Guide
How much life insurance do you need?
A calculator and the reasoning behind it: income replacement years, debts, education costs and what you already own.
Add what your lost income would have harmed: your home, your children's security, your business obligations. Subtract what's already in place. The result doesn't have to be precise—term coverage comes in round numbers, and the goal is a figure that keeps the household steady through the critical years.
Coverage estimate
Estimate = income × years + debts + education − what you already have, rounded to the nearest $5,000. It's a starting point.
Why those inputs
Income years. The typical range is ten to twenty years of income; the length depends on how long your dependents would need support. Families with young children in Daly City often choose longer terms because the period when childcare, housing and schooling expenses are highest usually runs for more than a decade.
Debts. A mortgage is usually the largest. Coverage large enough to clear it lets survivors stay without the income pressure forcing a move.
Education. Set aside a rough amount per child in today's dollars. Including it now is easier than adding coverage later.
What you have. Savings you could spend and group coverage from your job. Group coverage usually ends when you do, so many people count only part of it.
Once you have a target number, the quote tool shows what 10 to 30 years of that benefit costs with each carrier. Picking a slightly higher amount is common because the monthly cost at younger ages is low.