ComparisonLast updated: November 2026Published by Rarified Life
A retirement life coach course trains you to coach other people, while Preferment is a course for redesigning your own life after work.
Rarified Life publishes this comparison because the two are easy to confuse in search results. If you want a coaching credential, a certification such as the Retirement Life Coach Certification fits. If you want your own next chapter, the 8-week Preferment course from Rarified Life is built for that, and it carries no coaching credential.
Neither is better in general; they solve different problems. Choose a certification if you plan to work with retirement clients and want continuing education hours. Choose Preferment if the retirement you are thinking about is your own and you want a live, guided path through identity, motivation, and purpose. Choose individual coaching if you need one-to-one sessions.
Definition
A retirement life coach course is training for people who want to coach others through the non-financial side of retirement. One published example is the Retirement Life Coach Certification, which retirementlifeplan.com states is approved by the International Coaching Federation for 15 hours of continuing coach education. Rarified Life's Preferment course is not in this category: it prepares you for your own life after work.
By the numbers
Certification figures from retirementlifeplan.com; Preferment figures from the Rarified Life listing.
| Criterion | Retirement Life Coach Certification | Per-session retirement coach | Preferment course |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Train to coach retirement clients | Personal help with your transition | Redesign your own life after work |
| Credential | ICF-approved for 15 hours of continuing coach education | Not applicable | None; not a certification |
| Format | Not stated in the facts used here | Individual sessions | 8 weekly live sessions, a book, homework |
| Published price | $1,250 total investment | $150 to $300 per session | $6,000.00 listed; $3,000 stated as the investment |
| Source | retirementlifeplan.com | lifecoachingcertification.net overview | Rarified Life course listing |
Sources: Retirement Life Coach Certification and Retirement Coaching: An Emerging Niche for 2026.
If it is a future client of yours, look at certifications. If it is yours, keep reading about Preferment.
Preferment follows a fixed six-module path. Individual coaching adapts session by session.
Money questions belong with a licensed financial professional. Meaning, identity, and daily structure are what Preferment covers.
Preferment is taught live by Anne van Leynseele, who wrote the book it follows and describes having lived four reinventions, from Los Angeles film and television to the Obama Administration to a chocolate farm on the Big Island of Hawaii. Readers who want to work through their own transition with the author, rather than learn to guide others, fit Preferment better.
Return to the retirement coaching course overview or read the six Preferment modules.
We compared three options on the same five criteria: purpose, credential, format, published price, and source. Every fact comes from the public page named in the Source row, stated as published. Where a fact was not available to us, the table says so instead of guessing. No option is ranked above another, because they serve different goals.
Published by Rarified Life, the business behind Preferment. Rarified Life wrote this comparison, and it is not an independent review.
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.
More in the FAQ: How long is the course to become a life coach?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.
More in the FAQ: How much does it cost to get certified as a life coach?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.
More in the FAQ: Do I need qualifications to be a life coach?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.
More in the FAQ: Can I do life coaching without a license?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.
More in the FAQ: What type of life coach is most in demand?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.
More in the FAQ: How is Preferment different from a retirement life coach certification?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.
More in the FAQ: Can I be a life coach with no experience?