Guide
How much life insurance do you need?
Our calculator walks through income years, debts, education funding, and existing coverage.
A standard approach: add up what your income supports, subtract what's already covered, and round to a round number. Precision isn't the goal—stability for your dependents is.
Coverage estimate
Formula: (income × years) + debts + education costs − existing coverage, rounded to the nearest $5,000. This is a starting estimate, not guidance.
Why those inputs
Support period. Planners typically recommend 10 to 20 years, depending on how long dependents need your income. Families with young children in Citrus Heights often pick the longer timeframe because childcare, housing, and school expenses cluster together.
Liabilities. A mortgage is the biggest for most households. Coverage sufficient to settle it lets survivors make choices based on preference, not financial pressure.
Schooling. Budget per child in current dollars. Including it now is simpler than buying extra coverage later.
Existing coverage. Liquid savings and employer group life insurance. Since group coverage stops if you leave the job, many count only a fraction of it.
With your target amount, the quote tool shows costs for 10–30 years across insurers. Many choose more than their estimate because the monthly cost is modest at younger ages.