What time of day do life insurance leads answer?
Midday and mid-afternoon. These are Ava's calls to aged leads from August 1 to November 2, 2026, by the hour in the lead's local time:
| Lead's local time | Dials | Bookings per 1,000 dials |
|---|---|---|
| 9 a.m. | 42,885 | 2.3 |
| 10 a.m. | 25,365 | 1.5 |
| 11 a.m. | 25,630 | 1.7 |
| Noon | 28,035 | 3.0 |
| 1 p.m. | 26,862 | 2.0 |
| 2 p.m. | 25,351 | 1.5 |
| 3 p.m. | 36,339 | 2.7 |
| 4 p.m. | 30,047 | 2.4 |
| 5 p.m. | 40,105 | 1.7 |
| 6 p.m. | 59,887 | 1.7 |
Two things stand out. Noon and 3 p.m. beat the late morning and the early evening in each of the three months. And the early evening, which many agents treat as prime time, was among the worst for aged leads.
Source: AI calling in life insurance: 2026 data from Ava, aggregate and anonymized, from Ava's calls for the agency Polca was built in. Mostly veterans life insurance leads; other lead types will differ.
What day of the week is best to call life insurance leads?
Monday, then Tuesday. Bookings per dial fell through the week:
| Day (lead's local time) | Dials | Bookings per 1,000 dials |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 50,883 | 2.8 |
| Tuesday | 56,493 | 2.4 |
| Wednesday | 57,662 | 2.1 |
| Thursday | 55,567 | 1.6 |
| Friday | 56,931 | 1.7 |
| Saturday | 63,246 | 1.9 |
Monday through Wednesday averaged 2.4 bookings per 1,000 dials, Thursday through Saturday 1.7. Polca does not call on Sundays, so there's no Sunday data.
Does the best time apply to new leads?
No. A new lead should be called the moment it arrives, whatever the hour, inside your calling window. New leads called within 5 minutes booked 8.8% of the time, against 2.9% at 4 to 24 hours. See speed to lead for life insurance. The best-time pattern is for scheduling aged-lead calling and second, third and later attempts.
What hours are you allowed to call?
Federal telemarketing rules allow calls from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the recipient's local time (47 CFR § 64.1200(c)(1); Telemarketing Sales Rule). Some states are stricter. Polca calls only between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. in the lead's local time and never on Sundays, on AI and human calls alike. That is narrower than the federal 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. window, and agencies can tighten it but not widen it.
How should an agency use this?
- Put your aged-lead calling, or your AI's, in the noon and 3 p.m. hours first.
- Front-load the week: more aged-lead calling Monday to Wednesday.
- Use the late morning and early evening for new leads, callbacks and appointments.
- Keep calling. 23% of Ava's bookings came on the sixth call or later.
- Measure your own lists by hour and day. Lead sources differ; these are one agency's numbers.
How does Polca schedule calls?
Polca calls only between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. in the lead's local time and never on Sundays, on AI and human calls alike. That is narrower than the federal 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. window, and agencies can tighten it but not widen it. Ava calls new leads as they arrive and spreads attempts on aged leads across days. Ava calls the agency's leads under the agency's name, confirms the lead's state, coverage need and age band, handles common objections such as “I already have insurance,” and books the appointment on the right agent's calendar. She never quotes prices, never takes applications and never binds coverage.
Per agent on Ava, each month (as of November 2026): 46 appointments booked by Ava, 5 clients signed by the agent (about 11% of booked appointments), and $9,856 in annual premium (AP) written, about $118,000 a year. That is about $10 of AP written for every $1 spent on Ava (9.9×, measured against what the agency pays for Ava). Top agents are on pace for $134,000 to $137,000 a year of AP from Ava-booked appointments.
Ava booked the appointment; the agent signed the client. A signed client counts when the agent signed them within 60 days of the appointment Ava booked; AP counts everything signed. Source: production records of the agency Polca was built in. Individual results vary. Hear real booked calls.
Common questions
What is the best time to call life insurance leads?
For aged leads, noon and 3 p.m. in the lead's local time: in Ava's 2026 calls, noon booked 3.0 appointments per 1,000 dials and 3 p.m. 2.7, against 1.6 at 10 to 11 a.m. For new leads, call within 5 minutes of arrival.
Is evening a good time to call life insurance leads?
Not for aged leads in Ava's data: 5 to 7 p.m. booked 1.7 appointments per 1,000 dials, about half the noon rate.
What is the best day to call life insurance leads?
Monday, then Tuesday. Monday through Wednesday booked about 40% more per dial than Thursday through Saturday.
Can I call life insurance leads on Sunday?
Federal rules don't ban Sunday calls, but some states restrict them. Polca does not call on Sundays.
Sources
- 47 CFR § 64.1200 (FCC telemarketing and robocall rules)
- 16 CFR Part 310 (FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule)
- Polca Calling & Recording Policy
Let Ava call at the right hours.
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