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.

How can you tell a good mutual fund from a bad one? It's pretty basic: if the fund is diversified, has low fees, and shows strong performance, it's a keeper. Of course, there's a wide range, but using the Zacks Mutual Fund Rank, we've found three mutual funds that would be great additions to any long-term investors' portfolios.

Here are the funds that have achieved the Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and have low fees.

American Funds Fundamentl Invs R2E (RFEBX) has a 1.07% expense ratio and 0.24% management fee. RFEBX is part of the Large Cap Blend section, and these mutual funds most often invest in firms with a market capitalization of $10 billion or more. By investing in bigger companies, these funds offer more stability, and are often well-suited for investors with a "buy and hold" mindset. With yearly returns of 11.57% over the last five years, this fund clearly wins.

Columbia Select Large-Cap Value R (SLVRX). Expense ratio: 1.05%. Management fee: 0.67%. SLVRX is a part of the Large Cap Value category, and invests in equities with a market capitalization of $10 billion or more, but whose share prices do not reflect their intrinsic value. This fund has managed to produce a robust 10.83% over the last five years.

Pzena Emerging Markets Value Institutional (PZIEX Quick QuotePZIEX - Free Report) is an attractive large-cap allocation. PZIEX is a Non US - Equity option, focusing their investments acoss emerging and developed markets, and can often extend across cap levels too. PZIEX has an expense ratio of 1.08%, management fee of 1%, and annual returns of 10.18% over the past 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.