What DIME stands for
Debt, Income, Mortgage, Education — plus final expenses in many classroom versions. It is a mnemonic, not a statute. Survivor earnings, Social Security and spending cuts can reduce the real gap; some households need more than a blunt years×income block.
Avoid double-counting the mortgage inside “other debts” if you already list it separately. See DIME method explained.
After you get a number
Compare with what you already own using the coverage gap calculator. Group life often ends when a job ends. CoverCalc does not sell policies or invent premiums.
Privacy and honesty
Calculations run locally in your browser on CoverCalc. We do not need an account and we do not receive the numbers you type. Advertisers help keep the tools free; ads are labelled. Affiliate links, when present, use rel="sponsored" and are described in the affiliate disclosure.
CoverCalc provides educational arithmetic only. Results are estimates. Confirm figures with primary sources and licensed professionals.
Using this tool responsibly
Enter figures from your own documents when you need a serious plan. Change one input at a time when comparing scenarios so cause and effect stay obvious. Revisit after life events or new plan documents.
Write down the scenario you chose and the assumption that mattered most. Bring that short note to a conversation with the right licensed professional for your topic.
Privacy and honesty
Calculations run locally in your browser on CoverCalc. We do not need an account and we do not receive the numbers you type. Advertisers help keep the tools free; ads are labelled. Affiliate links, when present, use rel="sponsored" and are described in the affiliate disclosure.
CoverCalc provides educational arithmetic only. Results are estimates. Confirm figures with primary sources and licensed professionals.
Using this tool responsibly
Enter figures from your own documents when you need a serious plan. Change one input at a time when comparing scenarios so cause and effect stay obvious. Revisit after life events or new plan documents.
Write down the scenario you chose and the assumption that mattered most. Bring that short note to a conversation with the right licensed professional for your topic.
Privacy and honesty
Calculations run locally in your browser on CoverCalc. We do not need an account and we do not receive the numbers you type. Advertisers help keep the tools free; ads are labelled. Affiliate links, when present, use rel="sponsored" and are described in the affiliate disclosure.
CoverCalc provides educational arithmetic only. Results are estimates. Confirm figures with primary sources and licensed professionals.
Using this tool responsibly
Enter figures from your own documents when you need a serious plan. Change one input at a time when comparing scenarios so cause and effect stay obvious. Revisit after life events or new plan documents.
Write down the scenario you chose and the assumption that mattered most. Bring that short note to a conversation with the right licensed professional for your topic.