Guide
How much life insurance do you need?
An interactive tool and the reasoning behind it: income years, debts, education and current resources.
A straightforward approach: list what your wages would have supported, then subtract what's already secured. It doesn't require precision, and it shouldn't: term insurance gets purchased in round increments, and the objective is a sum that maintains your family's stability in the crucial years.
Coverage estimate
Income multiplied by years, plus debts, plus education, minus what you already have, then round to $5,000 increments. This is a starting point for your thinking, not professional guidance.
Why those inputs
Income years. Typical planning uses ten to twenty years of income; your specific situation depends on when dependents stop requiring support. Sacramento households with kids at home typically go longer since child-related costs overlap with mortgages and school expenses.
Debts. For most people, a mortgage represents the single largest debt. Insurance that pays off this debt allows your family to decide their living situation based on what they want, not what they must do for money.
Education. Set aside a rough per-child estimate in current dollars. Factoring this in now is simpler than securing a second policy after.
What you have. Accumulated cash and workplace insurance policies. Many workplace plans end when employment ends, so people typically count a portion of what's available.
Once you've determined your target amount, the quote tool will display pricing for 10- through 30-year options across all carriers. Many people buy slightly above their initial target because the monthly cost difference is modest when you're younger.