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March 3, 2014

Marketing Posts Analyzed

Filed under: Social Media — admin @ 11:25 pm

Popular Themes

How to get work; Who is getting work
(A) 35,000 per month his first year (also in pricing section)
(A) 3 jobs per week to 3 jobs per day (CERTIFICATION) (also in Certification section)
(A) 2013 analytics. who is getting more biz?
(A) CSS to get work these days
(A) We are requiring notaries to be on our approved list
(A) Is a p#20 really superior (also in advertising)
(B) If your name is everywhere, then people will find you (also in advertising)
(B) 5 or 6 REVIEWS doubles your business? (also in review section)
(C) Great attitude gets jobs
(D) Background checked & fingerprinting
(D) Banks prefer a notary

Notary Pricing, Fees & Income Considerations
(A) What does a notary charge in 2013?
(A) 35,000 per month his first year
(A) $1000 per minute
(A) $30 Signings
(A) Has the industry slowed down again?
(A) 6 free things 123notary does
(A) 4 reasons the industry will pick up.
(B) Signing services take a proportion of the fee
(C) 123’s prices went down in 11 areas
(D) Chumped in double booking
(D) Reasons notaries won’t lower their fees

General Marketing
(D) Choosing a name for your business license
(D) Do signing reviews get companies to pay?
(D) Funny notary names.
(F) find a notary page analytics
(F) # of people using find a notary page
(F) Bank Notary
(F) MONTHLY MARKETING PLAN
(F) Rocket science – loan signing isn’t rocket science
(F) Persian name
(F) New Algorithm

Advertising
(A) Is a p#20 really superior (also in how to get work section)
(B) If your name is everywhere, then people will find you
(C) Meao notary service PETS
(C) Complaining about 123notary’s prices going up
(D) economy listings
(D) Wanne be #1 on 123notary?
(D) Free listings really free?
(D) 24 hour icon
(D) 123notary stats took dive
(D) Customers can tell if you don’t login regularly.
(D) Is it free?

Notes
(A) Notes – excerpts from great notes sections
(A) How to write a notes section if you have no experience
(B) How often do you update # of signings.
(B) What to write in your notes section
(C) 10 quick changes to your notes that double your calls
(C) im experienced and pay attention to detail
(C) # of signings… fake it until you make it.
(D) Dependable & reliable in notes
(D) NOTES sections gone bad
(D) General vs. Specific info in notes
(D) Are you too factual or too personal?
(D) Personality and uniqueness
(D) Clarification of vague points in notes
(D) fedex cut off
(F) Testimonial in notes
(D) Docs will be dropped off in a timely fashion
(F) It’s okay to be experienced but not dependable
(F) Vague – are you vague?
(F) Change the county you’re in

Reviews
(B) How much traffic does 123notary really get?
(B) 5 or 6 REVIEWS doubles your business?
(C) Fake REVIEWs
(C) REVIEWS from Title Companies
(D) You only need a review every 2 months
(D) People believe what others say about you
(F) Word of mouse
(F) all reviews created equal?
(F) If movie reviews get stars, why not notary

Certification Note: Tell a story, don’t mention certification in title.
(A) 3 jobs per week to 3 jobs per day (CERTIFICATION) (also in how to get work section)
(C) Top 1%
(D) If not 123notary CERTIFIED
(D) Elite certification
(D) Uncertified and not a single call

Communication
(C) Notaries who have too much work
(D) Why answer the phone? Why call back?
(D) Novice
(F) Fear, anger

Social Media
(C) Our forum is slowly dying
(D) Newsletter has some perks
(D) Linked in interesting
(D) categories
(F) Ideas for blog articles
(F) Facebook to login to the forum
(F) Twitter
(F) Will our newsletter continue to grow?
(F) We are 123notary.com

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March 2, 2014

Analytics for TECHNICAL posts… graded!

