Wall Street is aggressively selling so-called structured notes as a “safe” way to earn increased returns without increased risk. The appeal of such a pitch is obvious in these times of low interest rates and stomach-churning stock market volatility. Structured notes are gaining in popularity. Retail sales of structured notes increased by 46% in 2010 to a record $49.4 billion, according to Bloomberg, and are expected to be up again sharply in 2011. But beware, says Fortune magazine contributor Janice Revell (“Beware of Wall Street’s latest ‘safe’ investment,” CNNMoney), there is increased risk and the increased returns are illusory.