- Coverage need
- The death benefit estimated to keep your family financially stable: income replacement plus debts, final expenses and education costs, minus savings and existing coverage. This calculator adds those parts without adjusting for inflation, taxes or investment returns on the payout, so it is a starting point rather than a precise figure.
- Income replacement
- The part of coverage meant to replace the earnings your family would lose, calculated here as annual income times the years to replace. $75,000 for 10 years is $750,000. It usually makes up the largest share of the need, so the number of years chosen has a big effect on the result.
- Years of income to replace
- How long the policy should support your household — often until the youngest child is financially independent or a spouse reaches retirement. Longer periods raise the coverage need in direct proportion. It also suggests a matching term length if you are considering term life insurance.
- Debts and final expenses
- Obligations the payout could clear at once: the remaining mortgage balance, car loans, credit cards and student loans, plus funeral, burial and estate-settlement costs. Paying off the mortgage removes the family’s largest monthly bill, which can reduce the income they need going forward.
- Education fund
- Money set aside for children’s future college or other education. This calculator adds the amount you enter in today’s dollars; it does not project tuition inflation or subtract existing college savings, so enter a net figure if you already have an education account.
- Existing resources
- Savings, investments and life insurance your family could already draw on, subtracted from the total need. Include group coverage through work, but keep in mind it usually ends if you leave the job. Retirement accounts can count, though withdrawals may be taxed.
- Death benefit
- The amount a life insurance policy pays the beneficiaries when the insured person dies. It is generally not subject to federal income tax for the beneficiary. The recommended coverage from this calculator is an estimate of the death benefit needed.
- Term life insurance
- Coverage for a set period, such as 10, 20 or 30 years, that pays only if the insured dies during that period. It has no cash value and usually costs much less per dollar of coverage than permanent insurance, which is why it is commonly used to cover an income-replacement need like the one estimated here.
- Beneficiary
- The person, trust or entity named to receive the death benefit. Naming minors directly can complicate access to the money, so a trust or custodian is often used. Beneficiary designations generally override a will, so they are worth reviewing after a marriage, divorce or birth.