DIME method calculator
The DIME method (Debt, Income, Mortgage, Education) plus a Hudson Valley reality check. Move the sliders and the recommended coverage updates live.
Coverage estimator
Move the sliders to match your situation. Numbers update live. This is a rough planning estimate, not a quote, the real number depends on your health, the term you pick, and which carrier you go with.
Estimate
Coverage range
$1,454K–$1,967K
Suggested term
20 yrs
Est. monthly
$143–$210
Illustrative estimate only. Calculated for a healthy non-smoker at the example age. Actual rates depend on individual underwriting (age, health, gender, term, coverage amount, carrier) and may be higher or lower. Insurance applications are subject to carrier approval. The first consultation includes a sample quote based on your actual numbers.
Get a real quoteHow the math works
Debt
Any non-mortgage debt your family would inherit: credit cards, personal loans, auto loans, student loans. Less common factor for Hudson Valley families but worth checking.
Income replacement
Your annual income times the number of years your family would depend on it. Most calculators default to 10x; this one uses an explicit years input + subtracts half the spouse's income.
Mortgage
The full remaining mortgage balance. Lets your family keep the house without your income covering the payments.
Education
~$150K per child for in-state public college. Higher for private or out-of-state. Plus a living-expense gap during the years your kids are still dependent.
Hudson Valley reality check
Putnam County: median household income $127K (3rd highest in NY). A typical commuter family in Carmel or Mahopac with a $450K mortgage + two kids in school often lands somewhere between $1M and $2M of needed coverage.
Northern Westchester: Yorktown Heights households earn at the 98th percentile nationally (median ~$186K). The DIME math often points to $2M+ of coverage for the primary earner.
NYC transplants:if you moved up from Brooklyn or Queens with a $700K+ Hudson Valley home and a remote-work income, the coverage math shifts up. Many transplants are under-insured at their employer’s default 2x salary level.
From estimate to real number
The DIME estimate is the starting point. A real conversation accounts for your health, the right term length, and the right carrier.
Schedule a free Consultation