Just came across an old theory that's been circulating in trading circles – Samuel Benner's economic cycle framework from way back in 1875. Dude was basically trying to map out when markets would panic, boom, or crash. Pretty wild that people still reference this.

So the theory breaks down into three distinct market phases, and understanding these periods when to make money is supposedly the key to better timing. First, there are the panic years – roughly every 18 to 20 years, markets just implode. Think 1927, 1945, 1965, 1981, 1999, 2019. The advice here is to stay defensive, don't panic sell, just weather the storm. We're actually looking at 2035 and 2053 down the line if this pattern holds.

Then you've got the boom years where everything recovers and shoots up. These are your windows to actually take profits – 1928, 1943, 1960, 1973, 1989, 2000, 2007, 2016, 2020. Interesting thing is 2026 shows up on this list, which is literally right now. If the cycle holds, we might be in one of those periods when to make money by selling strength. The pattern suggests 2034, 2043, 2054 will follow the same pattern.

But here's where it gets interesting – the recession years. 1924, 1931, 1942, 1951, 1958, 1969, 1978, 1985, 1996, 2005, 2012, 2023. These are when prices tank and the economy stalls. According to Benner's logic, these are actually your buying opportunities. Accumulate when everyone's pessimistic, hold through the boom phase, then unload. 2032, 2040, 2050, 2059 are predicted to follow this pattern.

The core strategy is simple in theory – buy the dips during recessions when assets are cheap, ride it through the boom years, then sell into strength before the panic hits. Avoid getting shaken out during crisis periods.

Obviously, this is a historical framework based on cyclical patterns, not gospel. Real markets get whipped around by politics, wars, tech breakthroughs, policy shifts – way more variables than just a calendar. But as a long-term lens for understanding market psychology and timing? It's worth keeping in your back pocket. The theory shows how periods when to make money aren't random – there's rhythm to markets if you zoom out far enough.