Provision for Credit Losses. The Company recognized a release of credit losses in the amount of $122,000 and 669,000 for the three-month periods ending September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The Company recognized a release for credit losses in the amount of $593,000 and $263,000 for the nine-month periods ending September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively. As of September 30, 2021, the allowance for credit losses represented 1.25% of total loans compared to 0.61% at September 30, 2020. The $547,000 increase in the provision for credit losses (“PCL-loans”) in the third quarter of 2021 as compared to the third quarter of 2020 was the reversal of the previously recorded provision in 2020, and the $330,000 benefit in the first nine months of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020 is due primarily to lower average balances on loans, and net recoveries of previously charged-off loan balances. A provision was not recognized for the Commercial SBA PPP loans as these loans are 100% guaranteed by the SBA.
Noninterest Income. Noninterest income increased to $359,000 for the three-month period ended September 30, 2021, from $260,000 for the corresponding period in 2020, an increase of $99,000, or 38.08%. The increase was primarily due to an increase in other fees and commissions. Noninterest income increased to $886,000 for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2021, from $743,000 for the corresponding period in 2020, an increase of $143,000, or 19.25%. The increase was primarily due to increases in other fees and commissions and the gain on the sale of OREO, offset by a decrease in service charges on deposit accounts.
Noninterest Expenses. Noninterest expenses for the three-month period ended September 30, 2021 and 2020 were $2.69 million and $2.69 million, respectively, a decrease of $2,000 or 0.09%. The decrease was driven by decreases in legal, accounting, and other professional fees, loan collection costs and data processing and item processing services, offset by increases in salary and employee benefits, occupancy and equipment expenses, and other expenses. Noninterest expenses decreased from $8.54 million for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2020, to $8.31 million for the corresponding period in 2021, a decrease of $228,000, or 2.66%. The decrease was driven by decreases in legal, accounting, and other professional fees and loan collection costs, offset by increases in data processing and item processing services.
Income Taxes. During the three-month period ended September 30, 2021, the Company recorded income tax expense of $242,000 compared to $283,000 expense for the same period in 2020, a $41,000, or 14.49%, decrease. During the nine-month period ended September 30, 2021, the Company recorded income tax expense of $439,000 compared to $326,000 expense for the same period in 2020, a $113,000, or 34.66%, increase. The Company’s annualized effective tax rate at September 30, 2021 was 18.29% compared to 22.13% 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 nine-month period was due to an increase in tax-exempt municipal securities in 2021.
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 2021, comprehensive loss, net of tax, totaled $182,000 compared to income in the amount of $886,000 for the same period in 2020. The decrease was due to lower net income and higher unrealized losses on available for sale securities, offset by net unrealized gains on interest rate swaps. For the nine-month period ended September 30, 2021, comprehensive income, net of tax, totaled $97,000, compared to $1,578,000 for the same period in 2020. The decrease was due to higher net unrealized losses on available for sale securities, offset by higher net income and net unrealized gains on interest rate swaps.
FINANCIAL CONDITION
General. The Company’s assets increased to $432.8 million at September 30, 2021 from $419.5 million at December 31, 2020, an increase of $13.3 million or 3.18%, primarily due to an increase in investment securities available for sale, offset by decreases in interest-bearing deposits at other financial institutions and loans, net. Loans totaled $221.9 million at September 30, 2021, a decrease of $30.4 million, or 12.05%, from $252.3 million at December 31, 2020. The decrease was primarily attributable to decreases in single-family residential, multi-family residential, commercial loans, commercial and industrial loans, commercial SBA PPP loans, consumer, and automobile loans, offset by an increase in construction and land loans. Investment securities available for sale as of September 30, 2021, totaled $162.8 million, an increase of $48.8 million, or 42.77% from $114.0 million on December 31, 2020. The increase