FAQLast updated: November 2026Published by Rarified Life
Preferment is an 8-week live retirement coaching course from Rarified Life, and this page answers the 46 questions people ask most about it.
Rarified Life grouped these answers into seven topics: what Preferment is, how the 8 week course works, price, who it is for, alternatives, becoming a retirement life coach, and getting started. Each answer leads with the direct answer and uses only published facts, naming the source where an outside figure is used.
The most common questions are how long it lasts, what it costs, and whether it suits someone who has not retired yet. In short: eight weeks of weekly live sessions, a listed price of $6,000.00 with a stated investment of $3,000, and yes, it can start years before your last day.
Preferment is Rarified Life's research-informed framework for redesigning life after work around your personal values, purpose, and meaningful activities. It is presented as an active alternative to conventional retirement, aimed especially at high achievers who are approaching retirement or already in it. The framework is taught through a book of the same name and a live 8-week course.
Anne van Leynseele created Preferment and wrote the book the course is built on. Her background includes building and selling a production company in Los Angeles film and television, advising Fortune 100 companies on digital strategy across three continents, and serving as an Attorney Advisor in the Obama Administration. She describes having lived four reinventions.
Conventional retirement is usually framed as an ending. Preferment treats the years after a career as an ascension: a deliberate next chapter designed around what you value and what moves you. Instead of filling days with errands and appointments, the framework asks you to match your time to your strengths, build routines that hold, and name a mission.
No. Preferment focuses on the non-financial side of retirement: identity, motivation, values, daily structure, and purpose. Rarified Life's own materials argue that a meeting with a financial planner alone does not prepare you for how you will actually spend your days. Many people will want Preferment alongside, not instead of, advice from a licensed financial professional.
In Rarified Life's usage, Preferment names an active, chosen next chapter that replaces the passive idea of retirement. The Rarified Life homepage puts it plainly: ditch retirement and try Preferment instead. Preferment is a trademark of the business and is also the title of Anne van Leynseele's book.
Yes. Anne van Leynseele wrote a book called Preferment, and it is the companion text and workbook for the 8-week course. Course participants receive the book, and its built-in homework exercises are completed between live sessions. The Rarified Life homepage also lists further books as coming soon.
Rarified Life describes Preferment as research-informed, meaning the framework is grounded in research rather than in a self-help pep talk. This site does not list the specific studies behind the framework. If the research basis matters to your decision, check the details Rarified Life publishes on rarifiedlife.com before you enroll.
The Preferment course runs for eight weeks, with one live session each week, for eight live sessions in total, each led by Anne van Leynseele. Between sessions, participants complete homework exercises built into the Preferment book, so the work continues between calls rather than stopping when a session ends.
It is live. The course is described as eight weekly live sessions with Anne, working through her book chapter by chapter. It is not presented as a library of recorded videos to watch alone. Check the course listing on rarifiedlife.com for current session dates and how the sessions are delivered.
The six modules are Introduction, Identity, Motivation, Alignment, Accountability, and Launch. They move from understanding where you are now, through separating who you are from what you did for a living and finding what moves you, to matching values with daily life, building structure, and naming your mission for the next chapter.
The course pairs eight weekly live sessions with six modules of content, so sessions and modules are not a one-to-one match. Rarified Life describes the course as a structured path in which each week builds on the last. For the exact week-by-week schedule, check the current course listing on rarifiedlife.com.
Yes. Homework is built into the Preferment book and done between sessions, and Rarified Life describes it as real exercises rather than busywork. The homework is what turns reading into a plan: each exercise asks you to apply the idea of the week to your own identity, motivation, values, or daily routine.
No advance reading is listed as a requirement. The course works through the Preferment book chapter by chapter during the eight weeks, and the book is included with enrollment. If you would like a head start, check the course listing on rarifiedlife.com for any preparation guidance.
The final module, Launch, focuses on naming your mission for the next chapter and stepping into it. By then you will have worked through identity, motivation, alignment, and accountability, so the end of the course is meant to be a starting point for a lived routine. The course is not described as awarding a certificate.
