Net interest income after provision for loan losses decreased $577,000, or 10.9%, for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 to $4.7 million as compared to $5.3 million for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2019. Total interest income decreased $401,000, or 6.7%, when comparing the two periods, due to a decrease in the yield earned on interest-bearing assets partially offset by an increase in the average balance of interest-earning assets. The average tax equivalent yield on interest-earning assets decreased to 3.78% for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 from 4.22% for the nine months ended September 30, 2019, due primarily to a decrease in market interest rates. The average balance of interest-earning assets increased to $204.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 from $193.3 million for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2019, due primarily to increases in cash and cash equivalents and investment securities, partially offset by a decrease in loans receivable. Total interest expense increased $80,000, or 12.2%, when comparing the two periods due to an increase in both the average balance and cost of interest-bearing liabilities. The average balance of interest-bearing liabilities increased to $142.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 from $133.5 million for the same period in 2019, due primarily to increases in both the average balance of Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings and the average balance of savings and interest-bearing demand deposit accounts, partially offset by a decrease in the average balance of time deposits. On June 27, 2019, the Company borrowed $10.0 million from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis which matures on June 27, 2024 and bears an interest rate of 1.73%. No further borrowings have been made. The average cost of interest-bearing liabilities increased to 0.69% for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 from 0.66% for the same period in 2019. As a result of the changes in interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities, the interest rate spread decreased to 3.09% from 3.56% and the net interest margin decreased to 3.29% from 3.77% for the nine-month periods ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
Noninterest income decreased $13,000, or 6.0%, for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019, due primarily to a decrease of $41,000 deposit account service charges, partially offset by increases of $8,000 and $21,000 in ATM and debit card fee income and other income, respectively.
Noninterest income increased $26,000, or 4.1%, for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019, due primarily to increases of $97,000 in net gain on sales of securities available for sale, $23,000 in ATM and debit card fee income and $35,000 in other income, partially offset by a $126,000 decrease in deposit account service charges.
Noninterest expense decreased $362,000, or 19.2%, for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019. The decrease was due primarily to decreases in data processing expenses of $334,000, decreases in impairment loss on real estate held for sale of $67,000 and decreases in other expenses of $54,000, partially offset by an increase of $89,000 in compensation and benefits. Data processing expenses decreased due primarily to contract termination expenses recognized in the third quarter of last year related to the Bank’s core processing system conversion which was completed in the fourth quarter of 2019.
Noninterest expense decreased $768,000, or 15.1%, for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019. The decrease was due primarily to decreases in data processing expenses of $728,000, decreases in impairment loss on real estate held for sale of $67,000, decreases in stockholders’ meeting expenses of $29,000, and other expenses of $110,000, partially offset by increases of $111,000 in compensation and benefits expense and $95,000 in directors’ compensation expense. Data processing expenses decreased due primarily to contract termination expenses recognized during the first nine months of 2019 related to the Bank’s core processing system conversion which was completed in the fourth quarter of 2019. The increase in directors’ compensation expense is due primarily to the recognition of $94,000 of stock compensation expense recognized for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, as compared to no stock compensation expense recognized for the same period in 2019.
The Company recorded an income tax benefit of $11,000 for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, compared to a benefit of $24,000 for the same period in 2019. Income tax expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 was $74,000 compared to $84,000 for the same period in 2019 resulting from a reduction in our effective tax rate to 6.9% for 2020 compared to 9.9% for 2019. The decrease in the effective tax rate is due largely to increased tax-exempt investment income proportionate to overall pre-tax income.