Just came across this fascinating historical pattern that Samuel Benner documented way back in 1875 about economic cycles. Guy was essentially trying to map out when money could actually be made in markets, and the framework he developed is still pretty interesting to look at today.

So here's the core idea: markets move in three distinct phases, and if you understand the periods when to make money, you can actually time your moves better. First, there are the panic years – roughly every 18-20 years, markets collapse and chaos spreads. 1927, 1945, 1965, 1981, 1999, 2019 were all supposed to be rough. Next up are the boom years where everything's recovering and prices spike. That's when you should be thinking about taking profits and selling. Then you've got the recession periods – this is actually when smart money moves. Prices are depressed, assets are cheap, and it's the ideal time to load up.

What's wild is looking at this through a 2026 lens. We're supposedly in a transition zone right now, and according to Benner's pattern, we should be seeing some interesting opportunities ahead. The periods when to make money really come down to understanding which phase you're in.

The practical takeaway? Buy aggressively when everything looks grim and prices are bottomed out. Hold your position through the recovery phase. Then when you hit those boom years and markets are euphoric, that's your exit point. Skip the panic years – that's when you just sit tight and don't panic sell.

Obviously, this isn't gospel. Real markets get hit by politics, wars, tech disruptions, all kinds of stuff Benner couldn't predict. But as a macro framework for understanding long-term market rhythms and the periods when to make money, it's worth keeping in your mental toolkit. Whether it actually plays out exactly as the chart suggests is another question entirely.