It is never too late to invest in mutual funds for retirement. As such, if you plan to invest in some of the best funds, the Zacks Mutual Fund Rank can provide you with valuable guidance.

The easiest way to judge a mutual fund's quality over time is by analyzing its performance, diversification, and fees. Using the Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of over 19,000 mutual funds, we've identified three outstanding mutual funds that are ideally suited to help long-term investors pursue and achieve their retirement investing goals.

Here are the funds that have achieved the Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and have low fees.

BNY Mellon Natural Resources I (DLDRX Quick QuoteDLDRX - Free Report) : 0.91% expense ratio and 0.75% management fee. DLDRX is a Sector - Energy mutual fund, which encompasses a wide range of vastly changing and vitally important industries throughout this massive global sector. With annual returns of 15.46% over the last five years, this fund is a winner.

Oak Ridge Dividend Growth I (ORDNX Quick QuoteORDNX - Free Report) : 0.99% expense ratio and 0.75% management fee. ORDNX is a Large Cap Blend fund, targeting companies with market caps of over $10 billion. These funds offer investors a stability, and are perfect for people with a "buy and hold" mindset. ORDNX, with annual returns of 10.19% over the last five years, is a well-diversified fund with a long track record of success.

Principal Blue Chip Fund I (PBCKX Quick QuotePBCKX - Free Report) . Expense ratio: 0.65%. Management fee: 0.59%. Five year annual return: 11.39%. PBCKX is a part of the Large Cap Growth mutual fund category, which invest in many large U.S. companies that are expected to grow much faster compared to other large-cap stocks.

There you have it. If your financial advisor had you put your money into any of our top-ranked funds, then they've got you covered. If not, you may need to talk.