The U.S. Postal Service (USPS), experiencing plummeting mail volume due to the ongoing recession and increased use of online bill-paying and other transactions, just announced proposed rate changes that could increase the price of a first-class stamp by 2 cents to 46 cents, include an 8 percent rate hike for magazine publishers, and a 2 cent jump for postcards to 30 cents effective January 2011. The Postal Regulatory Commission must approve the recommended price changes.

In June, the Departments of Health and Human Services, Treasury, and Labor issued the grandfathered status rules for health plans under the recently enacted Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the "Affordable Care Act"). A grandfathered health plan is a plan that provided coverage to participants on March 23, 2010, the date the Affordable Care Act was signed into law. Grandfathered health plans enjoy special status and are exempt from a number of new requirements.