Guide
How much life insurance do you need?
A calculator and the logic that drives it: how many income years you need, debts, education, and existing protection.
A straightforward approach: total what your income supported, minus what is already covered. It does not need to be exact; term policies come in round dollar amounts, and the point is a number that sustains the household through the critical years.
Coverage estimate
Quick formula: (annual income × years) + outstanding debts + education funds − existing coverage, rounded to the nearest $5,000. This is a starting point, never advice.
Why those inputs
Income years. Insurance planners typically suggest 10 to 20 years of income replacement; the right span depends on your dependents' support duration. Households raising young children in San Rafael often pick the longer term because housing, childcare, and education costs converge.
Debts. Mortgages are usually the biggest obligation. If your death could force a sale, coverage large enough to pay it off protects your family's choice to remain in the home.
Education. Include a rough amount per child in current dollars. Adding it now is simpler than taking a second policy later.
What you have. Liquid savings and employer coverage. Since group insurance typically stops when employment ends, most people include only a fraction of it.
Once you know the amount you want, the quote tool displays what each carrier charges for 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 years. Many people buy slightly more than their estimate because the monthly cost is modest at younger ages.