Will Roth IRA's be available in the upcoming years or must I start mine before April 15th to qualify for 1998?
And If I must start one before Thursday, what's the best way to go about it now?

Good news. IF you have NOT YET filed your tax return for 1998, you can start a Roth for 1998 by walking into any brokerage, mutual fund or bank. In fact, you can open both your 1998 and also add the max amount for 1999 at the same time. Roth IRAs are expected to be offered in future years, regular IRAs have been around for two decades.

If you live in a city of atleast 500,000 population, you will have many choices. Get going TODAY, as your time is about to expire. Your lack of time limits you to walk-in options. Look in the yellow pages for the brokerages or mutual funds that are in your town. If you live in a small town, you may have to rely on options offered at your bank. You can always transfer your account at a later date if you find you like some other institution.