Regarding BTC-e and it being a shady site: no matter what they say it is the only exchange able to really properly trade into other currencies. Quick. I made a few thousand minute-trading between btc-ltc-ftc-nc et cetera. Got to love the bubble.
Yes I agree. The lack of data makes it seem shady - that's really what I was trying to get across. But I use it and love it too. Love the range of currencies, the interface is very responsive, trades execute quickly and when I make a deposit I can trade within minutes after it's confirmed. Besides the Bulgaria jurisdiction and lack of data on who owns it, it's absolutely awesome.
What about Kraken for trading? They support a number of altcoins and a few fiat currencies (I believe USD, EUR, and KRW). They seem to be a whole lot less shady than BTC-E.