Just came across something interesting about market timing that's been around for over 150 years. There's this old theory from Samuel Benner back in 1875 where he mapped out economic cycles trying to predict when financial markets would boom, crash, or stabilize. Sounds like the kind of pattern people have been obsessing over since forever.

So basically the theory breaks down market periods into three distinct types. First, you've got the panic years - these are the rough ones where financial crises hit and markets collapse. We're talking 1927, 1945, 1965, 1981, 1999, 2019, and so on, roughly every 18 to 20 years. During these periods you want to be super careful and definitely not panic sell everything. Just hold tight and wait it out.

Then there are the boom years where prices are recovering hard and everything's rising. This is when people make money by selling assets and taking profits. Historical examples include 1928, 1935, 1943, 1953, 1960, 1968, 1973, 1980, 1989, 1996, 2000, 2007, 2016, 2020, and more recently 2026. These are your windows to exit positions at higher prices.

The third type is recession periods when prices are depressed and the economy's struggling. This is actually when you should be accumulating - buying stocks, land, commodities, whatever. Hold them until the boom periods arrive and then sell high. Years like 1924, 1931, 1942, 1951, 1958, 1969, 1978, 1985, 1996, 2005, 2012, 2023, 2032, and beyond fit this pattern.

The practical takeaway is pretty straightforward: buy when times are hard and prices are down, then sell when the good years come around and prices spike. Skip selling during panic years and just survive them. It's like a period-based strategy for when to make money - buy low in recessions, sell high in booms, and don't get caught off guard in crashes.

Obviously this isn't gospel. Markets don't move in perfect cycles anymore with all the complexity we have now - geopolitics, technological disruption, policy changes, wars, and everything else that can throw things off. But as a long-term framework for thinking about market periods and timing, it's worth keeping in mind. Definitely not a rule set in stone, but it gives you perspective on how markets have historically moved in waves.