How much life insurance do you need?
Add up what your family would need if your income stopped: years of income, the mortgage, other debts, college and final expenses. Subtract what you already own. That's the DIME method, and it's what we use.
A common answer is until your youngest finishes school. Ten years is a reasonable starting point.
Car loans, private student loans, credit cards.
Default is 4 years of tuition, fees, housing and food at a public in-state university: $25,850 a year in 2025 to 2026 (College Board).
The national median funeral with viewing, burial and a vault was $9,995 (National Funeral Directors Association, 2024), before cemetery costs. Other needs could be childcare or an emergency fund.
Count personal policies. Coverage through work usually ends when the job does, so leave it out.
This is an estimate to start a conversation, not financial advice. Your real need depends on your savings, your spouse's income, Social Security survivor benefits and goals this calculator doesn't ask about.
Two ways to check
DIME and the income rule of thumb
DIME stands for debt, income, mortgage and education. It builds the number from your actual situation, so a family with a big mortgage and three kids gets a different answer than a couple with a paid-off house.
10 to 12 times income is the quick check. If DIME lands far outside that range, it's worth knowing why. Usually it's a large mortgage, college for several kids, or coverage you already own.