Independent insurance educationStart with the basics

Transparent estimates

Calculate the question.
Not the answer.

These tools create a planning range and show the arithmetic. They do not recommend a policy or replace a professional estimate.

Life insurance needs snapshot

Planning estimate$1,000,000

Income × years + obligations − available assets. This does not model inflation, taxes, returns, or survivor earnings.

Understand life coverage →

Home rebuild planning range

Illustrative rebuild range$522,000

Structure estimate plus other structures and contingency. Get a local replacement-cost estimate; land and market price are not included.

Understand dwelling limits →

Auto deductible stress test

Cash remaining after one deductible$1,500

Your entered emergency cash can absorb one deductible. Test whether a second loss or repair would still be manageable.

Understand collision coverage →
Methodology

Outputs update in the browser and are not transmitted. All inputs are hypothetical. Round figures are meant to begin a coverage conversation, not end one.

Read the output correctly

A planning estimate is not a coverage recommendation.

Each calculator isolates one financial question and makes the arithmetic visible. Real insurance decisions also require contract terms, eligibility, jurisdiction, taxes, inflation, existing resources, and professional estimates where appropriate.

CalculatorFormula usedImportant information not modeledBest next step
Life needsIncome × years + debts + goals − available assetsInflation, taxes, investment returns, survivor income, benefit timing, and underwritingBuild a year-by-year household cash-flow estimate
Home rebuildArea × local rebuild cost + other structures + contingencyLand, demolition detail, code specifics, custom finishes, labor surge, and insurer methodologyObtain a local replacement-cost estimate and inventory
Auto deductibleEmergency cash − proposed deductiblePremium difference, vehicle settlement value, multiple losses, financing, and repair delaysCompare deductible savings with the cash retained

Use ranges, not false precision.

Change one input at a time and observe how sensitive the output is. A result that changes dramatically under reasonable assumptions deserves more investigation than a stable result.

Save the assumptions beside the number. A figure without its date, source, and method becomes misleading as costs and household facts change. Review how policy limits and deductibles convert the estimate into retained or transferred risk.

Three useful stress tests

  • Increase rebuilding cost, care cost, or support years to test a severe scenario.
  • Reduce available savings to reflect assets that may not be liquid during a loss.
  • Model two deductibles or disruptions in one year instead of assuming a single event.

Privacy and storage

Calculations run in your browser. Do not enter account numbers, medical details, Social Security numbers, or other identifiers; the tools do not need them. Use the quote checklist to turn the resulting questions into a consistent provider conversation.