Aged Life Insurance Leads: The 80-95% Discount Reality
You're buying aged life insurance leads. You're paying $2-$5 per lead (80-95% cheaper than fresh). You're calling prospects who filled out forms 30-365+ days ago. You're closing 5-10% and losing money. The problem isn't you. The problem is the volume.
Aged life insurance leads are prospects who requested quotes 30-365+ days ago but never purchased. Unlike fresh leads (which require immediate contact), aged leads require consistent follow-up over 30-90 days, high volume (100+ leads per month), and patience. This creates a volume-based model where most agents lose money because they can't work enough leads or don't follow up consistently.
Aged leads look cheap, but they require volume. If you can't work 100+ leads per month, you'll lose money.
The Aged Life Insurance Lead Reality
Most agents don't understand how aged leads differ from fresh leads. Here's what they're missing:
The Volume Problem
Fresh Life Insurance Leads:
- Cost: $35-$75 per lead
- Contact rate: 30-40%
- Close rate: 8-15%
- Volume needed: 20-50 leads per month
- Time per sale: 30-40 hours
Aged Life Insurance Leads:
- Cost: $0.25-$7.50 per lead
- Contact rate: 15-25% (lower)
- Close rate: 5-12% (lower)
- Volume needed: 100-200+ leads per month
- Time per sale: 50-60 hours (more calls needed)
The Math:
- To close 5 sales per month with fresh leads: 33-63 leads needed
- To close 5 sales per month with aged leads: 42-100 leads needed
- Aged leads require 2-3x more volume to achieve same results
- Most agents can't work 100+ leads per month consistently
Most agents buy aged leads because they're cheap, but they can't work enough volume to be profitable. They buy 20-30 aged leads, make 2-3 calls each, give up, and lose money.
The Contact Rate Problem
Aged leads have lower contact rates than fresh leads:
Fresh Leads (0-30 days old):
- Contact rate: 30-40%
- Prospects remember filling out form
- Still in the market (recently shopped)
- Higher intent to buy
Aged Leads (30-365+ days old):
- Contact rate: 15-25%
- Prospects don't remember filling out form
- May have already purchased
- Lower intent to buy (time passed)
The Reality:
- 75-85% of aged leads don't answer or have wrong numbers
- You need 4-5x more aged leads to reach same number of contacts
- Most agents can't make enough calls to reach profitability
The Follow-Up Problem
Aged leads require consistent follow-up over 30-90 days:
Fresh Leads:
- Contact within 24-48 hours
- Close within 30-90 days
- 3-5 touchpoints required
- Prospects are warm (recently shopped)
Aged Leads:
- Contact consistently over 30-90 days
- Close within 60-120 days (longer cycle)
- 5-10 touchpoints required
- Prospects are cold (time passed)
The Reality:
- Most agents call aged leads 1-2 times and give up
- Aged leads need 5-10 touchpoints to convert
- If you can't follow up consistently, you can't close
- Automated follow-up systems are required for profitability
The True Cost of Aged Life Insurance Leads
The advertised price ($0.25-$7.50 per lead) hides the real cost. Here's the math:
Scenario 1: Aged Leads 30-90 Days Old ($3 per lead)
You buy 100 aged leads (30-90 days old) at $3 each. Total investment: $300.
The Conversion Funnel:
- Lead Delivery: 100 leads received
- Contact Rate: 20% answer (lower than fresh)
- Qualification Rate: 50-60% are actually shopping
- Close Rate: 8-10% (of contacts, 1.6-2% of original leads)
- Sales Closed: 1-2 policies
- Commission: $1,200 per sale
- Total Revenue: $1,200-$2,400
Result: You spent $300 to make $1,200-$2,400. You profited $900-$2,100. But you worked 50-60 hours to close 1-2 sales.
Cost Per Sale: $150-$300 (looks good) Time Per Sale: 25-30 hours (high time investment) Hourly Rate: $40-$80/hour (decent, but requires high volume)
Scenario 2: Aged Leads 90-365 Days Old ($1 per lead)
You buy 200 aged leads (90-365 days old) at $1 each. Total investment: $200.
