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 learn about some of Zacks' highest ranked mutual funds with low fees you may want to consider.

Brandes International Small Cap Equity I (BISMX Quick QuoteBISMX - Free Report) : 1.1% expense ratio and 0.95% management fee. BISMX is a Non US - Equity option, focusing their investments acoss emerging and developed markets, and can often extend across cap levels too. With annual returns of 25.88% over the last five years, this fund is a winner.

Oakmark Advisor (OAYMX): 0.7% expense ratio and 0.6% management fee. OAYMX is an All Cap Value mutual fund, which invests in small, medium, and large-cap companies, though they end up focusing on bigger firms due to percentage of assets. OAYMX, with annual returns of 18.42% over the last five years, is a well-diversified fund with a long track record of success.

American Funds Growth Portfolio R4 (RGWEX): 0.34% expense ratio and 0% management fee. RGWEX 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. The fund is mainly invested in equities, has a long reputation of salutary performance, and has yearly returns of 11.32% 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.