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 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 take a look at some of our top-ranked mutual funds with the lowest fees.

If you are looking to diversify your portfolio, consider

Hartford International Value R5

(HILTX Quick QuoteHILTX - Free Report) . HILTX is a part of the Non US - Equity fund category, many of which will focus across all cap levels, and will typically allocate their investments between emerging and developed markets. This fund is a winner, boasting an expense ratio of 0.9%, management fee of 0.77%, and a five-year annualized return track record of 17.52%.

Van Eck International Investors Gold I

(INIIX Quick QuoteINIIX - Free Report) . Expense ratio: 1%. Management fee: 0.72%. Sector - Precious Metal funds like INIIX normally invest in stocks focused on the mining and production of precious metals such as gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. This fund has managed to produce a robust 11.02% over the last five years.

Janus Henderson Global Research I

(JWWFX Quick QuoteJWWFX - Free Report) : 0.7% expense ratio and 0.59% management fee. JWWFX is a Global - Equity mutual fund, which invests their assets in large markets, leveraging the global economy. With a five-year annual return of 15.21%, this fund is a well-diversified fund with a long track record of success.

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.