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.

JPMorgan Developed Intl Value A (JFEAX Quick QuoteJFEAX - Free Report) : 0.99% expense ratio and 0.55% management fee. JFEAX is a Non US - Equity option, focusing their investments acoss emerging and developed markets, and can often extend across cap levels too. JFEAX has achieved five-year annual returns of an astounding 17.9%.

Putnam Focused Equity R6 (PGWTX): 0.71% expense ratio and 0.6% management fee. PGWTX is a Global - Equity mutual fund investing in bigger markets like the U.S., Europe, and Japan; these kinds of funds aren't limited by geography. With yearly returns of 15.9% over the last five years, PGWTX is an effectively diversified fund with a long reputation of solidly positive performance.

Tarkio Fund (TARKX): 1% expense ratio and 0.75% management fee. TARKX is a Mid Cap Growth mutual fund. These funds aim to target companies with a market capitalization between $2 billion and $10 billion that are also expected to exhibit more extensive growth opportunities for investors than their peers. The fund is mainly invested in equities, has a long reputation of salutary performance, and has yearly returns of 11.98% over the last five years.

We hope that your investment advisor (if you use one) has you invested in one or all of the top-ranked mutual funds we've reviewed. But if that isn't the case, it might be time to have a conversation or reconsider this vitally important relationship.