take away what you've already got in place. It doesn't have to be precise—term amounts are sold in round numbers, and the goal is just to keep things stable during the years that matter most.
Coverage estimate
Amount = income × years + debts + education − existing insurance, rounded to $5,000 increments. This is a starting point, not advice.
Why those inputs
Income years. When counting years of income replacement, most planners look at ten to twenty; where you land in that range depends on how long your household would need support. Families with young children in Glendora typically go toward the longer end since the costs of childcare, housing and school often stack together.
Debts. Your mortgage is the biggest debt for most people. Insurance that would pay it off gives the people you leave behind a choice about whether to keep the house, rather than losing it because of cash shortage.
Education. A basic amount per child in today's dollars. It's simpler to figure this out now than to add a second policy later.
What you have. Cash and investments available for emergencies, plus group life through an employer. Group coverage usually walks out when the job does, so a lot of people count only part of what they have there.
Once you have a number in mind, head to the quotes page to see what 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 year options cost from each carrier. Many people buy more than their initial estimate because the monthly cost difference is often quite small when you're younger.