When the S&P 500 -- the proxy for U.S. blue-chip companies -- loses money over a decade-long time frame, old assumptions are questioned.

And when General Motors, AIG (NYSE:AIG), and Citigroup (NYSE:C) -- one-time giants of Corporate America and so-called “widow and orphan” stocks -- go belly-up or require Uncle Sam's assistance to stay solvent, "buy and hold" starts to feel like a quaint relic of the 20th century.

Investor summit
Over the coming days and weeks, Fool.com will be hosting a debate on whether buy-and-hold investing is truly dead. In the spirit of celebrating the motley, Fool advisors, analysts, and editors will be weighing in alongside investment legends including Vanguard founder Jack Bogle and PIMCO CEO Mohamed El-Erian.

As part of our debate, on Monday, June 15, 2009, at 12 p.m. ET, Motley Fool co-founder Tom Gardner will host an emergency online investor summit: Is Buy and Hold Dead? Admission is free, but you must register to attend.

Fool co-founder David Gardner, dividend-investing expert James Early, global investor Tim Hanson, and Motley Fool Pro lead analyst Jeff Fischer will all answer this pressing question.

The answer may surprise you. Be on hand Monday, June 15, 2009, to hear every word. Again, admission is free to Motley Fool readers. To reserve your spot, click here.

Perhaps most importantly …
Fools will be weighing in. Investment experts will be weighing in. But most importantly, we want to hear from you. Use the comments section below to let us know your thoughts!

Mark Cuban recently told us that buy and hold was long dead. "It has always been a sucker’s bet. … Buy and hold is a great marketing slogan for funds that want to take your money. Nothing more or less."

With that, let the debate begin!

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