Guide
How much life insurance do you need?
A tool to estimate your coverage need plus the thinking behind it: income years, debts, education, and existing coverage.
Add up the household income that wouldn't be available and subtract any existing resources. The math doesn't have to be exact—term policies sell in $50,000 increments, and the goal is a number that would stabilize your family for years that matter most.
Coverage estimate
Estimate = (income × years) + debts + education − existing coverage, rounded to nearest $5,000. This is a starting framework, not a professional recommendation.
Why those inputs
Income years. Ten to twenty years of coverage is what most advisers recommend; the specific length depends on how long dependents would benefit from that income. In San Carlos, where young families balance school costs, childcare, and housing expenses that peak together, many choose the longer terms.
Debts. A home mortgage is the main debt for most families. Coverage sized to pay it off lets the family choose whether to keep the house based on what they want, not because money is tight.
Education. Include a rough number per child in today's dollars. It's easier to build this into the policy now than buy additional coverage later.
Existing coverage. Bank savings available to dependents, plus any group policy through an employer. Most group coverage ends when employment ends, so people often count only part of it.
Once you calculate a target, the quote tool shows monthly costs for 10-year through 30-year terms across carriers. It's common to buy slightly more coverage than your calculation suggests, since cost differences are minimal at younger ages.