They're broke, getting increasingly obsolete, and now they're upping their prices: The U.S. Postal Service will raise postage prices in the new year. As of January, 22, 2012, the cost of a first-class stamp will go up a penny to 45 cents. Other postage rates will jump up, too. more ›

Nerdy, sure. But also tremendously costly. A contributing factor to the U.S. Postal Service's budget vortex, "an estimated $134.4 million dollars of its annual revenue is quietly slipping away to counterfeiters and perpetrators of other types of postal fraud," reports FOX LA. more ›

Starting today it's going to cost you more to snail mail your letters, cards, postcards and bills, KTLA.com reminds mailers. Today "the price of a first-class stamp will increase two cents to 44-cents. Forever stamps can still be used without an additional 2-cent stamp, regardless of when they were purchased." Other changes include a bump of postcard stamps from "1 cent to 28 cents, the first ounce of a large envelope will increase 5 cents to 88 cents and the first ounce of a parcel will increase 5 cents to $1.22." The rate increases are meant to help the Post Office cope with rising operational costs, and "are in line with the amount of inflation," according to Postmaster General John Potter. more ›