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: — admin @ 11:25 pm

The (A) list:
ID, POA, APPS, SUED, JOBS, TUTORIALS, INTERVIEWS, BEST PRACTICES, POINT & SIGN, OUT OF BIZ, FREE, DIFFERENT DAY, LATE DOCS, PAYMENT, WILLS
CALL: Don’t CALL the Title co, or borrowers
ACCEPTING certifications
PAID: Getting PAID usual or unusual ways.
QUALIFICATIONS (background check & CSS)
JOBS: More jobs, less jobs, taking jobs away, taking bigger cut of money from jobs.

The (B) list:
Consumer financial protection, Loom them up, Stay here until PAID, why use middle INITIAL, Boss PAYS for COMMISSION, Industry STANDARDS, BEGINNERS, what makes a mobile notary, I-9, won’t sign disclosure, following directions, more specific tutorials, JAIL.

TUTORIAL on documents idea.
DOCUMENTS: Late, don’t call until ready, document dates, foreign language docs, witnessing docs, common mistakes w/particular docs, which docs recorded.

=====================================
1003 trouble (F)
1099 too high (C)
ACCEPT certifications (A)
ACKNOWLEDGMENT (D) optional ack cert.
APOSTILLE nightmare (D)
ATTENTION paying (D)
ATTITUDE > JOBS (C)
ATTORNEY GENERAL (F) UR not an attorney (F)
APR (C) to non-borrowing spouse.
BACKGROUND Screening (A)
BAG; carry all (F)
BAR: GA association (F)
BEGINNERS info (B)
Birth Certificate (A)
BLOG she learned more (F)
BOOKS top 5 (F)
BORROWERS at ease (C)
BOSS pays for comm. (B)
BUSINESS NAMES (D+) Biz names (C-) Choosing a name (D+) Grow biz first then register (D-)
CALL (A) don’t call title co;
CERTIFICATION or skill (D); Uncertified not a single all (D) If not certified (D) Just do it (D) Obamacare (F); not cert (F)
CLOSING bank branch (A)
CONTRACT (F)
CREDIT CARD afraid (F)
CROSS-OUT happy (C); story about cross-outs (C); Cross out and initial (F)
CREDIBLE witness (D) what is (F); Charge for (F);
CRIMINALS (B)
DIRECTIONS following (B)
DATES (B) doc, sig, notarization date
DOCS ready (A)
DOCUMENTS ready (A)
DUE: getting what is (A)
E&O (D); Supersize (D)
EATING on road (C)
EMBOSSERS (F)
EXPERIENCE gain (C)
ELITE: does it help? (C) Elite certification (F)
EXPLAIN (C)
ERROR-FREE (C)
FINGERPRINTING (D) difficult
FREE 3rd signing (F)
GETTING more work (A) 3jobs/day
eNOTARY overall score (D) ; which states (A); pros/cons (D); state specific (F); what can enotary do (F); 10yrs garbage (D); AZ (F);
eJOURNAL (B)
ETIQUETTE borrower (D) thanks, sorry (D)
FAMILY (C) Making family leave the room.
FEAR, anger (F)
FIND 24 hour notary (D)
FINES & PENALTIES (C)
FOREIGN lang doc (B)
FREE certification (A)
FUZZY (F)
GUNS borrowers w/ (F)
HIRE other notaries (C)
HOLD HARMLESS (C)
HOSPITAL signings (D)
HUD (C)
IDENTIFICATION (bad) (A)
