Life Insurance Needs Rechner
Estimate how much life cover your family would need using the DIME method.
Financial Obligations
Income Replacement
Picking a life insurance amount out of the air rarely reflects what a family would actually need. This calculator uses the well-known DIME framework — Debt, Income, Mortgage, Education — to build a coverage figure from real obligations. Enter your debts, mortgage balance, the income you'd want to replace and for how many years, education costs to cover, and the assets your family already has, and it estimates the gap a policy would need to fill. Everything is calculated in your browser.
The DIME method
The estimate adds up what your household would need to stay financially secure, then subtracts what it already has:
Coverage = (Debts + Mortgage + Education + Income × Years) − Assets
Suppose you carry $20,000 in debts, a $250,000 mortgage, want to replace $60,000 of income for 10 years, and set aside $100,000 for education, with $80,000 in existing savings. That's $20,000 + $250,000 + $600,000 + $100,000 = $970,000 of need, less $80,000 in assets, for a suggested $890,000 of coverage. If your assets already exceed the total need, the result is zero.
A starting point, not a policy quote
DIME is a sound first estimate, but it's deliberately simple. It doesn't adjust future income for inflation or investment growth, account for a surviving partner's earnings, or factor in existing employer coverage or social benefits — so your real number could be higher or lower. It also says nothing about the type of policy, term length, or premium. Treat the figure as a conversation starter, and work with a licensed insurance professional to match a policy to your full situation.
Häufig gestellte Fragen
What does DIME stand for?
Schulden, Einkommen, Hypothek und Bildung – die vier Bedürfnisse fasst die Methode zusammen. Dieses Tool addiert Ihre Schulden, Hypotheken, Einkommensersatz- und Bildungskosten und subtrahiert dann die vorhandenen Vermögenswerte, um die Deckungslücke abzuschätzen.
How many years of income should I replace?
It depends on how long your family would need support — often until children are independent or a partner reaches retirement. Many people choose somewhere between 10 and 20 years; adjust the figure to your circumstances.
Why did it return zero?
Because the assets you entered are equal to or greater than the total need calculated. In that case the method suggests no additional coverage is required to fill the gap.
Is this insurance advice?
No. It is an educational estimate, not advice or a quote. Coverage needs and policy pricing depend on many personal factors, so consult a licensed insurance professional before buying.