You searched for notary public - Page 30 of 51 - Notary Blog - Signing Tips, Marketing Tips, General Notary Advice - 123notary.com
123Notary

Notary Blog – Signing Tips, Marketing Tips, General Notary Advice – 123notary.com Control Panel

April 13, 2020

Loan Signing Systems G/B/U?

Filed under: Popular on Facebook (A little),Signing Company Gossip — admin @ 9:14 am

Recently, I have seen that there are a lot more people getting certified by LSS or Loan Signing Systems run by Mark Wills. In the last few months, there seem to be many more graduates than ever before. In the old days, NNA used to be the only popular game for certification. Then the serious people came to 123notary from around 2005 to 2010. After that, Carol Ray at Notary2Pro became the most popular teacher / program for the serious students. Now, it seems that although National Notary Association sells the most courses, the more serious people seem to be following Mark.

So, what do they like about Mark? People say he is high energy, very helpful, and fast on the draw responding to questions. That is always good. At 123notary, we do not have a hotline as part of our program, but Carmen seems to do a lot of mentoring to our students. It seems to be that 1% of our customers monopolize Carmen’s time while the others don’t seek her help at all. Such a disbalance! 123notary is also there to help even though it isn’t formally part of any of our programs.

But, I wanted to see how an LSS certification affects your click average on 123notary. Would it help, hurt, or do nothing at all? I did a quick survey on several dozen listings of the same placement level and newness. Basically I found that based on my quick math, LSS graduates get about 3 or 4% more clicks from their 123notary than those in similar placements and experience without it. 123notary certification gets people more like 30% more clicks on our site at least. NNA certification neither helps nor hurts if you mention it in your notes.

So, we welcome LSS graduates to study from Notary Public 101 on our blog. It is free. Study hard and try to pass my over the phone test. I would like to see how you do.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Share
>

April 3, 2020

Can you Notarize a document that contains the following pre-printed language?

Filed under: Other Guest Bloggers — admin @ 8:51 am

Notary: Please complete the following. No other acknowledgement is acceptable (see instructions).
The person who signed is known to or was identified by me, and, before me, signed or acknowledged to have signed this form. In witness thereof, I have signed below on this _________ day of ___________, ______________.

My commission expires:________________Notary Public Signature: ______________

While this appears tricky and may leave you second guessing, the short answer is YES.
You can notarize the document even though it does not comply with the exact or substantially similar notary language for 2 reasons.

1. The document is not asking you notarize the capacity or title in which the signer is signing the document.
2. The document is not being filed in California.

This is true for all out of state documents that have preprinted notarial language on it that requires an acknowledgment. If the notarized document is being filed or recorded in California, you MUST complete the California All-Purpose Acknowledgment.

Share
>

March 24, 2020

Good business names vs. Bad and which names get clicks…

Filed under: Advertising — admin @ 8:35 am

Some of the Notaries on our site have registered business names that they do business under. We recommend going to the county clerk and registering a well thought out business name. However, the name you pick for your business can affect the quantity of clicks you get on directories. Some types of names get the business while others just collect dust. The day you register your business has astrological implications as well, but that is a topic for a different day.

After a quick analysis of business names, I have come to the conclusion that the debate is more than just between good and bad sounding names, but between different types of names. There are specific local geographic names, larger geographical area names such as the name of a state, personal names mixed with notary terms, unusual names, and generic or not so good sounding names. It is a little difficult for me in my opinionated state of mind to decide which business name is better than another, so I will rely on clicks to decide.

Please note that clicks vary widely based on what area you are in, how many reviews you have, how good your notes section is, and how well known and popular you are as most people who hire you from a directory already know you.

1. Large Geographical Areas: 2.5 clicks per day average for first three entries. The other two have unusual considerations. Please keep in mind that CA Notary Services has an incoming link from one of its sites to one of its listings, so the stats will be affected based on that link. New York Mobile Notary Services is an organization with several people working for them and they have been around for a long time, and their geographic area is known for getting disproportional amounts of clicks.

