subordinated debt is $7.0 million higher than the debt instruments it replaced. Note that included in 2021 borrowings interest expense is $202,000 of additional interest expense that the Company had to recognize from the write-off of the unamortized issuance costs from the original debt instruments that the new sub-debt replaced. Borrowings interest expense, in both the quarterly and full year time periods, was favorably impacted by reduced interest expense from Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) term borrowings, which declined by $100,000, or 51.5%, for the quarter and by $322,000, or 37.1%, for the full year. The full year average balance of FHLB term borrowings was lower in 2022 by $16.1 million, or 32.6%, as strength of the Company’s liquidity position allowed management to let FHLB term advances mature and not be replaced.
The Company recorded a $275,000 loan loss provision in the fourth quarter of 2022 as compared to a $250,000 provision recorded in the fourth quarter of 2021. For the full year 2022, the Company recorded a $50,000 provision compared to a $1.1 million provision recorded for the full year of 2021. The increased fourth quarter 2022 provision expense primarily reflects loan portfolio growth and an increase in classified loans. The $1,050,000 favorable comparison for total provision expense for the full year of 2022 reflects improved credit quality for the overall portfolio due to several loan upgrades and increased payoff and paydown activity of criticized loans. As demonstrated historically, the Company continues its strategic conviction that a strong allowance for loan losses is needed, which has proven to be essential given the support provided to certain borrowers as they fully recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall non-performing assets remain well controlled totaling $5.2 million, or 0.52% of total loans, on December 31, 2022. The Company experienced net loan charge-offs of $1.7 million, or 0.17% of total average loans, for the 2022 year and is higher than net loan charge-offs of $47,000, which equates to 0.00% of total average loans, for the full year of 2021. The higher level of net charge-offs in 2022 is primarily related to the partial charge-down and transfer of one non-owner occupied commercial real estate loan relationship into non-accrual status while the borrower pursues the sale of the property. In summary, the allowance for loan losses provided 207% coverage of non-performing assets, and 1.08% of total loans, on December 31, 2022, compared to 373% coverage of non-performing assets, and 1.26% of total loans, on December 31, 2021.
Total non-interest income in the fourth quarter of 2022 decreased by $439,000, or 10.1%, from the prior year's fourth quarter and for the full year of 2022 decreased by $1.1 million, or 6.0%, from the full year of 2021. Net realized gains on loans held for sale decreased by $456,000, or 68.7%, for the full year, due to the lower level of residential mortgage loan production which reflects a reduced level of mortgage loan refinance activity because of the rapid escalation of interest rates since the beginning of 2022. Residential mortgage loan production through twelve months in 2022 totaled $24.8 million representing a $65.8 million, or 72.6%, reduction from the 2021 production level. The reduced level of mortgage loan production also caused mortgage related fees to decline by $243,000, or 67.9%, for the full year. Wealth management fees decreased by $289,000, or 9.8%, for the fourth quarter of 2022 and also declined by $366,000, or 3.1%, for the full year compared to 2021. The decrease in both time periods reflects the unfavorable impact of the declining equity markets on wealth management fee income as well as the unfavorable impact that the move in the bond market had on wealth management asset values. Both unfavorable items were partially offset by new customer business growth. The fair market value of wealth management assets declined since the fourth quarter of 2021 by $398.3 million, or 14.7%, and totaled $2.3 billion at December 31, 2022. Service charges on deposit accounts increased by $143,000, or 14.8%, in 2022 compared to the full year of 2021, as consumers are more active this year, increasing their spending habits. Other income is $96,000, or 14.3%, lower for the quarter and $35,000, or 1.4%, lower for the full year due to the recognition of a credit valuation adjustment to the market value of the interest rate swap contracts that the Company executed to accommodate the needs of certain borrowers while managing our interest rate risk position. Finally, the Company recognized an $84,000 gain from the sale of investment securities in 2021 while no gain or loss was recognized in 2022.
Total non-interest expense in the fourth quarter of 2022 increased by $581,000, or 4.8%, when compared to the fourth quarter of 2021 and increased for the full year of 2022 by $1.0 million, or 2.2%, when compared to 2021. Salaries & employee benefits declined by $76,000, or 1.1%, for the quarter but are $645,000, or 2.3%, higher for the full year of 2022. Within total salaries & benefits expense, salaries costs are higher by $1.4 million, or 7.8%, for the full year due to merit increases and a higher level of full-time equivalent employees (FTEs) as the Company has been able to fill certain open positions this year. Also, contributing to the higher salaries & employee benefits costs were additional increases to health care, payroll taxes and other employee benefits. Partially offsetting these higher costs within salaries & benefits was lower incentive compensation by $808,000, or 38.2%, due to the reduced level of loan production and no performance related executive incentive payments in 2022. Similar to what occurred in 2021, the Company was required to recognize a settlement charge in connection with its defined benefit pension plan in the second through fourth quarters of 2022 within other expense. The amount of the charge in the fourth quarter was $1.3 million, bringing the total settlement charge recognized in 2022 to $2.5 million. The 2022 full year settlement charge was $762,000, or 43.9%, higher than the settlement charge of $1.7 million recognized for the 2021 year while the fourth quarter 2022 settlement charge was $638,000 higher than the fourth quarter 2021 charge. A settlement charge must be recognized when the total dollar amount of lump sum distributions paid from the pension plan to retired employees exceeds a threshold of expected annual service and interest costs in the current year. The value of the lump sums continued to be elevated this year due to the lower interest rate levels late in 2021 when these lump sums were calculated. However, since the retired employees have chosen to take the lump sum payments, these individuals are no longer included in the pension plan. Therefore, the Company’s basic pension expense is expected to be lower in the future. This was evident in 2022 as the basic amount of pension expense required to be recognized, excluding the impact of settlement charges, was $997,000, or 98.2%, lower for the full year of 2022 compared to basic pension expense for the full year of 2021. Professional fees were $521,000, or 9.5%, higher for the full year of 2022 due to higher legal costs, outsourced professional services and other professional fees. Net occupancy expenses were $263,000, or 10.0%, higher in 2022 due to increased utilities cost along with