A common problem for the small investor is building up enough capital to make investments in a particular stock that might be appealing. So what exactly can you do if you only have enough money to buy a dozen shares or so of a stock?

Money Magazine has a short article on this issue, concluding in the end that it’s better just to stick to a mutual fund rather than shoot for a few shares in an individual stock.

We’ve talked a bit about buying index funds, and this might be just the option for a small investor looking to get his or her feet wet.