$310,605
The average cost of raising a child to 18. What happens to that number if you're not here?
The USDA baseline is $233,610. Adjusted for 4% inflation through your child's 18th birthday, the number your family actually needs is $310,605 — before college, before the mortgage, before the years you can't plan for.
Average monthly premium
~$35/mo
for $500K coverage at 32
Time to get covered
< 10 min
No exam required
Coverage terms available
10–30 yrs
Matched to your mortgage
Every number below is a gap between where you are and where your family needs you to be.
42%
of parents under 35 know they need life insurance — and haven't bought it.
The window between "we should do this" and "we'll do it next month" is where the risk lives. LIMRA's 2024 study found that the #1 reason for delay is the assumption that the process is complicated. Shield closes that gap in 10 minutes.
Source: LIMRA Insurance Barometer Study, 2024
1.7×
The average employer life plan covers 1.7 years of replacement income.
68% of new parents believe their employer plan is sufficient. The average group policy pays 1–2× your annual salary. Your child's first 18 years require 10–12× your income — plus $310,605 for child-rearing costs, plus the mortgage, plus college. The math doesn't close.
Source: LIMRA Group Benefits Study; USDA Child Cost Report
$0
Average savings for parents who delay past the first year and fail underwriting.
Pregnancy-induced conditions — gestational diabetes, elevated blood pressure, pre-eclampsia — can trigger postponements or premium increases. The time to lock in your rate is before those conditions appear on a medical record. The longer you wait, the more the actuaries know.
Source: National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)
55%
of millennials have no life insurance coverage at all.
More than half. Not inadequate coverage — none. The median millennial parent carries $0 in personal life insurance, relying entirely on a group plan that terminates the day they change jobs. The gig economy, the startup, the maternity leave — all moments when group coverage goes dark.
Source: LIMRA & Life Happens, 2024 Insurance Barometer
$165
What a 20-year, $500K policy actually costs a healthy 30-year-old. Per year.
44% of millennials estimated the cost would exceed $1,000 a year. The actual number is $165. The perception gap is the protection gap — parents who don't buy because they assume they can't afford it, and never check. Shield shows you the real number in 60 seconds.
Source: Policygenius Rate Data, 2024; LIMRA Cost Perception Study
68%
of new parents believe their employer plan is sufficient.
Group life typically pays 1–2× your salary. Industry experts recommend 10–12× your income plus your child's full cost of upbringing. The chart on the right shows what your employer plan actually covers — in red — against what your family would need.
The bigger problem: that coverage evaporates the day you leave. Layoff, career change, maternity leave, a startup that doesn't offer benefits — all moments when the plan you counted on goes dark.
Source: LIMRA Group Benefits Study; Bureau of Labor Statistics; USDA Expenditures on Children by Families
What your employer plan covers
Average employer plan covers 1.7 years of replacement income.
Your child needs 18 years of support. The gap between 1.7 and 18 is the number Shield is built to close.
$165
What a 20-year, $500K policy costs a healthy 30-year-old. Per year.
44% of millennial parents estimated the cost would exceed $1,000 a year. The actual number is $165 — or about $14 a month. The perception gap is the protection gap.
28.4% of Americans believe life insurance costs three times more than it actually does. You've been avoiding a purchase that costs less than your streaming subscriptions — combined.
Source: Policygenius 2024 Rate Data; LIMRA Cost Perception Study; Life Happens
Streaming services
Weekly coffee run
$500K Shield term policy
Baby formula (monthly)
Rates shown for a healthy, non-smoking 30-year-old. Your rate is locked at application — meaning the sooner you apply, the lower your premium for the full 20-year term.
The gap, closed. The premium, real.
"I thought I was covered. HR told me I had 'two times salary.' Then I ran the Shield calculator and saw I had $94K of coverage against $780K of actual need. I had a policy in place nine days later."
Gap closed
$686K
Monthly premium
$52/mo
Marcus T.
Father of 4-month-old twins, Chicago, IL
"We were comparing quotes between OB appointments. Every other site wanted my full name, address, and phone number before showing anything. Shield gave me the number first. That's the only reason I trusted it."
Gap closed
$540K
Monthly premium
$38/mo
Priya M.
34 weeks pregnant, Austin, TX
"We both work in tech. We assumed our RSUs and savings were enough. The calculator showed us we were thinking about the wrong problem — we needed income replacement, not asset coverage. Different thing entirely."
Gap closed
$1.1M
Monthly premium
$89/mo
Daniel & Yuki R.
Parents of 7-month-old, Seattle, WA
4.9/5 average rating
2,400+ parent reviews
Average policy issued
in 6 business days
A-rated carriers only
AM Best financial strength
No exam required
for most applicants under 40
The New Parent's First-Year Insurance Checklist
Eight things every new parent should do in their first 12 months — in the order that actually matters. Written by licensed advisors, not copywriters.
Review and document all existing coverage (employer + personal)
Calculate your family's actual income replacement need
Understand the difference between term and whole life
Get quotes before any pregnancy-related conditions appear on your record
Designate and update beneficiaries on all accounts
Review your policy annually as your income and family grow
Confirm your employer plan terms — what triggers termination?
Discuss coverage with your partner: who is the primary earner?
Items 6–8 unlocked with your free download.
First-Year Insurance Checklist
PDF · 8 pages · Free
Download the checklist
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