Guide
How much life insurance do you need?
A tool and the reasoning behind it: income years, debts, education, and what you already have.
A common approach is to total what your income would have covered and subtract what is already in place. It will not be exact, and it does not have to be: people buy term coverage in round amounts, and the goal is enough to keep things stable for the critical years.
Coverage estimate
Estimate = (income × years) + debts + education − existing coverage, then round to the nearest $5,000. It is a beginning point only, not guidance.
Why those inputs
Income years. Usually 10 to 20 years; the right span depends on how long dependents would need assistance. Households with young kids in San Luis Obispo often pick the longer range because care, housing and school costs bunch together.
Debts. A mortgage is usually the biggest one. If coverage can pay it off, dependents can choose whether to stay without needing to leave because of finances.
Education. A rough estimate per child, in current dollars. Planning for it now is more practical than starting a second policy later.
What you have. Cash you could use and coverage from your job. Workplace coverage typically stops when you leave, so most people count just a portion.
Once you have a number, the quote tool lets you check costs for 10 to 30 years from each carrier. Choosing more than your estimate is normal because the monthly cost is modest at younger ages.