A Job Well Done – A Conversation with Greg Valliere
Author: The editor's desk
February 23, 2026
Greg Valliere, AGF’s Chief U.S. Policy Strategist, is set to retire at the end of February, but his trusted insight into how U.S. politics shapes global markets won’t soon be forgotten. In tribute to an impressive career spanning more than five decades, David Pett, editor of AGF Perspectives, recently sat down with Greg to reflect on a job well done.
On behalf of AGF and our clients, congratulations on your retirement. How does it feel to be entering a new, exciting stage in your life?
It’s a mixed blessing. I love what I do. I still read the newspaper voraciously and watch the news and, if someone asks me to write a piece, I’ll consider it. I’m not going to go completely underground. At the same time, I’m looking forward to sleeping in. I’ve been getting up at around 2:30 a.m. in the morning for years and now I’ll be like a normal human being and get up around 6 or 6:30 a.m.
Beyond catching more Zs, any other big plans?
My wife and I love to travel and have a trip to Provence, France, planned for the spring, but the bigger plan is moving to Santa Barbara, California. We spend quite a bit of time out there now, but it’ll be nice to be near the Pacific Ocean more regularly.
That’s a long way from your hometown of Concord, New Hampshire. Did you know growing up that you would end up having a career writing about politics and investing?
I had a paper route in junior high school and became addicted to print and television news around the time of the JFK assassination, which I still recall like it was yesterday. Learning about what was going on in the world had a magnetic pull, and I couldn’t get enough of it. But it wasn’t until a few years out of journalism school that politics and investing became my beat, so to speak. My first job out of college was covering the health industry, but then a few of my friends and I decided to start up a publication of our own that focused on Washington, D.C., from the perspective of investors. I remember working long hours, but we loved what we did and never cared too much about the ‘overtime’ that was required. Eventually, I moved on from that job, but it set the foundation for what would become the focus of my career.
How did you end up at AGF Investments as our Chief U.S. Policy Strategist?
I had the pleasure of meeting the late great Kevin McCreadie when he was president and CIO at PNC Capital Advisors in Baltimore. We became fast friends, largely because he enjoyed what he did as much as I did and we shared a mutual curiosity and love for politics and markets. So, it was an easy decision when he asked me to join the AGF team after he became its CIO in 2014 and then CEO a few years later. In hindsight, it may have been the best of my career moves. In the 55 years that I’ve been doing this, I can say without hesitation that AGF is the greatest firm that I’ve ever worked for.
Capitol Insights, your daily analysis of what’s happening in Washington D.C., has been the backbone of your work since joining AGF in 2019. In today’s never-stop news cycle, how do you decide what to write about day in and day out?
I spend a couple hours every morning reading as much news as I can, but I also rely on information that I get from people working on Capitol Hill. Some of my best and most trusted sources are lobbyists and journalists. The good ones tend to be plugged into what is going on and may have a slightly different take than what’s being widely reported in the headlines. Ultimately, I ask myself, ‘What would the clients like to know and what isn’t obviously known by them.’ I don’t want to just echo what everyone else is saying.
I’m struck by your unique writing style. You get straight to the point, with some edge. Is that something you intentionally crafted over time?
It’s important to always be honing your craft, no matter what career path you choose, but I’ve long wanted my writing to be provocative. And there’s nothing worse than a long-winded piece that doesn’t say anything of importance. One of my big complaints is that people aren’t concise or quick enough to make their point. It’s important to me that I don’t drag things out.
Beyond writing, you’ve done your fair share of television punditry over the years, but you’ve also spent a great deal of time crisscrossing the U.S. and Canada to personally meet with clients and tell them what you know. Was there a particular aspect of your role with AGF that you preferred most?
I’m a writer at heart, but I really enjoy television. It was great fun. And meeting with clients was incredibly rewarding. Leaving a group of advisors after giving them a briefing on what’s going on in Washington always gave me the feeling that I was equipping them with a bit more knowledge to do their job well.
You’ve certainly left a mark on those that have been privileged to know you, whether through your written insights, on TV or in person. We wish you all the best and thank you for all that you have done to make us wiser about the world and the impact politics can have on our investment decisions.
That’s very kind of you to say. I’ve always believed in treating others the way I want to be treated and feel blessed that I got to know so many great people during my career.
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of AGF, its subsidiaries or any of its affiliated companies, funds, or investment strategies.
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