What is the DIME method?

DIME stands for Debt, Income, Mortgage, and Education. It's a simple, comprehensive way to calculate how much life insurance your family would actually need to maintain their lifestyle if you were no longer here.

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How Much Life Insurance Do I Really Need?

Q: Should stay-at-home parents have life insurance?

Yes. Stay-at-home parents provide thousands of dollars in unpaid services every year — childcare, transportation, household management, meal preparation. If something happened, those services would still need to be paid for. Most stay-at-home parents should carry coverage in the $250,000–$500,000 range.

Forget the guesswork. Use our free life insurance calculator to find out exactly how much coverage your family needs — based on real numbers, not a one-size-fits-all rule of thumb.

Takes 2 minutes. No email required. No pressure.

Tell us about your life

We'll use the DIME method (Debt + Income + Mortgage + Education) to give you a personalized coverage estimate.

Your annual income (before taxes)

Years of income to replace

Final expenses

Outstanding debt (credit cards, car loans, student loans)

Mortgage balance

# of children to put through college

Cost per child

Existing coverage + savings (subtracted from total)

Your Estimated Coverage

You should consider:

$1,000,000

in life insurance coverage

Income replacement $750,000

Debt payoff $20,000

Mortgage payoff $250,000

Education fund $200,000

Final expenses $15,000

Existing coverage −$50,000

Total recommended $1,185,000

Want a real quote based on this number? Hop on a free 15-minute call with one of our licensed agents — no pressure, no pushy sales pitch. We'll find you the best rate from 30+ top-rated carriers.

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The DIME Method, explained

DIME is the gold-standard way to figure out how much life insurance you actually need. Here's what each letter means — and why it matters.

Debt

Add up everything you owe outside of your mortgage — credit cards, car loans, student loans, personal loans. Your family shouldn't inherit your debt.

Income

Multiply your annual income by the number of years your family would need it. Most experts suggest 10–15 years to give them runway to adjust.

Mortgage

Your remaining mortgage balance. A paid-off home gives your family stability — and one less monthly payment to worry about.

Education

Future college costs for each child. Even with scholarships, four years can run $100K+ per kid at most schools today.

Why "10× your income" isn't enough anymore

The old rules of thumb were built for a different economy. Here's why families are underinsured today.

Inflation hit hard

Groceries, housing, healthcare, childcare — every line item in your family's budget costs more than it did five years ago. Coverage from 2018 doesn't go as far in 2026.

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Mortgages are bigger

Home prices doubled in many markets. If your coverage was based on the old purchase price, your family would be left holding a payment they can't afford.

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Kids change the math

One child or three? Public college or private? Daycare alone can run $20K a year per kid. The DIME method actually accounts for what your family will need — not a generic multiple.

Frequently asked questions

The questions our agents answer every day — straight from real conversations.

Most experts recommend coverage equal to 10–15 times your annual income, plus enough to cover outstanding debts, your mortgage, future education costs for children, and final expenses. Our calculator uses the DIME method to give you a personalized estimate based on your real numbers — not just a multiple of income.

Yes — completely free. No email required to use it. We'll show you a personalized coverage recommendation in under two minutes. If you want a real quote based on your number, you can book a free 15-minute call with one of our licensed agents.

Term life insurance covers you for a set period (usually 10, 20, or 30 years) and is the most affordable option for most families. Whole life insurance covers you for your entire life and builds cash value, but costs significantly more. Most young families start with term — and we can walk you through which fits your situation.

Absolutely. Stay-at-home parents provide thousands of dollars in unpaid services every year — childcare, transportation, household management, meal preparation. If something happened, those services would still need to be paid for. Most stay-at-home parents should carry coverage in the $250,000–$500,000 range.

Our calculator gives you a strong starting estimate based on industry-standard DIME methodology. For a fully personalized recommendation that accounts for your specific health profile, carriers, and policy type, book a free 15-minute call with one of our licensed agents. We're contracted with 30+ top-rated carriers across 47 states.

Big life events: getting married, having a baby, buying a home, starting a business, or going through a divorce. Even without a major event, we recommend reviewing your coverage every 3–5 years to make sure it's still keeping up with your life and inflation.

Ready to actually get covered?

You did the math. You have your number. The next step is the easiest one — a free 15-minute call where we shop 30+ top-rated carriers to find your best rate. No pressure. No pushy sales tactics. Just clear answers.

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