Guide
How much life insurance do you need?
A calculator, plus the thinking behind it: income replacement period, debt coverage, education reserves, and what you've already set aside.
The straightforward approach is to add up what your income would have replaced and subtract what's already in place. It's not a precise calculation, and it doesn't need to be: you select coverage in round dollar amounts, and the target is a number that keeps your household on track for the period that matters most.
Coverage estimate
Amount = income × years + debts + education − existing resources, rounded to $5,000 increments. It's a starting point, not guidance.
Why those inputs
Duration of income replacement. Most financial planners suggest somewhere between 10 and 20 years; your optimal choice hinges on how many years your dependents will need financial support. In Moreno Valley, families with young kids frequently select the higher end since education, housing, and childcare expenses converge.
Outstanding debts. Your mortgage is usually the largest one for most households. Enough coverage to retire that debt gives survivors the freedom to decide what comes next rather than being forced by financial constraints.
College costs. A modest amount per child, in current dollars. Factoring this in now is less cumbersome than buying an additional policy down the road.
What you've already set aside. Cash reserves you could access for emergencies, plus group term through an employer. Group coverage often disappears if your job ends, so many people count just a portion of it.
Once you've settled on a figure, the quote tool displays what that level of coverage runs for periods of 10 to 30 years across available carriers. Getting slightly more coverage than your calculation is typical, as the monthly cost difference is minimal when you're younger.