Term life insurance length calculator

Choose a term that lasts as long as people depend on you. Enter your youngest child's age, the age you want to support them to, and the years left on your mortgage.

Runs in your browser. Nothing you type is stored. Last updated: October 18, 2026

Result

Showing the worked example. Change any number to see your own result.

30 yearsSuggested standard term

Your longest need is 27 years, so consider a 30 years term, but your needs end at different times. Two layered policies, for example a larger 20 years term plus a smaller 30 years term, can cost less than one big long policy.

Suggested standard term: 30 years
Remaining need: 27 years
Shorter ladder policy: 20 years
Shorter policy amount: $603,000
Longer policy amount: $297,000

Coverage curve: your need vs one policy vs a ladder

Remaining need
One level policy
Two-policy ladder

View chart data as a table

Coverage curve: your need vs one policy vs a ladder
Policy year	Remaining need	One level policy	Two-policy ladder
1	$900,000	$900,000	$900,000
2	$866,667	$900,000	$900,000
3	$833,333	$900,000	$900,000
4	$800,000	$900,000	$900,000
5	$766,667	$900,000	$900,000
6	$733,333	$900,000	$900,000
7	$700,000	$900,000	$900,000
8	$666,667	$900,000	$900,000
9	$633,333	$900,000	$900,000
10	$600,000	$900,000	$900,000
11	$566,667	$900,000	$900,000
12	$533,333	$900,000	$900,000
13	$500,000	$900,000	$900,000
14	$466,667	$900,000	$900,000
15	$433,333	$900,000	$900,000
16	$400,000	$900,000	$900,000
17	$366,667	$900,000	$900,000
18	$333,333	$900,000	$900,000
19	$300,000	$900,000	$900,000
20	$266,667	$900,000	$900,000
21	$233,333	$900,000	$297,000
22	$200,000	$900,000	$297,000
23	$166,667	$900,000	$297,000
24	$133,333	$900,000	$297,000
25	$100,000	$900,000	$297,000
26	$66,667	$900,000	$297,000
27	$33,333	$900,000	$297,000
28	$0	$900,000	$297,000
29	$0	$900,000	$297,000
30	$0	$900,000	$297,000

Coverage year by year

Year	Remaining need	One level policy	Two-policy ladder	Need above ladder
1	$900,000	$900,000	$900,000	$0
2	$866,667	$900,000	$900,000	$0
3	$833,333	$900,000	$900,000	$0
4	$800,000	$900,000	$900,000	$0
5	$766,667	$900,000	$900,000	$0
6	$733,333	$900,000	$900,000	$0
7	$700,000	$900,000	$900,000	$0
8	$666,667	$900,000	$900,000	$0
9	$633,333	$900,000	$900,000	$0
10	$600,000	$900,000	$900,000	$0
11	$566,667	$900,000	$900,000	$0
12	$533,333	$900,000	$900,000	$0
13	$500,000	$900,000	$900,000	$0
14	$466,667	$900,000	$900,000	$0
15	$433,333	$900,000	$900,000	$0
16	$400,000	$900,000	$900,000	$0
17	$366,667	$900,000	$900,000	$0
18	$333,333	$900,000	$900,000	$0
19	$300,000	$900,000	$900,000	$0
20	$266,667	$900,000	$900,000	$0
21	$233,333	$900,000	$297,000	$0
22	$200,000	$900,000	$297,000	$0
23	$166,667	$900,000	$297,000	$0
24	$133,333	$900,000	$297,000	$0
25	$100,000	$900,000	$297,000	$0
26	$66,667	$900,000	$297,000	$0
27	$33,333	$900,000	$297,000	$0
28	$0	$900,000	$297,000	$0
29	$0	$900,000	$297,000	$0
30	$0	$900,000	$297,000	$0

How the result is built

Term length breakdown
Years until your youngest is supported	19 years
Years left on the mortgage	27 years
Other years of need	0 years
Longest need	27 years
Suggested standard term	30 years

Compare scenarios

Save up to 3 versions of your inputs and compare them side by side.

How to use this calculator

Enter your youngest child's age. Leave it blank if you have no children who depend on you.
Choose the age you want to support them to. Many parents choose 18 or 22, depending on whether they want to cover college years.
Add mortgage years and any other need. Use the years left on the loan and any other period, such as years until your partner retires.
Read the suggested term. The tool rounds your longest need up to the next standard term and flags when two layered policies might fit better.

