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October 11, 2019

A notary writes — I would not cross the street for $60

Filed under: Marketing Articles — admin @ 11:24 pm

I apologize for my lack of information. But, in the Notary profession, nothing costs $6. Perhaps that was the extra fee for eDocuments, but that is what a Sprite costs at the Improv where I met that cool 62 year old guy who looks 45 who rides a cool motorcycle and lived in China before — so charismatic! I was impressed by him and let him know. The Sprite, not so impressive though.

In any case, one Notary wrote a response to a blog article — I would not cross the street for $6. My commentary is: What if it were a very narrow street. In that case I might cross it for only $3. And what if I were already on the side of that street when offered the $6. It would be no big deal, especially if I got paid for a return trip so I don’t go back with an “empty load” as the truckers say.

When considering fees for tasks, please consider the whole package and see if is the best use of your time. If you are offered $60 for a job, the expenses are $11.50 and the next best thing you can do with your time is clean your attic, then compare the intrinsic value of those two activities.

You might also like:

Five things a notary can do worth $1000 per minute
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20521

$30 loan signings, is it worth it under any circumstance?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=10456

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October 9, 2019

Maximum Notary fee $5, but the signing pays $200?

Filed under: Notary Fees & Pricing — admin @ 11:23 pm

Each state has a maximum notary fee per notary act or procedure. Some charge by the signature, Florida charges by the stamp if I’m not incorrect (better look that one up.)

But, if you are allowed $5 per signature, the signing has four signatures, but pays $200, then what? Are you breaking the law? Or are you being paid for mobile fees and supervising fees? The truth is that you are being paid for a bunch of responsibilities within your service:

Printing documents
Confirming an appointment
Supervising the signature and initialing of documents
Answering simple questions (perhaps)
Not answering questions you are not supposed to (unless you are a know-it-all who is looking for trouble)
Notarizing
Waiting while people read or have long conversations by phone with the Lender.
Getting the documents safely back where they belong
Availability for after service.

All of those combined definitely merit at least $125, don’t you think?

So, how do you document this in your journal? $5 per notary act. Two people x two notary acts per person is four lines in your journal each stating $5 for the notary fee. And then in the additional info section for the first notary act of the set, put down you got $180 travel / supervising fee for a loan signing. Then it is all documented just in case the IRS has any questions. Notary fees are not subject to self-employment tax but travel and supervising fees are. Look it up in the SE instructions.

But, what if you live in California and the Notary fee is $15, you have ten signatures, but the job only pays $100. You could charge $150 plus travel for that signing, but your Lender or signing company isn’t paying that. Just put whatever you want for the notary fee between zero and $15 per notarized signature in your journal. And do a reasonable estimate for what the travel and supervising fees should be — just estimate and try to be proportionate.

You might also like:

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

Travel fees if nothing gets signed
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=22578

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October 7, 2019

How often do you do a clean up job because Notary #1 botched the signing?

Filed under: Business Tips — admin @ 11:21 pm

Most of the more experienced Notaries out there have done clean up signings. It is amazing to see what types of errors the initial Notaries made. Forgetting to have borrowers sign, forgetting to have acknowledgment wording, or forgetting to cross out the pronouns. Sometimes it is missing initials, or missing pages. Many Notaries do not know how to date a Right to Rescind, and I find this out when I test them.

No wonder so many companies want you to fax every page to them. There are so many careless and sloppy Notaries out there. Notaries used to do better on my testing 15 years ago. Things have gone downhill and so have fees. This gives more work for people I call, “The cleaners” — sounds mafia.

What are the sloppiest errors you have seen while doing a clean up job?

You might also like

A Los Angeles detective seizes two journals and complains about a thumbprint
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=22237

13 ways to get sued as a notary
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19614

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June 3, 2019

I’m a high end Notary in a low ball world

Filed under: General Articles — admin @ 11:24 pm

Are you a highbrow Notary in a low-brow world, or a high-end Notary in a low-ball world? join the club. There are lots of Notaries out there with tons of experience who have a lot of trouble getting paid well or getting work at all. On the other hand, there is what I call the double bell curve effect in the Notary world. There are lots of new Notaries, lots of mega-experience Notaries, but not so many people in the middle.

The problem as I see it is that there are many Notaries who perceive themselves as being high-end simply because they have experience. They hide behind their years of experience to compensate for the fact that they cannot explain a single Notary act and don’t have a clue how to deal with many common Notary situations. Another problem is that in today’s economy there are too many Notaries and too few jobs. With Snapdocs, if you are not fast to respond to texts you will be put lower on the text order algorithm and might stop getting offers altogether. So, how can you win during these desperate times? The answer is that there are no guarantees. However, being high end in virtue instead of high end in claim will help you a whole lot more. What do I mean?

I recently emailed about 150 notaries regarding their certification. I wanted them to study and quiz again at no cost. Half of them emailed me back and the other half did not. The ones that emailed me back did not read the email carefully. They omitted to read the part that said they had to study a lot. So, I responded to people one by one reminding them (the same way you remind children) that you have to study. I only got four requests from people who had studied sufficiently, and most of those four passed. What about the other 150? Why are people so stubborn, lazy, ignorant and uncooperative? If you can’t pass our certification test (which is really hard these days) then you are NOT a high end Notary. You are only a poser and a chump.

