Exhibit 99.1

MAFBancorp, Inc.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOR:                 
    MAF Bancorp, Inc.                
                       EFC Bancorp, Inc. 
               
               55th Street & Holmes Avenue         
             1695 Larkin Avenue 
                               Clarendon Hills, IL 60514                 
           Elgin, IL 60123

CONTACTS:       Jerry A. Weberling, EVP and           
              Leo M. Flanagan, Jr.
                                Chief Financial Officer          
                          Chairman of the Board         
                    (630) 887-5999          
                                      (847) 742-6100

Michael J. Janssen
                       
                  Barrett J. O'Connor  
                      
          Senior Vice President
                      
              Chief Executive Officer      
                        (630) 986-7544
                                
              (847) 741-3900

MAF BANCORP, INC.
ANNOUNCES PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF EFC BANCORP, INC. MERGER CONSIDERATION ELECTIONS

Clarendon Hills, Illinois,
January 4, 2006  MAF Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAFB) and EFC Bancorp, Inc. (AMEX:
EFC) jointly announced today the preliminary results of the merger consideration elections
by EFC stockholders.

EFC stockholders were entitled to
elect to receive either .8082 shares of MAF stock for each share of EFC stock they hold,
or cash in the amount of $34.69, without interest, for each such share, or a combination
thereof, subject to the election and proration procedures detailed in the merger agreement
dated as of June 29, 2005 between MAF and EFC.

The number of shares requested in
stock elections received prior to the election deadline on December 14, 2005, exceeded the
maximum number of shares to be issued under the terms of the merger agreement. Under the
proration procedures set forth in the merger agreement, it is expected that EFC
stockholders who made stock elections or mixed elections would receive approximately 96%
of the stock they elected to receive and will receive the balance of their consideration
in cash. After the merger, it is anticipated that EFC stockholders who made a cash election or made no
election will receive all cash consideration in the amount of $34.69 per share of EFC
stock they hold.

The exact proration calculation will
be completed as soon as possible after consummation of the merger based upon the then
outstanding shares of EFC stock. The merger has been approved by EFC stockholders and is
currently expected to close at the end of January 2006, subject to receipt of all
necessary regulatory approvals.

A more complete description of the
proration mechanisms applicable to elections is contained in the proxy
statement/prospectus dated November 7, 2005, and in the election materials previously
mailed to EFC stockholders, all of which are on file with the SEC and available at www.sec.gov.

MAF Bancorp is the parent company of
Mid America Bank, a federally chartered stock savings bank headquartered in Clarendon
Hills, Illinois. At September 30, 2005, MAF had assets of

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$10.3 billion, deposits of $6.1
billion and stockholders equity of $966 million. Mid America Bank currently operates
a network of 75 retail banking offices throughout Chicago and Milwaukee and their
surrounding areas. Offices in the Milwaukee area operate under the name St. Francis
Bank, a division of Mid America Bank. MAFs common stock trades on the NASDAQ
Stock Market under the symbol MAFB.

EFC is a state-chartered thrift
holding company with assets of $1.0 billion, deposits of $725 million, and
stockholders equity of $87 million at September 30, 2005. EFCs stock
trades on the American Stock Exchange under the symbol EFC.

Forward-Looking
Information

Statements contained in this news
release that are not historical facts constitute forward-looking statements (within the
meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended), which involve
significant risks and uncertainties. MAF and EFC intend such forward-looking statements to
be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and is including this statement for
purposes of invoking these safe harbor provisions. These forward-looking statements, which
are based on certain assumptions and describe future plans, strategies and expectations of
MAF or EFC, are generally identifiable by use of the words believe,
expect, intend, anticipate, estimate,
project, plan, or similar expressions. MAFs and EFCs
ability to predict results or the actual effect of future plans or strategies is
inherently uncertain and actual results may differ from those predicted. Neither MAF nor
EFC undertakes any obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the future.

Factors which could have a material
adverse effect on operations and could affect managements outlook or future
prospects of MAF and its subsidiaries include, but are not limited to, unanticipated
difficulties or delays in obtaining requisite regulatory approval for the transaction,
difficulties or delays in achieving anticipated cost savings related to the operation of
the acquired banking offices or higher than expected costs related to the transaction,
changes in purchase accounting adjustments and/or amortization periods, unanticipated
changes in interest rates or further flattening of the yield curve, deteriorating economic
conditions which could result in increased delinquencies in MAFs or EFCs loan
portfolio, higher than expected overhead, infrastructure and compliance costs needed to
support growth in the Companys operations, legislative or regulatory developments,
monetary and fiscal policies of the U.S. Government, including policies of the U.S.
Treasury and the Federal Reserve Board, the quality or composition of MAFs or
EFCs loan or investment portfolios, demand for loan products, secondary mortgage
market conditions, deposit flows, competition, demand for financial services and
residential real estate in MAFs and EFCs market areas, unanticipated slowdowns
in real estate lot sales or problems in closing pending real estate contracts, delays in
real estate development projects, the possible short-term dilutive effect of other
potential acquisitions, if any, and changes in accounting principles, policies and
guidelines. These risks and uncertainties should be considered in evaluating
forward-looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements.

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