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 break down some of the mutual funds with the top Zacks Mutual Fund Rank and the lowest fees.

Columbia Large Cap Enhanced Core A (NMIAX): 0.83% expense ratio and 0.75% management fee. NMIAX 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 annual returns of 12.96% over the last five years, this fund is a winner.

American Funds Growth Fund of America R6 (RGAGX): 0.29% expense ratio and 0.25% management fee. RGAGX 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. RGAGX, with annual returns of 11.84% over the last five years, is a well-diversified fund with a long track record of success.

Lazard Emerging Markets Equity Institutional (LZEMX). Expense ratio: 1.07%. Management fee: 1%. Five year annual return: 13.03%. LZEMX is a Non US - Equity option, focusing their investments acoss emerging and developed markets, and can often extend across cap levels too.

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.

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

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