Postal Rate Hike

Starting Sunday, the price of mailing a first-class letter will go up 2 cents from the present rate, to 39 cents. While the increase takes effect Sunday, letters and packages put in mailboxes that day will still be handled at the old rate. We can expect to pay an average of 5.4% more to mail letters and packages, according to the U.S. Postal Service. The cost of services such as delivery confirmation and signature receipts also are increasing.

According to USPS, the postal service receives no taxpayer dollars for routine operations, but derives its operating revenues solely from the sale of postage, products and services. It has annual revenues of more than $69 billion. It's been three and half years since the last increase in postal prices. The change is motivated not by a corresponding jump in operational costs, but rather as the result of a federal mandate requiring the postal service hold a certain amount of money in an escrow savings account.

According to USPS, most local post offices are now stocked with new 39-cent stamp books, as well as 2c pnes for those with unused 37 cent stamps. People have a variety of options for getting 2c stamps. They can go online to www.USPS.com or call (800) STAMP24 or visit any post office in their area.