Interest expense on borrowings decreased by $96,000, or 45.9%, to $113,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2021 from $209,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2020. This decrease was due to a 55 basis point, or 28.9%, decrease in the average cost of borrowings to 1.36% for the three months ended March 31, 2021 from 1.91% for the three months ended March 31, 2020, as well as a decrease in the average balance of borrowings of $10.7 million, or 24.4%, to $33.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021, from $43.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020.
Provision for Loan Losses. We recorded a credit for loan losses of $(101,000) for the three months ended March 31, 2021, compared to a provision for loan losses of $282,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2020. During the three months ended March 31, 2021, a net recovery of $3,000 was recorded, while a net charge-off of $30,000 was recorded for the three months ended March 31, 2020. See “Allowance for Loan Loss Activity” below for a discussion of the amount of the allowance and provision for loan losses.
Noninterest Income. Noninterest income increased $473,000, or 40.3%, to $1.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 from $1.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020. The increase was primarily due to an increase in mortgage banking income, net, an increase in gain on sale of loans, and an increase in bank-owned life insurance income, net, partially offset by a decrease in customer service fees and a decrease in net realized gain (loss) on sales of available-for-sale securities. For the three months ended March 31, 2021, mortgage banking income, net, increased $257,000 to $255,000, gain on sale of loans increased $91,000 to $239,000, and bank-owned life insurance income, net, increased $141,000 to $207,000, while customer service fees decreased $26,000 to $64,000 and net realized gains on sales of available-for-sale securities decreased $30,000 to $116,000. The increase in gain on sale of loans and the increase in mortgage banking income, net, resulted from an increase in the loans originated and sold through the FHLBC Mortgage Partnership Finance program and an increase in the value of our mortgage servicing rights in the three months ended March 31, 2021. The increase in bank-owned life insurance income, net, was due to the receipt of death benefit proceeds in the three months ended March 31, 2021. The decrease in customer services fees was due to fewer customer services performed and more customer fees waived, partially as a result of COVID-19, in the three months ended March 31, 2021, while the decrease in net realized gains on sales of available-for-sale securities was due to more securities sold for a gain in the three months ended March 31, 2020.
Noninterest Expense. Noninterest expense increased $256,000, or 5.9%, to $4.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 from $4.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020. The largest components of this increase were compensation and benefits, which increased $154,000, or 5.3%, federal deposit insurance, which increased $44,000, professional services, which increased $49,000, or 73.1%, and loss (gain) on sale of foreclosed assets, which increased $26,000, or 1300.0%. These increases were partially offset by a $38,000, or 23.5%, decrease in advertising expense. Compensation and benefits increased due to staffing changes, normal salary increases and increased medical costs, while our federal deposit insurance premium increased as a result of receiving an FDIC small bank assessment credit in the three months ended March 31, 2020. Professional services increased as a result of additional legal and consultant services in the three months ended March 31, 2021, and loss (gain) on sale of foreclosed assets increased as a result of the loss on sale of a single residential property in the three months ended March 31, 2021. Advertising expense decreased as a result of a decrease in creative marketing expense.
Income Tax Expense. We recorded a provision for income tax of $600,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2021, compared to a provision for income tax of $316,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2020, reflecting effective tax rates of 27.8% and 28.1%, respectively.
Asset Quality
At March 31, 2021, our non-accrual loans totaled $120,000, including $103,000 in one- to four-family loans and $17,000 in commercial business loans. At March 31, 2021, we had a single one- to four-family loan for $121,000, which was delinquent 90 days or greater and still accruing interest.
At March 31, 2021, $1.1 million in loans were classified as substandard, and no loans were classified as doubtful or loss. Loans classified as substandard consisted of $525,000 in one- to four-family loans, $265,000 in multi-family loans, $182,000 in commercial real estate loans, and $65,000 in commercial business loans.
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