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May 26, 2023

How to Find a Niche and Dominate It

Filed under: Notary Public 101 — Tags: , — Tom Wilkins @ 12:00 am

In today’s fast-paced world, the demand for mobile notaries is on the rise. With people’s busy schedules, the convenience of having a notary come to their location is invaluable. But how can mobile notaries find a niche and differentiate themselves from the competition? In this blog post, we’ll explore the steps to identifying and dominating a niche market, ultimately helping you get more clients and grow your business.

Step 1: Research and Identify Opportunities

To find your niche, start by researching the various industries and sectors that require notary services. Some of the most common industries include real estate, legal, healthcare, finance, and education. Within these sectors, there might be smaller markets that have unmet notary needs. For example, you could focus on working with attorneys who handle real estate transactions or specialize in notarizing documents for international students at a local university.

Make a list of potential niche markets and then evaluate each based on factors such as competition, market size, and demand for notary services. Consider conducting interviews or surveys with potential clients to better understand their needs and pain points.

Step 2: Assess Your Skills and Expertise

When considering how can mobile notaries find a niche, it’s essential to take stock of your unique skills, expertise, and interests. Choose a niche that aligns with your strengths, and consider any specialized training or certifications you may have. This will not only make it easier for you to market your services but also help you provide the best service possible to your clients.

Step 3: Develop a Unique Value Proposition

Once you’ve identified your niche, it’s time to develop a unique value proposition (UVP) that sets you apart from other notaries. Your UVP should address the specific needs and pain points of your target market, emphasizing the benefits and solutions you provide. For example, if your niche is working with the elderly population, your UVP could be your ability to accommodate their needs by offering flexible hours and providing services in the comfort of their homes.

Step 4: Create a Marketing Strategy

To dominate your niche, you need to create a marketing strategy that effectively targets your chosen market segment. Develop a clear and consistent message that communicates your UVP and resonates with your target audience. Utilize various marketing channels, such as social media, email marketing, and content marketing, to reach your audience and generate leads.

Consider creating a website and blog that showcases your expertise and provides valuable information related to your niche. This will help establish you as an authority in your field and attract potential clients.

Step 5: Network and Build Relationships

Networking is crucial when it comes to dominating a niche. Attend industry-specific events, join online forums, and participate in discussions related to your niche. This will help you stay informed about the latest trends and developments while also giving you the opportunity to connect with potential clients and other professionals in your field.

Establishing strong relationships with your clients is equally important. Provide exceptional customer service, and be sure to follow up with your clients after the completion of a job. Happy clients are more likely to refer you to their friends and colleagues, helping you grow your business.

Find Your Mobile Notary Niche and Dominate It

In conclusion, finding and dominating a niche market is a strategic way for mobile notaries to stand out from the competition and get more clients. By identifying opportunities, assessing your skills, developing a unique value proposition, creating a marketing strategy, and networking, you’ll be well on your way to establishing yourself as the go-to notary in your chosen niche.

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May 19, 2023

Mobile Notary Etiquette Tips

Filed under: Etiquette — Tags: , — Tom Wilkins @ 12:00 am

Mobile notaries are professionals who play a crucial role in facilitating the signing of legal documents. They travel to their client’s locations to witness and notarize documents, saving clients the hassle of traveling to a notary public office. As a mobile notary, it is essential to maintain a high level of professionalism. In this article, we will share some tried and true mobile notary etiquette tips that will help ensure the notarization process runs smoothly.

Dress Professionally

As a mobile notary, it is important to dress professionally when meeting clients. This creates a good first impression and sets the tone for notarization. Dressing in business attire and wearing a name badge is recommended to identify yourself as a notary. Dressing professionally is one of the most important mobile notary etiquette tips you should follow.

Be Punctual

Clients appreciate punctuality, and it is a sign of professionalism. As a mobile notary, ensure you arrive at the scheduled time or a few minutes early to avoid delays and inconveniences.

Communicate Effectively

Effective communication is key in any professional setting. When dealing with clients, it is important to communicate clearly and concisely, using simple language they can understand. Listen attentively to their concerns and address them appropriately.

