Welcome to 2017! To start off the year on the right foot, let’s sit down and take a pen and paper to write our money to-do. Richard Branson has one tip for 2017: Write it down! “A new year is always a wonderful time for new ideas, new starts and turning points. But too often all of that positive thought doesn't translate into positive action. There's one simple way to change that…”

If like us you are not sure where to start in order to achieve your dream goal of becoming richer in 2017, use this to-do list:

Review 2016

We always find it difficult to predict what will happen during the year to come. This is why reviewing the year that just finished will help us plan better. Please take a pen and paper and take 5 minutes to write down these 4 things:

• How much money did you earn in 2016 (salary, investments, etc.)?
• How much money did you spend in 2016 (try to breakdown: see Mint)?
• If you had goals, did you stick to them?
• How much debt did you pay off? How much is still outstanding?

All these info are critical to move on and start building a plan for 2017. Monthly goals are easier to stick to than yearly goals - and they are meant to become habits. Whatever the goal, make sure it’s attainable during that month and realistic.

Calculate your net worth

How many of you get a regular check-up at the doctor’s? Are you as diligent when it comes to checking up on your financial health? Most of us aren’t. Financial planners insist that one of the best indicators of financial well-being is personal net-worth. But what exactly is it, and how is it calculated? An individual’s net-worth is a snapshot into their financial state of affairs - their net economic position. It normally refers to assets owned minus debt owed. Over time, your net-worth will change as your assets and liabilities fluctuate (this includes everything from earning interest to repaying debts). Monitoring your net-worth is a simple, necessary step towards greater financial independence, so no excuses. Go and start calculating yours today.
 

Submit your tax return

Next question to ask yourself is… do I need to submit a tax return? Head to Which to see if you are part of the 9 million people needing to complete a self-assessment tax return and to submit this to your tax office. If you do so, hurry up… As a reminder, the last tax year started on 6 April 2015 and ended on 5 April 2016, and the deadline for online tax returns and payment is midnight on the 31st January 2017!

Ask for your credit score

Now is a great time to ask for your credit check report and make sure it does not contain any errors, you can do it from Noodle or Experian for exemple (but check the full list on MoneySavingExpert). You may not know this but it is extremely important to check your credit score if you want to get a mortgage, credit card, loan or more...