Just came across something interesting about periods when to make money that's been circulating in market circles – it's based on Samuel Benner's economic cycle theory from way back in 1875. The guy was actually onto something about how markets move in predictable patterns.

So basically, he divided the financial calendar into three distinct phases, and understanding these periods when to make money could fundamentally change how you approach trading and investing. The first phase is what he called panic years – roughly every 18 to 20 years, markets experience major shocks and collapses. We've seen this play out in 1927, 1945, 1965, 1981, 1999, 2019, and if the pattern holds, 2035 and 2053 should be years to watch closely. During these periods when to make money actually means being extremely cautious – it's about preservation, not aggression. Most people get liquidated in panic years because they panic sell. The real move is sitting tight.

Then there are the boom years, and honestly, this is where everyone wants to be. Markets are roaring, prices climbing, recovery in full swing. These are your profit-taking windows. The historical data shows years like 1928, 1943, 1953, 1960, 1968, 1980, 1989, 1996, 2000, 2007, 2016, 2020, and interestingly, 2026 is flagged as a boom year in this cycle. When you hit these periods when to make money, the strategy is straightforward – you sell your positions at elevated prices and lock in gains.

The third category is the recession and decline years, which honestly might be the most underrated periods when to make money for long-term players. This is when prices crater, assets trade at discounts, and most retail investors are completely demoralized. Years like 1924, 1931, 1942, 1951, 1958, 1969, 1978, 1985, 1996, 2005, 2012, 2023, 2032, 2040, 2050, 2059 – these are your buying opportunities if you have the stomach for it. Buy when blood is in the streets, hold through the recovery, sell into the boom.

The framework is elegant in its simplicity: accumulate during recessions when everything's cheap, hold through the panic years without getting shaken out, then distribute into the boom years when sentiment is euphoric and prices are extended. It's not a foolproof system – markets are influenced by geopolitics, technological shifts, policy changes, and countless unpredictable variables. But as a long-term lens for understanding market cycles and periods when to make money, Benner's model has held up surprisingly well across centuries.

The key is discipline and patience. Most traders fail because they do the opposite – they buy high in booms and sell low in panics. If you can flip that script and actually follow a cyclical approach to periods when to make money, you're already ahead of 90% of the market.