Guide
How much life insurance do you need?
A tool and the reasoning behind it: how many years of income, what debts need covering, education costs, and what you already have.
The basic method is to add what your income would cover and subtract what you already have. It does not need to be exact, and it is not: term policies sell in round numbers, and the aim is an amount that keeps your household stable through the important years.
Coverage estimate
Calculation = income × years + debts + education − existing coverage, rounded to the nearest $5,000. This is a starting point, not professional advice.
Why those inputs
Income years. The standard range is 10 to 20 years, depending on how long your family needs income replacement. Families with young children in Redwood City often select the longer span because childcare, housing, and school expenses are most expensive during overlapping years.
Debts. For most households, the largest debt is a mortgage. Coverage that would pay it off lets survivors make decisions about their living situation without immediate financial pressure.
Education. A rough per-child allowance in present dollars. Including it now is simpler than adding a second policy later.
What you already own. Liquid savings and group coverage from your employer. Group coverage often ends if your job does, so many families count only part of it.
Once you have a figure in mind, the quote tool shows what that amount costs with terms from 10 to 30 years from every carrier. Choosing a little more coverage is common because the monthly cost difference is small at younger ages.