Just came across this fascinating historical chart from Samuel Benner dating back to 1875 – the guy was basically trying to map out financial market cycles way before modern trading. What caught my eye is how he broke down periods when to make money into three distinct phases, and honestly, the pattern is pretty interesting to think about.

So here's the framework: Benner identified "panic years" – those brutal stretches where financial crises hit and markets collapse. We're talking 1927, 1945, 1965, 1981, 1999, 2019, and he predicted 2035, 2053 next. The pattern repeats roughly every 18-20 years. During these periods, the advice is straightforward – don't panic sell. Just hold tight and wait it out.

Then you've got the boom years, which are basically the golden opportunities. These are when prices surge and markets recover hard. Think 1928, 1935, 1943, all the way through to more recent ones like 2007, 2016, 2020. Interestingly, 2026 shows up on his boom year list – and we're literally in that window right now. These are the periods when to make money by selling and taking profits. The strategy here is clear: when assets are pumping, that's when you move.

The third phase is the recession and decline years – 1924, 1931, 1942, and so on. Benner marked 2023 as one of these hard times, which honestly tracks with what we saw. These are the buying opportunities. Prices are depressed, economies are struggling, and if you've got capital, this is when you accumulate before the next boom cycle kicks in.

The whole thesis boils down to this: buy when things are cheap and everyone's scared, hold through the panic years, then sell when the boom hits and euphoria returns. It's a long-term cyclical view that's been playing out for centuries.

Now, important caveat – this isn't gospel. Markets get shaped by politics, wars, tech breakthroughs, unexpected economic shocks. But as a macro framework for thinking about periods when to make money? It's worth keeping in your mental model. Benner's work shows that if you zoom out far enough, there's actually some rhythm to the chaos.