INTERVIEW (A)
HOURS (F) of operation
IDENTIFICATION (D) 2nd ID requirement
INCOME: (C) Notaries who make more than Attorneys
I-9 Notarizing (B)
iCLOSE (F)
INITIAL middle overall (C); Why use middle initial (B) wouldn’t use middle initial (D)
INSURANCE (F)
INTERVIEW / advice (B) interview w/title (C) Title source (B); timios (A) Advice from AZ; Veteran Notary inteview (C)
JAIL overall (D); Pay at (F); Hubby in jail (B) Notarization at (D) Jail one phone call (F)
JOBS (A)
JOURNALS (D)
LATE docs (A)
LOOK them up (A)
LOWBALLERS (B)
MINIMUM competency (D)
MINORS overall (C); Minors rules (B) Notarizing a minor (D)
MISTAKES w/ Title (C); common mistakes (C) I also make (D) When you goof (D) types of (F)
MOBILE NOTARY (B) what makes?;
MOBILE OFFICE (D) warrantee
MORTGAGE borker (F) sniffing out the right notaries.
NNA (D) NNA-care (F)
NOTARIZED overall (D); w/o sig (C); Notarize 2x (D); Notarized statement (D) How to get (F)
NOTARIES (F) Industrial strength (F) unleaded (F)
NOTES (D) factual or personal? (D); Represent (F)
NOVICE (D)
OBSTACLES creating (C)
OATH (F) of two 2 witneses
OVERSEAS (D)
OUT OF BIZ bank br. (A)
OWL icon (D)
PAGE every page? (C)
PASSPORT (C) Notarizing passport (F) How to notarize copy of passport (A)
PAYMENT responsibility (C) getting what is due (A); Stay until paid (B); How to get paid (D) Fees at door (F)
PERJURY arm twisting (D) Perjury vs. Oaths (D)
PAY: does xyz pay? (F)
PHONE overall (C) ; Who answers? (A); Why answer (D); Phone interaction tutorial (D); Call back can’t talk (D)
PHONE #’s (F)
POA / Nursing home (A)
POINT & SIGN (A)
POLICE enotarization (D)
PREPAYMENT penalty (D)
PROTECTION (A) Consumer Financial protection bureau.
RAMBLE (D)
REAL ESTATE exp. (D) RE prices (F)
RECORDED which docs (D)
RESOLUTIONS (F)
ROCKET SCIENCE (F)
REVIEWS technique (F); signing co. reviews = payment (D+)
SIGN overall (B); Sign on different day (A); Sign disclosure (B); Get them to sign (D);
SIGNATURE BY X (F)
SPAM contacts (D)
STANDARDS: industry (B)
STAMP missing F()
STATES bordering (F)
STRANGE funny haha (D)
SUED: biz lic, e&o (A)
TAMPERING stapler (F)
THUMBPRINT overall (B); Thumbprint necessary (A); Asked NOT to thumbprint (C)
TIPS; overall (C) 12 tips (B); tips for notaries (F)
TOOLS for notary (F)
TRANSLATE (F)
TRENCHES for notaries (D)
TROUBLE (D)
TUTORIAL (B) general (A) other (B) too obscure (C)
VAGUE (F)
Webcam Notarization (B)
WILL notarize a (A)
WITNESSES (B) notary witness (B); expert witness horror (B)
WORK getting more (A) 3jobs/week to 3jobs/day; took biz away (A)
UNIQUENESS (D)
WARRANTEE (D) for mobile office
X on search results (D)
X: Signature by X (-) See Signature by X

