Retirement Coaching, Explained

Retirement coaching is guided, structured help with deciding who you want to be and how you want to spend your time after work. It complements financial planning rather than replacing it.

• Asks structured questions that surface your values, strengths, and motivations.
• Gives you exercises to complete between sessions.
• Helps you test new activities and make sense of what you learn.
• Turns intentions into goals with deadlines.
• Holds you accountable week to week.

Rarified Life's free presentation argues that meeting only with a financial planner is the worst way to prepare for the rest of your life. A planner remains essential for money, but it answers a different question.

Ask these before you sign anything:

1. 1

   Step 1: What method do you use?

   Look for a named sequence of steps, not open-ended conversation.
2. 2

   Step 2: How many sessions, and how long?

   A defined length keeps both sides focused.
3. 3

   Step 3: What happens between sessions?

   Homework is where most of the change happens.
4. 4

   Step 4: What is the total cost?

   Get one number that includes materials.
5. 5

   Step 5: How fast do you respond?

   Onboarding and support speed show how the program is run.
6. 6

   Step 6: Have you made a big transition yourself?

   Lived experience makes advice concrete.

Preferment is Anne van Leynseele's live 8-week course, offered by Rarified Life. Its method is six modules in order: Introduction, Identity, Motivation, Alignment, Accountability, and Launch. Homework is built into her book, which doubles as the workbook. Rarified Life says it sends a welcome package within 24 hours, offers customer service by phone, and runs an intake process designed to prevent sessions going off topic.

On lived experience, Anne has built and sold a Los Angeles film and television production company, advised Fortune 100 companies on digital strategy across three continents, served as an Attorney Advisor in the Obama Administration, helped write Washington State's legal framework for recreational cannabis, and co-owns an award-winning chocolate farm on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Rarified Life says its clients report higher certainty about life satisfaction before retiring than with other programs, and describe waking up happy and no longer stressed about what to do.

"I spent a few years wandering around like a goldfish in a bowl. Preferment changed all that! I thought work defined me, but I discovered I am so much more."

Not ready for a course? Start with the 30-day reinvention planner.

• Reinventing yourself after retirementThe pillar guide: six practical steps from taking stock to launching your next chapter.
• 30-day reinvention plannerOne small action a day for 30 days, turning wondering into a routine you can keep.
• How to reinvent yourself at 70Daily rhythm, sleep, happiness, and starting something new in your seventies.
• How to enjoy life after retirementManaging time, easing the transition from work, and building a week you look forward to.
• Who am I after retirement?Separating who you are from what you did, and a new answer to "What do you do?"
• Finding purpose after retirementHow passion differs from purpose, and how to turn what moves you into a commitment.
• Retirement by the numbersSourced 2026 statistics on income, healthcare costs, and caregiving.

What is retirement coaching?

Retirement coaching helps you plan the non-financial side of life after a career: identity, purpose, routine, relationships, and goals. A retirement coach asks structured questions, provides exercises, and holds you accountable. It complements financial planning rather than replacing it. Rarified Life's Preferment course is a live, structured course built on this kind of guidance.

What does a retirement life coach do?

A retirement life coach helps you work out what you want your days to look like after work, then build them. Typical work includes clarifying values, identifying strengths, testing new activities, setting goals, and reviewing progress on a schedule. Look for a coach with a clear method and real experience of career transitions.

Is a retirement coach different from a financial planner?

Yes. A financial planner focuses on money: savings, income, investments, and taxes. A retirement coach focuses on how you will spend your time and who you will be. Rarified Life's free presentation argues that meeting only with a financial planner is the worst way to prepare for the rest of your life.

What is retirement transition coaching?

Retirement transition coaching focuses on the move itself, from the months before your last day through the first year or two after. It covers letting go of a work identity, designing a routine, and testing new roles. Starting before you retire gives you time to experiment while work still provides structure.

Who should consider life coaching for retirement?

Life coaching for retirement suits people who feel uncertain about what comes next, especially high achievers whose identity has been tied to their work. It also helps people who have already retired and feel adrift. If your main questions are about money, start with a licensed financial professional, then add coaching for the rest.

What should I ask before hiring a retirement coach?

Ask what method they use, how many sessions are included, what happens between sessions, the total cost, and how quickly they respond. Ask about their own career transitions. Rarified Life, for example, says it sends a welcome package within 24 hours and uses an intake process designed to keep sessions on topic.

How much does Preferment cost?

The Preferment course page lists the investment as $3,000 for eight weekly live sessions with Anne van Leynseele, the book, and guided homework. The store listing on the same page shows $6,000, so confirm the current price with Rarified Life before enrolling. The introductory webinar is free.

Read all 46 questions in the retirement reinvention FAQ