CORPORATE scandals and the collapsing stock market have taken a toll on finances in the USA in recent weeks.

In a country where one in six have cash invested in shares, the plummeting Dow Jones has been felt far more widely than the small group of well-fed Wall Street traders.

Blue collar workers who spent years building up stock portfolios for their retirement have had nest eggs smashed.

For one group, however, it's been very good news indeed.

Divorce lawyers have reported a dramatic rise in people keen to complete settlements now they have little or nothing to give their ex-partner.