I'd generally stick to the big, reputable firms if you're going to work with an advisor. They are watched VERY closely by internal and external regulators.
Penny stocks are notorious for pump and dump schemes, you should be wary either way. Heck, it even happened about 4 days ago: http://www.cnbc.com/id/101845466 If you want to dip your toes in, sure why not? But don't dip too far in, that water is dangerous.
That's a bit of a strange one for Investopedia, as in I'm very surprised that they allowed it to be published. I've written for Investopedia in the past and they seemed quite strict with what they allowed through. Yes, it might have been a April Fools gag but most of us only read headlines and the juicy bits, and don't always read right through to the end!
