Guide
How much life insurance do you need?
Use the calculator and understand its parts: income years, debts, college funding, and what you currently have.
The standard approach is to add your income to years and subtract existing assets. It's not an exact science, and it doesn't need to be. Term policies come in round amounts, and the goal is enough to stabilize your household for the years that matter most.
Coverage estimate
Need = (income × years) + debts + education − current assets, rounded to $5,000. This is a starting point, not advice.
Why those inputs
Income years. Most planners look at 10 to 20 years, depending on how long dependents need support. Families with young children in Martinez often pick the longer timeframe since expenses peak during those years.
Debts. Mortgages top the list for most. Enough coverage to pay off the mortgage lets family choose where to live without money pressure.
Education. Estimate per child in current dollars. It's smarter to build this into one policy now than get a second policy later.
What you have. Savings you can access and group coverage from work. Group coverage stops at job loss, so consider whether to count all of it.
Once you have an amount, the quote tool shows what 10 to 30 years costs from each carrier. Overstating the number slightly is common; younger ages have minimal monthly premiums for more coverage.