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January 18, 2014

You could get sued if you don’t have a business license

Filed under: Legal Issues,Popular on Facebook (comments),Popular on Facebook (shares),Popular on Facebook (very),Popular Overall,SEO,Technical & Legal — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 12:16 am

Legally, you might need to get a business license
Did you just get your Notary Commission? Good for you! Do you want to start a business doing notarizations? unlikely unless you have gotten huge without a business license. However, there is a small chance that someone else might register that business name somewhere in your state or county and sue you for damages. After all, you were Legally, you might need to get a business license. But, most notaries don’t get one until they want to use a particular business name. Some even advertise in the yellow pages without having a registered business name. What is the risk in not doing so? Will the state government come crashing down on you? That is using THEIR business name and they could claim to have lost money!

Changing or removing your business name
The problem is that once you put your business name in print on the internet or in printed advertising, you might find it very difficult to get change it or remove it. Google keeps a cache of old pages for months as well, so that information you posted on the internet could haunt you long after you remove it!

Notary Business names that change every month?
We have notaries on 123notary who change their business name every month. Each time it is a different variation. In October it is MG Notary Service, and then it changes to MG Properties, and then in December it is Mary’s Notary & Apostille. Which one is it? Notaries cannot change their personal or business name on our site without my intervention. But, when I see that they are changing their business name every month, I begin to think that “perhaps” their business name is not really registered, and that they don’t have business licenses. Hmmm. Once I asked someone to send me proof of their business license and they sent me a copy of a newspaper ad they had used to publish their business name. The text was different sizes and on different lines, and I couldn’t tell which part of the name was commentary and which part was the name on their business license. Good God!

Be safe and get registered
It is better to think long and hard about what your business name should be. Then, register your business name, and get a company bank account. Then you can advertise, and do business as a DBA without “as much” risk of being sued due to your business name. There can always be some clown who still wants to make trouble with you who has that same business name registered in another county, but if you are playing by the rules, it will be harder for someone to question the legitimacy of your business name and probably less likely that they can sue you for “business name infringement”. Your name on your notary commission is registered, why shouldn’t your business name as well?

Tweets:
(1) Did you just get your notary commission? Good! You need to get a business license now.
(2) Once your business name is registered & in print, it is not easy to change it. Think it over first.
(3) We have notaries on 123notary who change their business name every month. Doesn’t sound very legal.
(4) You might be held liable for “business name infringement” if you don’t register your biz name.

You might also like:

Stealing a business name
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=2660

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November 15, 2013

Common Mistakes with: 1003, Crossing out, RTC, TIL & APR

Filed under: Loan Signing 101,Notary Mistakes — Tags: , , , — admin @ 12:23 am

The problem with the signing agent industry is that education is simply not taken seriously. Newer signing agents will take a certification course somewhere, pass by the skin of their teeth, and then say, “I’m done learning”. The effect is that their brain turns off, and there is no more curiousity to learn or thirst for knowledge.

123notary offers a lot of information in the blog which is free, not to mention a plethora of signing courses and new testing systems that are currently being experimented with. Please take advantage of the information that is out there for best results.

Here are some common mistakes that are really dumb that newer signing agents do.

(1) Call the lender about the 1003
The 1003 is always wrong. It is not a final document by the way. The natural order of documents in terms of the finality of information starts with the 1003 which is an application. This application is typed up by minimum wage workers who systematically make mistakes, and the lenders as a group seem to think it is okay to make mistakes on loan documents for loans of half a million dollars. First of all it is NOT okay, secondly it upsets borrowers, and thirdly, it leaves signing agents in a perceived quandary. They think they need to call the lender if information in this document is wrong. This is the one document you can do cross outs on. It doesn’t matter. The next version of information about names and numbers would be the Good Faith Estimate. It is once again a preliminary document and just an estimate. The final document with numbers is the HUD-1 Settlement Statement. If there is an error here — then it is time to call the lender and perhaps even redraw the documents or just cancel the entire loan process

(2) Just cross out and initial
Many lenders have low standards. We live in a world where standards are pathetically low. Just because a handful, or more than a handful of the lenders you work with have low standards doesn’t mean that you should. There exists a concept called “Best Practices”, and that concept involves not making a mess unless you really are compelled to. If names are wrong on documents AND THE LENDER IS NOT AVAILABLE (which is the norm), you can initial under the last few letters of the last name. This is clean, and the processor can cross-out after the fact or do whatever they like. YOU are not compelled to cross out. Just leave a voice mail for the lender to let them know what you did and why. If there are errors on the notary certificates, once again crossing things out is unprofessional and messy. Keep in mind these are LEGAL documents and making a mess on a legally binding document seems very questionable at best. It is cleaner to get a loose acknowledgment, staple it and start fresh without the cross outs. So, when do you need to cross things out? On the right to cancel if you need to change dates, and there is no borrower copy with the dates left blank — THEN, and only then in my experience are you compelled to cross out the old date and write in a new date and have the borrowers initial

(3) RTC
Guess what. The day of the signing is NOT included in the (3) days to rescind. Many newer notaries don’t know this. The reach for their rescission calendar because they can not think on their own. Learn to calculate, learn to count, and learn to think. Learn when the Federal holidays happen and learn to calculate rescission dates when a signing happens right before a Federal holiday.

