Guide
How much life insurance do you need?
A tool and its reasoning: how many income years, debts, education costs, and what existing help you have.
Start by adding what your paycheck supports, then deduct what is covered elsewhere. It does not need to be exact, and it will not be: people buy insurance in standard amounts, and what matters is picking a figure that keeps your household on track during the years that count.
Coverage estimate
Amount = salary × years + liabilities + school expenses − existing coverage, rounded to $5,000 units. This is a rough guide only, not a recommendation.
Why those inputs
Income years. Between 10 and 20 years is how planners typically think about it; the length you pick depends on how much time your dependents will require help. Families with small children in Galt commonly favor longer terms because costs for childcare, housing, and school happen together.
Debts. For most households, the mortgage is the largest. Having coverage to settle it permits survivors to stay without being forced by financial pressure to leave.
Education. Set aside a rough figure for each child in current dollars. Including it now is easier than buying extra coverage down the road.
What you have. Include savings you could draw on, and group plans from work. Keep in mind that group plans stop when you leave the job, so count only what you would keep.
Once you have identified your target amount, the quote tool lets you explore what 10- to 30-year options cost from all our carriers. Choosing more coverage than your estimate is common since the monthly premium difference is typically small when you are younger.