Just came across something interesting about market cycles that's been around for over 150 years. There's this historical theory from Samuel Benner back in 1875 where he tried mapping out periods when to make money in financial markets – basically dividing time into three repeating phases of boom, recession, and panic.

The way it works is pretty straightforward. You've got these panic years hitting roughly every 18-20 years (like 1927, 1945, 1965, 1981, 1999, 2019, and the next one predicted around 2035). These are the periods you really want to be careful – markets can collapse hard, so most traders just sit tight and avoid panic selling.

Then there are the boom years where prices spike and markets recover strong. These are your selling opportunities. Years like 1928, 1960, 1989, 2000, 2007, 2016, 2020 showed massive gains – perfect for taking profits and cashing out. The theory suggests 2026, 2034, and 2043 should follow similar patterns if the cycle holds.

The third piece is the recession phase – when prices tank and economies slow down. This is actually when smart investors load up. Years like 1931, 1942, 1958, 1978, 1985, 2005, 2012, and 2023 showed that buying during these periods when to make money long-term meant holding through to the next boom.

So the basic playbook: buy cheap when recession hits, hold it, then sell high during boom years. Skip selling when panic arrives – just prepare for volatility. It's a really useful framework for understanding periods when to make money across different market conditions.

Obviously this isn't gospel. Real markets get hit by wars, politics, tech disruptions, and a thousand other factors that can throw off the pattern. But as a long-term cycle to track? It's surprisingly relevant. Worth keeping in mind if you're thinking about your trading strategy across multiple market cycles.