(4) TIL
Many signers think that there is detailed information about the prepayment penalty on the TIL. Wrong. The TIL states that you will, won’t, or might have a prepayment penalty. That is not what I consider detailed, that is merely a tidbit of information.

(5) APR
Few if any newer signing agents, or even experienced signing agents can discuss the APR and sound professional doing so. Learn and memorize a professional sounding definition of this figure so that when asked, you will be able to answer FLUENTLY, even in your sleep.

You might also like:

How do you explain the APR to a non-borrowing spouse?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4455

Minimum competency guide discusses RTC, APR, Journals & more
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4337

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November 3, 2013

Notary Seal Information from A to Z

Filed under: Become a Notary,Comprehensive Guides — admin @ 1:43 am

Notary Seal Information

Some states require a commissioned notary public to have a notary seal / notary stamp while other states do not. Each state has rigid requirements for the exact dimensions of the seal, the color of ink, the border of the seal, as well as what wording is on the seal.

The notary name on the seal
Typically, the name of the notary as it appears on their notary commission should be identical to the name on the seal. Some notaries have nicknames or name variations. Female notaries often get married and change their names as well. This is a source of confusion. If you change your name, you might be required to get a new notary commission and seal in many states. Please contact your state’s notary division if you are planning on changing your name.

Information on the seal
Most states require the notary’s name, the words Notary Public, the words State of ____, the Notary commission number, and the commission expiration date.

Embosser or regular seal?
Some states allow the use of an embosser which looks like a metal clamp. Some embossers are used without ink as a secondary seal (allowed in many states — ask your notary division for details)

Storage of your notary seal
Rules vary from state to state, but it is required in some states that your current journal and notary seal be kept under lock and key.

Types of seal borders
Seals might have a serrated or milled edge border. Some states might allow a rectangle made of four straight lines to be the border.

Seal Maintenance
Be careful with your notary seal as they can be damaged from misuse. Keep replacement ink in stock just in case your seal needs to be re-inked. It is common for an active notary to add replacement ink to their seal once a year or so. Many states require the destruction of a notary seal at the end of a notary’s term so that it will not be used fraudulently.

Seal Impressions
The notary public should take care to leave a clear seal impression when doing notary work. If the seal is too light, smudgy, or has missing corners, the notarization could be rejected by a county recorder, bank, lender, or other agency.

Do all notary acts require a seal?
Most notary acts do, such as Acknowledgments and Jurats. But, sometimes you will need to do an Oath with no accompanying paperwork. Make a note in your journal that you are administering an Oath. Have the Affiant (Oath-Taker) sign your journal, and administer the Oath. There is no seal required for an Oath by itsself. However, if the Oath is part of some other notary procedure such as a Jurat, or swearing in credible witnesses, then the notary paperwork being used would need to be stamped.

States that require a notary seal
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

States that do not require a notary seal
Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan., New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont These states have specific requirements if you choose to use a seal anyway.

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October 15, 2013

Notary quotes of the day

Filed under: Humorous Posts — Tags: , , , — admin @ 8:12 am

(1) “Can you do the 3rd signing for free?” That would be a good signature for an email to notaries.

(2) “An e-notary does more or less what a regular notary does. The e-notary has an electronic journal and electronic notary seal and notarizes electronic documents. Some might even have an electronic girlfriend, too!” Sept 20, 2012 blog, 123notary

(3) “We are getting to the point in society where we have to google everyone before we transact ANY kind of dealings with them.” Sept 19, 2012 blog, 123notary

(4) “There was one house that was so filthy that I had to leave, and I then reported it to the board of health. The woman who owned the home was actually a supervisor at the board of health!” Sept 16, 2012 blog, 123notary

You might also like:

Crazy names for notary services
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4231

7 famous quotes from our blogs
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=3663

A slogan for a notary on 123notary
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=22307

Names for notary businesses with commentary
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20765

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September 21, 2013

$10,000 per month on a bad month

Filed under: How to get work; Who is getting work,Ninja Theme Articles,NSA Pricing, Fees & Income,Popular on Facebook (some),Popular Overall,Ultra-Popular — Tags: , , , — admin @ 4:50 am

I just got off the phone with a notary who is doing really well who advertises on our site. Business has been better for most notaries recently, but not as good as for this husband and wife team. I will not mention their names or locations to protect their identity.

