How Much Life Insurance Do You Actually Need?

You've probably heard the rule of thumb: buy 10 times your annual income in life insurance. It's a fine starting point, but it ignores the single largest expense most families have — the mortgage.

A better framework

Add up your remaining mortgage balance, plus 10 years of your income (or your spouse's lost income if you're the primary earner), plus an emergency cushion of $25–50k. That total is your target death benefit.

Use the calculator

Our coverage calculator runs this math automatically based on four simple inputs. Try it — the result is instant and no email is required.