This excerpt is from the brookings.edu website. The USPS employs more than 600,000 people and manages more than 31,000 retail post offices (six times as many outlets as Walmart). It handles 44% of all the world’s mail. And, it has been operating at a loss since 2007, largely driven by declining mail volume and the shift towards digital communication. First-class mail, marketing mail, and periodicals—which together account for more than half of the USPS revenue—have seen significant declines over the past 15 years. First-class mail, a product over which USPS has exclusive delivery rights, has declined by 50%, from 91.7 billion pieces in 2008 to 46.2 billion pieces in 2023. Periodicals have fared even worse, with volume shrinking so much that the cost of processing and delivering them far exceeds the revenue that they generate for the USPS. While not explicitly defined, the Postal Service’s universal service obligation (USO) is broadly outlined in multiple statutes and encompasses multiple dimensions: geographic scope, range of products, access to services and facilities, delivery frequency, affordable and uniform pricing, service quality, and security of the mail. Declining letter delivery not only reduces direct revenue but also makes each delivery less profitable. This challenge is further exacerbated by the postal service’s USO in the context of an increasing number of delivery points—on average, 1.16 million new delivery points have been added every year since 2008. As USPS is required to expand its delivery network to accommodate the growing population, it must serve more addresses while handling fewer pieces of mail—placing an even greater strain on its financial sustainability. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/return-to-sender-what-privatization-might-mean-for-the-future-of-the-usps/
I started rereading "Enough" this morning... didn't plan it; just couldn't put it down. I'm glad you mentioned Mike Piper's book. It sounds like the ideal companion book to read next. Now, my curiosity is piqued - what books are on your annual reread list?
The anecdote is in the Introduction for John Bogle's book "Enough". "At a party given by a billionaire on Shelter Island, Kurt Vonnegut informs his pal, Joseph Heller, that their host, a hedge fund manager, had made more money in a single day than Heller had earned from his wildly popular novel Catch-22 over its whole history. Heller responds,“Yes, but I have something he will never have . . . enough.” "Enough. I was stunned by the simple eloquence of that word—stunned for two reasons: first, because I have been given so much in my own life and, second, because Joseph Heller couldn’t have been more accurate. For a critical element of our society, including many of the wealthiest and most powerful among us, there seems to be no limit today on what enough entails."
Great article - I saved a copy for my next laptop purchase. Question: I'll be scanning old photographs, doing corrections in Photoshop, and then adding them to a photobook...or printing & framing. Most photographs probably don't have a lot of detail so 600 dpi is good, but some of the older photographs have great detail. Is the Epson Scanner V600 a good flatbed scanner for high quality digital images? (My old epson scanner finally died, so I'm in the market for a new one.)
I checked with TurboTax this morning to see if they have a schedule of updates, especially those that include the 2025 OBBBA tax changes (One Big Beautiful Bill Act). Unfortunately, they didn't have a schedule. Last year, some key schedules were not available until January. I generally use the 'what if' form in TurboTax, but this year, there are enough tax changes that I switched to Excel1040 for estimating my 2025 taxes, including a Roth conversion. The Excel1040 includes the 2025 OBBBA tax changes. Be sure to scroll down to find the 2025 version.Federal Income Tax Spreadsheet Form 1040 (Excel Spreadsheet) Income Tax Calculator - Download
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Fidelity Visa reimburses up to $100 of TSA PreCheck application fees. The benefit is available once every four years.
They have a proactive commitment to lifelong learning and continually raise the bar. They demonstrate a natural curiosity and eagerness to learn.
They view setbacks not as failures but as opportunities to learn and grow, using each experience as a stepping stone toward success.
Comments
I'd also be in favor of 4 or 5 day deliveries per week.