I talked to them about their renewal. Since our prices can go up or down for a particular position at any point in time, some notaries complain about their new price. If the price goes up, they argue and try to reason with me about how it was less last year. If the price goes down, then they think I was cheating them last year. Either way they get upset and criticize me.

This husband and wife team had a different approach. He said something to the tune of — You doubled my rate, but that is okay! Your site is amazing. We get almost all of our business from your site. I don’t know how you do it. We are making more than $10,000 a month in our notary business.

I was flabbergasted. I had heard the story of the new notary company making $35,000 per month which was an amazing story. But, now another notary making six digits. Unbelievable! So, my faith is renewed in a mobile notary public’s ability to make the type of living that makes other people drool.

Please take this blog entry as an opportunity to take a leap in faith that YOU can make six digits in your notary business. Yes, you have to do everything right, but you can do a bang up job, right?

You might also like:

A detailed look at the Ninja Course
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4621

An easy way to make $4000 more per year
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=14162

From 3 jobs per week to 3 jobs per day!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=3940

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June 6, 2013

Industry Standards in the Notary Business

Filed under: Loan Signing 101,Ninja Theme Articles,Popular on Facebook (shares),Popular on Facebook (very) — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 1:53 am

Many notaries claim to understand the loan signing business well. But, there are many things that even experienced notaries don’t know. Here are some industry standards to think about.

(1) Cross outs
Some lenders allow them while others don’t. As a best practice, avoid crossing anything out unless you have gone through all other recourses without any luck. You should ask your contact person if they think it is okay to cross-out before doing so. If you can’t reach your contact person, see if that company allows cross outs. Remember, even if a company allows cross outs, it can compromise an entire loan and cause a redraw. So, don’t be “Cross-out-happy”.

(2) Initialing
This topic is not well taught, but really matters. I have received instructions that are identical from two unrelated parties. One was a processor, and the other was the owner of a signing company. Both instructed me that if a surname is spelled incorrectly in the signature section of a document, the initial goes UNDER the name. The processor noted that it should ideally go under the last several letters of the surname. Why? The processor or quality control people involved in the loan need to type in the corrected version of the name, and if you put initials where they are going to type, they will run out of space. This is a practical consideration and not a legal one. Initials go UNDER, so that retyped names can go to the RIGHT. This is a test question by the way.

(3) Order of documents
Most companies like documents returned in the same order they were submitted. Some are more flexible than others about this, but it is easier and more organized for them. That way they will know right away if they are missing something. Checks or notes should go on the TOP of the package and ideally attached to an 8.5 x 11 document so they don’t float away if unattended. Gusts of wind and careless coworkers walk by, bumping into things, and sending loose documents flying. I remember a client who lost a $20,000 check that I specifically remember putting in the package. Hmmm. Be careful — I am!

(4) Unsigned documents
If a borrower won’t sign a document, it should be returned at the TOP of the package. You don’t know who will open the package. Often it is a secretary, assistant, co-worker, or someone other than the contact person. If they don’t realize immediately that there is a problem, then there will be a delay fixing the problem. Remember — these folks are multitasking, and your loan is not the only one. Although you told them in a phone message that there is a problem, they still need the problem to be in their face.

(5) Hustling the borrowers
If a borrower doesn’t want to sign a document, don’t start off by pulling a “used car salesman” tactic. Call the contact person you have, i.e. Title, signing company, lender, etc. Leave a message, and allow 20 minutes for them to call you back. Call them once more if you don’t hear from them and wait another five minutes. If you still don’t hear from them, then you can tell the borrower about their three day right to cancel, and how if they don’t sign the document they might be facing a redraw. Remember, don’t start off by twisting the borrower’s arm — that is a last resort and is very rude and unprofessional to start off that way.

