When Sugar HQ first moved into our current home in San Francisco, a rumor began skipping through the office . . . but not the kind you’re apt to hear over the watercooler like the ones involving secret romances or odd co-worker behavior. As I stood in the elevator lobby one night, an editor pal excitedly asked, “Did you hear that this building is supposedly haunted?” According to a former building resident, a mysterious figure was once spotted in an elevator car and then proceeded to disappear into thin air. While we have yet to record any spectral beings of our own, around this time of year it’s still fun to think that an uninvited guest might show up to mingle at our office Halloween party!

During the second presidential debate, we heard President Obama take a jab at Mitt Romney’s wealth, joking, “I don’t look at my pension. It’s not as big as yours, so it doesn’t take as long.” But compared to the average American, the nation’s top dog still takes home a serious chunk of change — and is entitled to certain financial benefits — each year. How much? Take our quiz to find out!

When it comes to marking your ballot on Nov. 6, your decision on who to pick for the lofty roost of president will come down to where the candidates stand on the numerous economic, social, and diplomatic issues facing this country. But how they communicate their stance on those issues has a great deal to do with how they spend the hundreds of millions of dollars flowing into the political coffers from the thousands of private donors, political action committees, and other sources of their campaign funds. Think you know the dollars and cents behind Mitt Romney’s and Barack Obama’s campaigns? Take this quiz to find out!

Not all workplaces are OK with employees sporting elaborate Halloween costumes on Oct. 31. But before you throw in the Frankenstein-printed towel on having a hauntingly fun Halloween at work, we’ve found a few ideas that conjure up the holiday’s spirit and may not be too spooky to a conservative office. Run your ideas by your manager and HR before you organize any Halloween activities to make sure that they approve of your plans, and check out these five frighteningly fun ideas!

Even capable, career-driven people need a leg up from time to time. Whether it’s job advice from a former manager, a couple of industry tips from a colleague, or a pep talk from a friend, feedback and encouragement are crucial stepping stones to navigating to where you want to be in your career. There are a couple of tricks to asking for guidance, though, to ensure that you obtain the information you need and that you still come across as the polished and poised person that you are.

I’m expecting my first child in just a matter of weeks, and while I’m basking in the midst of baby showers and nursery color schemes, there are some much more serious issues that we will need to tackle as we move beyond her birth. Of course there’s health insurance for her, life insurance for us, and a will, but a little planning now will also help us afford things like child care and college. Fortunately, Uncle Sam has put a few programs in place that allow parents to save for these major expenditures . . . and provide a nice tax break to boot!

When you’re wading through the job market, asking a friend or colleague to make a personal referral on your behalf requires delicate handling if you want to make a good impression and increase your chances of landing an interview. Likewise, if you’re on the receiving end of such a request, you will want to consider a number of things before agreeing to pass along that résumé. Before you click the Forward button, follow these six tips to gracefully navigate a job referral.

Whether you’re unemployed or supported by a regular paycheck, job hunting and blindly sending out résumés can be a tiring and frustrating experience. So when the career gods smile in your direction and provide your dream position at a company where you know an employee, it can feel as though your professional traffic jam just opened onto the six-lane new-job freeway. But before you fire off that “Will you refer me?” email, consider some of these important factors that can make or break your chances at an interview.

We’ve all been there: a co-worker announces her pregnancy at work, and suddenly there are so many questions we want to ask. How far along is she? How is she feeling? Was is hard keeping it a secret until now? Isn’t she just thrilled? Many expecting women are happy to talk to friends and colleagues about the excitement of this time in her life. But some women are more guarded about the topics of pregnancy and childbirth and may be uncomfortable discussing them at the office. Here are 10 questions you should think twice about asking your pregnant co-worker.

Though here in the US you wouldn’t associate foundation and eyebrow pencils with workforce masculinity, a growing trend in Asia says otherwise. In South Korea, the days of cosmetics belonging merely to newscasters and drag queens are a thing of the past, and businessmen are getting in on the beautifying action. South Korean men are expected to fork over $885 million for makeup this year, driven by the notion that “appearance is power.” Guys feel that they will snag jobs in a competitive market and find greater career success if they put their best face forward, a notion with which women are already all too familiar. But while this changing perception of masculinity may be the new foundation of gender standards in Asia, is it likely to cross the Pacific?