What this term length calculator does

Term life insurance pays only if you die during the term, so the term has one job: last as long as anyone depends on you. This calculator compares the main reasons people need cover, the years until a child is independent, the years left on a mortgage and any other period you add, and rounds the longest one up to a standard term length. It also tells you when two policies that end at different times, a “ladder”, may fit better than one.

The NAIC notes that term coverage generally has lower premiums in the early years and that renewing for a new term can cost more each time. Picking a long enough term at the start avoids renewing later at older-age prices.

How the calculation works

The tool uses three simple steps:

Child years = the age you want to support your youngest child to, minus their age today.
Longest need = the largest of child years, mortgage years and other years.
Suggested term = the longest need rounded up to the next standard term: 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30 years.

If your shortest and longest needs are at least five years apart, the tool suggests layering: a shorter policy for the bigger, earlier need and a longer one for the smaller need that lasts.

Suggested term = smallest standard term ≥ max(support age − child age, mortgage years, other years)

Worked example

The calculator opens with this example. A couple’s youngest child is 3. They want to support her to age 22, and they have 27 years left on their mortgage.

Need	Calculation	Years
Child	22 − 3	19
Mortgage	Years left	27
Longest need	Larger of the two	27
Suggested term	Next standard term	30 years

Because the child need ends at 19 years and the mortgage at 27, the tool also suggests a ladder. For example, if their total need is $900,000, they might buy $600,000 on a 20-year term to cover the child-raising years and $300,000 on a 30-year term to cover the mortgage. After 20 years, when the children are grown, the larger policy ends and they keep paying only for the smaller one.

A second example

A single parent’s youngest child is 10, they plan to support him to 22, and they rent. The longest need is 12 years, so the suggested term is 15 years. A 15-year term costs less each year than a 20 or 30-year term, and it covers the whole need.

Choosing between standard term lengths

Term	Often fits	Watch out for
10 years	Short debts, older children, bridging to retirement	Ending while you still have dependents
15 years	Children in middle school	A mortgage that outlasts it
20 years	Young children, newer mortgage	College years if you want to cover them
25 years	Babies and toddlers plus a long mortgage	Fewer insurers offer it
30 years	New parents with a new 30-year mortgage	Paying for cover you may not need late in the term

What changes the answer

College plans. Supporting a child to 22 instead of 18 adds four years.
A second child later. Plan for the youngest child you expect, or review your cover when the family grows.
Refinancing. A new 30-year mortgage can add years to your need.
Your partner’s income and age. If your partner will depend on your income until they retire, add that as “other years”.
How much cover you need. Term length and amount are separate questions. Use the life insurance calculator to size the amount with the DIME method.

Common mistakes

Mistake	Better approach
Choosing the term by price alone	Start from your longest need, then compare prices
Matching only the mortgage	Check the years until your youngest child is independent too
Buying one huge long policy	Consider a ladder when needs end at different times
Forgetting renewal costs	Renewing after the term usually costs much more

Next steps

Once you know the length, compare quotes for one long policy and a two-policy ladder at the same total amount. Our guide to term vs whole life insurance explains why term usually fits time-limited needs, and the stay-at-home parent value calculator helps size cover for a parent who does not earn a salary.

Questions people ask

How many years of term life insurance do I need?

As many years as someone depends on your income. For most parents that is until the youngest child is independent or the mortgage is paid, whichever is later, rounded up to the next standard term.

Should I get a 20-year or 30-year term?

Pick the shortest standard term that covers your longest need. A parent of a newborn with a 30-year mortgage often needs 30 years; a parent of a 10-year-old with 15 years left on the mortgage may only need 15 or 20.

What is laddering term life insurance?

Laddering means buying two or more term policies that end at different times, for example a large 20-year policy and a smaller 30-year policy. Your coverage steps down as needs end, which can lower total premiums.

What happens if my term ends and I still need coverage?

You may be able to renew yearly at a much higher price, convert to a permanent policy before a deadline, or buy a new policy if you are still insurable. Choosing a long enough term avoids that problem.

Is a longer term much more expensive?

Longer terms cost more per year because the insurer covers you at older ages, but the price difference is often smaller than people expect. Ask for quotes at two term lengths to compare.

Should the term match my mortgage?

It should at least cover the mortgage if you want your family to keep the home. If your children will need support for longer than the mortgage lasts, use the longer of the two.

Does my age affect which term I can buy?

Yes. Insurers set maximum issue ages for each term length, so very long terms may not be offered at older ages. An agent can tell you which terms are available for your age.