Frequently Asked Questions

Follow a three-step process to earn the Registered Life Planner designation.

• EVOKE^® Life Planning Training – 4 days online or 5 days in-person
• The Seven Stages of Money Maturity^® Training – 2 days online or in-person
• Life Planning Mentorship – 6 months online

EVOKE Life Planning Training and The Seven Stages of Money Maturity Training can be taken in either order. Life Planning Mentorship follows the EVOKE Life Planning Training.

Many people choose to dive right into the process with EVOKE and emerge with an understanding of our signature interview methodology to begin practicing with clients. Starting with EVOKE also allows one to join a Mentorship cohort right away to reinforce and enhance those skills. Others begin with The Seven Stages of Money Maturity course as a two-day introduction to Kinder Institute’s material, followed by the more intensive and experiential four- or five-day EVOKE Life Planning course. 

Kinder Institute trains all kinds of client-facing professionals on developing deep listening and communication skills using a structured interview process to uncover their clients’ most meaningful, and fulfilling aspirations, engaging them in the work of creating their own vibrant futures. This is what we call “life planning.” It works for coaches, pastors, lawyers, doctors, and financial advisors. The financial advisor is in a unique position to integrate these life goals into their clients’ financial plan, creating a solid financial architecture for their client to pursue their dreams of freedom.

Additionally, you do not need to hold an existing certification, like CFP®, to attend our courses or earn the RLP® designation.

Completing the three-step training process generally takes 9-18 months depending on your schedule and the availability of the first two required courses – EVOKE Life Planning Training and The Seven Stages of Money Maturity Training.

The curriculum costs anywhere from $10,165 to $11,925+ based on whether you choose online or in-person courses and if you register within our early discount periods. The best rate is the RLP® Package, which is a flat, one-time fee of $10,165 and is good for any of the online or in-person courses that lead to earning the RLP® designation.

If you would prefer to book courses a la carte, then you would experience the following rates*:

If you choose an in-person EVOKE course, there are additional out-of-pocket expenses for travel, lodging, and meals during the course. These costs vary depending on the venue and where you are traveling from. Typical costs for meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) range from $100-$140 per day and lodging ranges from $150-$300 per night, over five days.

If you choose an in-person Seven Stages course, then you are responsible for your travel, lodging, and meals, however, lunch is provided as part of the course fee.

*Prices listed as of 1st January 2024. Course costs are adjusted at the start of every calendar year.

Early registration discounts are available for The Seven Stages of Money Maturity and EVOKE Life Planning Trainings when booking 60 days in advance. There is also the RLP® designation package discount of up to 15% off the standard rates if you commit to paying for the full three-step program up front instead of registering separately for each segment.

Additionally, the EVOKE® Life Planning Training, Life Planning Mentorship Program, and RLP® Package rates all allow a 50% deposit, with balance payment due 60 days from booking. 

Kinder Institute offers a 10% group discount to teams that register three or more participants at a time for any of its courses. This can be applied on top of any early registration discount.

Kinder Institute often partners with membership organizations and offers discounts for training courses that are communicated directly to the partner’s members. Contact your organization to inquire about a discount.

The online and in-person course offerings present the same material using experiential training techniques and deliver the same results with a few nuances.

• • Benefits of Online Programs:
    • As a participant you can see and hear every participant’s comment, question, and answer. This can be difficult to always achieve during an in-person course when a large group is sitting in a U-shape and speaking across the room.
    • The online format also helps advisors get comfortable holding client meetings over Zoom or similar platform. They get practice and feedback from the trainers on setting up their space, appearing on screen, and adjusting their camera so the conversation is natural.
    • You can take the course from your home or office.

• Benefits of the In-Person Programs:
  • The camaraderie among the participants seems to form faster because there are more “water-cooler” moments and shared mealtimes.
  • You get more time to ask the trainers questions during the course because it extends over more time (for EVOKE) and includes meals.
  • You have the benefit of getting away from your home or office setting to focus on yourself and what you want in life.

Kinder Institute courses are open to anyone worldwide. Courses are offered online and in-person in the primary language of the host country. English-language online courses tend to be offered in time zones convenient to US and UK audiences, which make them available to Canada, Central and South America, and Europe and Africa, respectively. We also offer training programs in the Netherlands (Dutch), Germany (German), Australia (English), and India (English) and are always looking to host programs in other countries where there is an audience eager to participate in our programming. If you are interested in learning Kinder Institute’s signature life planning model, please contact info@kinderinstitute.com.

Kinder Institute of Life Planning’s website includes a directory of life planning training graduates and the courses they’ve attended. Those listed as “Active Registered Life Planner^®” practice life planning with clients and maintain their skills through continuing education courses offered through Kinder Institute. 

