Average interest-earning assets increased by 17.8% to $1.81 billion for the six months ended June 30, 2021 compared to $1.54 billion for the six months ended June 30, 2020, which resulted in an increase in total interest income on a tax equivalent basis of $338 thousand, to $33.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2021, compared to $33.2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2020. The increase in our earning assets was primarily driven by an increase in the average volume of loans receivable of $103.4 million, of which $89.3 million of this increase was related to PPP loan originations, which yielded 4.40% for the six months ended June 30, 2021, primarily a result of the accelerated accretion earned during the six months of 2021 totaling $1.7 million. Interest income for the six months ended June 30, 2021 was impacted by a decrease in yields earned on the loan portfolio which decreased interest income $900 thousand, offset by an increase in interest as a result of loan volumes totaling $1.5 million. Average balances of nonperforming loans, which consist of nonaccrual loans, are included in the net interest margin calculation and did not have a material impact on our net interest margin in 2021 and 2020.
Total average interest-bearing deposits increased $97.7 million to $1.12 billion for the six months ended June 30, 2021 compared to $1.02 billion for the six months ended June 30, 2020. Average noninterest-bearing deposits increased $146.6 million to $499.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2021 compared to $352.8 million for the same period in 2020. The largest increase in average interest-bearing deposit balances was in our interest checking, which increased $237.0 million compared to 2020. As customers move balances to non-maturity deposit products, average balances for time deposits decreased $95.5 million as compared to 2020. Average wholesale deposits decreased $86.2 million to $40.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2021 compared to $126.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2020, as we have been able to reduce our reliance on wholesale funding due to other core sources of liquidity. The cost of other borrowed funds, which include federal funds purchased, FHLB advances, and our subordinated notes, increased 69 basis points to 4.26% for the six months ended June 30, 2021, from 3.57% for the same period in 2020, a result of the subordinated debt we issued during the fourth quarter of 2020 at 4.88%.
Provision Expense and Allowance for Loan Losses
Our policy is to maintain the allowance for loan losses at a level that represents our best estimate of inherent losses in the loan portfolio. Both the amount of the provision and the level of the allowance for loan losses are impacted by many factors, including general and industry-specific economic conditions, actual and expected credit losses, historical trends and specific conditions of individual borrowers. We are not required to implement the provisions of CECL until January 1, 2023, and as such we are continuing to account for the allowance for loan losses under the incurred loss model.
We recorded no provision for loan losses for the three months ended June 30, 2021 compared to a provision for loan losses of $1.8 million for the same period of 2020, which primarily reflects changes in certain qualitative factors as a result of the local economic conditions and improvement in credit quality metrics of our loan portfolio during the second quarter of 2021. We recorded no provision for loan losses for the six months ended June 30, 2021 compared to $2.8 million for the six months ended June 30, 2020. In addition, as previously mentioned, we continue to evaluate our exposure to certain credit risks within industry segments in our loan portfolio that are most impacted by the pandemic. During 2020, industry subgroups such as retail, hotels, churches and other commercial real estate loans were isolated within our allowance model, in addition to those loans deferring payments, and qualitative factors were adjusted to increase the reserves for these loans as a result of their risk profiles. Specific reserves decreased $310 thousand for the three months ended June 30, 2021, as we obtained additional collateral for an impaired loan that reduced our loss exposure. For the six months ended June 30, 2021, specific reserves decreased $1.0 million, primarily a result of several watchlist loans that the Bank had in its portolfio at December 31, 2020 being either paid off or sold during the first quarter of 2021.
See “Asset Quality” below for additional information on the credit quality of the loan portfolio. The allowance for loan losses at June 30, 2021 was $14.4 million compared to $15.0 million at December 31, 2020. Our allowance for loan loss ratio as a percent of total loans, net of deferred fees and costs, at June 30, 2021 was 0.97% compared to 1.02% at December 31, 2020.
Noninterest Income
Noninterest income includes service charges on deposits and loans, loan swap fee income, and income from our BOLI policies, and continues to supplement our operating results. Noninterest income for the three months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 was $685 thousand and $687 thousand, respectively. Fee income from fees on loans, service charges on deposits, and other fee income was $435 thousand for the three months ended June 30, 2021, an increase of $30 thousand as compared to the same quarter of 2020, primarily as a result of increased service charges on deposit accounts during the second quarter of 2021. Income from BOLI was $250 thousand and $282 thousand for the three months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively.