Guide
How much life insurance do you need?
A calculator demonstrating income timeframes, debts, schooling costs, and existing protection.
A standard method: combine income with existing obligations and subtract current coverage. It won't achieve perfect accuracy, but precision isn't necessary—people choose round-number amounts targeting household stability through critical years.
Coverage estimate
Rough estimate: (income × years) + debts + education − existing coverage, rounded to the nearest $5,000. It's a starting point, not qualified counsel.
Why those inputs
Income timeframes. Ten to twenty years represents the typical advisor range; your specific need reflects your dependents' support window. Poway families with minor children frequently select toward the longer end since childcare, housing, and education costs typically align.
Debts. Home mortgages typically account for families' largest debt. Sufficient coverage to satisfy it grants survivors autonomy in their choices rather than necessity-driven decisions.
Education. Establish a reasonable per-child allocation in current dollars. It's better to include this now rather than purchase an additional policy later.
Current coverage. Savings that are available plus employer group policies. Since group plans end when employment concludes, many individuals count only a portion of it.
When you have a figure in mind, the quote tool shows pricing across 10 to 30-year spans from all carriers. Many purchase slightly more than initially planned since monthly costs are modest at younger ages.