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.

Let's break down some of the mutual funds with the top Zacks Mutual Fund Rank and the lowest fees.

JPMorgan Growth Advantage A (VHIAX Quick QuoteVHIAX - Free Report) : 1.04% expense ratio and 0.55% management fee. VHIAX 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. VHIAX has achieved five-year annual returns of an astounding 12.37%.

Red Oak Technology Select (ROGSX Quick QuoteROGSX - Free Report) is a stand out amongst its peers. ROGSX is a Sector - Tech mutual fund, allowing investors to own a stake in a notoriously volatile sector with a much more diversified approach. With five-year annualized performance of 10.31%, expense ratio of 0.94% and management fee of 0.74%, this diversified fund is an attractive buy with a strong history of performance.

Fidelity Trend Fund (FTRNX Quick QuoteFTRNX - Free Report) . Expense ratio: 0.55%. Management fee: 0.41%. Five year annual return: 11.07%. FTRNX is a Global - Equity mutual fund investing in bigger markets like the U.S., Europe, and Japan; these kinds of funds aren't limited by geography.

These examples highlight the fact that there are some astonishingly good mutual funds out there. If your advisor has you in the good ones, bravo! If not, you may need to have a talk.