Provision for Credit Losses on Loans. The Company recognized a release of allowance for credit losses on loans in the amount of $100,000 and $404,000 for the three-month periods ending March 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. As of March 31, 2022, the allowance for credit losses represented 1.17% of total loans compared to 1.18% at March 31, 2021. The decrease in the provision for credit losses on loans (“PCL-loans”) in the first quarter of 2022, as compared to the first quarter of 2021 was primarily driven by minimal charge-offs, recoveries on previously charged off loans, and a reduction in the Company’s loan portfolio in the first quarter of 2022. 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 $254,000 for the three-month period ended March 31, 2022, from $247,000 for the corresponding period in 2021, an increase of $7,000, or 2.83%. The increase was primarily due to an increase in other fees and commissions.
Noninterest Expenses. Noninterest expenses for the three-month period ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 were $2.78 million and $2.83 million, respectively, a decrease of $44,000 or 1.54%. The decrease was driven by decreases in salary and employee benefits, data processing and item processing services, loan collection costs and telephone costs, offset by increases in occupancy and equipment expenses, and legal, accounting, and other professional fees.
Income Taxes. During the three-month period ended March 31, 2022, the Company recorded income tax expense of $21,000, as compared to a $106,000 expense for the same period in 2021, an $85,000, or 80.19%, decrease. The Company’s annualized effective tax rate at March 31, 2022 was 9.76% compared to 15.20% for the prior year. The decrease in income tax expense was due to higher income before taxes at March 31, 2021, compared to March 31, 2022.
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 first quarter of 2022, comprehensive loss, net of tax, totaled $8,177,000 compared to a loss in the amount of $1,895,000 for the same period in 2021. The decrease was due to lower net income and higher unrealized losses on available for sale securities, offset by higher net unrealized gains on interest rate swaps.
FINANCIAL CONDITION
General. The Company’s assets decreased to $437.4 million at March 31, 2022 from $442.1 million at December 31, 2021, a decrease of $4.6 million or 1.05%, primarily due to decreases in investment securities available for sale and loans, net, offset by increases in interest-bearing deposits at other financial institutions and deferred tax assets, net. Loans totaled $201.9 million at March 31, 2022, a decrease of $6.1 million, or 2.91%, from $207.9 million at December 31, 2021. The decrease was primarily attributable to decreases in construction and land, commercial loans, commercial and industrial loans, commercial SBA PPP loans, consumer, and automobile loans, offset by an increase in single-family residential loans. Investment securities available for sale as of March 31, 2022, totaled $147.4 million, a decrease of $8.6 million, or 5.49% from $155.9 million on December 31, 2021. The decrease resulted primarily from a devaluation of the investment portfolio, resulting in a higher level of unrealized losses. Cash and cash equivalents as of March 31, 2022, totaled $68.8 million, an increase of $6.7 million, or 10.71% from $62.2 million on December 31, 2021 resulting primarily from loan payoffs and increases in deposits in the first quarter of 2022.
Loans are placed on nonaccrual status when they are past due 90 days as to either principal or interest or when, in the opinion of management, the collection of all interest and/or principal is in doubt. Placing a loan on nonaccrual status means that we no longer accrue interest or amortize deferred fees or costs on such loans and reverse any interest previously accrued but not collected. Management may grant a waiver from nonaccrual status for a 90 day past due loan that is both well secured and in the process of collection. A loan remains on nonaccrual status until the loan is current as to payment of both principal and interest and the borrower has demonstrated the ability to make payments in accordance with the terms of the loan and remain current.
A loan is considered to be impaired when, based on current information and events, it is probable that we will be unable to collect all amounts due according to the contractual terms of the loan agreement. Impaired loans are