There is never a wrong time to invest in mutual funds for retirement. So, if you're still looking for the best mutual funds, the Zacks Mutual Fund Rank can be a great guide.

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.

Vanguard US Growth Admiral (VWUAX): 0.23% expense ratio and 0.22% management fee. VWUAX 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. VWUAX has achieved five-year annual returns of an astounding 13.24%.

FPA Crescent Institutional (FPACX). Expense ratio: 1.06%. Management fee: 1%. FPACX is classified as an Allocation Balanced fund, which seeks to invest in a balance of asset types, like stocks, bonds, and cash, and including precious metals or commodities is not unusual. This fund has managed to produce a robust 14.18% over the last five years.

Columbia Small Cap Value I Class R5 (CUURX Quick QuoteCUURX - Free Report) : 0.87% expense ratio and 0.8% management fee. CUURX is a Small Cap Value mutual fund option, which typically invest in companies with market caps under $2 billion. The fund is mainly invested in equities, has a long reputation of salutary performance, and has yearly returns of 17.15% 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.