Guide
How much life insurance do you need?
Use our calculator along with this framework: how many years of your income your family needs, debts to cover, schooling costs, and what's already insured.
A straightforward approach: add up what your paycheck would cover if you were gone, subtract anything already protected, and round to a neat number. It doesn't have to be exact—insurance amounts come in round figures anyway, and your goal is enough to stabilize the family through the years that matter most.
Coverage estimate
Quick formula: (your annual income × years of need) + outstanding debts + educational costs − existing coverage, then round to the nearest $5,000. This is a ballpark, not professional guidance.
Why those inputs
Income years. Most experts suggest 10 to 20 years, depending on how long dependents need your income. Huntington Park families with young kids typically go longer because housing, childcare, and school costs run together.
Debts. The biggest debt for most households is a home loan. If life insurance pays off the mortgage, your family can stay in the house or make that choice freely, rather than being forced to sell.
Education. Budget a general amount per child in current dollars for school costs. It's simpler to include this upfront than to buy additional coverage later.
What you have. Cash savings and employer-provided group coverage. Remember that group benefits typically stop if you leave the job, so you might count only half of that protection.
Once you settle on a figure, try the quote tool to see the costs for different time periods—10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 years—across all carriers. Many customers buy slightly above their estimate since the added monthly cost is modest when you're young.