Scott Downing is a Research Analyst with BigTrends.com. Scott's columns are published in the Daily TrendWatch and Market Commentary. He also manages the SMARToptions Portfolio service and is working on a FOREX service. Scott joined BigTrends in 2008 adding new trading products to the existing BigTrends lineup.

Prior to joining BigTrends, Scott was a Retirement Services Specialist with The Vanguard Group in suburban Philadelphia, PA. Scott served High Net-Worth clients, specializing in retirement plan asset allocation. He also assisted clients in other matters of personal finance such as 529 plans, non-qualified plans and brokerage accounts. Scott holds the FINRA Series 6 and 63 licenses. Scott graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration.

Scott is focused on the Foreign Exchange and options markets due to the leverage and liquidity offered there. He also uses Foreign Exchange as a hedge against inflation and the stock markets. He incorporates technical and fundamental analysis into his research, allowing him to find the trends while still understanding the "bigger picture". His trading systems focus on consistent growth while reducing risk.