Guide
How much life insurance do you need?
A calculator plus the thinking behind it: how many years of income, your debts, education savings, and what protection already exists.
A standard approach is to sum your obligations and subtract existing coverage. It isn't a precise calculation, and that's fine—insurance is sold in round dollar amounts anyway, and the real goal is a safety cushion that lasts through the hardest years.
Coverage estimate
Estimate = (annual income × years needed) + total debts + education funding − existing coverage, rounded to the nearest $5,000. Use this as your starting point only.
Why those inputs
Income years. Most advisors recommend 10 to 20 years of family income as the foundation; your personal answer depends on how long your dependents need financial support. In Brea, families with young children typically favor the longer timeframe because expenses for school, housing, and childcare coincide during those years.
Debts. A home mortgage typically represents the single biggest obligation for a family. Insurance that would satisfy this debt allows your family the choice of whether to keep the home, rather than being forced to sell.
Education. Add a rough number per child, in current dollars, for college or training. Including this now is simpler than buying additional coverage later.
Current coverage. Bank balances that could pay costs, plus employer-provided insurance if you have it. Keep in mind that work-provided coverage typically disappears when employment ends, so many families count only part of it.
Once you have a target number in mind, the quote tool will display pricing for that amount across 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30-year terms from every participating carrier. It's common to choose a bit more coverage than your estimate since premiums are very close at younger ages.