Term insurance calculator: how much cover do you need?
This term insurance calculator estimates how much cover you may need using a simplified human life value approach. Enter income, expenses to replace, years of dependence, debts and existing cover.
Default result
After debts and existing cover, a working estimate of additional term cover is about ₹1.41 Cr. A quick rule-of-thumb check lands near ₹1.89 Cr. Round up to a clean sum insured and disclose health fully when you buy.
Year-wise table
Computed from the same engine as the calculator above, using the default inputs. Figures are illustrations, not guarantees.
| Years of dependence | Income replacement (PV) | Gross need | Additional cover |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | ₹15.40 L | ₹65.40 L | ₹60.40 L |
| 4 | ₹29.11 L | ₹79.11 L | ₹74.11 L |
| 6 | ₹41.31 L | ₹91.31 L | ₹86.31 L |
| 8 | ₹52.16 L | ₹1.02 Cr | ₹97.16 L |
| 10 | ₹61.82 L | ₹1.12 Cr | ₹1.07 Cr |
| 12 | ₹70.42 L | ₹1.20 Cr | ₹1.15 Cr |
| 14 | ₹78.08 L | ₹1.28 Cr | ₹1.23 Cr |
| 16 | ₹84.89 L | ₹1.35 Cr | ₹1.30 Cr |
| 18 | ₹90.95 L | ₹1.41 Cr | ₹1.36 Cr |
| 20 | ₹96.35 L | ₹1.46 Cr | ₹1.41 Cr |
How to use this calculator
- Enter annual income and the family expenses you would need to replace.
- Add years of dependence, debts, existing cover and liquid assets.
- Read suggested additional term cover and compare with the rule-of-thumb check.
Formula and worked example
Income replacement is the present value of annual expenses over the years of dependence at the discount rate you enter. Gross need adds outstanding debts. Net cover subtracts existing life cover and liquid assets. This is a simplified HLV-style estimate for education, not a underwriting decision.
Examples
Common Indian retail queries. Outputs are generated from lib/finance.js at build time.
| Income, debts, dependence | Suggested cover | Gross need |
|---|---|---|
| Income ₹12.00 L · 20y dep · debts ₹50.00 L | ₹1.41 Cr | ₹1.46 Cr |
| Income ₹20.00 L · 25y dep · debts ₹80.00 L | ₹1.73 Cr | ₹2.33 Cr |
| Income ₹8.00 L · 15y dep · debts ₹10.00 L | ₹66.27 L | ₹68.27 L |
Assumptions and limits
- Simplified HLV-style present value of expenses plus debts minus existing cover and liquid assets.
- Not an insurer underwriting decision or premium quote.
- Discount rate is a planning input you can change.
Results are illustrations. Actual outcomes depend on markets, interest rates, taxes and charges, none of which are guaranteed.
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How much term insurance do I need?
Cover sizing starts with the income your family would replace and the debts they should not inherit. On the defaults, suggested additional cover is about ₹1.41 crore after debts and assets, with a rule-of-thumb check near ₹1.89 crore. Round up to a clean sum insured. Premium shopping comes after the number exists—buying a cheap ₹50 lakh policy when the need is ₹1 crore is false economy. Write the hlv term insurance inputs you trust into your annual review note so next year’s rerun of “How much term insurance do I need?” starts from recorded figures.
Human life value calculator
Human life value (HLV) capitalises the spending your dependents rely on, then adjusts for loans and existing cover. The sample gross need is about ₹1.46 crore before subtracting assets and policies you already hold. HLV is a planning lens, not a court formula. Re-run after a home loan, a second child or a large raise—life changes faster than people update nominees. When household opinions differ on risk for hlv term insurance under “Human life value calculator”, fund the more conservative case first and treat any extra debit as optional top-ups.
Term insurance cover calculator
Term cover should be high enough that family can clear debts and fund years of expenses without fire-selling assets. This calculator’s net cover output—about ₹1.41 crore on defaults—gives that working figure. Prefer pure term over ULIP-style bundles when the goal is protection. Disclose health fully; an underpriced policy that rejects claims helps nobody. If the hlv term insurance instalment for “Term insurance cover calculator” looks unaffordable, cut the target or add years before you inflate the assumed return unrealistically. After you accept the “Term insurance cover calculator” maths, update nominees and the bank mandate—process gaps undo an otherwise sound hlv term insurance plan.
Life cover calculator
Life cover searches often mix insurance with investment. Here the output is protection sizing only. With ₹12 lakh income, ₹5 lakh debts and 20 years of dependence in the defaults, you land near ₹1.41 crore additional cover. Review existing employer cover and personal policies so you do not double-count. Update nominees when you buy; an accurate HLV with the wrong nominee still fails the family. After you accept the “Life cover calculator” maths, update nominees and the bank mandate—process gaps undo an otherwise sound hlv term insurance plan.
Related reading: retirement calculator, child education calculator, inflation calculator, term insurance, hlv, how to check advisor registration and life insurance.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a premium calculator?
No. It sizes sum insured. Premiums depend on age, health, term and insurer underwriting.
What discount rate should I use?
A conservative rate close to expected low-risk returns is common. Higher discount rates reduce present-valued needs.
Should I include spouse income?
If the spouse will keep earning, you may replace only the deceased’s contribution to expenses. Be explicit about that assumption.
Do I add children’s education separately?
Either inflate expenses to include education or add a dedicated goal corpus on top of HLV—do not forget it entirely.
How often should I recalculate cover?
After major loans, kids, income jumps or every couple of years—whichever comes first.
Is employer cover enough?
Rarely, and it vanishes when you change jobs. Count it as existing cover today, then size a personal term policy you own.
Why is rule-of-thumb different from HLV?
Multiples of income are shortcuts. HLV uses expenses, debts and assets; treat the thumb rule as a sanity check only.
Can an advisor reuse these inputs?
Yes. Share the inputs and the result screenshot with an AMFI-registered distributor so they can map the maths to products without changing the formula.
Related
Try a related calculator
Retirement calculator
Estimate the corpus you’ll need to cover an inflation-adjusted income through retirement, and the monthly SIP required to build it before you stop working.
Also useful: Child education calculator, Inflation calculator
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