noninterest expenses, which exclude goodwill impairment, the FDIC special assessment, merger-related and restructuring costs, and the amortization of intangibles, decreased $160 million, or 4.5%, compared to the prior quarter.
The effective tax rate for the fourth quarter of 2023 decreased compared to the third quarter of 2023 primarily driven by lower pre-tax earnings, which includes a non-deductible goodwill impairment, partially offset by a discrete tax benefit of $204 million.
Balance Sheet Overview—Fourth Quarter 2023 Compared to Third Quarter 2023
Average loans held for investment decreased $5.5 billion, or 1.7%, compared to the prior quarter. Average commercial loans decreased 1.8% due to a decline in the commercial and industrial portfolio, partially offset by an increase in commercial construction loans. Average consumer loans decreased 1.8% primarily due to declines in the indirect auto and mortgage portfolios.
Average deposits for the fourth quarter of 2023 were $395.3 billion, a decrease of $5.7 billion, or 1.4%, compared to the prior quarter. Average noninterest-bearing deposits decreased 3.7% compared to the prior quarter and represented 29.0% of total deposits for the fourth quarter of 2023 compared to 29.6% for the third quarter of 2023 and 34.1% compared to the year ago quarter. Average money market and savings accounts decreased 1.8%. Average time deposits increased 1.6% due to increases in retail client time deposits, primarily due to migration from other deposit products, partially offset by a $2.1 billion decline in brokered time deposits.
Asset Quality
Nonperforming assets totaled $1.5 billion at December 31, 2023, down 6.0% compared to September 30, 2023. Nonperforming loans and leases held for investment were 0.44% of loans and leases held for investment at December 31, 2023, down two basis points compared to September 30, 2023.
Loans 90 days or more past due and still accruing totaled $534 million at December 31, 2023, down $40 million, or one basis point as a percentage of loans and leases, compared with the prior quarter primarily due to a decline in government guaranteed residential mortgages. Excluding government guaranteed loans, the ratio of loans 90 days or more past due and still accruing as a percentage of loans and leases was 0.04% at December 31, 2023, unchanged from September 30, 2023.
Loans 30-89 days past due and still accruing of $2.0 billion at December 31, 2023 were up $335 million, or 11 basis points as a percentage of loans and leases, compared to the prior quarter due to increases in the commercial and industrial portfolio and consumer portfolios.
The allowance for credit losses was $5.1 billion and includes $4.8 billion for the allowance for loan and lease losses and $295 million for the reserve for unfunded commitments. The ALLL ratio was 1.54%, up five basis points compared with September 30, 2023. The ALLL covered nonperforming loans and leases held for investment 3.5X compared to 3.2X at September 30, 2023. At December 31, 2023, the ALLL was 2.7X annualized net charge-offs, compared to 2.9X at September 30, 2023. The provision for credit losses was $572 million compared to $497 million for the third quarter of 2023. The increase in the current quarter provision expense primarily reflects higher net charge-offs and an allowance build. The net charge-off ratio for the current quarter was up compared to the third quarter of 2023 primarily driven by higher net charge-offs in the other consumer, commercial and industrial, and indirect auto portfolios, partially offset by lower net charge-offs in the CRE portfolio. Dividends and Capital
Capital ratios remained strong compared to the regulatory requirements for well capitalized banks. Truist declared common dividends of $0.52 per share during the fourth quarter of 2023. Truist did not repurchase any shares in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Truist’s preliminary CET1 ratio was 10.1% as of December 31, 2023. The increase since September 30, 2023 resulted from organic capital generation and RWA optimization.
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