An analysis of traditional and Roth IRA contributions made by Vanguard Group customers showed that most investors who make IRA contributions at the last moment miss out on 16 months of potential gains (from January of one year until April of the following year), as well as the chance for those gains to compound over many years. Bottom line, procrastination can be costly. The person who starts earlier could end up with significantly more savings down the line.
To read more on how early IRA contributions can boost your nest egg and trim taxes follow the link.