Income Taxes
Income tax expense was $4.0 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020 compared to $3.9 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019, reflecting a higher effective tax rate, partially offset by lower income before income taxes in the 2020 period. The effective tax rate was 23.4% for the three months ended September 30, 2020 compared to 21.7% for the same period in 2019. The increase in our effective tax rate resulted primarily from non-deductible merger expenses in the 2020 third quarter.
Income tax expense was $9.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 compared to $10.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019, reflecting lower income before income taxes, partially offset by a higher effective tax rate in the 2020 period. The effective tax rate was 22.9% for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 compared to 21.3% for the same period in 2019. The increase in our effective tax rate resulted primarily from non-deductible merger expenses in the 2020 third quarter.
Financial Condition
Total assets were $6.3 billion at September 30, 2020, $1.4 billion, or 28.5%, higher than December 31, 2019. The rise in total assets in 2020 reflects increases in loans held for investment and cash and cash equivalents, partially offset by a decrease in securities.
Cash and cash equivalents increased $593.3 million, or 506.2%, to $710.5 million at September 30, 2020 compared to December 31, 2019. Total securities decreased $214.4 million, or 26.6%, to $590.4 million at September 30, 2020 compared to December 31, 2019. Total loans held for investment, net, increased $959.2 million, or 26.1%, to $4.6 billion at September 30, 2020 compared to December 31, 2019, inclusive of PPP loans totaling $960.4 million. Net deferred loan fees were $14.2 million at September 30, 2020, inclusive of $22.7 million remaining unamortized net loan fees related to PPP loans. Our focus is on our ability to grow the loan portfolio, while minimizing interest rate risk sensitivity and maintaining credit quality.
Total liabilities were $5.8 billion at September 30, 2020, $1.4 billion higher than December 31, 2019. The increase in total liabilities in 2020 was mainly due to deposit growth, attributable to PPP related deposits, partially offset by a decrease in FHLB advances.
Total deposits increased $1.6 billion, or 40.7%, to $5.4 billion at September 30, 2020, compared to December 31, 2019. The increase in total deposits in 2020 was largely attributable to higher demand deposits and savings, NOW and money market deposits. Demand deposits increased $727.3 million, or 47.9%, to $2.2 billion at September 30, 2020 compared to December 31, 2019. The rise in demand deposits in the third quarter of 2020 was primarily driven by an inflow of PPP-related deposits. Savings, NOW and money market deposits increased $844.7 million, or 42.5%, to $2.8 billion at September 30, 2020 compared to December 31, 2019. Certificates of deposit decreased $17.6 million, or 5.7%, to $290.4 million at September 30, 2020 compared to December 31, 2019. FHLB advances decreased $220.0 million to $215.0 million at September 30, 2020 compared to December 31, 2019.
Total stockholders' equity increased $15.1 million to $512.2 million at September 30, 2020 compared to $497.2 million at December 31, 2019. We adopted the CECL Standard on January 1, 2020, which resulted in a charge to retained earnings and reduction to stockholders’ equity of $1.5 million. The increase in stockholders’ equity was largely attributable to net income of $33.1 million, partially offset by $14.4 million in dividends, $4.6 million in purchases of treasury stock, and $0.4 million of other comprehensive loss, net of deferred income taxes. During the nine months ended September 30, 2020, there were 179,620 shares purchased under the 2019 Stock Repurchase Program at a cost of $4.6 million.
Liquidity
Our liquidity management objectives are to ensure the sufficiency of funds available to respond to the needs of depositors and borrowers, and to take advantage of unanticipated opportunities for our growth or earnings enhancement. Liquidity management addresses our ability to meet financial obligations that arise in the normal course of business. Liquidity is primarily needed to meet customer borrowing commitments and deposit withdrawals, either on demand or on contractual maturity, to repay borrowings as they mature, to fund current and planned expenditures and to make new loans and investments as opportunities arise.