Another advantage to using funds is that you won't need to spend a lot of time monitoring your investment. It's common for professionals to study five or ten companies before they find one they like enough to buy. That's too much research time for most individuals. You can monitor a portfolio of mutual funds in an hour or two a month. The funds also do a nice job of reinvesting your dividends.
Many common stocks pay a quarterly dividend.
It's easy for that money to 'disappear' into unplanned spending. The funds will allow you to have that money automatically reinvested. It's convenient and a great way to build your nest egg. A final advantage is that you'll delay your tax liability. Remember, if you sell a stock for a profit, you'll pay taxes on the gain.