Guide
How much life insurance do you need?
A tool that does the math plus explanations of the pieces: years of income support, debt coverage, education funds, and existing protection.
The usual method: list what your income covers, then remove what's already protected. The result doesn't have to be exact—term insurance amounts are set in round numbers, and the aim is to keep the household functioning during critical years.
Coverage estimate
Formula: income × years of support needed + major debts + education costs − savings and workplace coverage, rounded to $5,000. Use it as a starting estimate, not guidance.
Why those inputs
Income years. Planners typically suggest 10 to 20 years of income; it depends on how long dependents will need that income. In Cerritos, families with young kids tend to lean toward 20 years or longer since childcare, housing, and school expenses overlap.
Debts. For most families, a mortgage is the biggest debt. Insurance that covers it keeps survivors from being forced to leave their home because of cash flow.
Education. An approximate amount per child in current dollars. Building it in now is simpler than taking out a second policy down the road.
What you have. Cash reserves and insurance through your job. Since employer coverage typically stops when employment ends, some people choose to count only part of it.
Once you have a target amount, the quoting tool will show all the monthly costs from each carrier for 10- to 30-year terms. Buying above the estimate is normal; the extra coverage often costs very little more each month at younger ages.