(6) Fedexing back the documents
If there is a problem communicating with the lender or other contact person, don’t delay Fedexing documents back unless instructed to. Many signers feel that it is “professional” to hold on to the documents until the next day until right before the Fedex deadline. Guess what, you might hear from the lender with instructions or you might not. But, what if you get busy and FORGET to dump the Fedex? What if you or a family member has a health emergency and you can’t drop the Fedex? Do you think of these things? Get rid fo the Fedex THAT NIGHT into the drop box at a staffed Fedex station if possible even if the staff are no longer there. It will get picked up. Remote drop boxes are sometimes risky, but boxes at Fedex stations are very safe. Think when handling time sensitive documents.

(7) Emailing documents back
If you get e-documents and have a question, don’t scan and email a document back. That is NOT secure. A hacker could do identity theft. Lenders are very uncomfortable with the idea that a notary would compromise their information. Use a phone or a fax, but not email for sharing information about the borrower. Remember, that when you received the documents, the portal was PASSWORD protected.

(8) Instructions
Many lenders have a letter of instructions when they assign a loan. The industry standard here is that there is no standard. Some lenders give written instructions while others don’t. Each one wants something different. Follow instructions to a tee, and you will be first on their list.

(9) Explaining things to the borrowers
If you are NOT in an attorney state, you can explain generic information about documents to the borrowers. But, do not give specific information about their loan, specific answers to questions about their loan, or commentary particular to their loan. Not allowed. Don’t even tell them their Rate. Just point and say, “Is this what you asked about?”. That way you are carefully refraining from telling them anything which they could accuse you of misstating after the fact.

(10) Confirm the completion of the signing with a tracking #
When you are done with a signing, leave a message with the Fedex tracking number.

(11) Title & Escrow prefer blue ink
I always used black unless specifically asked to use blue. But, many lenders nationwide prefer blue ink so that they can identify an original from a B&W copy immediately.

(12) Take the Fedex to a HUB.
Remote drop boxes are a recipe for disaster. Title will be all over you if the documents don’t get back on time. Find out where all of your local Fedex stations are. You could lose your best client if the documents don’t get back on time. Get a receipt too and save yourself a lot of problem. Not an industry standard, but it SHOULD BE.

(13) 40% of signing companies say: Don’t call the borrowers.
If you don’t call the borrowers, they won’t know that you are coming. Half the time, they won’t be ready for you either. So, unless you are absolutely sure that the company will pay you if the borrowers don’t sign, then think twice.

(14) Sign exactly as the name is printed
What if the identification doesn’t have the same name variation? Your Secretary of State might not take kindly to the fact that you notarized them under a name that is substantially different from what their ID reads. Proceed with caution and use a Signature Affidavit if necessary. Make sure that middle initials are clearly signed too so that the lender can sell the loan. If any part of the signature looks like it is omitted, reselling the loan will be a problem.

You might also like:

Notary Public 101 – a free notary course
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19493

Fraud and forgery related to the notary profession
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=2294

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May 3, 2013

Find a Notary — one who provides late night 24 hour service

Filed under: General Articles,SEO — Tags: , , , , , , , , — admin @ 7:30 am

I was thinking about this today. Everybody needs to sleep. In our search results for 24 hour notaries, we should document when their black hours are. Everybody sleeps sometime — even if it is during odd hours. If they are sleeping, then maybe another 24 hour notary would be a better candidate for a particular job. Some people go to sleep at 4am and wake at 8am, and they would be perfect for a 2am job. Don’t you think?

But, 123notary has tons of 24 hour notaries in our search results. Use the Find a Notary Public Search page to find these people. Roughy 25% of all of our 7000 notaries on the site provide 24 hour service (or claim to). This can be a real life saver.

