JobZakfQuick answer: A decade-by-decade guide to sizing cover in your 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s.
Your 20s: cheap and simple
Premiums are lowest now, so a modest 10 to 20 year term can lock in rates. Needs are small unless you have debt a family member co-signed.
Your 30s: peak responsibility
Mortgages, children and one-income risk usually arrive together. Many people aim for 10 to 12 times income, then refine with the Income Replacement Cover Calculator.
Your 40s: review and layer
Children are older and debts shrink, so some cover can step down. Consider a ladder and add education planning.
Your 50s and beyond
Needs shift to final expenses, spouse income and estate costs. Use the Final Expense Cover Planner to size a smaller policy.
Frequently asked questions
Is 10 times income enough?
It is a rule of thumb. Debts, children and a partner’s income can move the number up or down.
Should I buy more as I age?
Usually the opposite. Needs often fall as debts and dependants reduce.
ZS
Written and reviewed by Zain Shah, Founder and Editor. Updated October 2026. How we write.