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, 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.

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

GMO Benchmark Free III (GBFFX) has a 0.03% expense ratio and 0% management fee. GBFFX is an Allocation Balanced mutual fund. Allocation Balanced funds look to invest across asset types, like stocks, bonds, and cash, and including precious metals or commodities is not unusual; these funds are mostly categorized by their respective asset allocation. With yearly returns of 10.21% over the last five years, this fund clearly wins.

Vanguard Equity Income Investor (VEIPX): 0.26% expense ratio and 0.25% management fee. VEIPX is a Large Cap Value mutual fund, which invests in stocks with a market cap of $10 billion of more, but whose share prices do not reflect their intrinsic value. With yearly returns of 11.14% over the last five years, VEIPX is an effectively diversified fund with a long reputation of solidly positive performance.

American Century International Value R6 (ACVDX Quick QuoteACVDX - Free Report) : 0.79% expense ratio and 0.75% management fee. ACVDX is a Non US - Equity option, focusing their investments acoss emerging and developed markets, and can often extend across cap levels too. The fund is mainly invested in equities, has a long reputation of salutary performance, and has yearly returns of 13.67% 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.