Guide
How much life insurance do you need?
Use our calculator to work through income replacement years, outstanding debts, education reserves, and existing coverage.
Most people start by estimating what your income would need to replace, then subtract what's already saved or covered by other means. Precision isn't the point—term insurance is sold in round figures anyway—what matters is a number that would hold your household stable during the years when your income is essential.
Coverage estimate
Quick formula: (annual income × number of years) + existing debts + education costs − current savings and group coverage, rounded to the nearest $5,000. This is a beginning, not personalized guidance.
Why those inputs
Income years. Most households pick between ten and twenty years of income replacement; how long is right depends on when your dependents will no longer rely on your earnings. Families in Mountain View with young kids typically go with the longer window because school, childcare and housing costs all hit their peak in the same years.
Debts. For most households, the mortgage is the biggest one. If your death would mean your survivors had to leave the home because of cash flow, life insurance that could pay off the mortgage keeps that choice in their hands.
Education. Ballpark a dollar amount per child, in current dollars. Building it into your coverage now is simpler than buying another policy after.
What you have. Cash reserves on hand, and life insurance you get through an employer. Group coverage stops when employment ends, so it's common to count only a portion of it.
Once you've settled on an amount, head to the quote tool to see what different carriers charge for 10-, 15-, 20-, 25- or 30-year terms. Many people purchase slightly more than their estimate suggests, because the monthly cost increase is often modest when you're younger.