There is never a wrong time to invest in mutual funds for retirement. So, if you're still looking for the best mutual funds, the Zacks Mutual Fund Rank can be a great guide.

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.

Fidelity Advisor Diversified Stock O (FDESX Quick QuoteFDESX - Free Report) has a 0.45% expense ratio and 0.4% management fee. FDESX 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. With yearly returns of 10.92% over the last five years, this fund clearly wins.

Hood River Small Cap Growth Institutional (HRSMX Quick QuoteHRSMX - Free Report) : 1.08% expense ratio and 0.9% management fee. HRSMX is one of many Small Cap Growth mutual funds; these funds tend to create their portfolios around stocks with market capitalization of less than $2 billion. With yearly returns of 11.45% over the last five years, HRSMX is an effectively diversified fund with a long reputation of solidly positive performance.

Loomis Sayles Growth Fund Y (LSGRX Quick QuoteLSGRX - Free Report) is an attractive large-cap allocation. LSGRX is a Large Cap Growth option; these mutual funds purchase stakes in numerous large U.S. companies that are expected to develop and grow at a faster rate than other large-cap stocks. LSGRX has an expense ratio of 0.65%, management fee of 0.5%, and annual returns of 12.22% over the past five years.

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.