Go to the Life Planner Search!

Kinder Institute offers Registered Life Planner designees and EVOKE graduates the opportunity to attend its Continuing Education courses. This includes 2-hour Life Planning Mastery Shorts and 8-hour Life Planning Mastery sessions. The EVOKE Refresher Series is a version of Life Planning Mastery and offers a deep dive into the EVOKE process dedicating four day-long courses to reviewing and practicing the skills. Upcoming Continuing Education courses are listed on our Course Schedule page.

The Life Planning for You website (www.lifeplanningforyou.com) is a free DIY tool where anyone can create a life plan. Advisors can use the platform to have their clients complete the life planning exercises and share their responses in advance of client meetings.

Yes.

Professionals that earn the Registered Life Planner designation are expected to keep their skills sharp by attending at least eight hours of continuing education every two years. This can be done by any of the following means:

• Life Planning Mastery (8 hours) offered multiple times annually in alternating time zones and locations globally
• Life Planning Mastery Shorts (2 hours) offered online monthly
• Inner Listening for Life Planners (up to 2 hours) – Attend a meditation retreat or series of meditation classes with George Kinder and we’ll count 20% of the time (not more than a total of 2 hours) toward the RLP® designation continuing education requirement. For example, if you attended a two-day meditation retreat with George Kinder that totaled 12 hours, then 2 of those hours would count as CE.
• The Seven Stages of Money Maturity Training® (16 hours) – Repeat The Seven Stages of Money Maturity course for 50% off the standard price, space permitting.
• EVOKE® Life Planning (36-40 hours) – Repeat the EVOKE Life Planning Training for 25% off the standard price, space permitting.

Please email info@kinderinstitute.com with any questions about obtaining CEs.

Life Planning focuses on the human side of financial planning. In Life Planning we discover a client’s deepest and most profound goals through a mindfulness-based process of structured and non-judgmental inquiry. Then, using a mix of professional and advanced relationship skills, we inspire clients to pursue their aspirations, discuss and resolve obstacles, create a concrete financial plan, and provide ongoing guidance as clients accomplish their objectives.

Kinder Institute of Life Planning has trained thousands of professionals worldwide in their life planning methodology and skillset. There are over 600 Registered Life Planner® designation holders. You will find them in Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Use the Life Planner Search and filter by country to find a list of life planners active in that region.

Life Planning is by far the most efficient way to do financial planning! There are many advantages of the Life Planning business model. Financial life planners find that they develop trusting bonds with their clients that keep them engaged for life, retain a higher percentage of clients with fewer sales, establish a more sustainable ongoing revenue stream, gain more referrals thanks to the immediate enthusiasm of their current clients, and experience higher closing ratios and closings in the first meeting. The knowledge you gain from Kinder Institute’s training curriculum is transferable, trainable, scalable, and sellable. You’ll find that there is a higher sales value of your business (3-5 times the sale value of commission firms). Because financial life planners have been through the process themselves, they experience more happiness and vigor in their lives. Being re-energized as an advisor and having energized clients creates a positive work environment that fuels your other passions and pursuits.

• EVOKE® Life Planning (PDF)
• The Seven Stages of Money Maturity® (PDF)
• Life Planning Mentorship (PDF)

If you use material from Kinder Institute’s website, please attribute it to the Kinder Institute website as follows: This material was developed by George Kinder and Kinder Institute of Life Planning. Used by permission of George Kinder © 1999-2024.

Please add a link to the website: https://www.kinderinstitute.com

We encourage life planners to tell their own story and share their journey of how they became a life planner with their audience. Share with your clients what the process means to you and what it has done for your life. You may draw inspiration from or paraphrase the following paragraph from our website:

Life Planning focuses on the human side of financial planning. In Life Planning we discover a client’s deepest and most profound goals through a mindfulness-based process of structured and non-judgmental inquiry. Then, using a mix of professional and advanced relationship skills, we inspire clients to pursue their aspirations, discuss and resolve obstacles, create a concrete financial plan, and provide ongoing guidance as clients accomplish their objectives.

And here is a summary of what a Registered Life Planner is:

Registered Life Planner® (RLP®) is formal recognition of expertise in a structured interview process and the relationship-based listening skills that help clients uncover their most meaningful and fulfilling aspirations so financial planning can most efficiently support the lives they long to live.

Prior to the start of a course, you will receive an email with recommended preparation steps to enrich your experience. The only course with required reading is EVOKE Life Planning Training, where we provide participants with a digital copy of the Lighting the Torch and expect participants to read it prior to starting the course. Please do not feel pressured to complete everything if you are short on time. What is most important is that you are completely present during the training programs and bring your authentic self.