Exhibit 99.1


             Superior Financial Corp. Announces Additional
                       Stock Repurchase Program


    LITTLE ROCK, Ark.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 1, 2003--Superior
Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: SUFI), announced today that its Board of
Directors has authorized the repurchase of up to 405,000 shares of
common stock on the open market. The repurchased shares will be used
in connection with the Company's stock option plan and for other
general corporate purposes. This is the fifth stock repurchase program
authorized by the Board; under the previous four programs, the company
has repurchased a total of 1,844,401 shares of common stock or
approximately 18% of the outstanding shares over the past three years.
    C. Stanley Bailey, Chairman & CEO, stated, "The Board is pleased
to have reached the point in the company's evolution to begin directly
rewarding our loyal shareholders, while also recognizing the true
value of our company by reinvesting in our own shares."
    Superior Financial Corp. is the holding company of Superior Bank,
which is a $1.7 billion federal savings bank operating 61 full service
branch and loan production offices in Arkansas and Oklahoma. The bank
has three active subsidiaries - Superior Financial Services, Inc.,
providing discount brokerage and full service investment advisory
services, Southwest Protective Life Insurance Company and Superior
Finance Company, a consumer finance operation. Superior Financial
Corp. stock is traded on the NASDAQ National Market under the symbol
SUFI.
    Pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the reader is cautioned that this
announcement contains "forward looking statements" regarding
Superior's future performance which are subject to risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those expressed or implied by such statements.


    CONTACT: Superior Financial Corp., Little Rock
             Robert A. Kuehl, 501/324-7255