Commercial noninterest-bearing deposits represented $67.5 million of total deposit growth year over year, and $16.0 million compared to December 31, 2019, growth of 20% year over year and 4% linked quarter. Noninterest-bearing deposits at March 31, 2020 were 39.2% of total deposits compared to 38.5% of total deposits at March 31, 2019 and 39.2% at December 31, 2019.
At March 31, 2020 growth in interest-bearing deposits of $90.2 million compared to March 31, 2019 was comprised of growth in money market and savings balances of $45.0 million and time deposits of $50.0 million, partially offset by a decline in interest-bearing demand deposits of $4.8 million. Compared to December 31, 2019, interest-bearing deposits grew $24.6 million, primarily due to growth in credit enhanced time deposits through the CDARs network.
Total gross loans increased by $82.6 million, or 9% to $968.9 million at March 31, 2020, from $886.3 million at March 31, 2019 and by $19.3 million, or 2%, from $950.0 million at December 31, 2019. Compared to the same date last year, loan growth was primarily driven by growth of $47.3 million in commercial and industrial loans and $34.0 million in commercial real estate loans. Compared to December 31, 2019, growth within the loan portfolio was primarily comprised of growth in commercial and industrial loans of $26.6 million offset by a decrease in commercial real estate loans of $6.2 million.
Total shareholder’s equity increased by $7.5 million, or 6% to $131.2 million at March 31, 2020 from $123.7 million at March 31, 2019 and $130.3 million at December 31, 2019. The increases are primarily attributed to retention of earnings. Tangible book value per common share increased to $15.22 at March 31, 2020 from $15.16 at December 31, 2019, and $14.42 at March 31, 2019.
Asset Quality
The provision for credit losses decreased to $400 thousand for the first quarter of 2020, compared to $581 thousand for the first quarter of 2019 and $1.0 million for the fourth quarter of 2019. Net loan (recoveries) charge-offs in the first quarter of 2020 were $(90) thousand, or (0.04)% of average loans (annualized), compared to net charge-offs of $131 thousand, or 0.06%, in the first quarter of 2019 and $338 thousand, or 0.14%, in the fourth quarter of 2019.
Non-performing assets (“NPAs”) to total assets of 0.22% at March 31, 2020, compared to 0.40% at March 31, 2019 and 0.24% at December 31, 2019.Non-performing loans were $2.7 million at March 31, 2020 compared to $4.2 million at March 31, 2019 and $2.8 million at December 31, 2019. At March 31, 2020, the allowance represented 436% coverage ofnon-performing assets, up from 269% at March 31, 2019 and 402% at December 31, 2019.
The allowance for loan losses increased by $490 thousand to $11.6 million, or 1.19% of total loans at March 31, 2020, compared to $11.3 million, or 1.27% of total loans at March 31, 2019 and $11.1 million, or 1.17% of total loans at December 31, 2019. The Company has elected to defer implementation of ASU2016-13, which is referred to as the current expected credit loss (CECL) model and as such the change in the allowance was primarily the result of provisions determined under the incurred loss model which consideredcharge-off activity loan growth.