Just came across something interesting - this old economic cycle theory from the 1800s that's been making rounds in trading communities lately. A guy named Samuel Benner, an American farmer back in the 19th century, basically mapped out periods when to make money by analyzing historical market patterns. Wild part is how specific he got with it.

So the theory breaks down into three main cycles. First, there are the panic years - the crash periods where financial crises hit. Benner predicted these would repeat roughly every 16-18 years. Think 1927, 1945, 1965, 1981, 1999, 2019, and so on. The advice here is simple: don't touch your portfolio during these years if you can help it.

Then you've got the prosperity years - the boom times when prices peak and it's the ideal window to sell. These show up more frequently, roughly every 9-11 years. Years like 1926, 1945, 1962, 1980, 1998, 2007, 2016, 2026... yeah, we're supposedly in one right now according to his framework. That's when you're supposed to unload your positions and lock in profits.

The third pattern is what gets traders excited though - the buying years. Every 7-10 years you get periods of low prices and economic contraction. 1924, 1931, 1942, 1958, 1978, 1995, 2006, 2011, 2023... these are the times Benner said you should be accumulating assets cheap and holding until the next boom cycle.

What's interesting is how the cycles overlap. You buy in the hard times, hold through the good years when you're supposed to sell, then brace for the panic. The practical play according to this framework is almost mechanical - accumulate when prices are down, distribute when they're up, and stay cautious when crashes are predicted.

Now here's where it gets spicy for anyone looking at periods when to make money in the next few years. We're in 2026, which Benner marked as a peak year. Then 2035 shows up in both the panic list and the prosperity list - which could mean a sharp reversal right after a peak, basically a trap for late buyers.

Obviously this is a 150-year-old theory and markets have changed, but the cyclical patterns are pretty compelling if you're thinking about timing. Worth keeping this framework in mind, especially if you're trying to figure out the best periods when to make money across different market environments.