The course listing on rarifiedlife.com shows a price of $6,000.00, while the investment section of the same page states $3,000 for the eight weekly live sessions, the book, and the guided homework. Because the two figures differ, confirm the current price on the listing before you enroll. This site reports both exactly as published.
The listed inclusions are eight weekly live sessions with Anne van Leynseele, the Preferment book as companion text and workbook, and homework exercises built into the book. Rarified Life describes the package as a structured path in which each week builds on the last. No other inclusions are listed on the course page.
A published overview from lifecoachingcertification.net reports that retirement coaches typically charge $150 to $300 per session. Preferment is a packaged live course, not per-session coaching. At the stated $3,000 investment, eight sessions plus the book work out to $375 per session; at the listed $6,000.00 price, they work out to $750 per session.
That depends on what you need. Preferment fits people who want a structured, live, guided path through the identity and purpose side of retirement, led by the author of the framework. If you mainly want help with investments or budgeting, a licensed financial professional fits better. If you want individual sessions, Rarified Life lists 1:1 coaching as coming soon.
No payment plan is listed on the course page, which shows a single price with an Add to Cart option. If payment terms affect your decision, check the current listing on rarifiedlife.com, since terms and pricing can change after this page was last updated.
Yes. Rarified Life offers a free presentation through its registration page, aimed at accomplished women in their 50s and 60s who are nearing or in retirement, which introduces a 5-step plan for replacing the what-now feeling of retirement. The pages on this site are also free and cover the framework, the modules, and the price.
Preferment is built for driven people and high achievers who are approaching retirement or already in it, especially those whose identity has been closely tied to their work. Rarified Life's free presentation is aimed at accomplished women in their 50s and 60s, while the course page describes driven people who are done treating retirement like an ending.
Yes. Rarified Life's materials say the approach works even if your last day at work is still years away, without waiting for retirement day. Starting before you leave gives you time to separate who you are from your job title while the structure of a career is still around you.
No. The course page describes Preferment for driven people in general. The free presentation from Rarified Life is aimed at accomplished women in their 50s and 60s, one audience the business speaks to directly, but nothing on the course listing limits enrollment by gender.
No. Preferment is described for people approaching or already in retirement, and Rarified Life speaks directly to people who reach months into retirement and find their days filled with errands and appointments. A participant quote shared on rarifiedlife.com describes spending a few years wandering like a goldfish in a bowl before Preferment changed that.
It can be. A page from retirementlifeplan.com reports that as many as 50% of people are pushed to retire sooner than planned. The early Preferment modules, Introduction and Identity, address where you are right now and how to separate who you are from what you did, which matters most when the exit was not your choice.
Choose a licensed financial professional if your main question is money. Choose a coach certification program if you want to become a retirement coach yourself. Choose individual coaching if you need one-to-one sessions right now, since Rarified Life lists 1:1 coaching as coming soon. Preferment fits people who want a live, structured path toward purpose.
A retirement coach typically works with you in individual paid sessions, which a published overview prices at $150 to $300 each. A retirement course like Preferment follows a fixed curriculum over a set time: eight weekly live sessions, six modules, a book, and homework. A course gives you structure and a sequence; individual coaching gives you one-to-one attention.
A retirement coach helps people plan the non-financial side of leaving work: identity, purpose, relationships, and how to spend their time. A published overview notes that retirement coaches address identity, purpose, and relationships, not just money. Preferment covers similar ground as a structured course, with modules on identity, motivation, alignment, accountability, and launch.
A certification trains you to coach other people, while Preferment is a course for your own transition. For example, the Retirement Life Coach Certification on retirementlifeplan.com is listed at $1,250 and approved by the International Coaching Federation for 15 hours of continuing coach education. Preferment carries no coaching credential.
Many people need both, for different reasons. A financial planner addresses whether your money will last, while Preferment addresses what you will do with your time and who you are without your job title. Rarified Life argues that a planner meeting alone is not enough preparation for the rest of your life, but Preferment does not replace financial advice.
