Family Authority Hub
Family Security Institute
Research-grade authority on family-protection planning: income replacement, life adequacy, disability protection, emergency preparedness, and lifetime family resilience.
Family Security Index
42/100
Protection Strength
44/100
Composite family score
Family Risk Index
53/100
Lower is better
Family pillar breakdown
2 dependents — life coverage at 4.5× income.
38 months of household income replaceable from life + liquid assets.
2 months of essential expenses on hand.
Retirement assets at 1.6× income.
Umbrella, auto liability, and titling structure.
Aggregate of life, health, disability, property, and liability lines.
Protection benchmarks
- Median life coverage (35–45, parents)7× income
- Strong-tier life target10–12× income
- Median emergency fund2.4 months
- Strong-tier emergency fund6 months
- % with private LTD33%
- % with $1M+ umbrella18%
Sources: BLS, SSA, Federal Reserve SCF, LIMRA, platform data.
Family Security Studies
2026 Study
Income Replacement Adequacy Across US Households
Median life coverage is ~7× income — well below the 10–12× recommended target.
2026 Study
Disability Coverage Gap in Dual-Income Households
Only 33% of US workers carry private LTD; lower-earning spouses are insured at half the rate.
2025 Study
Family Emergency Fund Depth
Median family emergency fund is 2.4 months vs the 6-month Strong-tier target.
2025 Study
Long-Term Family Protection Planning
Only 14% of families re-evaluate life coverage after major life events within 90 days.
Family Security topic library
Guide
The Family Security Framework
Family security has six pillars: income, life, health, disability, emergency liquidity, and dependent care continuity.
Guide
Life Insurance Adequacy for Families
Adequate life insurance covers income replacement, debt payoff, education funding, and 6 months household transition.
Guide
Income Replacement Rules of Thumb
Different goals demand different income-replacement multiples. One number rarely fits.
Guide
Guardian Planning and Backup Care
Naming guardians, documenting backup care, and funding them is the most overlooked element of family security.
Guide
Dual-Income Family Security
Both incomes need full coverage. Most plans under-insure the lower earner.
Guide
Single-Parent Household Security
Single-parent households need thicker safety floors across every pillar.
Guide
Blended Family Protection Strategy
Blended families face beneficiary, custody, and titling complexity that defeats default plans.
Guide
Special Needs Family Security Planning
Special-needs planning requires SNT, government-benefit preservation, and lifetime funding strategy.
Guide
Childcare Replacement Coverage
Childcare value averages $25k–$60k/yr. Even a stay-at-home parent should carry term life to fund replacement.
Guide
College Funding Within Family Security
Education funding sits between savings and protection. Done wrong, it derails retirement and safety pillars.
Guide
Teen Drivers and Family Security
Teen drivers triple household liability exposure and create the most common claim event in family insurance.
Guide
Family Emergency Preparedness Plan
A documented family-level emergency plan converts panic into recovery.
FAQ
What is the Family Security Institute?
A research hub focused on family-protection research, benchmarks, studies, and preparedness rankings. It powers the Family Security Tracker and feeds the Annual Family Protection Report.
How are benchmarks calculated?
Benchmarks combine public sources (BLS, SSA, Federal Reserve SCF), industry data (LIMRA), and proprietary platform usage to produce age- and income-adjusted comparisons.
How can my family use this?
Run the Family Security Tracker, compare against benchmarks here, and use studies to prioritize the lowest-scoring pillar.