The Conversion Funnel:
- Lead Delivery: 200 leads received
- Contact Rate: 15% answer (even lower)
- Qualification Rate: 45-55% are actually shopping
- Close Rate: 6-8% (of contacts, 0.9-1.2% of original leads)
- Sales Closed: 2-2.4 policies (round to 2)
- Commission: $1,200 per sale
- Total Revenue: $2,400
Result: You spent $200 to make $2,400. You profited $2,200. But you worked 100-120 hours to close 2 sales.
Cost Per Sale: $100 (looks great) Time Per Sale: 50-60 hours (very high time investment) Hourly Rate: $20-$24/hour (low, despite high profit)
Scenario 3: Aged Leads 365+ Days Old ($0.50 per lead)
You buy 300 aged leads (365+ days old) at $0.50 each. Total investment: $150.
The Conversion Funnel:
- Lead Delivery: 300 leads received
- Contact Rate: 12% answer (very low)
- Qualification Rate: 40-50% are actually shopping
- Close Rate: 5-7% (of contacts, 0.6-0.84% of original leads)
- Sales Closed: 2-2.5 policies (round to 2)
- Commission: $1,200 per sale
- Total Revenue: $2,400
Result: You spent $150 to make $2,400. You profited $2,250. But you worked 150-180 hours to close 2 sales.
Cost Per Sale: $75 (looks amazing) Time Per Sale: 75-90 hours (extremely high time investment) Hourly Rate: $13.33-$16/hour (very low, despite high profit)
The Problem: Aged leads look profitable on paper (low cost per sale), but they require massive time investment. Most agents can't work 200-300 leads per month consistently, so they lose money.
Why Aged Life Insurance Leads Are Different
Understanding these differences is critical:
1. Volume Requirements
Fresh Leads:
- 20-50 leads per month needed
- Lower volume, higher quality
- Time-efficient (30-40 hours per sale)
- Most agents can work this volume
Aged Leads:
- 100-200+ leads per month needed
- Higher volume, lower quality
- Time-intensive (50-90 hours per sale)
- Most agents can't work this volume
2. Contact Rates
Fresh Leads:
- 30-40% contact rate
- Prospects remember filling out form
- Still in the market
- Higher intent to buy
Aged Leads:
- 15-25% contact rate (30-90 days old)
- 12-18% contact rate (90-365 days old)
- 10-15% contact rate (365+ days old)
- Prospects don't remember filling out form
- May have already purchased
- Lower intent to buy
3. Follow-Up Requirements
Fresh Leads:
- 3-5 touchpoints required
- Close within 30-90 days
- Prospects are warm
- Less follow-up needed
Aged Leads:
- 5-10 touchpoints required
- Close within 60-120 days
- Prospects are cold
- More follow-up needed
4. Profitability Model
Fresh Leads:
- Higher cost per lead ($35-$75)
- Lower cost per sale ($500-$1,875)
- Lower time per sale (30-40 hours)
- Higher hourly rate ($42.50-$62.50/hour)
Aged Leads:
- Lower cost per lead ($0.25-$7.50)
- Variable cost per sale ($75-$1,500)
- Higher time per sale (50-90 hours)
- Lower hourly rate ($13.33-$48/hour)
The Three Types of Aged Life Insurance Leads
Type 1: Aged Leads 30-90 Days Old (Best Balance)
Cost: $1.50-$7.50 per lead Contact Rate: 18-25% Close Rate: 8-12% Cost Per Sale: $125-$938 Time Per Sale: 50-60 hours Volume Needed: 100-150 leads per month
Best for: Agents who can work 100-150 leads per month and follow up consistently.
Type 2: Aged Leads 90-365 Days Old (Higher Volume Required)
Cost: $0.40-$2.00 per lead Contact Rate: 12-18% Close Rate: 6-10% Cost Per Sale: $40-$333 Time Per Sale: 60-75 hours Volume Needed: 150-200+ leads per month
Best for: Agents who can work 150-200+ leads per month and have automated follow-up systems.
