Franklin Financial Corporation Announces Quarterly Dividend FRANKLIN, Tenn., Dec. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Franklin Financial Corporation (FFC), the parent company of Franklin National Bank, has declared a $.0625 per share fourth quarter dividend to its shareholders, according to FFC Chairman, President and CEO Gordon E. Inman. The record date for the cash dividend is December 19, 2003, with payment scheduled for January 7, 2004. Gordon E. Inman, Chairman, President & CEO, Franklin Financial Corporation, comments, "Franklin Financial Corporation is pleased to post our 21st consecutive quarterly cash dividend. Our employees and customers make this company successful, and I am proud that this dividend is an 8.23% increase over our third quarter dividend of $.05775." Franklin Financial Corporation is a financial services holding company and the parent company of Franklin National Bank, Franklin Financial Mortgage and Franklin Financial Securities. The common stock of Franklin Financial Corporation is listed on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol "FNFN." The corporate website is located on the Internet at fnfn.net. Franklin National Bank operates nine retail branches in Williamson, Davidson, and Maury counties and can be found on the Internet at FranklinNetBranch.com. On July 24, 2002, Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ:FITB) and Franklin Financial Corporation announced the signing of a definitive agreement in which Fifth Third will acquire Franklin Financial Corporation and its subsidiary, Franklin National Bank, headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee. On March 27, 2003, the definitive agreement was amended to extend the termination date to June 30, 2004 and to revise the exchange ratio. THE STATEMENTS CONTAINED IN THIS RELEASE WHICH ARE NOT HISTORICAL FACTS ARE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS MADE PURSUANT TO THE SAFE HARBOR PROVISIONS OF THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS DESCRIBING FRANKLIN FINANCIAL CORPORATION'S FUTURE PLANS, PROJECTIONS, STRATEGIES AND EXPECTATIONS, ARE BASED ON ASSUMPTIONS AND INVOLVE A NUMBER OF RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES, MANY OF WHICH ARE BEYOND FRANKLIN FINANCIAL CORPORATION'S CONTROL. ACTUAL RESULTS COULD DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM THOSE PROJECTED DUE TO CHANGES IN INTEREST RATES, COMPETITION IN THE INDUSTRY, CHANGES IN LOCAL AND NATIONAL ECONOMIC CONDITIONS AND VARIOUS OTHER FACTORS. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING SUCH FACTORS, WHICH COULD AFFECT FRANKLIN FINANCIAL CORPORATION, IS CONTAINED IN FRANKLIN FINANCIAL CORPORATION'S FILINGS WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION. DATASOURCE: Franklin Financial Corporation CONTACT: Kristy Williams, +1-615-595-5531, or David McCurrach, +1-615-591-1059, both of Franklin Financial Corporation Web site: http://www.franklinnetbranch.com/ http://www.fnfn.net/

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