Comparison of Operating Results for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2022 and 2021
General. Net income decreased by $303,000, or 6.0%, from $5.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 to $4.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022. The decrease in net income was due to a $745,000 reduction in the reversal of loan loss provisions, a $586,000 decrease in non-interest income and a $44,000 increase in non-interest expense. These decreases to net income were partially offset by a $598,000 increase in net interest income and a $474,000 decrease in income taxes.
Net Interest Income. Net interest income increased by $598,000, or 4.5%, to $13.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022 from $13.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021. Interest expense decreased by $747,000, or 39.3%, due to an 18 basis point decrease in the cost of average interest-bearing liabilities, which was partially offset by a $5.3 million increase in the average balance of interest-bearing liabilities. Interest income decreased by $149,000, or 1.0%, due to a three basis point decrease in the yield of average interest-earning assets, which was partially offset by a $4.8 million increase in the average balance of interest-earning assets. The interest rate spread and net interest margin were 2.69% and 2.72% respectively, for the three months ended March 31, 2022, compared to 2.54% and 2.61%, respectively, for the three months ended March 31, 2021. The increases in the interest rate spread and in the net interest margin are attributable to the 18 basis point decrease in the cost of average interest-bearing liabilities that was partially offset by the three basis point decrease in the yield on average interest-earning assets.
Interest Income. Interest income decreased by $149,000, or 1.0%, to $15.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022 from $15.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021. Interest income on loans decreased by $1.7 million, or 13.0%, to $11.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022 from $13.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021. The decrease in interest income on loans occurred because the average yield on loans decreased by 29 basis points and the average loan balance decreased by $78.1 million, or 5.7%. The decrease in the yield on average loans occurred as higher yielding loans were paid off and new loans with lower interest rates were added to the loan portfolio. The decrease in the average balance of loans occurred as loan repayments and sales exceeded new loan originations. Interest income on securities increased by $1.6 million, or 87.6%, to $3.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022 from $1.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021. The increase in interest income on securities occurred primarily because of a $381.4 million increase, or 138.5%, in the average balance of securities as security purchases exceeded security repayments. This increase was partially offset by a 57 basis point decrease in the yield on average securities, which occurred as higher yielding securities were paid off or sold and securities with lower interest rates were purchased.
Interest Expense. Interest expense decreased by $747,000, or 39.3%, to $1.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022 from $1.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021. Interest expense on interest-bearing deposits decreased by $720,000, or 54.7%, from $1.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 to $597,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2022. Interest expense on certificates of deposit decreased by $558,000, or 59.0%, to $388,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2022 from $946,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2021. The decrease in interest expense on certificates of deposit occurred because of a 51 basis point decrease in the average rate which was augmented by a $92.5 million decrease in the average balance of certificates of deposit. The rate paid on savings accounts decreased by seven basis points as average rates dropped from 0.14% to 0.07% which was partially offset by a $51.8 million increase in the average balance of savings accounts. The decrease in the average balance of certificates and increase in the average balance of savings accounts occurred as higher costing certificates matured and depositors rolled over the balances into savings accounts with lower interest rates. The decrease in the average rates on certificates of deposit and savings accounts occurred because of a decline in market interest rates.
Provision for Loan Losses. We recorded a reversal of loan loss provisions of $168,000 and $913,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The reversal of loan loss provisions occurred primarily due to decreases in the amount of loans in our loan payment deferral program, Hawaii’s unemployment rate and the size of our loan portfolio. The loan payment deferral program was created to assist borrowers who were experiencing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The provisions recorded resulted in ratios of the allowance for loan losses to total loans of 0.19% and 0.25% at March 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Nonaccrual loans totaled $3.2 million at March 31, 2022, or 0.25% of total loans at that date, compared to $4.2 million of nonaccrual loans at March 31, 2021, or 0.31% of total loans at that date. Nonaccrual loans as of March 31, 2022 and 2021 consisted primarily of one- to