Post: The future of mail and how it affects finances
Link to comment from January 5, 2026
This excerpt is from the brookings.edu website. The USPS employs more than 600,000 people and manages more than 31,000 retail post offices (six times as many outlets as Walmart). It handles 44% of all the world’s mail. And, it has been operating at a loss since 2007, largely driven by declining mail volume and the shift towards digital communication. First-class mail, marketing mail, and periodicals—which together account for more than half of the USPS revenue—have seen significant declines over the past 15 years. First-class mail, a product over which USPS has exclusive delivery rights, has declined by 50%, from 91.7 billion pieces in 2008 to 46.2 billion pieces in 2023. Periodicals have fared even worse, with volume shrinking so much that the cost of processing and delivering them far exceeds the revenue that they generate for the USPS. While not explicitly defined, the Postal Service’s universal service obligation (USO) is broadly outlined in multiple statutes and encompasses multiple dimensions: geographic scope, range of products, access to services and facilities, delivery frequency, affordable and uniform pricing, service quality, and security of the mail. Declining letter delivery not only reduces direct revenue but also makes each delivery less profitable. This challenge is further exacerbated by the postal service’s USO in the context of an increasing number of delivery points—on average, 1.16 million new delivery points have been added every year since 2008. As USPS is required to expand its delivery network to accommodate the growing population, it must serve more addresses while handling fewer pieces of mail—placing an even greater strain on its financial sustainability. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/return-to-sender-what-privatization-might-mean-for-the-future-of-the-usps/
Post: The future of mail and how it affects finances
Link to comment from January 4, 2026
Much appreciated!
Post: Enough Already
Link to comment from December 12, 2025
I started rereading "Enough" this morning... didn't plan it; just couldn't put it down. I'm glad you mentioned Mike Piper's book. It sounds like the ideal companion book to read next. Now, my curiosity is piqued - what books are on your annual reread list?
Post: Enough Already
Link to comment from December 11, 2025
The anecdote is in the Introduction for John Bogle's book "Enough". "At a party given by a billionaire on Shelter Island, Kurt Vonnegut informs his pal, Joseph Heller, that their host, a hedge fund manager, had made more money in a single day than Heller had earned from his wildly popular novel Catch-22 over its whole history. Heller responds,“Yes, but I have something he will never have . . . enough.” "Enough. I was stunned by the simple eloquence of that word—stunned for two reasons: first, because I have been given so much in my own life and, second, because Joseph Heller couldn’t have been more accurate. For a critical element of our society, including many of the wealthiest and most powerful among us, there seems to be no limit today on what enough entails."
Post: Enough Already
Link to comment from December 11, 2025
Great article - I saved a copy for my next laptop purchase. Question: I'll be scanning old photographs, doing corrections in Photoshop, and then adding them to a photobook...or printing & framing. Most photographs probably don't have a lot of detail so 600 dpi is good, but some of the older photographs have great detail. Is the Epson Scanner V600 a good flatbed scanner for high quality digital images? (My old epson scanner finally died, so I'm in the market for a new one.)
Post: How to buy a laptop computer in an AI world
Link to comment from December 3, 2025
Thanks for such a complete list. Very timely, as we are in the process of updating our Letter.
Post: The Letter
Link to comment from November 4, 2025
I checked with TurboTax this morning to see if they have a schedule of updates, especially those that include the 2025 OBBBA tax changes (One Big Beautiful Bill Act). Unfortunately, they didn't have a schedule. Last year, some key schedules were not available until January. I generally use the 'what if' form in TurboTax, but this year, there are enough tax changes that I switched to Excel1040 for estimating my 2025 taxes, including a Roth conversion. The Excel1040 includes the 2025 OBBBA tax changes. Be sure to scroll down to find the 2025 version. Federal Income Tax Spreadsheet Form 1040 (Excel Spreadsheet) Income Tax Calculator - Download
Post: Heads-up for TurboTax Desktop Users (& 2025 Tax Planning)
Link to comment from October 29, 2025
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Fidelity Visa reimburses up to $100 of TSA PreCheck application fees. The benefit is available once every four years.
Post: What is your credit card rewards strategy?
Link to comment from October 8, 2025
They have a proactive commitment to lifelong learning and continually raise the bar. They demonstrate a natural curiosity and eagerness to learn. They view setbacks not as failures but as opportunities to learn and grow, using each experience as a stepping stone toward success.
Post: Traits of “successful” people
Link to comment from September 28, 2025