Frequently asked questions
Short answer: Lumence is an anonymous research experiment, not an insurance company, agent, or marketplace. It offers a short tool that estimates an illustrative term life coverage range in about three minutes. It does not sell insurance, give quotes, or collect names or contact information, so no one will follow up with you.
What is Lumence?
Lumence is a research project testing whether a clearer, no-pressure experience helps people understand term life insurance. It consists of plain-English articles and a short tool that produces a rough coverage range. The idea behind it is that insurance should begin with understanding, not selling.
Is Lumence an insurance company?
No. Lumence is a research prototype, not an insurer, carrier, agency, broker, or marketplace. It is not licensed to sell insurance, does not bind coverage, and does not represent any insurance company.
Can I buy insurance here?
No. There is nothing to buy here. If you decide you want coverage, you would need to go to an insurer or a licensed agent or broker yourself. See can you buy life insurance without an agent?.
Are these real quotes?
No. Coverage ranges are educational estimates and any price figures are labeled illustrative pricing: rough market examples, not quotes from any insurer. Actual coverage needs depend on details the tool does not ask about, and actual prices are set by insurers after underwriting. Prices vary by carrier, health, and state.
How is the estimate calculated?
The tool uses a fixed, transparent formula:
| Component | What it adds or subtracts |
|---|---|
| Income replacement | Your income times the years until your dependents are independent |
| Mortgage | Remaining balance |
| Other debts | Remaining balances |
| Education allowance | An amount toward children's education, if relevant |
| Final expenses | A standard allowance |
| Existing coverage | Subtracted |
| Liquid savings | Subtracted |
Because answers are given in coarse bands and the future is uncertain, the result is shown as a range rather than a single number. For the reasoning behind each component, see how much life insurance do I need?.
The estimate treats replacing income and paying off debts as separate goals. Because those can overlap (income would ordinarily pay the mortgage), it may be higher than a cash-flow-only calculation. It does not currently model investment returns, inflation, taxes or Social Security survivor benefits. Every assumption is listed on Sources & methodology.
What information do you collect?
Lumence stores your answers as broad ranges linked to a randomly generated research ID, not to your name or contact information. The browser session identifier is temporary; anonymized research records may be retained for analysis. See our Privacy page for exactly what is retained and for how long.
In practice that means: your answer bands (for example, an income range rather than an exact figure), which steps you reached, the experiment version you saw, your device type (mobile, tablet or desktop), and where the visit came from (for example, which ad or website). Lumence does not ask for or store names, emails, phone numbers, exact addresses, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, payment details or IP addresses. Research records are deleted after 180 days.
Does Lumence track or fingerprint my device?
No. Lumence does not use device fingerprinting, advertising cookies or cross-site tracking. The research ID is random and is not linked to your identity.
Why don't you ask for my email?
Because it does not need it. Lumence is not trying to sell you anything, and collecting contact details would undermine the point of the experiment: to see whether people find a no-pressure experience more useful.
Will someone contact me?
No. Lumence has no way to contact you, because it does not collect any contact information.
How much life insurance do I need?
A common starting point is enough to replace your income for the years others depend on it, plus your mortgage and other debts, an allowance for children's education and final expenses, minus savings and coverage you already have. For many working parents that lands between 8 and 15 times annual income, but households differ a lot. The full method is in how much life insurance do I need?.
What affects term-life pricing?
Mainly age, health, tobacco use, the coverage amount and the term length. Insurers also look at family medical history, driving record, hobbies, and the underwriting class you qualify for. A 30-year term costs noticeably more than a 20-year term for the same amount. See why life insurance prices vary.
Can I buy life insurance without an agent?
Yes. Many insurers sell term life directly online or by phone, and some use simplified or accelerated underwriting. An independent agent or broker can still help compare insurers, especially with health issues. See can you buy life insurance without an agent?.
Is AI involved?
Some visitors see a conversational assistant instead of a standard form. The assistant explains terms and helps structure your answers. It does not do the math: the estimate always comes from the same fixed formula described above.
Lumence does not retain raw chat transcripts in its research database. When the conversational version is used, text may be processed temporarily by our AI service provider to interpret the response. We store only the resulting structured answer category. Messages that look like they contain personal details (such as an email address or phone number) are blocked before they reach the AI. See Privacy for details about service-provider processing.
Is this financial advice?
No. Lumence provides general education and an illustrative estimate, not individual financial, legal, or tax advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consider speaking with a qualified professional, such as a fee-only financial planner.
Who is behind Lumence?
A small research team studying whether clearer, calmer explanations help people understand term life insurance before they ever speak to a seller.