I've gotten a few questions from readers and colleagues about what sources I turn to for information about the markets, exchange-traded funds and related topics.

The list is long and varied, and ebbs and flows over time. But here are some of the sources (public, private and otherwise) that I turn to in my day-to-day reading. I'm sure I'm leaving out quite a few sites, but this at least is a partial list.

NATIONAL PUBLICATIONS

IndexUniverse.com and IndexUniverse.eu: It goes without saying that IndexUniverse.com and IndexUniverse.eu are the best sites on the Web for information about ETFs and how they are used in portfolios.

IndexUniverse.com

IndexUniverse.eu

Slate/The Big Money: Those two Web sites aside, I start my day at Slate.com, and its sister finance site The Big Money. I find the daily news summary (and weekly magazine summaries) the best meta-journalism on the Web. They offer

Oil ETFs Get Hammered

Investors are bracing for what could be a severe global recession, while some economists think energy prices could head even lower, says MarketWatch's John Spence. That's putting the squeeze on oil-related exchange-traded funds.

He notes that the PowerShares DB Crude Oil Double Long ETN (NYSEArca: DXO) had lost more than half its value for the month ended Dec. 4, based on Morningstar data. 

You can read the story here. 

The Advantages Of Using ETFs To Short Stocks

Individual investors are better equipped these days to short-sell stock, says SmartMoney's Daren Fonda. He points to risks involved with shorting individual stocks and notes the growing popularity of ETFs dedicated to taking short positions with different indexes.

"And while short selling has been demonized by regulators who blame much of the market’s crash on the practice—causing the Securities and Exchange Commission to temporarily ban the