Additionally, getting more reviews on your profile will attract browsers, and so will having a well written notes section. To sum it up, a lot of expertise goes into being a Notary, but less than 1% of the people on our site have that knowledge or have any interest in acquiring that knowledge. This whole industry has turned low-end on me and I’m getting really sick of it. Even if it gets you nowhere, there is a certain dignity and professionalism in knowing your stuff. So please do so.

You might also like:

Experienced signers are being weeded out of the industry
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16747

Travel fees if nothing gets signed
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=22578

Why are the fees offered to us so low you ask?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=22293

10 rules for negotiating notary fees
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19620

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April 3, 2019

Do you invest in your notary business?

Filed under: Marketing Articles — admin @ 10:00 am

Some people who are Real Estate brokers invest heavily in licensing fees, insurance and other expenses to maintain their Real Estate career. But, how many Notaries invest heavily in their career? People who advertise with us often do, but not all of them.

E&O Insurance is not for free, but can make you look like a serious contender, especially if you get a lot of it. The irony is that when you try to collect, they might not pay if the situation is not a notary error. A signing agent error on a non-notarized document is not a notary error. Read the fine print.

High placed listings on 123notary get a lot more business than the rest. Smart people get it that they need one if they want their business to grow.

Asking for reviews is free, but an investment of a small effort on a regular basis. Smart Notaries understand that asking for reviews is investing in credibility and nothing beats credibility. If you have no credibility, then you are reduced to being one of those notaries who brags about how great they are when none of their customers think they are good enough to write a review for. Food for thought.

123notary certification gets more clicks and more title work. Most people think that knowledge is not important. But, the cost of screwing up a loan and losing a client is heavy. And the cost of not getting clients in the first place because you have no credibility is a problem too. Investing in knowledge pays off day after day for decades. So, why not invest in knowledge?

Writing more in your notes section takes very little time. It is an investment of minutes that can pay off for decades. Smart Notaries get it that they need a really comprehensive notes section. The others just write a one liner about how great they are. Do you think title companies are dumb enough to fall for that? Think again.

There are other ways to invest in your business. Websites, business names, education from other entities, and more. Those that take Notary work seriously typically do a lot better than those just winging it. Choose the path of solidity and you shall prosper.

You might also like:

Nice things people said about 123notary in the blog comments
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=22401

How does pricing for top placements on 123notary work?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19355

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February 15, 2019

Notaries who fail the California Notary exam

Failing the California Notary Exam
Did you fail your California Notary Exam? I passed it many years ago. I studied about 30 hours to make sure I passed the first time. I was nervous and so afraid that I would forget something. We were instructed to bring a see through plastic bag and put particular objects in that bag such as a pencil and a few other things.

The California notary exam is a a lot harder now than in 1997 and 2001 when I took it. The questions are harder, and the multiple choice questions are close variations of each other making it hard to spot the correct answer unless you know your stuff intimately. So study hard. You need to study from the California Notary Handbook but also there are updates on the newsletter from the California Notary Division.

The state carefully hides their questions so you won’t know what is coming unless you know someone who wants to share answers with you. You need to know your notary acts, fees, procedures and application process inside out or you will fail. I believe they allow seven wrong out of thirty, but the questions are so hard that is still not easy.

There are a lot of notaries failing the test and there are fewer Notaries in the state of California as a result. On a more pleasant note, the quality of Notaries in California is far superior to all other states. I know because I test people by phone on notary procedure since I run a notary directory.

You might also like:

Has anyone failed the notary exam?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=1999

NNA certified signers who failed our test
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=892

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December 7, 2018

Stormy Daniels accuses Notary of having intercourse with her

Filed under: Humorous Posts — admin @ 5:18 am

After the whole Trump fiasco, now Stormy Daniels is accusing a California Notary by the name of John Q. Public of giving her hush money not to talk about the secret affair they had twenty years earlier.

STORMY: You know I’m gonna let society know what you did, you little rascal.

JOHN: Have I been a very very bad boy?

STORMY: I have a little dirt on you that I’m going to hold against you.

JOHN: Just like you held me against you?

STORMY: Not exactly the same way. But, you forgot to put a state in your venue, and that is an omission.

JOHN: Are you saying that I didn’t have any ink in my seal, are you saying that I’m shooting blanks? Because I assure you that I’m fully loaded.

STORMY: Well that’s the problem. You were so loaded you couldn’t do your notarization correctly without drifting off in the middle. You also forgot to administer an Oath on my Jurat. That’s fraud baby, and I’m going to report you.

JOHN: How much more hush money do you want? Actually, my commission’s over, so it doesn’t matter anymore.

STORMY: It does on a felony conviction.

JOHN: That was twenty years ago, so the statute of limitations is over. Actually, I need to see my Attorney to verify. I owe her hush money too, so I’ll multi-task.

