DIME Method
Debt + Income replacement + Mortgage payoff + Education costs. The standard needs-based calculator.
DIME Method
The DIME method calculates coverage as the sum of four components:
Coverage = Debt + Income_Replacement + Mortgage_Payoff + Education_Costs
Income replacement uses your specified number of years. Education costs are inflation-adjusted at 5% annually using NCES IPEDS published tuition data. This is the framework used by certified financial planners and insurance professionals.