Bring Necessary Supplies

Ensure you have all the necessary supplies for the notarization process, such as a notary journal, seal, stamp, and pen. Also, ensure these supplies are in good condition and comply with the relevant state laws and regulations.

Check Client Identification

Before notarizing any document, verifying the client’s identity is important. Ask for a government-issued ID such as a driver’s license, passport, or state ID. Check that the ID is not expired and that the name and photo match the client.

Stay Impartial

As a notary, it is important to remain impartial and not take sides in any transaction. Your role is to witness and notarize the document, not to provide legal advice or express personal opinions.

Maintain Confidentiality

Clients trust notaries to keep their information confidential. Ensure that any personal information the client provides is kept confidential and not shared with any third party.

Explain the Notarization Process

Clients may need to be more familiar with the notarization process, so it is important to explain it to them. Let them know what they need to do, what you will do, and what to expect after completing the notarization process.

Be Flexible

Mobile notaries often work with clients who have busy schedules. Therefore, it is important to be flexible and accommodate the client’s schedule as much as possible. This may involve working outside regular business hours or traveling to remote locations.

Keep Accurate Records

As a notary, you must keep accurate records of all notarized documents. Ensure you complete the notary journal, including the client’s name, date, type of document, and any other relevant information. Also, ensure that you keep the journal in a safe and secure location.

Proper Etiquette Will Improve Your Reputation

In conclusion, mobile notaries play a crucial role in facilitating the signing of legal documents. To maintain high professionalism and etiquette, it is important to dress professionally, be punctual, remain impartial, maintain confidentiality, and be flexible. By following these mobile notary etiquette tips, notaries can provide exceptional services to their clients and build long-lasting relationships. For more notary tips, check out this article on how to be a successful mobile notary.

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February 23, 2023

Businesses That Need Notaries

Filed under: (6) Marketing,Advertising — Tags: , — Tom Wilkins @ 5:38 pm

Are you wondering which types of organizations to target when spreading the word about your notary business? After all, there are plenty of businesses that need notaries on a regular basis, but others that might be less interested.

Essentially, any company that deals with legal transactions or documents of any kind will need notary services every now and then. Here are a few types of businesses most likely to require your services.

Real Estate Agencies

There are a great many legal documents involved in real estate transactions. This is true, especially if the buyer is taking out a mortgage. That’s good news for you as a notary—in most states, your services will be required by law.

In a real estate transaction, you’ll serve as an impartial witness. It will also be your responsibility to check and affirm the signatures of all the parties involved. The duties may vary from state to state, so ensure you know what’s expected of you in these cases.

Law Firms

It goes without saying that many legal documents require notarization. Paperwork granting power of attorney, trust documents, and wills are a few examples.

Many lawyers try to hire paralegals who are already commissioned notaries. That way, the employee can add notarization duties to their list of regular tasks. But if no one in-house can do it, the attorneys must commission notary services.

Banks, Mortgage Lenders, and Other Financial Institutions

As we pointed out, loan and mortgage documents require signature verification. The same goes for other financial agreements as well. That means financial institutions will need notary services on a regular basis.

It was common for banks to employ on-staff notaries to provide free services to their customers (sometimes even walk-ins). However, with the rise of online banking, this practice is rare. This works out well if there are a lot of banks in your area constantly seeking outside help when notarizing documents.

Healthcare Providers

You might not think of medical offices as businesses that need notaries. But the truth is, any business that deals with legal documents needs to have a notary on call.

In addition to power of attorney documents, certain medical consent forms must also be certified. Otherwise, it would be difficult to prove whether or not the patient consented to the transfer of power—or the medical procedure itself.

Government Agencies

Here’s a partial list of government documents that might require notarization:

  1. Immigration forms
  2. Oaths
  3. Affadavits

It’s always important to avoid the pitfalls of a forged signature notarized document, but you must be careful when dealing with government documents. Always ensure the person signing the document has the proper identification, and check all the dates and sections of the forms carefully before notarizing.

