You want to make sure you buy enough life insurance to provide the financial security your family will need in case you are no longer there to provide for them.
But, you don't want to buy more life insurance than you can afford.
First, consider how much money you will need if the insured person were to die. How much does that person earn in a year, and how much would you need to invest and ear interest that would replace his/her income?
Then consider how much debt you have and how much money you have saved. Also, consider all of your living expenses and financial goals for the future, such as, putting your children through college.
A quick and easy way to determine an accurate figure for the amount of life insurance you need is to use a life insurance needs calculator.
It's quick and easy, and you just answer some questions about your financial situation and receive in instant, accurate estimate of your life insurance needs.