Is there anyway to set a default + - column color and apply it universally to all columns rather than doing this column by column, column set by column set?  Thanks

No, it is not possible to save default + - Column Colors for the program as a whole. About the closest thing you can do is bring up each of the Columns you want to use with different + - Column Colors and then save that WatchList Column. You will then be able to load your version of the WatchList Column with your desired + - Column Colors instead of loading the original version with the + - Column Colors you don't want. You would still need to load and save each of the WatchList Columns, but you would only need to do it once for each WatchList Column instead changing it every time you load that particular WatchList Column.