Guide
How much life insurance do you need?
A tool and the logic: years of income, obligations, schooling costs, and existing coverage.
The usual way: tally what your earnings would have paid for, minus what you've got saved and insured. Exact numbers aren't needed—insurance sells in round increments anyway. The aim is enough to hold the family steady through the critical years.
Coverage estimate
Estimate = income × years + debts + education − savings and group insurance, rounded to $5,000 increments. This is a beginning, not guidance.
Why those inputs
Income years. Most pros suggest 10–20; pick based on how many years your dependents need income. Murrieta families with young kids often go 20–30 since childcare, housing, and school hit peak cost at the same time.
Debts. A home loan is usually the biggest one. Coverage that pays it off lets your family choose to stay without money forcing the call.
Education. A per-child ballpark in current dollars. It's simpler to lock it in now than to get more coverage later.
What you have. Liquid savings and employer group insurance. Group insurance ends when employment does, so many people only include a slice.
Once you pick a target, the quote tool displays costs across 10–30 years from all carriers. Going over your number is normal—the per-month bump is tiny at younger ages.