We are licensed insurance brokers, not CPAs or attorneys. Calculator results are educational estimates, not quotes, approvals or tax advice. Confirm tax and legal points with your own CPA or attorney.
How much life insurance can I get?
Typical income multiples from published carrier underwriting guides. An educational estimate that runs in your browser; nothing is sent to us.
| Income multiple range for your age | |
| Room left after coverage you already have |
This shows roughly what carriers' income guidelines may allow, which is a different question from how much you need and from what a carrier will actually approve after underwriting. Estate tax needs and business purposes can justify more.
What this number means: A rough range of coverage that typical carrier income guidelines may allow at your age.
What it does not mean: How much you need, or what a carrier will approve after underwriting. Each carrier sets its own multiples and counts the coverage you already have.
Your numbers stay on this page. If you want Erik to see them, add them to the notes in your request.
Enter your age, earned income and existing coverage. The calculator applies the typical income multiples published in carrier underwriting guides (roughly 25x to 35x under 40, falling with age) and shows how much additional coverage those guidelines may allow. It is an illustration, not an approval: each carrier sets its own limits, and estate tax projections or business purposes can justify more.
Want to know how carriers decide? Read how much life insurance you can get →
The ranges behind the calculator
| Age | Range used |
|---|---|
| 40 and under | 25x to 35x income |
| 41 to 50 | 20x to 30x |
| 51 to 60 | 15x to 25x |
| 61 to 65 | 10x to 15x |
| 66 to 70 | 5x to 10x |
| Over 70 | About 5x to 10x, with net worth often weighing heavily |
These ranges summarize published financial underwriting guides from Securian, Lincoln Financial and MassMutual (linked below), plus similar guides from other carriers. Individual carriers are higher or lower and step down at different ages. Details in how much life insurance can I get.
Beyond income
- Self-employed? Use net profit; see self-employed income verification.
- Estate tax: coverage can be justified by the projected tax on an estate above the exemption.
- Business needs: key person, buy-sell and loan coverage are justified separately; see the business life insurance hub.
Frequently asked questions
Why do income multiples fall with age?
Because the number of working years left to replace gets shorter. A 35-year-old's family loses decades of income; a 63-year-old's loses a few years.
Does coverage I have through work count?
Yes. Carriers generally count group coverage, individual policies and pending applications toward the total.
Start your life insurance request
Tell us what the coverage is for and who it would cover. For most requests we ask for each person's date of birth and sex so Erik can prepare for the call. We do not ask health or tobacco questions in this initial request. This is a request for help, not an insurance application or a promise of coverage.
Written by Erik Moran
Erik co-owns Moran Insurance Group with Amanda Moran and handles the agency's life insurance cases, from key person and buy-sell coverage to trust-owned policies. He works alongside clients' CPAs and attorneys, who make the tax and legal calls. More about Erik.
Sources
Moran Insurance Group is a licensed insurance agency. Our brokers are not CPAs, attorneys or tax advisors, and nothing on this page is tax, legal or investment advice. Tax figures and rules reflect our understanding as of October 2026 and can change. Coverage is subject to carrier underwriting and state availability. Confirm anything tax or legal with a licensed CPA or attorney before you act on it.