Type 3: Aged Leads 365+ Days Old (Highest Volume Required)
Cost: $0.25-$1.00 per lead Contact Rate: 10-15% Close Rate: 5-8% Cost Per Sale: $31-$200 Time Per Sale: 75-90 hours Volume Needed: 200-300+ leads per month
Best for: Agents with automated systems who can work 200-300+ leads per month consistently.
Common Mistakes That Kill Your Aged Lead ROI
Mistake 1: Not Working Enough Volume
The Problem: You buy 20-30 aged leads, make 2-3 calls each, give up, and lose money. Aged leads require 100-200+ leads per month to be profitable.
The Fix: Commit to working 100-200+ aged leads per month. If you can't work this volume, buy fresh leads instead.
Mistake 2: Not Following Up Consistently
The Problem: You call aged leads 1-2 times and give up. Aged leads need 5-10 touchpoints over 30-90 days to convert.
The Fix: Set up automated follow-up sequences. Call, email, and text consistently over 30-90 days. Most aged leads close on touchpoint 5-10, not touchpoint 1-3.
Mistake 3: Treating Aged Leads Like Fresh Leads
The Problem: You expect aged leads to convert like fresh leads. But aged leads have lower contact rates and close rates, requiring more volume and follow-up.
The Fix: Adjust your expectations. Aged leads require 2-3x more volume and 2x more follow-up than fresh leads. Plan accordingly.
Mistake 4: Not Tracking Your Metrics
The Problem: You don't know your contact rate, close rate, or cost per sale. You can't improve what you don't measure.
The Fix: Track every metric: lead age, contact rate, qualification rate, close rate, cost per lead, cost per sale, time per sale, hourly rate. Use this data to optimize.
Mistake 5: Buying the Cheapest Leads
The Problem: You buy 365+ day old leads because they're cheapest ($0.25-$1.00 each). But they have the lowest contact rates (10-15%) and require the most volume (200-300+ leads per month).
The Fix: Start with 30-90 day old leads ($1.50-$7.50 each). They have better contact rates (18-25%) and require less volume (100-150 leads per month). Test and optimize from there.
The Branded Lead Alternative
Instead of buying aged leads and working high volume, generate branded leads where prospects watch your content before requesting quotes:
How Branded Leads Compare to Aged Leads
Aged Leads:
- Cost: $1-$7.50 per lead
- Contact rate: 15-25%
- Close rate: 5-12%
- Cost per sale: $83-$1,500
- Time per sale: 50-90 hours
- Volume needed: 100-300+ leads per month
Branded Leads:
- Cost: $30-$60 per lead
- Contact rate: 80-90%
- Close rate: 40-60%
- Cost per sale: $50-$150
- Time per sale: 6-10 hours
- Volume needed: 20-50 leads per month
Result: Branded leads cost more per lead but convert 4-5x higher, reducing cost per sale by 90% and time per sale by 80-90%. You work 5-10x less volume and make more money.
The Bottom Line
Aged life insurance leads look cheap ($0.25-$7.50 each), but they require high volume (100-300+ leads per month), consistent follow-up (5-10 touchpoints over 30-90 days), and massive time investment (50-90 hours per sale). Most agents lose money because they can't work enough volume or don't follow up consistently.
The math is clear:
- Aged leads 30-90 days: $125-$938 per sale, 50-60 hours per sale
- Aged leads 90-365 days: $40-$333 per sale, 60-75 hours per sale
- Aged leads 365+ days: $31-$200 per sale, 75-90 hours per sale
The choice is simple: work 100-300+ aged leads per month with low hourly rates, or generate 20-50 branded leads per month with high hourly rates.
Ready to stop working high volume for low returns? Learn how to generate your own branded life insurance leads that convert at 40-60% instead of 5-12%. Or explore our done-for-you service if you want warm appointments without the learning curve.
Aged leads work for high-volume agents with automated systems. Branded leads work for agents who want high ROI with low volume. Start with understanding lead pricing, then explore other insurance types to see which model works best for you.