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.

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

JPMorgan Developed Intl Value I

(JIESX) has a 0.75% expense ratio and 0.55% management fee. JIESX is a Non US - Equity fund. Many of these funds like to allocate across emerging and developed markets, and will often focus on all cap levels. With yearly returns of 17.2% over the last five years, this fund clearly wins.

Davis New York Venture Fund R

(NYVRX): 1.19% expense ratio and 0.54% management fee. NYVRX 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. NYVRX, with annual returns of 13.36% over the last five years, is a well-diversified fund with a long track record of success.

Nuveen LargeCap Growth R6

(TILGX): 0.41% expense ratio and 0.39% management fee. TILGX 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. With a five-year annual return of 14.02%, this fund is a well-diversified fund with a long track record of success.

These examples highlight the fact that there are some astonishingly good mutual funds out there. If your advisor has you in the good ones, bravo! If not, you may need to have a talk.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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