Guide
How much life insurance do you need?
A tool and the logic: years of income replacement, outstanding debts, education spending, and coverage already in place.
Most people add up their household's typical year-to-year needs and multiply by years of dependence, then subtract existing insurance. It doesn't require precision—term amounts come in round figures, and the objective is stability during the years that count most.
Coverage estimate
Amount = income × years + debts + schooling − current coverage, rounded to $5,000. This is a starting estimate only.
Why those inputs
Income years. Planners typically look at ten to twenty years of income replacement; your specific number depends on how many years your dependents would need support. For San Gabriel families with young children, the longer end is common since housing, childcare and school costs cluster together.
Debts. Your mortgage is likely your biggest debt. Insurance proceeds equal to that amount give your family the freedom to keep the house rather than losing it because of cash shortage.
Education. A basic figure per child in current dollars. It's simpler to factor this in now than to purchase another policy later.
What you have. Available cash, investments, and employer group life insurance. Group coverage typically stops when employment ends, so many people only count a portion.
Once you settle on a target amount, visit the quotes page to see costs for 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 year terms from all carriers. Many people purchase more than their initial estimate since monthly costs are modest at younger ages.