How much Life Insurance do you need?

The only certainty in everybody’s life is death, which will occur eventually, and simply you have no control over it.  However, one thing over which you can surely have some control is to make provisions for your family today, taking into account the reality of the future inevitable.

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It is in this context that life insurance becomes very important. However, having life insurance is not enough; you must have enough of it to fulfill the responsibilities you leave behind.

So how much life insurance should you have? There is no set minimum amount or formula to calculate it. Circumstances are different from person to person and from family to family. However, your insurance plan should cover a few basic liabilities:

Mortgage

Probably for most people, a mortgage is the largest single ongoing financial burden. You must ensure that your family will not bear an extra monetary burden in case of your sudden demise. Mortgage lenders will normally demand that you take a life insurance policy that will cover the repayment. If you do not have coverage for your mortgage, the repayment must be factored into your policy.

Loans

In addition to mortgage, you may have other loans and debts you need to repay. In some cases, the lenders may have required you to take an insurance cover for such repayments as in the case of a mortgage. If you have no such coverage, you should add that liability to your life coverage.

Childcare and education

Every parent knows how expensive it is to raise children. If your children are old enough to identify what they want to do in life, you can calculate how long they will need your financial support and how much. Adding that to your coverage is easy.

If it’s too early for them to know what they want to do, calculate the cost of their remaining years in school, the college years and perhaps one or two years of specialization, research, etc. You will have to cover that amount in your policy.

Income replacement

The cost of living is not static – it rises with time. Your life insurance must ensure that your spouse and other dependents are able to enjoy the same quality of life even after your demise. In order to provide for them to continue to live in the same comfort zone, you can think of an Income Replacement Life Insurance policy.

Other liabilities/responsibilities

No two financial situations are identical. Add up all other financial outflows that will continue after your time, and ensure that your coverage is enough to take care of those costs. In addition, there may be factors like a spouse having a regular income that could reduce the amount of the coverage you require.

These are just general guidelines. Calculating the amount of life insurance you need is not as simple as it may appear. This is one area where you must be sure that you have taken all the right steps. It would be better to consult with a reputed insurance broker who will be able to help you find the right coverage at the right cost.