How long should term life insurance last?
Until the need ends. For most families, that means the youngest kid is grown and the mortgage is gone.
Written by William Litner, FCAS. Last updated November 3, 2026. Numbers: one made-up family's timeline, counted on this page with the same years the Check uses.
- Term should last until the need ends: for most families, until the youngest kid is grown and the mortgage is gone.
- Lay three counts side by side (the kids' years, the mortgage years, and the income years) and cover the longest one, with a small cushion.
- For many families that count lands between 20 and 30 years; a term that ends too early leaves the need still running.
What sets the count
The kids' years
Count until the youngest can stand alone. A 3-year-old needs about 20 more years of support.
The mortgage years
Count the years left on the loan. A home paid off needs no coverage for it.
The income years
This is the income line of the DIME method. Pay needs replacing until savings and other income can carry the home.
The longest count wins
Lay the counts side by side. The term should cover the longest one, with a small cushion.
Two more counts to check
The years until work pay stops
Count the years until work pay stops. If you are 40 and plan to stop at 65, that count is 25 years: 65 minus 40. Pay that stops needs replacing until then, or until savings can carry the home.
The years other debts still run
Count how long each other debt still runs. A loan with 4 years left counts for 4 years. A debt that runs 15 years counts for 15.
Lay these beside the three counts above. The longest count still wins.
Worked once, as a timeline
One made-up family: a 3-year-old, a 6-year-old, and 24 years left on the mortgage.
Their counts
Kids: about 20 years, until the youngest is grown. Mortgage: 24 years. Income: the same 24, until the loan ends and savings take over.
Their term
The longest count is 24 years. A 25- or 30-year term covers it. A 20-year term ends while the mortgage still runs.
One long term, or two stacked
Plain questions, plain answers
Common questions
How long should term life insurance last?
Long enough to cover the longest need: the youngest kid grown, the mortgage paid, the income years done. For many families that count lands between 20 and 30 years.
What happens if the term is too short?
Coverage ends while the need still runs. Buying again at an older age costs much more, and the new price can be far higher still.
What is laddering?
Laddering means holding two term policies of different lengths at once. A longer one can cover the mortgage years. A shorter one can cover the kid years only. When the shorter need ends, that policy ends, and the bill drops.
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