Warren Buffett finishes the year with a flurry of deal-making. (NYTimes.com)

Opportunities in the rubble that is the municipal bond insurance business. (Accrued Interest)

“(T)op-grade munis may merit a look even from investors in lower tax brackets.” (NYTimes.com)

Are bank loan funds an interesting contrarian play for 2008? (WSJ.com)

Is Man Group getting it right in the realm of publicly traded hedge fund managers. (Barrons.com)

Beaten down sectors heading into the new year. (WSJ.com)

Dividends for the S&P 500 grew 11.5% in 2007. (Crossing Wall Street)

When international diversification doesn’t work…Canada in 2007. (globeinvestor.com)

“When developing new trading frameworks, it is important that these not only build on existing strengths, but also match your own needs and interests in the markets.” (TraderFeed)

A look back at the year in deal making. (NYTimes.com)

A competitor to the CME takes shape. (ChicagoTribune.com)

The housing crisis should not have been a big surprise. (Calculated Risk)

“From Complacency to Crisis: Financial Risk Taking in the Early 21st Century” (FRB Dallas via Economist’s View)

Thanks for checking in with Abnormal Returns. Here’s wishing all of our readers a Happy (and prosperous) New Year!