Guide
How much life insurance do you need?
Use a calculator and understand the thinking behind it: how many years of earnings, debt levels, education costs, and what you're already covered for.
Add up what your earnings would cover over time, then subtract what's already protected. This method isn't perfect, but it doesn't need to be: coverage amounts are rounded numbers anyway, and the goal is simply a sum large enough to sustain your family's standard of living through the years that matter most.
Coverage estimate
Estimate = earnings × coverage years + outstanding debts + future education costs − existing coverage, rounded up to $5,000. Use this as a starting point, not as professional guidance.
Why those inputs
Income years. Financial advisors typically recommend 10 to 20 years of wage replacement; the right span is about how long those who depend on you would need ongoing support. In Oakland, families with young kids often pick the longer range due to the combined weight of childcare, housing, and school costs.
Debts. Most families carry a mortgage as their biggest debt. If your policy pays it off, your survivors have the choice to stay or leave their home without cash pressure forcing the decision.
Education. Set aside an amount per child in current dollars. Building it into your coverage now is simpler than taking out another policy to cover it later.
What you already have. Include money you've saved that could be used, and any workplace coverage through employment. Since group coverage stops when you leave that job, many people count only a portion of it in their planning.
Once you have a coverage target, the quote tool lets you see what that amount will cost per month across 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 year options from multiple carriers. Going with somewhat more coverage than your calculation suggests is typical, since the monthly cost difference is modest while you're young.