Investing in mutual funds for retirement is never too late. And the Zacks Mutual Fund Rank can be an excellent tool for investors looking to invest in the best funds.

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.

Tortoise MLP & Pipeline Fund Institutional (TORIX Quick QuoteTORIX - Free Report) : 0.93% expense ratio and 0.85% management fee. TORIX is classified as a Sector - Energy mutual fund. Throughout the massive global energy sector, these funds hold a wide range of quickly changing and vitally important industries. With annual returns of 10.38% over the last five years, this fund is a winner.

AIC TS&W Equity Portfolio Institutional (TSWEX Quick QuoteTSWEX - Free Report) is a stand out amongst its peers. TSWEX is a Large Cap Value fund. These funds invest in stocks with a market cap of $10 billion of more, but whose share prices do not reflect their intrinsic value. With five-year annualized performance of 11.82%, expense ratio of 0.73% and management fee of 0.58%, this diversified fund is an attractive buy with a strong history of performance.

Neuberger Berman Genesis Institutional (NBGIX Quick QuoteNBGIX - Free Report) . Expense ratio: 0.84%. Management fee: 0.81%. Five year annual return: 12.43%. NBGIX is a Small Cap Value fund, and these funds are known for investing in companies with market caps under $2 billion.

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.