Employment Agencies

Some employers require drug tests and background checks before they make an official job offer. In these cases, the employment agency might enlist a notary to verify those documents to cover all their legal bases.

Small Businesses

Just because a company is small doesn’t mean it’s entirely self-sufficient. Many businesses that need notaries are very small, like mom-and-pops. Even the smallest businesses have contracts and other agreements that require notarizations occasionally. So get out there and spread the word about your notary business today!

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February 3, 2023

10 Mobile Notary Safety Tips for Beginners

Filed under: General Articles — Tags: , , , , — Tom Wilkins @ 8:00 am

Becoming a notary in your state can be a lucrative career path for entrepreneurs and those who want to help their communities. Mobile notary services have become quite popular in recent years. Experienced notaries know that mobile services expand business opportunities. Still, they also know that there are specific safety guidelines that mobile notaries need to pay attention to while on the go.

If you’re considering offering field service as a notary, below are ten mobile notary safety tips for beginners:

1. Always verify the identity of the signer before conducting any notarization

As a notary, it’s your responsibility to know who you’re dealing with, but this can be especially difficult when providing mobile notary services. You may be called to various locations with multiple people present, so verify the identification of all signers. You can do this by checking state-issued ID cards, driver’s licenses, military ID cards, or other forms of acceptable official identification.

2. Ensure the document being notarized is legitimate and that all information is filled out correctly

Documents you notarize need to be validated as legitimate before completing the notarization process. Different documents may require more intensive verification than others, so always ensure you know what documents you’ll be dealing with before heading to a notary job. This will allow you to be prepared if certain documents need additional verification to be performed beforehand.

3. Always use a tamper-evident seal or stamp on the document

The seal or stamp you use should include some tamper-evident features. Consider taking photos of any seal you place upon documents within the bounds of the laws that govern notary services in your state. This can be helpful if evidence needs to be provided later to verify the original marking.

4. Keep a detailed journal of all notarizations performed

It’s also a good idea to keep a detailed journal of each day’s service calls. Each entry should include the date, time, and location of services performed, and you should also consider including contact information for any parties with whom you have contact. Your journal entries can help if you need to verify information in the future, and it can also be helpful if you bill customers instead of collecting payment at the time of service.

5. Be aware of your surroundings and stay alert for any suspicious activity

Among other mobile notary safety tips for beginners, it’s vital to be aware of your surroundings when in the field. Pay attention to suspicious activity, and always put your safety and security first. No job is worth your life, so pay attention to potential threats in the area. You can also research locations online before arriving to get a better understanding of an area’s layout.

6. Use a GPS-enabled device to track your location

In keeping with the above, ensure GPS tracking is enabled on your smartphone or a dedicated GPS unit in your vehicle. These devices help you find locations faster, but they can also be used to provide important information to authorities if you can’t be contacted after responding to a service call. It’s also recommended to share your schedule with a trusted friend, family member, or colleague and check in with this person throughout your work day.

7. Do not carry large amounts of cash or valuables with you

You only carry small amounts if you accept cash payments as a mobile notary service provider. If you have a busy day, plan some time between service calls to deposit cash at your bank. In the unlikely event that you get robbed, or you lose the cash on your person, you’ll be thankful that you didn’t carry a large sum of money. You can also limit the amount of jewelry you wear to service calls to minimize your risk of being robbed.

8. Be familiar with the notary laws and regulations in your state and adhere to them at all times

As a mobile notary, you have unique obligations and responsibilities. Your role is recognized by authorities to serve the public with integrity; to do this, you need to know the laws that govern notary services in your state. These laws may include regulations about what documents you can notarize, where notarizations must occur, whether multiple witnesses must be present, and more.

9. Keep your notary commission and identification with you at all times

Mobile notary professionals must always keep their commissions and IDs on them. Having these documents with you is important if a customer asks to see them, but you may also be asked to provide them to authorities. In addition, providing mobile notary services often means going into unfamiliar areas, so it’s wise to have records available to show that you belong in places where you don’t live.

