Exhibit 99.2      Press Release

PRESS RELEASE

November 29, 2000        For further information contact:
                                  David M. Bradley
                                  Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer
                                  North Central Bancshares, Inc.
                                  825 Central Avenue
                                  Fort Dodge, Iowa 50501
                                  515-576-7531


                         NORTH CENTRAL BANCSHARES, INC.
                               ANNOUNCES DIVIDEND

David M.  Bradley,  Chairman,  President  and Chief  Executive  Officer of North
Central  Bancshares,  Inc.  (the  "Company")  announced  today that the  Company
declared a regular  quarterly cash dividend of $0.125 per share on the Company's
common stock for the fiscal  quarter ended  December 31, 2000. The dividend will
be payable to all  stockholders  of record as of  December  15, 2000 and will be
paid on January 5, 2001.

On November 20, 2000,  the Company  completed a 5.0% stock  repurchase  program.
During that program the Company  repurchased  102,862 shares of its  outstanding
common stock at the aggregate cost of $1,618,705 in open market transactions.

Recently,  the  Company  commenced  a new stock  repurchase  program for 100,000
shares,  of which  67,500  shares  remain to be  repurchased.  The  Company  has
1,921,880 shares of common stock currently outstanding.

North Central  Bancshares,  Inc. serves north central and southeastern Iowa at 8
full service locations in Fort Dodge, Nevada, Ames,  Burlington,  Mount Pleasant
and Perry, Iowa through its wholly- owned subsidiary, First Federal Savings Bank
of Iowa,  headquartered in Fort Dodge,  Iowa. The Bank's deposits are insured by
the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.  The Company's stock is traded on The
Nasdaq National Market under the symbol "FFFD".