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.

Brown Advisory Sustainable Growth Investor (BIAWX Quick QuoteBIAWX - Free Report) : 0.78% expense ratio and 0.53% management fee. BIAWX is a Large Cap Growth mutual fund, and these funds invest in many large U.S. firms that are projected to grow at a faster rate than their large-cap peers. BIAWX has achieved five-year annual returns of an astounding 12.45%.

Victory Sycamore Established Value I (VEVIX Quick QuoteVEVIX - Free Report) . Expense ratio: 0.58%. Management fee: 0.45%. VEVIX is a Mid Cap Value mutual funds that aims to target medium-sized companies that possess strong value and income opportunities for investors. This fund has managed to produce a robust 11.09% over the last five years.

Victory Sycamore Established Value I (VEVIX Quick QuoteVEVIX - Free Report) : 0.58% expense ratio and 0.45% management fee. VEVIX is a Mid Cap Value mutual funds that aims to target medium-sized companies that possess strong value and income opportunities for investors. The fund is mainly invested in equities, has a long reputation of salutary performance, and has yearly returns of 11.09% over the last five years.

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.