The tricky part is that not all of these notaries are “real” 24 hour notaries. Some don’t answer the phone after hours, or even during business hours. So, how do you know which of our 24 hour notaries are real ones? Surprisingly, I have called many of these notaries myself and the MAJORITY do answer the phone late at night, even after midnight. Keep calling until you find one who can accommodate your job.

24 hour notaries are often used for last minute travel documents, hospital signings, airport signings, and loan signings for people who work unusual shifts. I did a loan signing at 2am for someone who got out of work at midnight. A bit unusual, but there was no traffic, and my client was very nice. It worked well.

Find a 24 hour notary public on 123notary.com on our Find a Notary page. Good luck!

You might also like:

Ideas for names for 24 hour Notary businesses
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19062

Hospital notarization issues (string)
http://blog.123notary.com/?s=hospital

Names for Notary businesses that can get you in trouble.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19064

The 24 hour icon and what it means
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19455

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April 28, 2013

Best Practices: When it is legal to notarize a document twice?

Filed under: Best Practices,Ninja Theme Articles — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 8:29 am

Q. When is it legal to notarize twice?

A. Any time you get two journal entries for the document in question and attach two separate certificates.

How is this?

Many notaries fall into unfortunate circumstances. We live in a day and age when old fashioned common sense is not a part of life any more — at least not in the Title industry. A notary will be given an Acknowledgment form with wording that just isn’t acceptable. Perhaps the venue is for a different county or state. Perhaps there are two names on the Acknowledgment when there is only one signer — and a cross out will just look funny. Maybe something else will be wrong. Use your imagination here — you are notaries!

So, should you cross-out Jim’s name on the Acknowledgment form since only Jane is there and Jim is on a business trip? Or should you attach an additional acknowledgment form and leave the original blank? The issue here is much more than what the law says. The law doesn’t address cross outs to my knowledge although it definately seems that it is not a “best practice” since it looks dubious and possibly fraudulent.

Do you really want your notarized documents to look tampered with? That is what notarizing a document with a cross-out looks like. Sure you do it all the time, but what if fraud really is involved and you get called into court just because you think it is fine and dandy to simply, “cross out and initial — I do it all the time”. Well, stop doing it all the time on notarized documents. It is a “worst practice”, not a best practice. Best practices include starting fresh with a clean acknowledgment and filling out properly with not only the state required wording, but also a document name, document date, document description, number of pages, etc. If you are smart, you will emboss every page on every document that you notarize whether the clients like it or not — for your protection. It makes page swapping after the fact very noticeable and detectable.

So, I recommend the fresh acknowledgment approach since it is clean and a best practice. But, on the other hand, what about notarizing the document twice and giving the lender a choice of the messy cross-out version, or the clean attached version. Some lenders HATE attachments (even though it is legal and kosher). Many lenders do not mind cross-outs even though it is abominable to anyone with standards. So, if you give them a choice, at least they will have less cause to be unhappy. They will know that you went above and beyond for them.

However, you will be committing fraud if you send a loose acknowledgment in the mail to the lender who doesn’t like your first attempt. Sure you already notarized it, but now there are two certificates floating around and not attached. The “best practice” here is to tell the lender you need the original back, you shred the certificate, add another certificate, and then send it back. Lenders don’t typically like best practices because it takes longer. Fraud is easier! But, don’t even think about it.

I will end this entry with a quote from a Yiddish folk story

Crime doesn’t pay, but oy, such good hours!

I will end this entry a second time, but this time with a line from a Mexican folk song about notarizations

Dos Acknowledmentos Un Documento?
Ay que paso en esta mundo?
Que voy aser con esta notario?
Llama el telefono a el Loan Officer por favor!

You might also like:

Must a thumbprint accompany a notarized document?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=2289

Do you take control at a signing?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21104

Following directions is more important than you think
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19608

What defines what a signature is?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=22173

What if the signature is in the middle of the document?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20525

Notarizing multi-page documents
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21423

Notary Public 101 basic notary acts explained
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19500

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