The click average for these five entries is 3.28 if you do not take into consideration the abnormalities of the sample data. The average would be 2.5 clicks per day without the two listings that are “statistical anomalies.” I personally do not like business names that use the name of a state simply because the notary can only offer service to a particular part of that state. However, the clicks indicate that this type of name gets clicked on a lot. Jeremy says one thumb up but the clicks say two.

Mobile American Notary & Apostilles
AZ Notary Services
Illinois Public Notary Services
CA Notary Services
New York Mobile Notary Services

2. Personal Names + Notary or Business Terms: 1.9 clicks per day average I think that this type of business name is not bad. However, I prefer catchy unique names that grab your attention and are easier to remember. One thumb up for this type of business name.

Kalation’s Business Services
Roger’s Notary Service
Ellen The Notary
Saul Mobile Notary
Arlene Mobile Notary

3. Names I thought were weak in appeal: 1.35 clicks / day.
My gut reaction to these names matched their overall click appeal or lack of it thereby. Attributes combined with a notary term just don’t work. Putting two initials together with an & symbol did okay with D & D, but we don’t have enough evidence to get any idea of whether it is a good idea to use such a type of business name. Once again, I prefer a catchy unique business name. Two thumbs down for these names (sorry).

925 Notary
Reliable Notary
Prestige Mobile Notaries
Pro Bix Notary
Notary Pro Today
I &S Notary & Wedding
D & D Document
Mobi Notary

4. Unusual Business Names: 1.3 clicks per day.
These names are very unusual, but lack any type of kick to them. Half a thumb up.

All things named notary services.
Sevendocs Mobile Notary

5. Local Business names: 1.9 clicks / day average.
This type of business name is good because it lets the client know that you focus on their area. However, it is a bit generic and not very interesting. One thumb up for this type of business name.

Bakersfield Mobile Notary
Manhattan Mobile Notary & Apostille
Bronx Mobile Notary Service

6. Business names that Jeremy likes most: 2.3 clicks per day.
First of all, I wish there were more business names on our site. I cannot go through the entire site every time I write an article. I only go through the big cities. These are some interesting names in this category. Golden Gate Notary lets you know they cover San Francisco and surrounding areas without blatantly saying it. It is like poetry to my ears. Bay Area Notary does the same thing but has a larger implied coverage area. Neighborly Notary has a warm feel to it. No hassle is a really cool name that speaks to one’s emotional tribulations. A1 is a bit cliche, but gets the most clicks in this category and sounds good if you need a filet mignon notarized. Five Star is a great name and I’m surprised that nobody else used it. The Notary to Call is an awesome name because it says it all, is relatable, but yet unique and catchy. I love these names and hope that people can think of more catchy names. Two thumbs up for the names in this category, and the clicks agree with my opinion in this case.

Golden Gate Notary
Bay Area Notary
Neighborly Notary NYC
No Hassle Notary Public
A1 Notary Services
Five Star Mobile Notary
The Notary to Call

CONCLUSION
I recommend having a business name and spending lots of time brainstorming your options and consulting different people about this major decision. Unique and catchy names win the game, but business names that incorporate geographical terms, especially wider geographical terms seem to be successful as well.

Share
>

March 17, 2020

Most popular posts as of 2019

Filed under: Compilations — admin @ 11:53 am

How to get something notarized if you don’t have ID
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=697

Can a notary perform a wedding or marriage?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=1891

Penalties for notary misdeeds & misconduct!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=2067

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

What does it mean to be Fidelity Approved?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20049

Do I notarize every page of a document?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=2280

Can a notary notarize a birth certificate?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=2300

Bank of America Power of Attorney Form
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21327

Where can I find a Spanish speaking notary?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18824

Notary Verbiage & Notary Wording
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18854

Can a notary sign on a different day?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=2457

Can a notary get in trouble?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=1745

Notarizing multi-page documents
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=1706

