Stock buybacks: What are they and how do they impact investors?
As Congress weighs lending help to some publicly traded companies, critics want those corporations to be banned from ever conducting stock buybacks again.

So exactly what is a stock buyback and why all the fuss?

Here's the deal: First, when a corporation buys back its stock, the move reduces the number of shares that trade publicly.

"The company either buys them on the open market or directly makes an offer to shareholders," explained certified financial planner Douglas Boneparth, president of Bone Fide Wealth in New York.