Net charge-offs decreased $164,000 from $414,000 for the first quarter of 2023 to $250,000 for the first quarter of 2024. The decrease was primarily due to decreased net charge-offs in indirect automobile loans of $208,000. The percentage of overdue account balances to total loans decreased to 1.84% as of March 31, 2024 from 1.90% as of December 31, 2023, while non-performing assets increased $354,000, or 8.4%, to $4.6 million at March 31, 2024.
Non-interest income totaled $1.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024, an increase of $130,000, or 9.4%, from the comparable period in 2023, due primarily to an increase of $72,000, or 23.3%, in investment advisory income resulting from the improved investment market and economic conditions, an increase of $36,000 in the net gain on sales of mortgage loans as we sold $2.0 million of residential mortgage loans in the first quarter of 2024 as compared to $1.1 million in the first quarter of 2023, and an increase of $35,000 in service charges on deposit accounts.
For the first quarter of 2024, non-interest expense totaled $8.9 million, a decrease of $326,000, or 3.5%, over the comparable period in 2023. The decrease was primarily due to a $248,000, or 4.7%, decrease in salaries and benefits due to a Company-wide reduction in force of approximately 5% in the first quarter of 2023. Other non-interest expense decreased $108,000, or 6.6%, primarily due to decreased retail banking expenses. FDIC deposit insurance and other insurance decreased $29,000, or 10.3%, primarily due a decreased assessment rate while occupancy expense decreased $26,000, or 2.4%, due to a branch closure in the first quarter of 2024. Professional fees, data processing fees and marketing expense increased by $48,000, $23,000 and $17,000, respectively, partially offsetting the other decreases in non-interest expense.
Balance Sheet Analysis
Total assets decreased $14.4 million, or 1.1%, to $1.30 billion at March 31, 2024 from $1.31 billion at December 31, 2023. Available for sale securities decreased $9.3 million, or 4.9%, primarily due to paydowns, calls and maturities of $8.5 million, and an increase in unrealized loss on available for sale securities of $734,000. Cash and cash equivalents increased $8.5 million, or 38.6%, primarily due to an increase in deposits held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as our customer deposits increased and loans and securities decreased. Loans receivable decreased $15.5 million to $993.3 million, as compared to December 31, 2023, primarily due to a decrease in indirect automobile loans of $27.2 million, or 6.9%, reflecting a strategic decision to decrease that loan portfolio as a percentage of our balance sheet. Partially offsetting the decreases in automobile loans were increases in commercial real estate loans of $9.5 million, or 2.2%, residential real estate loans of $1.6 million, or 2.1%, and commercial and industrial loans of $2.4 million, or 2.7%. Federal Home Loan Bank stock decreased $900,000 as borrowings decreased, property and equipment decreased $3.0 million, or 16.9%, as the Beacon branch office was sold in February of 2024 for $2.9 million. Other assets increased $5.5 million, or 28.8%, as a bond matured at the end of the month and was awaiting settlement.
Past due loans decreased $874,000, or 4.6%, between December 31, 2023 and March 31, 2024, finishing at $18.3 million, or 1.84%, of total loans, down from $19.2 million, or 1.90%, of total loans at year-end 2023. Our allowance for credit losses was 0.80% of total loans and 174.85% of non-performing loans at March 31, 2024 as compared to 0.81% of total loans and 194.31% of non-performing loans at December 31, 2023. Non-performing assets totaled $4.6 million and included no other real estate owned at March 31, 2024. At December 31, 2023, non-performing assets totaled $4.2 million and included $25,000 in other real estate owned.
Total liabilities decreased $15.0 million, or 1.3%, to $1.18 billion at March 31, 2024 from $1.20 billion at December 31, 2023 due to a decrease in borrowings partially offset by an increase in deposits. Advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank decreased $20.0 million, or 15.6%. Deposits increased $6.5 million, or 0.6%. Interest bearing deposits increased $19.4 million, or 2.5%, reflecting a shift in deposits from transaction accounts to higher yielding time deposits and money market accounts as customers sought increasing yields on their deposits while non-interest bearing deposits decreased $12.8 million, or 5.1%, due to increased competition for deposits. At March 31, 2024, uninsured deposits remained steady at approximately 29% of the Bank’s total deposits.