10. Use a secure method of payment and avoid accepting cash

Accepting cash is convenient and quick, but it can also be a liability for mobile notaries. Instead of accepting cash transactions, consider using a digital point-of-sale system. Today’s point-of-sale systems integrate with the web through smartphones, allowing you to accept cards and digital payments without having to handle paper money.

Mobile Notary Safety Tips to Protect You and Your Clients

Remember, as a mobile notary, you are responsible for the safety of yourself and others. By following these ten mobile notary safety tips for beginners, you can help ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone involved in the transaction.

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January 13, 2023

Top Mobile Notary Challenges in 2023

Filed under: Best Practices,Comprehensive Guides,General Articles,Journals — Tags: , , , , , , — Tom Wilkins @ 12:05 pm

As mobile notaries, the world constantly changes and presents new challenges for our profession. Every year, new updates in law and regulations affect our practice. So it’s important to stay informed of what other professionals in the industry are experiencing so we can continue to do our jobs effectively and safely. In this blog post, we’ll be looking at some of the top mobile notary challenges that will likely arise during 2023 – from adapting to digital platforms amidst a global pandemic to keeping up with ever-evolving state laws – as well as how best to prepare for these hurdles ahead!

Increased Regulation and Compliance Requirements

Being a notary public is no small task! With an ever-increasing layer of regulations and compliance requirements to abide by, it’s important for notaries not only to stay up-to-date on laws governing notarial acts but to ensure that their notary service is top-notch. Mobile notaries, traveling notaries, and signing agents provide added convenience for clients seeking notarization services beyond the traditional brick-and-mortar approach. As such, notaries must recognize that increased regulation and compliance requirements come with the territory and be prepared to meet them in areas ranging from personal identification verification to data security protocols. After all, notaries are really providing an invaluable service – one that requires vigilance on their part in order to execute properly.

More States Legalizing Cannabis and Its Impact on Notarizations

With more states legalizing cannabis, notary services have never been in higher demand! From notarizing banking transactions to notarizing documents related to cannabis-related agreements, notaries are rapidly adapting their services to meet these growing demands. Mobile notary and traveling notary services like signing agents make this work possible with flexible scheduling, location options, and quick turnarounds. Today’s notaries are required to understand the effects of cannabis laws within the state they work in—and as more states legalize cannabis, notaries are rising to the challenge with an understanding of not only their state laws but regional ones too. The need for savvy notaries has never been greater!

Increased Use of AI and Other Technologies in the Notary Industry

The notary industry is no exception to the technological advancements in automation, with many notary services embracing advantages like AI and mobile notarization. Mobile notaries provide notarizing convenience to customers by visiting them directly at their homes or workplace instead of the other way around, and they can also perform notarial services remotely. Signing Agents present businesses with many opportunities, such as booking more notary assignments and being away from their office while doing it – improving efficiency while on the move! Automation allows notaries to increase access to and quality of notary services; plus, going digital has enabled notaries to work faster and become more organized. The combination of modern technology and a notary’s expertise creates an efficient yet secure process for all kinds of transactions, making it one of the top mobile notary challenges in 2023.

Continued Growth in Remote Working and Its Effects on Notaries

The notary profession has experienced a seismic shift since the introduction of remote working technology. While notaries have yet to experience the same growth across all sectors, those in the notary public, mobile notary, traveling notary, and signing agent spaces have seen particularly dramatic gains due to their ability to provide notarization services from any physical location. This means that as more companies turn towards remote approaches for workplace operations, notary service providers have seen benefits through increased business. This shift bodes well for notaries looking to expand their services online – something that would have seemed next to impossible for the average signing agent or mobile notary not long ago.

More States Legalizing Digital Notarization

Digital notarization is rapidly becoming the notary norm, quickly changing the traditional notarization landscape. As more states legalize digital notarization, mobile notaries and notary services must evolve to meet the increasingly strict criteria. This means notaries who act as traveling notaries or signing agents will become even more popular, as they are both cost-effective and able to meet the ever-hastening pace of new technology and ideas in the notarization process. Not only that but their expertise and presence in person can help make digital notarization a cinch for both notary and customer alike!

