Last updated November 2026
A retirement coach helps you plan the life side of leaving your career: who you are without the title, what fills your days and who you spend them with.
Rarified Life answers the question “what does a retirement coach do?” with Preferment, a research-backed framework for redesigning life after 50 as an active, purpose-driven alternative to traditional retirement. It helps high achievers align future plans with personal values and build meaningful pursuits beyond their careers, starting with a free webinar.
You spent decades building a career, a reputation and a way of moving through the world. Then retirement arrives with more time than you have ever had and no clear idea what it is for. Rarified Life's retirement coaching is built for exactly that moment, for driven people who are done treating retirement as an ending.
The path is simple. Watch the free webinar first. Book a 40-minute Breakthrough Session if you want to talk it through. Then join the 8-week live Preferment course when you are ready for structured weekly work.
See the full path: webinar first, then the courseRetirement coaching is structured guidance for the life transition that comes with leaving full-time work. Where a financial advisor plans how you will pay for retirement, a retirement coach plans how you will live it: identity, motivation, values, routines and relationships.
Rarified Life's Preferment framework is built for high achievers redesigning life after 50 who want an active, purpose-driven alternative to traditional retirement. It does not replace financial advice; it covers the part financial advice leaves out.
Across the field:
Market figures: lifecoachingcertification.net, "Retirement Coaching: An Emerging Niche for 2026". See all the numbers
| Area | What a retirement coach does | In Rarified Life’s Preferment course |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Helps you separate who you are from your job title | Identity module |
| Motivation | Helps you find what drives you when a paycheck is not the reason | Motivation module |
| Values and time | Matches your values and strengths to how you spend your days | Alignment module |
| Follow-through | Builds structure that turns intention into routine | Accountability module |
| Direction | Helps you name your next mission and start it | Launch module |
| Money | Refers money questions to financial professionals | Not covered; work with a licensed financial professional |
A free presentation of the 5-step plan, for accomplished women in their 50s and 60s nearing or in retirement.
Register for the webinarA 40-minute conversation to ask your own questions and see whether Preferment fits.
Book a sessionEight weekly live sessions with Anne, the book Preferment, and homework that turns reading into a plan.
See the courseBefore you hire anyone, ask what the coaching covers, how it is delivered, how long it lasts, what it costs and what you leave with. Then ask yourself the harder ones: who am I without my title, and what does a good ordinary Tuesday look like a year from now?
Read the full list of retirement coaching questionsTransition to retirement coaching supports you through the months before and after your last day of work. Rarified Life's version moves through six modules over eight weeks, from Introduction and Identity to Motivation, Alignment, Accountability and Launch.
How retirement transition coaching works
Anne van Leynseele, founder of Rarified Life and author of the book Preferment, built and sold a production company in Los Angeles film and television, advised Fortune 100 companies on digital strategy across three continents, served as an Attorney Advisor in the Obama Administration, and helped write the legal framework for recreational cannabis in Washington State. Today she co-owns an award-winning chocolate farm on the Big Island of Hawaii.
“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.”
Rarified Life's free presentation is for accomplished women in their 50s and 60s who are nearing or in retirement. When you are ready for more, the 8-week live Preferment course goes deeper.
A retirement coach helps you plan the non-financial side of leaving your career: who you are without the job title, what you want your days to hold, and how to build routines and relationships that fit. At Rarified Life, that work runs through the Preferment framework, which helps high achievers align life after 50 with their personal values and meaningful pursuits beyond their careers.
Read this answer in the FAQRetirement coaching is structured guidance for the life transition that comes with leaving full-time work. It focuses on identity, purpose, motivation, relationships and daily structure rather than investments. Industry writers note that retirement coaches address identity, purpose, and relationships, not just money (lifecoachingcertification.net, 2026). It complements financial planning instead of replacing it.
Read this answer in the FAQA life coach's core responsibilities are to help you clarify goals, ask questions that surface what you actually want, design practical next steps, and hold you accountable while you take them. A coach does not diagnose or treat mental health conditions. A retirement coach applies those same responsibilities to one specific shift: moving from a career into the next chapter of life.
Read this answer in the FAQRetirement advisors typically help with savings targets, investment allocation, withdrawal strategies, Social Security timing, pensions and tax planning. Many hold licenses or credentials, and you can look up a financial professional's record on FINRA BrokerCheck. They generally do not coach you on identity or purpose, which is where a retirement coach fits.
Read this answer in the FAQOne of the most common mistakes is planning the money and not the life. People often prepare savings in detail but have no plan for identity, purpose, social connection or daily structure. Rarified Life's webinar addresses why smart, capable women can get eight months into retirement and stop answering the phone, and how to start turning that around.
Read this answer in the FAQThere is no single regret that applies to everyone. Common themes in retirement writing include not planning what to do with time, letting friendships fade, and waiting too long to pursue interests. A practical way to reduce the risk of regret is to start testing your next chapter well before your last day of work.
Read this answer in the FAQIndustry sources report that retirement coaches typically charge $150 to $300 per session, with group workshops and programs also offered (lifecoachingcertification.net, 2026). Rarified Life's webinar is free to attend. Current pricing for the 8-week Preferment live course is listed on the Rarified Life course page, so check there for the latest figure before you enroll.
Read this answer in the FAQStart with the free webinar, which introduces the 5-step plan behind Preferment. If you want to talk directly, book a 40-minute Breakthrough Session on the Rarified Life calendar. When you are ready for structured work, enroll in the 8-week live Preferment course with founder Anne van Leynseele.
Read this answer in the FAQStart with the free webinar, or reach Rarified Life directly about coaching.
Published by Rarified Life
