Net interest income after provision for loan losses decreased $680,000, or 9.6%, for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $6.4 million as compared to $7.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. Total interest income decreased $549,000, or 6.9%, 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 3.73% for the year ended December 31, 2020 from 4.20% for the year ended December 31, 2019, due primarily to a decrease in market interest rates. The average balance of interest-earning assets increased to $208.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 from $195.3 million for the year ended December 31, 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 $11,000, or 1.2%, when comparing the two periods due to an increase in the average balance of interest-bearing liabilities, partially offset by a decrease in the cost of interest-bearing liabilities. The average balance of interest-bearing liabilities increased to $144.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 from $135.1 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 (“FHLBI”) which matures on June 27, 2024 and bears an interest rate of 1.73%. On December 30, 2020, the Company borrowed an additional $1.0 million from the FHLBI, bearing an interest rate of 0.26% and matured on January 6, 2021. No additional borrowings have been made. The average cost of interest-bearing liabilities decreased to 0.65% for the year ended December 31, 2020 from 0.68% 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 3.08% from 3.52% and the net interest margin decreased to 3.28% from 3.73% for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
Noninterest income increased $36,000, or 20.9%, for the quarter ended December 31, 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019, due primarily to increases of $16,000 and $22,000 in ATM and debit card fee income and other income, respectively.
Noninterest income increased $62,000, or 7.7%, for the year ended December 31, 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, $39,000 in ATM and debit card fee income and $57,000 in other income, partially offset by a $127,000 decrease in deposit account service charges.
Noninterest expense decreased $31,000, or 1.8%, for the quarter ended December 31, 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019. The decrease was due primarily to decreases in data processing expenses of $73,000, decreases in directors’ compensation of $42,000, decreases in occupancy and equipment expenses of $33,000, decreases in professional fees of $32,000 and decreases of $24,000 in stockholders’ meeting expense, partially offset by increases in compensation and benefits of $109,000, increases in deposit insurance premiums of $13,000 and a loss of $13,000 on the disposal on premises and equipment. Data processing expenses decreased due primarily to expenses recognized in the fourth quarter of 2019 related to the Bank’s core processing system conversion which was completed in the fourth quarter of 2019.
Noninterest expense decreased $799,000, or 11.7%, for the year ended December 31, 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019. The decrease was due primarily to decreases in data processing expenses of $801,000, decreases in professional fees of $79,000, decreases in impairment loss on real estate held for sale of $67,000, decreases in stockholders’ meeting expenses of $53,000, and other expenses of $70,000, partially offset by increases of $225,000 in compensation and benefits expense and $48,000 in directors’ compensation expense. Data processing expenses decreased due primarily to contract termination expenses recognized during 2019 related to the Bank’s core processing system conversion which was completed in the fourth quarter of 2019.
The Company recorded an income tax benefit of $39,000 for the quarter ended December 31, 2020, compared to an expense of $1,000 for the same period in 2019. Income tax expense for the year ended December 31, 2020 was $35,000 compared to $85,000 for the same period in 2019 resulting from a reduction in our effective tax rate to 2.9% for 2020 compared to 8.1% for 2019. The decrease in the effective tax rate is due largely to increased tax-exempt investment income proportionate to overall pre-tax income.