Exhibit 99.4  Press Release



PRESS RELEASE
March 31, 2000

                              For further information contact:
                              David M. Bradley
                              Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
                              North Central Bancshares, Inc.
                              825 Central Avenue
                              Fort Dodge, Iowa 50501
                              515-576-7531

                    NORTH CENTRAL BANCSHARES, INC. ANNOUNCES
                            STOCK REPURCHASE PROGRAM

Fort Dodge, Iowa, March 31, 2000 - North Central Bancshares, Inc. (Nasdaq:
"FFFD") (the "Company"), the holding company for First Federal Savings Bank of
Iowa, announced that it will commence a stock repurchase program beginning on or
about April 25, 2000.  The program authorizes the Company to repurchase up to
5.0% or 102,862 shares of its 2,057,242 outstanding shares of common stock
during the next twelve months.  The repurchases will be made from time to time,
in open market transactions, at the discretion of management.

North Central Bancshares, Inc., with over $367 million in assets, is the holding
company for First Federal Savings Bank of Iowa, a federally chartered stock
savings bank.  First Federal is a community-oriented institution serving Iowa
through 8 full service locations in Fort Dodge, Nevada, Ames, Perry, Burlington
and Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.  First Federal's deposits are insured by the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation.