Guide
How much life insurance do you need?
An interactive tool plus detailed explanation of the thinking: earnings and duration, outstanding debts, kids' college funding and your current protections.
A common approach involves calculating what your income stream would replace, then subtracting existing protections. This doesn't demand mathematical precision; term insurance is sold in $50,000 or $100,000 increments anyway, and the target is simply enough to stabilize your household during vulnerable years.
Coverage estimate
Try this formula: (annual income × years until retirement) + outstanding debts + estimated education costs − existing coverage, then round to the nearest $50,000. Use it as your initial target, not as personalized guidance.
Why those inputs
Years of income. The typical window is ten to twenty years; which fits depends on when your dependents would stop needing your paycheck. In the San Ramon area, households supporting young children commonly select twenty or thirty years to align with higher costs during parenting years.
Unpaid liabilities. For most households the home loan is the principal debt. Choosing coverage that would satisfy it ensures your family isn't compelled by financial pressure to make decisions.
College funding. Budget an amount per child in today's money. It's less disruptive to plan for this now than to buy an additional policy down the road.
Current protection. Add up savings you could tap into and employer-sponsored insurance you currently receive. Keep in mind that most group plans end when employment ends, so you might count only a portion of group insurance.
Once you've picked a coverage amount, the quote tool will display pricing from all carriers for 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 year options. Many applicants increase the initial calculation slightly because the extra cost is modest at younger ages.