Changes in the Real Estate Market and How They Impact Notaries

When it comes to notary services, the real estate market is at the heart of it. From mobile notaries and signing agents that travel from place to place to notary publics who perform notarizations at their own location, notaries play a large part in helping facilitate transactions for buying and selling a home. So when the real estate market sees changes—be it an increase or decrease in residential sales or rising interest rates—notaries must be ready to adjust their services accordingly. Whether this means taking on more projects if there is an influx of business or partnering with other notaries for added flexibility and capacity, notaries must stay agile as changes come about to maintain their notary business and keep up with the ever-changing landscape of the real estate market.

Expectations as We Move Into 2023

In the past year, we’ve seen more changes in the notary industry than ever. From increased regulation to the legalization of cannabis, there’s been a lot to keep up with. Mobile notary challenges will persist as we move into 2023, and it doesn’t look like things are slowing down any time soon. You can expect continued growth in remote working and digital notarization, as well as changes in the real estate market that will impact notaries across the country. But no matter what challenges arise, one thing remains constant: the quality of the notaries like you who are dedicated to providing excellent service. Thank you for everything you do to ensure that our community thrives!

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January 14, 2022

Psych Notary Episode

Filed under: Best Humorous Posts,Popular on Facebook (some),Popular Overall,Sit-Coms — Tags: — admin @ 11:54 pm

This was originally published many years ago.

There is a sit-com on Ion television that you can sometimes get on other cable stations called Psych. It’s about a psychic Shawn Spencer and his sidekick Burton Guster. In any case, the psychic is a fake half the time who sees real clues that nobody else saw him see and then pretends to have a vision.

In this episode, a Notary is found dead and his stamp is found missing. The detectives arrive on the scene.

LASSITER: The body is dead — and it’s cold. It could have been lying here for a good seven to ten hours in my estimate. The cause of death seems unclear.

JULES: Let’s take the body to the lab and see if there is any sign of food poisoning. The victim seems to be a Notary Public, and you know how those type of people are — you know — eating on the road on the run.

SHAWN: You’re right. He might have eaten a poisoned fish filet or….wait a second, I’m getting something… (puts his right two fingers to his head) This MAN, did not die from accidental food poisoning (pause)… he was murdered.

LASSITER: You and your unsubstantiated hunches. I just can’t stand it. And what’s worse is that you’re right more than half the time.

SHAWN: Some people say that I’m talented. Oh, and I’m sorry about your tragic breakup.

LASSITER: Yeah… so am I. I really fell for her.

SHAWN: Don’t despair Lassie, there are other fish in the sea… and coral, particularly Staghorn coral.. and sometimes Pillar coral, and it really sucks when that filmy type of algae gets stuck on the coral.. hmmm. I wonder how that happens. But, I digress. My point is that I’m sure you’ll find someone else.

GUS: Yeah… You’ll find someone. Algae on coral? Ain’t no algae on coral.

SHAWN: I’ve seen it. At least half a dozen times.

GUS: Where?

SHAWN: Snorkeling

GUS: Since when do you snorkel?

SHAWN: I snorkel… Why, you didn’t think I snorkeled? I’m a snorkeler. And I can communicate with fish too. Watch this (puts face near the fish tank and blows bubbles in the air) bubble bubble bubble… See. I told you. I am all about the sea.

JULES: Well, we’ll have to inspect the scene thoroughly and then round up some suspects. Hmm. It seems that this man is a Notary, yet his Notary seal seems to be missing. Perhaps this Notary was murdered to cover up a botched notarization.

LASSITER: Or perhaps the Notary had an exclusive contract with his boss, and his boss found out….

SHAWN: That the Notary was cheating on him… I think you’re projecting, Lassie. Your ex-girlfriend.

LASSITER: She never cheated on me! She was arrested for conspiracy.

SHAWN: Sure she didn’t. I understand. We need to know who the last one who was in the room was — and that man (or woman) will be… the killer.

GUS: What if there were two of them.

