Guide
How much life insurance do you need?
An interactive tool and guidance: income horizon, debts, education support, and existing protection.
One standard approach: tally what your earnings would have replaced if you were gone, then subtract any current insurance or savings. This method is not precise, and it does not have to be—coverage amounts come in neat figures, and your goal is a reasonable amount for your family's key years.
Coverage estimate
Approximation = (annual income × years of income protection) + outstanding debts + children's schooling costs − existing coverage, adjusted to a $5,000 increment. Use this as your starting estimate, not as professional guidance.
Why those inputs
Income years. Experts generally suggest protection spanning ten to twenty years worth of household earnings; your specific situation may call for more or less. For many Milpitas families with young children in school, the longer window makes sense since costs for education, housing and care cluster in those years.
Debt. Most households owe a mortgage. Coverage that settles the mortgage gives loved ones the choice to stay or move without financial pressure.
Schooling. Set aside a rough per-child amount in current values. Including it now is simpler than buying extra coverage down the road.
Current coverage. Liquid funds available and employer-sponsored plans through your workplace. Employer protection usually stops when employment ends, so many families only count a portion.
Once you know your target, our quote tool compares monthly costs across carriers for 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30-year protection periods. Many people choose coverage exceeding their estimate because the monthly premium difference is modest when you're young.