Financial Institutions, Inc. Announces Dividend

September 20, 2004

WARSAW, N.Y., Sept. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Financial Institutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: FISI) announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.16 per common share, payable on October 1, 2004 to shareholders of record on September 27, 2004.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030114/FISILOGO )

In addition, the Board declared a quarterly dividend of $2.12 per share on Series B-1, 8.48% Preferred Stock and $0.75 per share on Series A, 3% Preferred Stock, payable on October 1, 2004 to shareholders of record on September 27, 2004.

With total assets of $2.2 billion, Financial Institutions, Inc. is the parent company of Wyoming County Bank, National Bank of Geneva, Bath National Bank and First Tier Bank & Trust. The four banks provide a wide range of consumer and commercial banking services to individuals, municipalities and businesses through a network of 49 offices and 71 ATM's in Western and Central New York State. FII's Financial Services Group also provides diversified financial services to its customers and clients, including brokerage, trust, insurance, employee benefits and compensation consulting. More information on FII and its subsidiaries is available through the Company web site at http://www.fiiwarsaw.com.

SOURCE  Financial Institutions, Inc.
    -0-                             09/20/2004
    /CONTACT:  Ronald A. Miller, Senior Vice President & CFO of Financial
Institutions, Inc., +1-585-786-1102/
    /Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030114/FISILOGO/
    /Web site:  http://www.fiiwarsaw.com /
    (FISI)

CO:  Financial Institutions, Inc.; Wyoming County Bank; National Bank of
     Geneva; Bath National Bank; First Tier Bank & Trust
ST:  New York
IN:  FIN
SU:  DIV

NM 
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7402 09/20/200408:33 EDThttp://www.prnewswire.com