ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Dedicated portfolio theory

Okay kiddo, imagine you have a bunch of toys that you really love. You want to make sure that none of them get lost or broken, so you decide to put them in different boxes. You have a special box just for your dolls, another one for your cars, and another one for your stuffed animals. This way, you can keep track of each toy and make sure they are all safe.

Now, this is kind of like what dedicated portfolio theory is all about - but instead of toys, we're talking about investments. People want to make sure that their money is safe and growing, so they put it in different types of investments - like stocks, bonds, or real estate.

With dedicated portfolio theory, investors try to create a special "box" for each type of investment. They might have a box just for stocks that they think will do well over the next few years, another one for bonds that they think will be safer but less profitable, and maybe even one for real estate investments.

By separating their investments like this, investors can keep track of them and make sure they're not putting all their eggs in one basket. Plus, if one type of investment isn't doing well, they'll still have other investments that might be doing better.

So, to sum it up - dedicated portfolio theory is like sorting your toys into different boxes to keep them safe and in order. Investors do the same thing with their money, separating it into different types of investments to keep their money safe and growing.