Can a notary notarize a Will or Living Will?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=7088

Can a notary sign an out of state Quit Claim Deed?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=2182

Can a notary be a witness?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=1273

Notarization Dates, Document Dates & Signature Dates!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=2421

Websites from some of our best Notaries!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=14677

Can a Virginia Notary notarize in DC or Maryland?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18782

Notary Public 101 from 123notary!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19493

Can a notary witness a will or notarize one?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=1525

Affidavit of Citizenship
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18847

Share
>

February 16, 2020

2013 compilation of best blog posts

Filed under: Compilations — admin @ 9:53 am

Here are my favorite blog posts from 2013

MARKETING

Companies that will hire NEW signers!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=7059

We should be setting the fees, not the other way around!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=3249

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

$10,000 per month on a bad month
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=3891

10 changes to your notes that double your calls!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4499

123notary elite certification, what is it all about?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=8531

STORIES

The war between men and women notaries
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=3693

Mistakes notaries make with title companies
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4412

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

7 ways to use Facebook to market your notary services
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=5396

Getting what is due, a clever plan
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=3221

Interview with a Title company
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=3724

Notary quotes of the day
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4011

Interview with Title Course
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=6553

Notary Jokes
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=8471

TECHNICAL

Signing Agent best practices 63 points
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4315

How to write a notes section if you have no experience
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4173

Signature name affidavit: Not a substitute for an ID
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=3823

Notary journals from A to Z
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=8348

Notary Seal information from A to Z
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=8337

What tasks can I do worth $1000 per minute?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4113

Identification requirements for being notarized
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4299

Why notaries don’t last
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4087

When is it legal to notarize a document twice
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4305

How to get something notarized that doesn’t have a signature
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4695

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

Why do I have to sign with our middle initial?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4452

What is a notary public?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=6498

Optional information on an Acknowledgment certificate
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4407

Industry standards in the notary business
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4370

How to get something notarized if you don’t have ID
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4692

Notary fines and notary penalties
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=6903

Can you notarize someone’s initials
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=8269

Who are the parties involved in a Power of Attorney?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=6738

Does Real Estate experience help as a notary?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4563

Common mistakes with the 1003, Crossing out the RTC, TIL & APR
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4553

Share
>

December 29, 2019

Reviews — the minute you get listed

Filed under: Reviews — admin @ 11:04 pm

Most of our seasoned Notaries have a long scroll of reviews, and they should. Browsers judge you by your reviews. If you don’t have them, you will not be seen in a very positive light. But, people who just signed up on 123notary often wait a very long time before getting reviews.

Newer listings lack credibility. Without reviews or certifications, people will not trust you. So, with a new listing, the first thing you need to do is to get reviews from anyone. Your clients, signing companies, title companies, neighbors, your cat (if she can type), or a friend who has used you. My rule is that if they have used you, they can write a review. Send them and emailed link and ask for a review.

Remember — five reviews doubles your incoming new calls on 123notary.com and you might have to ask five dozen people and send links to get that many reviews, but it is worth it. Reviews lose their gravitation towards new clients after two or three years so keep getting new ones — they are date stamped and you don’t want to look washed out.

Additionally, study from Notary Public 101 and try to take our over the phone certification test as well. Good luck!

You might also like:

Flossing vs. Reviews – both are habits
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=22259

How can new notaries survive without reviews?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20057

Share
>

December 26, 2019

Scheduling and Rescheduling

We all schedule appointments, but how good are we at it? Things have changed since I was a Notary, but the basics are fundamentally the same. Here are some issues to consider when scheduling.

1. The risk of cancellation
Most Notaries keep information on their clients. A good business knows as much about its clients as possible. If you are a hotel, you should know who wants a newspaper, who likes a single room, who has breakfast and when, and especially who is a trouble maker. That can help the hotel to make decisions about how to conduct its business. If a Notary has clear notes on cancellation rates of clients, who pays late, and who lies about how many pages are involved, that can help you make decisions.

