Provision for Credit Losses. The Company recognized a release of credit losses in the amount of $67,000 and a provision for credit losses in the amount of $487,000 for the three-month periods ending June 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The Company recognized a release for credit losses in the amount of $471,000 and a provision for credit losses in the amount of $407,000 for the six-month period ending June 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively. As of June 30, 2021, the allowance for credit losses represented 1.23% of total loans compared to 0.84% at June 30, 2020. The $554,000 favorable decline in the provision for credit losses (“PCL-loans”) in the second quarter of 2021 as compared to the second quarter of 2020, and the $878,000 favorable decrease in the first six 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 $280,000 for the three-month period ended June 30, 2021, from $228,000 for the corresponding period in 2020, an increase of $52,000, or 22.81%. The increase was primarily due to an increase in other fees and commissions and the gain on the sale of other real estate owned (“OREO”). Noninterest income increased to $527,000 for the six-month period ended June 30, 2021, from $484,000 for the corresponding period in 2020, an increase of $43,000, or 8.88%. The decrease 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 June 30, 2021 and 2020 were $2.79 million and $2.81 million, respectively, a decrease of $15,000 or 0.53%. The decrease was driven by decreases in legal, accounting and other professional fees, and other expenses, offset by increases in data and item processing services, and telephone costs. Noninterest expenses decreased from $5.85 million for the six-month period ended June 30, 2020, to $5.62 million for the corresponding period in 2021, a decrease of $230,000, or 3.93%. The decrease was driven by decreases in salary and employee benefits cost, occupancy and equipment, legal, accounting, and other professional fees, loan collection costs, FDIC insurance costs and other expenses, offset by increases in data processing and item processing services and telephone costs.
Income Taxes. During the three-month period ended June 30, 2021, the Company recorded income tax expense of $91,000 compared to $32,000 benefit for the same period in 2020, a $123,000, or 384.38%, increase. The Company’s annualized effective tax rate at June 30, 2021 was 15.83% compared to 20.05% 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 six-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 second quarter of 2021, comprehensive income, net of tax, totaled $2,172,000 compared to $259,000 for the same period in 2020. The increase was due to higher net income, unrealized gains on available for sale securities and net unrealized gains on interest rate swaps. For the six-month period ended June 30, 2021, comprehensive income, net of tax, totaled $277,000, compared to $689,000 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 June 30, 2021 from $419.5 million at December 31, 2020, an increase of $13.3 million or 3.17%, 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 $232.0 million at June 30, 2021, a decrease of $20.3 million, or 8.05%, from $252.3 million at December 31, 2020. The decrease was primarily attributable to decreases in single-family residential, multi-family residential, commercial and industrial loans, commercial SBA PPP loans, consumer, and automobile loans, offset by increases in construction and land and commercial real estate loans. Investment securities available for sale as of June 30, 2021, totaled $157.6 million, an increase of $43.6 million, or 38.18% from $114.0 million on December 31, 2020. The increase resulted primarily from the purchase of investments securities due to an increase in excess liquidity from deposit growth and decreases in loan