US Postal Service Defaults on $5.6 Billion Retiree Benefits Payment

As predicted--government solvency related, not government shutdown related

The U.S. Postal Service has defaulted on a $5.6 billion payment for retiree health benefits that was due on Monday, just as the Postmaster General had warned it would.

"We have not made the required $5.6 billion Retiree Health Benefits prefunding payment due Sept. 30, 2013," wrote USPS spokeswomen Patricia Licata in an email to CNNMoney. She added that the default has absolutely nothing to do with the federal government shutdown. "We have been saying for several months that we will be defaulting on this payment. This is the third time we have [done so]," Licata wrote.