Overbooking or booking solid might not be a good idea if you have reliable clients. But, when I was in business there was a 25% cancellation rate, and that cancellation is when you squeeze in that burger. On the other hand, if you book too solidly and then you hit traffic, your entire night will be set back and you will get complained about.

If you have high paying clients that you don’t want to lose, allow more cushion time before and after appointments. But, for cheap jobs you have to focus on volume and cramming them in makes more sense. But, that is up to you, and if you goof, you might lose clients.

2. Rescheduling techniques
If you reschedule an appointment for a future date, try to avoid scheduling it at a time when you will have conflicting job requests that haven’t come in yet. Remember — you don’t know who will want you to do what or when. But, you can calculate based on what is normal, regular, or likely based on past data of job requests. So, if you are normally busy week nights around 7pm, do your rescheduling earlier or later than that or on the weekend. Remember, that rescheduled jobs sometimes don’t even pay you even if they agree to. If you need to go back to a job for a mistake other than your own, since it is so hard to get paid traditionally for those revisits, it might make sense to get paypal-ed before you set out if you can.

3. Waiting for a call from the LO, Lender or Signing company
Sometimes you can’t reschedule until you get the go ahead. In that case, wait until you get the magic call, and then decide. But, don’t let these guys bully you around. Once again, when you sell your time, you have prime time, shoulder hours and off hours. The type of time you give them should depend on what they are paying you. Don’t sell the filet minon for the price of chuck otherwise you are a chump!

4. Confirming
Don’t forget to call the hiring party, and the signers to confirm the appointment. Make sure that names on the ID match the names on the document, and that the date, time, place, where to park, if they have a table, and that the dollar amounts match up. Most signers don’t do a thorough job confirming, so have a check list of everything you need to ask or could ask that makes sense.

You might also like:

Notary Public 101’s guide to confirming the signing
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19976

Discounts for early booking? Hotels do this, why shouldn’t you?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19072

Share
>

October 28, 2019

Notaries are supposed to be ethical, but how do you test for that?

Filed under: Etiquette — admin @ 11:49 pm

One Notary commented on my blog that there needs to be an ethics test for Notaries, but how do you do that?

How about a multiple choice test.

If a customer offers to bribe you to backdate, should you:
1. Accept the money
2. Report the guy to the government
3. Just say no (and say it politely)

In real life when you are under pressure you might do all types of things. But, what about a secret test. What if people would come to get notarized and ask you to do illegal or unethical things. If you complied, you would get in trouble. What if those people secretly worked for the government? I believe in undercover testing of character. Because we all claim to be upstanding citizens, but most people are a bunch of liars. So, let’s catch people in the act.

You might also like:

Texas suspends a notary who notarized a document about Stormy’s hush money
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=22331

10 risks of being a notary public
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19459

Share
>

October 25, 2019

How long does it take to fill in the journal entries for one loan?

Filed under: Journals — admin @ 11:47 pm

Many Notaries use the “cram it in” style of journal entries and claim that it saves time and that it is okay. But, there are several problems with it. First of all, what is the cram it in system of filling in your journal?

If you put multiple documents in on a single journal entry — that is what I call the “cram it in” journal entry style. Normally there is a single signer for these multiple docs on the entry, but some people put two which is even more crazy. Below are the problems associated with this wrongful technique.

1. Fees
Most states allow a Notary to charge a maximum fee per Notary act. If you put multiple Notary acts on a single journal line, you cannot document what you charged for each Notary act.

2. Notary Act Type
If you are notarizing multiple documents in a loan, traditionally there will be different Notary types. There will be acknowledgments for the Deeds and perhaps other documents and Jurats for the Affidavits. You cannot distinguish which document received which type of notarization if you use the cram it in method of journal entries.

