Barclays In A Pickle

That's exactly the headline used in this Forbes story for a look at how investors remain worried about the financial services giant. It's now due to report earnings on Feb. 9. 

As we have done here in this column since the latest market crisis impacted shares of Barclays (which is behind the issues of many popular exchange-traded notes), we continue to follow the situation. You can read the latest here.

Perils Of ETFs

In a column at MarketWatch.com, John Spence notes the march of exchange-traded funds and notes throughout the investing world. But he warns that the ETF world has become a kind of casino royale for every type of index on the planet. 

His lead says it all: "No matter how obscure the industry or how exotic the strategy, chances are someone has created an index and launched an exchange-traded fund or note to track it."

You can read the story here.

Taking A Look At Bond ETFs

Meanwhile, in the Wall Street Journal's monthly fund report today, MarketWatch writer and assistant personal finance editor Jonathan Burton surveys the field of bond ETFs. He talks to advisers about what they're looking at these days. 

You can read the story here.

What Advisers Are Doing

If you'd like to see how the WSJ handles portfolio reviews (OK, they call these columns something different than we do), here's an example looking at a planning firm in Lone Tree, Colo., that mixes ETFs and mutual funds.

By the way, these advisers say that active management is due to make a comeback this year.

You can read the story here.