As you may have noticed, I ripped off the title of this post from the great book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig. That book used the term Zen loosely in a theme of quality over quantity, craftsmanship over quick fix, simplicity over complication.

My goal is to do the same with this blog. Yes, I will use the term Zen a little loosely, but in seeking personal finance enlightenment, I'll discuss making money and planning for long-term financial needs by keeping it simple, not being overly risky, and not losing sight of your dreams when the here-and-now tempts you to open your wallet more than you should.

Most of all, my goal for myself--and anyone who reads my words--is to become effective enough in taking care of personal financial matters that I don't have to spend too much of my life thinking about them. Keep it simple, make enough money to do the things that are important (both for today and many tomorrows), and not obsess about how much money I have or don't have. To stop meditating on money, and start focusing on things that bring greater fulfillment.

At this point I should introduce myself. My name is Justin McHenry, and besides running this blog, I am Research Director for Index Credit Cards, a Web site offering credit card comparison data, plus credit-related tips and information to help consumers and small business people make more informed credit card choices. Zen and credit cards is not an obvious combination, but by making credit card offers as transparent as possible, the site tries to make comparisons simpler and help you get the best deals for your needs, which hopefully will bring some peace of mind. (But don't carry balances, or the whole "peace of mind" thing goes out the window.)

I hope you'll stop here regularly, and I hope you'll participate in the discussion, as I like to write, I like to read, and I like to talk.

Want to e-mail me for whatever reason? j.mchenry@indexcreditcards.com