Preferment is longer and more structured than a one-time workshop. It runs eight weeks, with a live session each week led by the author of the book and homework between sessions. Some retirement classes offered by financial firms focus on investments and income, while Preferment focuses on identity, motivation, values, and daily structure.
The Preferment book contains the framework and its homework exercises, so it can be read on its own. The course adds eight live sessions with Anne van Leynseele and a structured weekly pace. If you want guidance and accountability, the course is the fuller option. Check rarifiedlife.com for current book availability.
It varies widely by program. As one published example, retirementlifeplan.com states that its Retirement Life Coach Certification is approved by the International Coaching Federation for 15 hours of continuing coach education. Broader life coach certifications can run much longer. Preferment is not a coach training course; it is an 8-week course for your own retirement.
Costs vary by program. One published example is the Retirement Life Coach Certification, listed on retirementlifeplan.com with a total investment of $1,250. Other certifications cost more or less depending on hours and accreditation, so compare several. Preferment is not a certification; its price covers your own eight-week course, the book, and the homework.
In general, no specific license or degree is legally required to work as a life coach in the United States, though many coaches pursue voluntary certification, such as programs approved by the International Coaching Federation. Rules can differ by location and by the services offered, so confirm locally. Preferment does not provide coaching qualifications.
Generally yes. Life coaching is not a licensed profession in most of the United States, unlike therapy or financial advice, which do require licenses. Coaches should avoid offering services that fall under those licensed professions. Check the rules where you live before starting a practice. The Preferment course does not train coaches.
In most places, yes, because life coach is generally not a protected title the way licensed professional titles are. Many clients still look for training or voluntary credentials, such as programs approved by the International Coaching Federation, as a sign of quality. Confirm the rules where you plan to work. Preferment is a course for retirees, not coach training.
Not necessarily. Many coaches start as sole proprietors, while others form an LLC to separate business finances and limit personal liability. The right structure depends on your state and situation, so confirm with an accountant or attorney. For context, the business behind Preferment operates as Rarified Life LLC.
Income varies widely. A published overview from lifecoachingcertification.net reports that retirement coaches typically charge $150 to $300 per session, with group workshops and encore career programs adding scalable income streams. Actual earnings depend on how many clients a coach serves and how they price. This site does not publish income figures for any coach.
Demand shifts over time, but retirement coaching is one growing niche. A published overview from lifecoachingcertification.net reports a 30% uptick in retirement coaching demand as baby boomers retire, with coaches addressing identity, purpose, and relationships, not just money. That is the same transition the Preferment course is designed to help people work through.
Many people start coaching without formal experience, often after completing a training program and practicing with early clients. Personal experience of a transition such as retirement can also shape a coaching niche. Preferment itself is not a path to becoming a coach; it is a course for people working through their own life after career.
Enrollment happens on the Preferment course listing at rarifiedlife.com, where the course is offered with an Add to Cart option. Before enrolling, read the framework and module pages on this site, then confirm the current price and dates on the listing, since the page shows two different price figures.
Rarified Life lists a location in Edmonds, Washington, and a mailing address in Captain Cook, Hawaii, on the Big Island. Anne van Leynseele also co-owns an award-winning chocolate farm on the Big Island of Hawaii. The 8-week course is delivered as live sessions; check the listing for how they are run.
Start by reading about the Preferment framework so the course vocabulary feels familiar. Then think about the question the course opens with: where you are right now. Rarified Life's materials suggest noticing how often your answer to the question of what you do starts with the words I used to. That noticing is useful preparation.
The Rarified Life homepage lists 1:1 coaching as coming soon. For now, the 8-week Preferment course is the main guided offering, alongside the Preferment book and a free presentation. Check rarifiedlife.com for updates on when individual coaching becomes available.
You may be ready if the what-now question about retirement keeps coming up, if your identity has been closely tied to your work, or if your days after work feel full but not meaningful. Rarified Life's message is that you do not need a five-year plan; you need a room to start figuring it out in.
Start with the Preferment framework, then read the retirement coaching course overview.
