Exhibit 99.1

                                                           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                                                     Contact: Investor Relations
                                                         Telephone: 712.732.4117


                   META FINANCIAL GROUP DECLARES CASH DIVIDEND

(Storm Lake,  Iowa - May 23, 2005) Meta Financial  Group,  Inc.  (NASDAQNM:CASH)
announced  that the Company will pay a cash  dividend of $0.13 per share for the
third fiscal quarter of 2005.  This dividend will be payable on or about July 1,
2005 to shareholders of record as of June 15, 2005. The Company has paid regular
quarterly cash dividends since the first dividend paid on January 5, 1995.

At March 31,  2005,  Meta  Financial  Group had  assets  of $795.8  million  and
shareholders' equity of $44.9 million.










Corporate Profile:  Meta Financial Group, Inc. (doing business as Meta Financial
Group) is the holding  company for MetaBank and MetaBank West Central.  MetaBank
is a  federally-chartered  savings bank with four market areas:  Northwest  Iowa
Market, Brookings Market, Central Iowa Market, Sioux Empire Market; and the Meta
Payment  Systems  prepaid  debit  card  division.  MetaBank  West  Central  is a
state-chartered commercial bank in the West Central Iowa Market. Sixteen offices
support  customers  throughout  northwest and central Iowa, and in Brookings and
Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

This release  contains  forward-looking  statements  which reflect  management's
expectations  regarding  future  events and  speaks  only as of the date of this
release.  These  forward-looking  statements  involve  a  number  of  risks  and
uncertainties.  A list of factors  that  could  cause  actual  results to differ
materially from those expressed in, or underlying, the Company's forward-looking
statements is detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, such as its annual and quarterly reports.