Guide
How much life insurance do you need?
A resource that takes you through the thinking: earnings span, current obligations, college savings goals, and existing insurance.
Sum what your paycheck would support, subtract what you already have in place. Precision isn't required: term policies are priced in round increments, and what matters is having enough to sustain your household when income is needed most.
Coverage estimate
The math: (years of income × annual salary) + outstanding liabilities + education costs − current coverage and savings, rounded up to $5,000 intervals. Use this as a starting point, not as financial advice.
Why those inputs
Support timeline. Most advisors suggest covering ten to twenty years of income, depending on how old your dependents are and when they'd become independent. For Riverside families raising young children, the longer range often makes sense because schooling, rent or a mortgage, and childcare all peak at the same time.
Mortgage and debt. Home loans usually make up the largest family obligation. Insurance proceeds sufficient to pay off the home give your family the freedom to stay, relocate, or sell based on what's best—not cash constraints.
Higher education. Budget a realistic per-child amount in today's dollars. It makes sense to bundle education costs into your coverage now rather than adding policies later.
Coverage you have. Factor in emergency savings available for withdrawal, and any life insurance through your employer. Remember that employer coverage typically terminates when you change jobs, so consider only a portion of it.
After you've identified a target figure, the quoting tool displays what coverage amounts between 10 and 30 years cost from each available carrier. Most applicants opt for amounts slightly higher than their initial calculation, as the extra monthly cost is typically small at younger ages.