Aged leads are the most misunderstood inventory in the insurance lead market. Agents buy them because they are cheap, lose money on them, and conclude that aged leads do not work. The truth is more nuanced: aged leads work consistently for a specific kind of buyer, in specific verticals, using specific scripts. Everyone else should leave them alone.
What Aged Leads Actually Are
An aged lead is a consumer inquiry that was generated more than 30 days ago. The typical age bands and prices in 2026:
- 30-60 days: $3-$10 for Medicare and final expense, $8-$20 for IUL or life
- 60-90 days: $2-$6 for Medicare and FE
- 90-180 days: $1-$4 for Medicare and FE
- 180+ days (deeply aged): $0.50-$2 sold in bulk packages
The lead is the same form-fill that cost $25-$45 fresh. The price difference reflects the drop in contact rate and conversion probability, not a drop in data quality.
The Break-Even Math
Aged leads only work when the math works. Here is the actual break-even calculation:
Assume a final expense policy pays $700 first-year commission at 100% contract. Break-even cost per acquisition is $700. Required close rate at various CPLs:
- At $5 CPL: break-even close rate = $5 / $700 = 0.7%
- At $8 CPL: break-even close rate = 1.1%
- At $12 CPL: break-even close rate = 1.7%
- At $20 CPL: break-even close rate = 2.9%
Experienced agents on 30-60 day aged FE leads close 3-6%. On 90+ day, 1.5-3.5%. Do the arithmetic: at $5 CPL and 3% close, CPA is $167 — very profitable. At $12 CPL and 1.5% close, CPA is $800 — a loss.
The rule we give agents: your required close rate is CPL divided by first-year commission dollars. If you cannot beat that number by 2x, do not buy the aged inventory.
Best Verticals for Aged
Aged leads work best where:
- The product is simple (no illustration, no long consultative cycle)
- The need is recurring (the consumer still needs the product months later)
- The commission is meaningful (enough margin for lower close rate)
Strong fit:
- Aged final expense — need is permanent, product is simple
- Aged Medicare Supplement — year-round demand
- Aged auto / home — need recurs at policy renewal
Weak fit:
- Aged MA — purchase windows expire with AEP
- Aged ACA outside open enrollment — limited SEP eligibility
- Aged IUL — need changes, data staleness undermines consultative cycle
Scripts That Work on Aged
The mistake most agents make is calling aged leads with the fresh-lead script. It does not work because the prospect does not remember the inquiry. Aged scripts must reset context gracefully.
Good aged-lead opener (final expense):
"Hi [first name], this is [agent] with [agency]. You filled out a form a while back about final expense coverage — I know that was a few weeks ago, so it may not be top of mind. I am following up because many people at that time were looking to lock in coverage before their 65th or 70th birthday. Are you still thinking about getting something in place?"
Good aged-lead opener (Medicare Supplement):
"Hi [first name], I am [agent] with [agency]. You inquired about Medicare options a couple months ago and I wanted to follow up since open enrollment rules have changed since then. Do you have a couple minutes to see whether the plan you ended up with is still the best fit?"
The pattern: acknowledge the age, reset context, move to a low-commitment question.
Who Should and Should Not Buy Aged
Good aged-lead buyer profile:
- 1+ year experience in the vertical
- High dial capacity (100-200 dials/day)
- Comfortable dealing with high no-answer rates
- Good at reframing and building rapport cold
- Has bandwidth during off-peak seasons
Bad aged-lead buyer profile:
- Under 6 months in the vertical
- Low dial volume
- Relies on urgency from prospect
- Only has time for high-intent calls
- Already struggling on fresh inventory
Sourcing and Pricing Reality
Not all aged leads are equal. Things to verify before buying:
- Original generation source (SEO form, paid search, paid social, co-reg)
- Original age of the lead at first sale (30-day aged sold 5x is worse than 60-day aged sold twice)
- Exclusivity status (aged leads are often resold; ask how many times this batch has been shopped)
- Consent token and URL retained
- DNC scrub recency — a 6-month-old lead needs a fresh DNC scrub before dialing
- Return policy — quality providers allow returns on bad numbers, deceased, or wrong demographic
Expect to pay 10-30% more for exclusive aged inventory. It is almost always worth it vs multi-seller shared aged.
When to Avoid Aged Leads Entirely
Skip aged entirely when:
- You are new to the vertical and still learning the fresh-lead script
- Your first-year commission is under $400 — the math rarely works
- You cannot process the volume (2,000 aged leads at 2% close produces ~40 apps — that is a lot of dials)
- Your vertical has hard purchase windows that have already closed (aged AEP MA after December 7)
- Your dialer or CRM cannot handle the DNC re-scrub requirement
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best price to pay for aged final expense leads?
$4-$8 for 30-60 day aged, $2-$5 for 60-90 day, and $1-$3 for 90+. Pay more for exclusivity and good returns policies.
Can aged leads be exclusive?
Yes, though most aged inventory is non-exclusive. Exclusive aged typically costs 25-50% more than shared aged.
How many dials does it take to work aged leads profitably?
Plan for 3-5x the dials per issued policy vs fresh. If you do 2 dials per issued policy on fresh, expect 8-12 on aged.
Do aged leads require TCPA consent?
Yes. The consent was captured at form submission and remains valid unless withdrawn. DNC must be re-scrubbed because the consumer may have registered since.
Which states work best for aged FE leads?
Southeast and South Central. Same regional close rate pattern as fresh, slightly compressed.
Can I mix fresh and aged in one dialer queue?
You can, but fresh should always take priority. Separate queues with fresh getting preferential agent time is better practice.
Are aged live transfers a thing?
No. Live transfers are inherently fresh — the prospect is on a live call. Aged lead inventory is web-form only.
Make the Aged-Lead Math Work
If you want us to review your aged-lead economics and tell you whether the math is actually working in your current mix, reach out or book 30 minutes.