EXHIBIT 99 TO FORM 8-K
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NEWS RELEASE
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Edward J. Wehmer, President & Chief Executive Officer
David A. Dykstra, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
(847) 615-4096
Investor Relations Website address:  www.wintrust.com


                     WINTRUST FINANCIAL CORPORATION EXPECTS
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               NON-RECURRING CHARGE AGAINST THIRD QUARTER EARNINGS
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                   STILL ON TRACK FOR RECORD EARNINGS IN 2000

     LAKE FOREST, ILLINOIS -- Sept. 7, 2000 -- Wintrust Financial Corporation
("Wintrust") (Nasdaq: WTFC) today announced it expects to incur a one-time
after-tax charge of up to $2.7 million, or $0.30 per diluted common share, to
its third quarter earnings. The charge is attributable to the recent discovery
of a series of fraudulent loan transactions perpetrated by one independent
insurance agency against the Company's premium finance subsidiary. The Company
has commenced legal action against the agency and related parties, seeking
recovery of the loss. The amount of potential recovery, if any, is not known at
this time.

     "Although we are extremely disappointed with this one-time charge, we
expect to be profitable for the quarter and remain on track for record earnings
for the year. All of our core fundamentals remain intact," said Edward J.
Wehmer, president and chief executive officer.

     Wehmer added that this incident was isolated to one agency located in
Florida and that Wintrust has taken immediate steps to enhance its controls to
mitigate such risks in the future. "No customer of our Company was harmed as a
part of this scheme," Wehmer said.

     Wintrust is a $1.9 billion asset multi-bank holding company with
shareholders' equity in excess of $98 million. Headquartered in Lake Forest,
Ill., Wintrust operates six suburban Chicago community bank subsidiaries and
three non-bank subsidiaries. Its stock is traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market(R).



FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

     This press release contains forward-looking statements related to the
Company's financial performance that are based on estimates. The Company intends
such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for
forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995, and is including this statement for purposes of invoking these safe
harbor provisions. Actual results could differ materially from those addressed
in the forward-looking statements due to factors such as changes in economic
conditions, competition, or other factors, that may influence the anticipated
growth rate of loans and deposits, the quality of the loan portfolio and loan
and deposit pricing, unanticipated changes in interest rates that negatively
impact net interest income, unforeseen loan or lease losses, unexpected
developments pertaining to the loss situation discussed above, slower than
anticipated development and growth of the new trust and investment business,
unanticipated changes in the temporary staffing industry, the ability to adapt
successfully to technological changes to compete effectively in the marketplace,
and the ability to attract and retain experienced senior management. Therefore,
there can be no assurances that future actual results will correspond to these
forward-looking statements.

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