Exhibit 99.4 Press Release PRESS RELEASE March 5, 1998 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 5, 1998 - North Central Bancshares, Inc. (Nasdaq: "FFFD") (the "Company"), the holding company for First Federal Savings Bank of Fort Dodge, announced that it will commence a stock repurchase program beginning on or about March 11, 1998. The program authorizes the Company to repurchase up to five percent of its 3,266,483 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 $300 million in assets, is the holding company for First Federal Savings Bank of Fort Dodge, a federally chartered stock savings bank. First Federal is a community-oriented institution serving Iowa through 7 full service locations in Fort Dodge, Nevada, Ames, Burlington and Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. First Federal's deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.