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, most reliable way to judge a mutual fund's quality over time is by analyzing its performance, diversification, and fees. The Zacks Mutual Fund Rank, which covers over 19,000 mutual funds, has helped us identify three outstanding options that are perfect for any long-term investors' portfolios that is retirement-focused.

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

Vanguard Strategic Equity Fund (VSEQX Quick QuoteVSEQX - Free Report) has a 0.17% expense ratio and 0.16% management fee. VSEQX is a Mid Cap Blend mutual fund, and usually features a portfolio with stocks of various styles and sizes, allowing for diversification within a strategy that focuses on mid cap companies. With yearly returns of 11.54% over the last five years, this fund clearly wins.

Fidelity Advisor New Insights C (FNICX Quick QuoteFNICX - Free Report) . Expense ratio: 1.45%. Management fee: 0.42%. FNICX 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. This fund has managed to produce a robust 14.1% over the last five years.

JPMorgan Large Cap Value Fund R5 (JLVRX Quick QuoteJLVRX - Free Report) : 0.54% expense ratio and 0.4% management fee. JLVRX is a Large Cap Value mutual fund, which invests in stocks with a market cap of $10 billion of more, but whose share prices do not reflect their intrinsic value. The fund is mainly invested in equities, has a long reputation of salutary performance, and has yearly returns of 12.53% over the last 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.