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

If you are looking to diversify your portfolio, consider

Allspring Precious Metals A

(EKWAX). Sector - Precious Metal funds like EKWAX normally invest in stocks focused on the mining and production of precious metals such as gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. This fund is a winner, boasting an expense ratio of 1.19%, management fee of 0.65%, and a five-year annualized return track record of 12.12%.

Carillon Eagle Mid Cap Growth I

(HAGIX): 0.75% expense ratio and 0.51% management fee. HAGIX 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. HAGIX, with annual returns of 9.58% over the last five years, is a well-diversified fund with a long track record of success.

American Funds Fundamental Investors R4

(RFNEX): 0.62% expense ratio and 0.24% management fee. RFNEX 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. The fund is mainly invested in equities, has a long reputation of salutary performance, and has yearly returns of 14.69% over the last five years.

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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