Our approach
This guide explains retirement coaching using Rarified Life's own published information plus a small set of named outside sources. It is written by Rarified Life about its own approach, so it is not an independent review.
Last updated: November 2026 · Published by Rarified Life
Facts about Preferment™, the course, the free presentation, and founder Anne van Leynseele come from rarifiedlife.com. Market prices and statistics come from named outside publications, quoted as published and linked so you can check them.
Comparison tables judge every option, including Rarified Life's course, on the same criteria: focus, format, published price, structure, and best fit. Rarified Life is listed first because it publishes this guide, not because of a ranking.
Outside prices are quoted with the source, location, and conditions given. Where the Rarified Life course page shows two different prices, we show both rather than pick one.
Published research is attributed to the organization that published it. None of it is presented as Rarified Life's own data or results.
We do not add ratings, reviews, client counts, or outcomes that Rarified Life has not published. The one client quote used appears on the Rarified Life website.
Each page shows a Last updated date. When course details, prices, or sources change, the affected pages are revised and the date is updated at the same time. Coaching is not therapy, medical care, or financial advice, and nothing on this site should be read as such.
Preferment™ is Rarified Life’s framework and life platform for rethinking retirement, summed up in its line “Ditch retirement... try Preferment™ instead.” It is taught through a live 8-week course built on founder Anne van Leynseele’s book Preferment, moving through six modules: Introduction, Identity, Motivation, Alignment, Accountability, and Launch.
The Preferment™ course listing on rarifiedlife.com shows a price of $6000.00, while the course description on the same page lists the investment as $3,000 for eight weekly live sessions with Anne, the book, and guided homework. Because the two figures differ, confirm the current price on the course page before enrolling.
Certification can show that a coach completed formal training, and several organizations offer retirement coaching certification. It is one factor among several: also weigh the coach’s life experience, method, program structure, and price. The Rarified Life pages reviewed for this guide do not list a coaching certification; they present Anne van Leynseele’s four reinventions as her background.
No. Retirement coaching is forward-looking planning for your next chapter, while therapy is mental health care from a licensed clinician. Coaching can help you build purpose and structure, but it does not diagnose or treat depression or anxiety. If you are struggling emotionally after leaving work, talk with a licensed mental health professional.
Rarified Life lists Edmonds, Washington, and a mailing address in Captain Cook, Hawaii, on its website. Founder Anne van Leynseele co-owns an award-winning chocolate farm on the Big Island of Hawaii, one of the four reinventions she draws on in her teaching.
Rarified Life offers a free presentation for accomplished women in their 50s and 60s who are nearing or in retirement. It walks through the 5-step plan behind Preferment™, so you can see whether the approach fits before committing to anything.