SHAWN: Okay… I’m getting something. (puts right fingers to side of head). I know who the killer is… or should I say… “Killizz”

LASSITER: According to this security footage, a well known gangster named Tommy Walker was the last man to come here.

SHAWN: Wait a second, I recognize those finger tattoos. Put them all together, one one hand is says love, and on the other hand’s fingers it says hate. And mom told me not to use four letter words. The killer had a document missing a page and the Notary refused to sign it. So, the killer murdered the Notary, stole the Notary’s stamp and backdated the notarization so that it would APPEAR to have been done long before the murder even though it would not be recorded until after because of some last minute travel arrangements gone bad.

JULES: How do you come up with this?

SHAWN: I have a natural gift.

(Meanwhile the main suspect Tommy Walker, a hardened criminal is at home eating fruit loops and watching the muffets when our dynamic team of sleuths barges in)

LASSITER: (pointing gun) You’re under arrest for the Murder of John Q Smith, Notary Public at large.

TOMMY: I didn’t kill him. He just died shortly after our Notary appointment.

SHAWN: Ah-ha, but your Notary appointment yielded no actual notarization. Or did it. Wait a second… I”m getting something (see’s notarized form in the bag) I see a … win a trip for two to Disney Land…

GUS: Shawn!

SHAWN: Oh, sorry, no… check right behind the Disneyland document and you will find the incriminating document. Yes… A falsified Power of Attorney with a classic missing page… The NNA warns people about that type of situation.

JULES: Oh my God Shawn. You’re right. This Notarization was dated several days ago, but the ink is still fresh.

SHAWN: Caught… in the act. And… we happen to have access to this Notary’s Notary journal which has no record of your transaction on May 5th, “el cinco de Mayo” of the Power of Attorney in question. Which proves that either the Notary kept lousy records, or that you faked the notarization. We’ll have to take the form to the lab so that Woody can inspect the ink for aging.

TOMMY: Okay, I did it. I stole the Notary’s seal, but I didn’t kill him. The killer

SHAWN: Or “Killizz”

TOMMY: is STILL at large. We’ll have to wait for the autopsy. In the mean time… hello travelocity.

JULES: Not so fast. We have the right to detain you until we resolve this.

GUS: Good thing this Notary kept good records because many Notaries on 123notary don’t think they need to keep a journal since their state doesn’t require it. And the ones in California who are required, don’t understand that each document and signature require their own journal entry. You can’t just put them all on the same line and expect that to be a legal record.

SHAWN: How do you know all this?

GUS: Because I used to be a commissioned Notary Public for the state of California, County of Santa Barbara — thank you very much for asking.

SHAWN: Oh cool, so can you notarize my stuffed penguin I’ve had since childhood?

GUS: You never had a stuffed penguin.

SHAWN : Did too, you just never saw it.

GUS: Where did you keep it?

LASSITER: Gentlemen, let’s be done with this inconsequential rambling and get to the task at hand. We need to take Tommy into custody and then question him. Meanwhile, we need to see Woody to see what the autopsy reveals.

WOODY: Hmmm, I’ve checked the body thoroughly and it seems that the Notary was administered a tiny amount of poison that would make him drowsy for just the amount of time it would take Tommy to borrow the Notary’s seal, stamp a document, return the seal and then leave. Tommy probably figured the Notary wouldn’t suspect a thing. HOWEVER, since the Notary had an allergy to some of the chemicals in the poison, the Notary died on the spot. Although the death was accidental, the poisoning was not.

LASSITER: Involuntary manslaughter. Tommy will get a much shorter sentence. A petty crime gone wrong.

SHAWN: Couldn’t the Notary die on an x, or on a dotted line instead of on the spot. Wouldn’t that be cooler.

GUS: Shawn! A notary can’t die on an x marks the spot. That’s ridiculous. He could die on a chair.

SHAWN: Or a gezebo. Or … wait a second, or a pagoda. But, that would probably only be a Japanese Notary.

GUS: Unless it was an American tourist Notary who was on vacation in a place where there are pagodas.

