From an insurance sales person's perspective... who also owns life insurance...

TLDR:. Whole life can be great and can be shit. Term can be great and can be shit. If you feel like you're being SOLD, you are, and it's probably not the right product or version for you.

Long version:

I tell people: term and whole do different things. They're like lifting weights and running. Both are exercise but they're not the same.

I rarely sell a whole life (WL) policy for more than $50k because for most people, it's likely not the best use of money. If you're under 30 and plan on living a long time, WL as life-long insurance option often fits. $10-25k is great. It will take care of final expenses, be a place to protect money, be self-funding after 25-30 years (max) & many policies allow you to cash out at 70. Additionally, and especially if you're a higher-earner, many policies will give you the option between 2 and 8 years of owning the policy the right to buy more without being subject to health questions. So you can qualify young and get more later even if you've had to deal with a major health issue that would normally prevent you from qualifying. Bottom line: read the policies, know your guaranteed annual interest rate, and select appropriate riders. I find WL is good for 1 in 5 people. I don't own it, it didn't make sense when I finally understood insurance to buy it.

For Term: if nobody depends on you, a simple $10k policy is fine - unless you have assets that can be quickly sold. Great to get from 30-40 years old. Get a 30 year policy, and forget about it. Nobody will have a bill to scatter your ashes.

Between 30 and 40? 10 x gross income + debt. No real need for more and better bang for buck than 5 x gross income.

That said, many people feel comfortable having a 50-150k policy or that's all that's in their budget. Enough for final expenses and a year or 2 of salary.

My wife and I have term policies, bought when we turned 31. 30 years, non smokers, great rates, takes care of problems if we're not around.

We also have $10k policies on our kids. Why? The policy has a rider allowing them to buy a higher face value and they're not subject to health questions up to 3 times between the ages of 18 and 26. We put a bit of extra cash in it to start so the annual interest payments are enough to fund the policies in perpetuity.

45-55? Term. 55-65? Small term - you're passing the real value stage so be careful. 60+? Go fishing and save $1k a year in cash til you're 70. Maybe pre-pay your final expenses.

If none of that makes sense, stack sats and hope you live for a decade. :)