Debt
Non-mortgage debts your family would otherwise inherit — credit cards, auto loans, small-business debt, student loans (which usually die with the borrower for federal loans, but private loans often do not).
Coverage calculator
How much life insurance does your family actually need?
A 60-second estimate using the DIME method — Debt + Income + Mortgage + Education. Built by an independent broker, with the math working in public. No email required to see your number.
No email required Industry-standard method Honest, no upsell
The math, in plain English
Why DIME is the industry standard.
Most life insurance "rules of thumb" (10× income, 12× income) overshoot or undershoot your actual need. DIME is what professional underwriters and financial planners use because it lines up with the reasons families actually need coverage.
Income
Your annual income × the number of years you want to replace. Most families pick 10–25 years — long enough for kids to finish school and a surviving spouse to re-establish footing.
Mortgage
The remaining principal on your home loan(s). Without coverage, this is the line item most likely to force a family to sell the home at the worst possible time.
Education
$50,000 per dependent — a conservative estimate that covers 4 years of in-state public university costs (tuition, fees, room, board) over the next decade or so.
Households like yours
Real coverage estimates from real conversations.
Anonymized client scenarios from our practice. Premiums are illustrative — actual quotes depend on health, age, and carrier match.
- Income
- $95,000
- Mortgage
- $385,000
- Dependents
- 2
Estimated coverage $1.05M $48/month estimated premium
Healthy 32-year-old non-smoker, 30-year term, both income earners covered separately.
- Income
- $140,000
- Mortgage
- $300,000
- Dependents
- 3
Estimated coverage $1.40M $72/month estimated premium
Includes truck note + business operating debt. 20-year term, BMI-tolerant carrier.
- Income
- $78,000
- Mortgage
- $295,000
- Dependents
- 2
Estimated coverage $835K $32/month estimated premium
Replacing VGLI with private 30-year term. Service-connected condition placed at standard rate.
Honest limits
What the calculator doesn't capture.
We're upfront about the edges. The DIME method is a starting framework, not a complete financial plan. The calculator above doesn't factor in:
- Business buy-sell agreements. Owner-operators and partners often need extra coverage to fund partner buyouts.
- Special-needs dependents. Lifelong care for a special-needs child often requires permanent (whole life or IUL) coverage, not term.
- Estate-tax planning. At higher net-worth tiers (~$13M+ federal exemption), permanent coverage may serve a tax-planning role beyond protection.
- Charitable bequests. Some clients add coverage specifically to fund a charitable legacy.
- Inflation. The number above is in today's dollars; the dollar value of your coverage will erode over a 20–30-year term.
These edge cases are exactly why a 15-minute review with a licensed agent is worth more than a calculator output — we'll catch what the math misses.
Common questions
Calculator FAQ.
How accurate is this estimate?
It's directionally accurate for most working households. The DIME method covers the four buckets that drive coverage need — debt, income replacement, mortgage payoff, and education savings — but it doesn't factor in things like business buy-sell agreements, special-needs dependents, charitable bequests, or estate-tax considerations. Use the result as a starting point, then we'll refine it together in a 15-minute review.
Why does the result jump in $25,000 increments?
Insurance carriers issue policies in standard face amounts (typically $25K, $50K, $100K, $250K, $500K, $750K, $1M, $1.5M, $2M+). Rounding to the nearest $25K reflects what's actually purchasable.
Should I subtract my employer's life insurance?
Yes — enter it under 'Existing coverage.' Employer-provided life insurance is typically 1–2× annual salary, capped low, and not portable when you change jobs. We recommend treating it as a baseline only.
What about my spouse — should we both have policies?
Almost always yes. The calculator estimates one person's coverage need. If you have a working spouse, run the calculation twice (once with each income). Stay-at-home spouses still need coverage for replacement childcare and household work — typically $250K–$500K of 20-year term.
Why is the result so high?
Most working families with mortgages and dependents are dramatically underinsured. The 10–15× annual income rule of thumb produces shockingly large numbers — but the premium for that coverage is often less than $50/month for a healthy 35-year-old. That gap is exactly why honest brokerage exists.
Got your number? Let's get to a real quote.
Free Will Kit. 15-minute review. Multi-carrier comparison. No email required to see this calculator's result.