Explaining the ABC of share buybacks

•**What buyback issues mean for investors:**News about a possible buyback in various public-sector undertakings by the government has thrown the spotlight on buyback issues. Business Standard explains the different kinds of buybacks and what they mean to investors. With the Sensex hitting a two-year low, it’s a opportune time for promoters to raise their stakes, the report said.

So far, 13 companies have filed documents with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) for buyback offers. These companies have two options: one, through the tender route and two, purchases through the open market. To read the entire story, click here .

•**Should you retain your small saving schemes or not?**From 1 December, investments in small savings schemes will fetch market-linked returns, a report in Mint said. In order to understand how you can benefit from this change, the newspaper reviewed five products in the small savings schemes category to judge whether they are worthy of being included in a portfolio. The five instruments include your tax-free public provident fund (PPF), post office time deposits and other schemes. To know more, click here .

•**Fixed deposits or short-term bonds?**After some banks raised their short-term rates recently, several investors are wondering whether to opt for fixed deposits or short-term bond funds. The Economic Times offers investors some guidelines on how to make that decision. It says investors need to consider thetax slab, the safety of the investment and liquidity among other things.To read the entire report, click here .

•Seven traps to avoid while shopping online: While shopping online has made life easier for tech-savvy shoppers, there are certain things everyone needs to beware of, according to The Economic Times. An example of a tip: if you come across a website that offers a product at a much lower rate that what it is available for in retail outlets, be careful and compare prices with at least five shopping portals before buying online. In all probability, the website offering very low prices is a fake. Another tip: beware of purchasing items when you are logged into a public wi-fi network, etc. To read more, click here .