Calculate how much life insurance you need

Calculate how much life insurance you need

Life insurance is an important part of planning for the future. In your absence, life insurance can help protect your family’s finances, allow your small business to live on and give you something to leave behind for your loved ones or a favorite charity.

Many people understand the importance of life insurance. According to LIMRA, 80% of consumers believe that most people need life insurance and as many as 132 million Americans rely on life insurance to protect their financial security. But when it comes to actually purchasing a policy, the confusion sinks in and one big question often comes to mind: how much life insurance coverage do I need?

A life insurance policy isn’t “one-size-fits-all.” Everyone has a unique financial situation, so coverage needs are just as unique. To answer this question, you’ll need to get your own personal estimate. Although meeting with your life insurance agent will give you the most accurate results, there are a few different methods you can use to get started.

One way to determine the costs you’ll leave behind is through the “DIME” method. DIME stands for:

D – Outstanding Debts
I – Income Replacement
M – Mortality
E – Education

To get an estimate of how much coverage you will need, take some time to list out all of your expenses that fall under these four categories.

Debt
Outstanding debt can be anything from outstanding student loans, to money you owe on a credit card. You also want to be sure your family can keep their home and stay there for years to come, so be sure to factor in your mortgage into your life insurance estimate. Regardless of how the debt was accumulated, you don’t want these expenses falling on the shoulders of your loved ones.

Income
How will your absence affect your family’s finances? Income replacement calculates just that—the amount of coverage your loved ones would need to continue living a similar lifestyle. Consider day-to-day living costs, as well as other types of spending, like childcare. And keep in mind that inflation will likely cause costs to increase. Don’t forget to factor in income that comes from any investments, in addition to the income that […]

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Continue reading this Grange Insurance article.

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113 North Irwin Avenue
Ocilla, GA 31774
229-468-3444
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