3. Court Issues
If your signing goes to court, the signer could claim to not have authorized the notarization of any of the documents listed in your journal as you theoretically could be in cahutz with the Lender and could have added the names of more documents after the fact. It is rare to have an issue in court due to the cram it in method, but I have heard of two examples in my career about how it makes the court case a lot more confusing and you can’t prove that someone consented to be notarized. It can result in a situation that looks like fraud was likely. Why put yourself in that position?

4. Kosher Issues
It just isn’t kosher to add extra document names in a single journal entry. Proper journal entry procedure means one document and one signer per entry — that’s it.

SUMMARY
It is easier to just fill out the journal entries one by one. You might have to write the address many times. It might take about 45 seconds per entry, and with a loan of 12 notarized signatures you might spend 10 minutes total filling out the journal and another minute getting people to sign and thumbprint multiple times. That is about 8 minutes longer than the cram it in method and could save you lots of time in court after the fact. Additionally, if your state audits journals, it could save your career — a valid point to remember in California and in the future perhaps other regions!

You might also like:

Travel fees vs. Notary fees in your journal
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=22612

Notary Public 101 – a comprehensive guide to journals
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19511

Share
>

October 12, 2019

Millennial male Notaries resent Jeremy’s advice to “man-up”

Filed under: Humorous Posts — admin @ 11:25 pm

Yes, it is a problem with millennials nationwide. They are a generation in which the males don’t want to have manly attributes and the females antagonize males for being toxic when it is really females who are more actively toxic with all of their anti-male feminist bantor.

Feminism is really masculinism in disguise — an ideology that women are inferior, and the only way to compensate is to be as similar (or better) to men as possible. Traditionalism is where females have dignity doing their feminine duties such as procreation, managing the family, social networks, cooking, extended family, etc.

JEREMY: Men, it’s time to “man-up” and be more assertive in your business.

JAIME: Like, why is that so important. Can’t we just be ourselves?

JEREMY: How old are we now, three?

JAIME: More like 26. And I’m a snowflake by the way.

JEREMY: How did I guess. You are more like a snowflake without the snow, but I digress. You need to call or contact 200 signing companies so that you know that you exist.

JAIME: Oh, that is like sexual harassment. Yeah, I heard that if you talk to a girl on your own initiative, you could end up in jail.

JEREMY: What? I think if you make unwanted sexual remarks repeatedly you might have a problem. If you are just being friendly, people can make all the false accusations they want, but there is no evidence of wrongdoing. Do you want to work or not?

JAIME: Like, can’t there be some app that will do this for me so that I don’t have to act assertionly or whatever you said?

JEREMY: Do you want $40 per jobs on a snappy app which is our competitor, or $100 with a little education, promotion and a few legit reviews. And that is “assertively”, not assertionly by the way. You should probably read more with a dictionary to master English.

JAIME: Well, I self-identify as a successful Notary.

JEREMY: How many jobs have you completed to date?

JAIME: None yet. You’re hurting my inner child.

JEREMY: Is your entire generation like this? I don’t see a future in America. You guys don’t even breed.

JAIME: Well that might be difficult as breeding is sexist.

JEREMY: I think we are completely lost here. Without both genders doing what God designed them to do, there won’t be any future human race, you know that right?

JAIME: I see no proof that God exists.

JEREMY: Humans didn’t evolve out of a vacuum and neither did our souls. There is a spiritual component behind our evolution. Never mind. We are getting nowhere here. I’m not going to say “man-up” anymore, because it is pointless. Have fun paying rent with your attitude. Oh, let me guess, rent is also sexist — I’m sure you’ll find a rationalization how it is.

JAIME: No, rent is mean. Because what if someone is having a hard time finding work and a mean landlord makes that person pay rent. Boo hoo hoo.

JEREMY: At this point, I will thank my parents for kicking me out of the house when I was 18 except for summer vacations from school. I learned to survive in the real world. It took me ten years to figure out how to be self-sufficient, but I did it. And I thought I was a block head. Brother!

You might also like:

Millennials notaries and gender rules
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=22535

A Millennial self-identifies as being a notary public
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=22269

Share
>
« Newer PostsOlder Posts »