Life Insurance Needs
Three methods side by side — DIME, income replacement (PV), and human capital. Size a gap, not a product.
Free · No signup · Verified July 2026


$1,530,000
Largest gap method: DIME
$440,000
Group + personal combined
$1,970,000
Need before gap
Gap $1,530,000
Debt + Income years + Mortgage + Education. Simple stock-taking, no discounting.
$1,217,261
Need before gap
Gap $777,261
Present value of net income needed, plus final expenses and debts, minus liquid assets.
$1,753,287
Need before gap
Gap $1,313,287
Upper-bound: PV of remaining career earnings to retirement. Rarely a purchase target by itself.
DIME breakdown
- Debt (non-mortgage)
- $25,000
- Income block
- $1,425,000
- Mortgage
- $420,000
- Education
- $100,000
- DIME total
- $1,970,000
Educational estimates only — not insurance, tax, or legal advice. No products sold. Figures use verified government constants where cited and your inputs/assumptions elsewhere. Confirm against your policy wording and a licensed advisor or broker. Robert is a mascot, not a licensed insurance advisor.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this a product recommendation?
- No. We size a coverage gap with three educational methods. We never recommend a carrier, product type to buy, or premium. Talk to a licensed advisor for personal recommendations.
- Why do the three methods disagree?
- DIME is a simple additive checklist. Income-replacement discounts future cash needs. Human capital values your remaining career earnings (an upper bound). The spread between methods is the lesson — not a bug.
- What about group life at work?
- Enter it, but treat it carefully: group life usually ends when the job ends. The tool warns when coverage is group-only so you can stress-test a layoff scenario.
- Can the need legitimately be zero?
- Yes. A single person with no dependents, no debts, and no mortgage may need little or no life insurance. Saying so plainly is more trustworthy than inventing a gap.
- Where is my data stored?
- Only in your browser — no account required.
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