ATTORNEY: Hey Stormy, you should be embarrassed to have done it with a Notary. You should be paying him hush money.

STORMY: Hmm, I never thought of it that way. Especially since I was thinking about running for office. Maybe you’re right. Let’s just call it even, and make a toast with my brother Jack.

ATTORNEY: Deal. But, calling it even, there are still Attorney fees. Okay. Two bottles of Jack will do it.

STORMY: That’s money down the storm drain — pity, but makes a great pun on my name.

You might also like:

Texas suspends Notary who handled Stormy’s hush money
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=22331

Perhaps Trump will take notary competency more seriously now that he is affected
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=22335

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November 20, 2018

123notary’s Index of Popular Notary Articles

I am not sure how this is going to go, because there are more than a thousand articles on our site. So, wish me luck and I hope this post is valuable.

COURSES
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20276
Beginner Notaries 103 Course – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21112
Notary Etiquette 104 – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21132

TECHNICAL POSTS
Journals — http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20272
Certificates — http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20268
Notary Acts — http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20280
General Notary Information — http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20264
Documents — http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20258
Law Suits & Legal Risks – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20478
Credible Witnesses – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20414
Index of posts about Power of Attorney – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20255

MARKETING
Notary Marketing 102 Course – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19774
Index of Marketing Posts – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20284
Snapdocs Compilation – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21531
Phone Etiquette – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20505
Compilation of certification posts – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16264
10 rules for negotiating fees – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19620
How to write a notes section if you are a beginner – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16698

PUBLIC INTEREST
Find a Notary – http://blog.123notary.com/?tag=find-a-notary
Posts about fraud – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21527

GUEST BLOGGERS
String of guest blogs – http://blog.123notary.com/?cat=230
Compilation of guest blogs – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=22472

HUMOROUS & DRAMA POSTS
Best comedy articles 2010 to 2014 – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20288
Stories on the blog – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21898
Posts about Notary & Politics – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20357
Compilation of mafia related posts – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20352
Best Virtual Comedy Posts to 2018 – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=17693
Notary Restaurant Post Compilation – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=17442
Notary Dating & Romance – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=17451
Compilation of Notary Sit-Com Episodes – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=15949

GENERAL
Best blog posts since 2010 – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21650
Posts about 123notary – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20648

COMPREHENSIVE GUIDES
12 questions to ask for hospital notarizations – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20519
How to make more as a signing agent – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20418
Notary Public general info – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20075
How to negotiate signing fees like a pro! – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19198
When to refuse a notarization – a comprehensive guide – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18974
10 things a notary can do to screw up a notarization – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18864
A comprehensive guide to notary organizations – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=17088
A comprehensive guide to notary pricing – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16504
123notary’s comprehensive guide to getting reviews – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16290
Everything you need to know about writing a great notes section – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16074
10 tight points on loose certificates – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=15449
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
Signing Agent best practice 63 points – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4315
Borrower Etiquette from A to Z – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=2995
Backdating from A to Z – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=2424
Mobile Offices from A to Z – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=535

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October 7, 2018

Index of best posts about Notary Marketing

Filed under: Compilations,Marketing Articles — admin @ 2:48 am

Here is our index of best posts about Notary marketing

Notary Marketing 102 — a comprehensive course
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19774

Best marketing resources for Notaries
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16322

10 rules for negotiating notary fees
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19620

Links to posts about Snapdocs
http://blog.123notary.com/?tag=snapdocs

$300 in 13 minutes. How Carmen cleans up in the Notary business
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19284

Which notary directories get higher paying signings?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19201

Strategies for efficiency in the Mobile Notary business
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18913

How to write a notes section if you are a beginner
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16698

For background checks, NNA & Sterling come recommended
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18835

A comprehensive guide to Notary pricing
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16504

What is a high placed listing on 123notary worth?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16720

Does knowledge matter any more as a signing agent?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19887

Answering the phone and then not wanting to talk
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19640

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

Following directions – what’s the big deal?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19600

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

How to make a good first impression
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19130

You want to get paid well as a Notary, but do you merit a good rate?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16687

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September 13, 2018

Compilation of Posts about Notary Fraud

Filed under: Compilations — Tags: , — admin @ 7:04 am

Here are some posts about Notary Fraud

13 ways to get sued as a Notary
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19614

10 risks to being a Mobile Notary Public
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19459

2011 – Penalties for misdeeds and misconduct (most popular of all)
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=2067

2018 – Penalties for Notary misconduct, fraud and failure of duty
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21315

2012 – Fraud and forgery in the notary profession
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=2294

Notary loses $4000 because fraud adds name to the notary certificate
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19477

An identity fraud case in Florida with 13 defendents
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19449

It could cost $20,000 in legal fees if you are named as an identity theft conspirator
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19481

Notary fraud discussed in the 30 point course
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=14514

We caught a bunch of frauds using notary verbiage
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=7096

The FBI is at your door and names you as a suspect!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20013

Two and a half Notaries: Detering Notary fraud
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=10452

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