Guide
How much life insurance do you need?
A calculator plus the logic: how many earning years, what you owe, education costs, and what insurance you carry.
Start by estimating what your salary would have supported if you weren't here, then deduct what your family already has in savings and insurance. The math doesn't need to be exact — term life is sold in round amounts, and a ballpark figure that sustains your family through the critical years is what matters.
Coverage estimate
Figure: (annual income × years of need) + total debts + cost of education − savings and existing coverage, then round to the nearest $5,000. Use this as a starting reference, not as personalized guidance.
Why those inputs
Income years. Most advisors work with a 10- to 20-year window, though your family's situation determines the right span. When children are small in La Mesa, a longer term often fits because childcare, rent or mortgage, and school expenses all coincide at their highest.
Debts. For most households, the mortgage is the biggest. A payout large enough to eliminate it gives your family the choice to keep or sell the home, rather than forcing a sale due to cash shortage.
Education. A rough amount per child in today's money. It's simpler to factor this in now than to buy another policy later.
What you have. Cash savings you could use and any group insurance from your employer. Group plans typically end when employment does, so many people include only a fraction of that.
Once you've picked a sum, the quote tool displays what each carrier charges for 10-, 15-, 20-, 25-, or 30-year terms. Many people choose to cover slightly more than their estimate because the extra monthly cost is minimal when you're young.