... Mutual-fund Companieswon’t Say Holidays at the Office

of funds will inevitably lead to lower prices, but others offer a more skeptical take: A bigger roster of funds boosts the odds that at any given moment, one or two will be handily beating the market, says independent consultant Geoff Bobroff. that reverberated throughout the economy. What they may not know is that one of the first and biggest dominoes to fall was a money-market mutual fund—the Reserve Fund—whose losses led to the value of its shares falling below their $1 peg.

The government stepped in to temporarily guarantee about $2 trillion in money-market fund holdings—a move the fund industry played down. Then-Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson called it “the single most powerful and important action taken to hold the system together before Congress acted” to pass the bailout bill that October. client a note on his personal stationary thanking the client for the opportunity to work for him, citing a few examples of things he learned and recounting projects they had done together over the year.

Mr. Vichich, now co-founder and CEO of credit-card mobile app Glyph in Detroit, has kept in touch with the client, who has introduced him to other executives who’ve offered career advice.

When it comes to the office party, here’s the No. 1 rule: Remember that it’s a work function. That means limit yourself to two drinks, don’t gossip and dress appropriately, says Dale Winston, chairwoman and CEO of Battalia Winston.

Emily Teitelbaum, 23, asked a few female colleagues what they planned to wear to her company’s holiday party last year. The research manager at Los Angeles-based Murphy Research also made sure guests were invited before bringing her boyfriend.

When chatting, stick to neutral topics like vacations, restaurants, movies or books. Don’t talk about politics, sex, religion, off-color jokes, office layoffs or salary issues.

That said, an office party can be the ideal place for a younger employee to expand his or her professional network. Ask your manager or co-workers to introduce you to people in other departments. If you’re looking to meet a specific manager, for instance, find out if the person will be there and do a little homework on the person.

When you meet the person, it’s OK to mention what you do and what your future interests are, but don’t use the time as an informal job interview.

A.J. Axelrod, 26, says when he socializes at an office party, he will try to guide the conversation toward a work project and offer his skills. He also will ask a colleague about a specific strategy so he can learn from him or her. “If you’re taking up someone’s time” at a party, says the strategy consultant in New York,“it’s good to have a point.”