Guide
How much life insurance do you need?
A calculation tool plus the thinking that supports it: income needs, obligations, schooling costs, and current resources.
A typical approach: tally what your earnings would support, then deduct what's already available. Precision isn't the aim—term policies come in round dollar amounts—and the target is simply enough to sustain your household through the critical years.
Coverage estimate
The formula works as: (income × years) + debts + education − existing coverage, then round to the nearest $5,000. This is a preliminary estimate, never a recommendation.
Why those inputs
Income years. Planners typically suggest ten to twenty years of income replacement; your household decides based on how long dependents need help. Families with young kids in San Juan Capistrano often lean toward the longer timeframes because education, childcare, and housing costs cluster in those years.
Debts. The mortgage represents the biggest obligation for most. Enough death benefit to pay it off preserves your family's choice to remain in their home rather than forcing a sale.
Education. A modest amount per child in current dollars handles schooling. Building it into your coverage now beats taking out a second policy later.
What you have. Existing resources: liquid savings and workplace group coverage. Group insurance typically stops once employment ends, so most people factor in only a portion of it.
Once you've settled on a figure, the quotes page displays costs for 10-, 15-, 20-, 25-, and 30-year terms across carriers. Many choose slightly higher amounts since the monthly cost increase is modest when you're young.