ETFs are an extremely popular investment option, due to their low costs, diversified risks and accessibility. Here, Jonas Elmerraji looks at the various ways of investing in ETFs. He also recommends three small-cap ETFs for penny stock portfolios.

Choppy markets have sent dividend yields to “unbelievably high” levels, says Jim Nelson. This makes today a great time to start income investing. Jim says Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS:A/RDS.B) and BP (NYSE:BP) are two cash-rich companies with consistent dividend payments and “absurdly” high yields right now.

To the naysayers out there, counterfeit shares do exist. In my early days as a stock promoter, I pocketed the quickest $50,000 of my life in what may go down as the most blatant case of counterfeit shares in the history of Wall Street. For the past three years I’ve kept my mouth shut for fear of prosecution.

The Dow plunged over 370 points in yesterday’s going, wiping out Friday’s spectacular gains for big-name stocks.

But there are profits to be made in the small-cap market says Laura Cadden in Today’s Financial News. She’s found three great small-cap stocks going for bargain prices. All three have solid valuation ratios and strong short-term growth prospects.

Investors tend to stereotype penny stocks as risky no-gainer gambles, says Mark Louie in Penny Sleuth. But this is simply untrue. Learning the truth about what you heard in the past might prove to be a wealth-generating opportunity for the future. Below Mark lists the top three commonly-held misconceptions about penny stocks…

Penny stocks have huge potential -- that's their blessing and their curse.

The potential rewards are enormous. Just take a look at the returns from Avistar Communications (Nasdaq: AVSR) and Emvelco (Nasdaq: EMVL), which have each more than doubled since the beginning of the year. Neither traded for more than $1 per share when 2008 started.

The average penny stock is found on one of two places: Pink Sheets, LLC or the Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board (OTCBB). Until recently, it has been nearly impossible to get good information about companies like these. Until a few months ago, the pink sheet stocks offered virtually unaccountable information.