Provision for Credit Losses. The Company recognized provisions for credit losses in the amount of negative $669,000 and $139,000 for the three-month period ending September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The decrease in provision for credit losses in the 2020 period was due to improvement of the qualitative factor for unemployment, a reduction in the average loss history for 2018, 2019 and the current year, and reduction in the size of the loan portfolio. A provision was not recognized for the Commercial SBA PPP loans as these loans are 100% guaranteed by the SBA. As of September 30, 2020, the allowance for credit losses represented 0.61% of total loans compared to 0.81% at September 30, 2019 and is consistent with our credit quality. The Company recognized a negative provision for credit losses in the amount of $263,000 and $65,000 provision for credit losses for the nine-month period ending September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The increase for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019 was due to improvement of the qualitative factor for unemployment, a reduction in the average loss history for 2018, 2019 and the current year, and reduction in the size of the loan portfolio.
Noninterest Income. Noninterest income decreased to $260,000 for the three-month period ended September 30, 2020, from $391,000 for the corresponding period in 2019, a decrease of $131,000, or 33.50%. The decrease was primarily due to a decrease in service charges on deposit accounts and other fees and commissions. Noninterest income decreased to $743,000 for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2020, from $955,000 for the corresponding period in 2019, decreased of $212,000, or 22.20%. The decrease was primarily due to decreases in service charges on deposit accounts and other fees and commissions.
Noninterest Expenses. Noninterest expenses for the three-month period ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 were $2.7 million and $2.9 million, respectively, a decrease of $163,000 or 5.69%. The decrease was driven by decreases in salary and employee benefits cost, occupancy and equipment, legal, accounting and other professional fees, and other expenses, offset by increases in data and item processing services. Noninterest expenses decreased from $8.9 million for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2019, to $8.5 million for the corresponding period in 2020, a decrease of $384,000, or 4.27%. The decrease was driven by decreases in salary and employee benefits cost, occupancy and equipment, and other expenses, offset by increases in data and item processing services.
Income Taxes. During the three-month period ended September 30, 2020, the Company recorded income tax expense of $283,000 compared to $212,000 expense for the same period in 2019, a $71,000, or 33.49%, increase. During the nine-month period ended September 30, 2020, the Company recorded income tax expense of $326,000 compared to $315,000 for the same period in 2019, an $11,000, or 3.49% increase. The Company’s annualized effective tax rate at September 30, 2020 was 22.13% compared to 22.32% for the prior year. The increase in income tax expense was due to higher income before taxes. The decrease in the annualized effective tax rate for the three- and nine-month period was due to an increase in tax-exempt municipal securities in 2020.
Comprehensive Income (Loss). In accordance with regulatory requirements, the Company reports comprehensive income (loss) in its financial statements. Comprehensive income (loss) consists of the Company’s net income, adjusted for unrealized gains and losses on the Bank’s portfolio of investment securities and interest rate swap contracts. For the third quarter of 2020, comprehensive income, net of tax, totaled $886,000 compared to comprehensive income of $727,000 for the same period in 2019. The increase was due to higher net income, higher net unrealized losses on interest rate swaps, offset by higher net unrealized gains on available for sale securities. For the nine-month period ended September 30, 2020, comprehensive income, net of tax, totaled $1.6 million, compared to $2.1 million for the same period in 2019. The decrease was due to lower net unrealized gains on available for sale securities.
FINANCIAL CONDITION
General. The Company’s assets increased to $430.9 million at September 30, 2020 from $384.9 million at December 31, 2019, an increase of $46.0 million or 11.95%, primarily due to increases in cash and cash equivalents and investment securities available for sale, offset by decreases in loans, net. Loans totaled $272.4 million at September 30, 2020, a decrease of $10.3 million, or 3.64%, from $282.7 million at December 31, 2019. The decrease was primarily attributable to decreases in residential real estate, indirect and commercial real estate loans, offset by increases in commercial loans and commercial SBA PPP loans. Investment securities available for sale as of September 30, 2020, totaled $114.5 million, an increase of $43.0 million, or 60.14% from $71.5 million at December 31, 2019. The increase resulted primarily from the purchase of investments securities due to an increase in excess liquidity from deposit growth