SHAWN: True, but would the American Notary carry their seal with them to Osaka to a pagoda and then just die there?

GUS: I don’t know. But, the Notary seal might drop out of his bag while he was bowing. When Americans bow, they bow too low. Japanese bow just a little bit — just the right amount.

SHAWN: How do you know so much about bowing?

GUS: I studied Hokkaido style karate — that is how I know. And if you studied that too, the knowledge would come from within you.

SHAWN: Right now the only thing coming from within me is an intense desire to eat a pineapple. Wanna share one?

GUS: Okay!

LASSITER: You guys are both insane. But, we cracked the case and we can all go home now, except for Tommy who’s going to do some real time.

SHAWN: Yes, unless he also finds a way to backdate his prison sentence!

.

You might also like:

Best Virtual Comedy Compilation Updated 2018
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=17693

See our string of Psych episodes
http://blog.123notary.com/?tag=psych

Psychic – Notary Psychic Tarot Card Reading
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19126

Suicide – Notary Suicide Hotline
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=6995

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July 14, 2021

How valuable are the various types of notary knowledge?

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 3:19 am

Notaries these days who invest in Notary education study all types of topics. Some study Notary basics, others study TRID, Reverse Mortgages, Helocs, situational knowledge, elite knowledge, or just plain signing agent knowledge. Marketing skills are also taught by many agencies. So, which skills are the most valuable?

As a signing agent, companies typically babysit you unless you are very advanced and work purely for title companies. If you make mistakes, that is very unprofessional, but they generally catch you before it is too late due to the scan backs and fax backs. Notaries do not get complaints about errors on our site these days. When they do get complaints it is because they are rude or don’t show up, don’t return phone calls, or don’t get documents back on time.

So, let me make a pecking order of Notary skills in an order that makes logical sense to me.

Notary knowledge
If you don’t know how to be a solid Notary, you are endangering the public as well as yourself and leaving yourself open to legal liability. A mistake identifying someone, or filling out your journal can lead to a lawsuit, or lack of evidence in a legal proceeding. That is very serious and can ruin not only you, but all who are involved in a transaction with you. Failing to properly administer an Oath (when required) can lead to the termination of your commission if you ever get caught and is considered Perjury which is a Federal crime! If you don’t fill out forms properly or follow Notary law and procedure, you can ruin your life. So, Notary knowledge is the highest priority as a Notary Signing Agent and THAT is why we teach the finer points at no cost in Notary Public 101 on the blog.

Signing Agent knowledge
Knowing how to initial, date a right to cancel, and understanding the basic documents in a home-owner Refinances are skills that you will need to use a lot. You can ruin a signing if you miss signatures or initials, or put wrong dates on documents. Signing Agent skills seems to be a definite #2 in the pecking order of what you should study.

Marketing
If you know your basics, but don’t know how to attract work, you might get a few jobs here and there, but won’t have a side career of any scope. Learning Notary marketing is easy because there are good teachers everywhere. 123notary and LSS do a nice job teaching notary marketing. Some of the knowledge is available in our loan signing course and a lot more is on the blog in the marketing category on the right.

Specialty Skills
It is always good to learn more. Being TRID trained, or trained in reverse signings is great. But, that is the last step in my opinion. It impresses clients when you go above and beyond in your training. It shows motivation and effort and makes them more likely to hire you. But, learn the other stuff first as that is a lot more critical for basic survival.

How many certifications should I get?
The more the merrier. If you advertise with us, you should consider ours. If you are a paid member, we sometimes offer to test you by phone at no cost if you study from Notary Public 101, but we get very few takers. Our test is the hardest in the industry and our teaching materials are the most practical — and NOT the most expensive. We have the least expensive certification compared to the big players!

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March 30, 2021

Use a desk top

Filed under: General Stories — admin @ 5:16 am

When you use 123epayment.com or try to login and edit your listing, it may not be possible from a tablet, iPhone or other device. These sites were created many years ago and are designed for use on a regular computer. It is not worth it for us to reprogram everything for iPhones unless a large quantity of people will use it daily. We reprogramming the search function for iPhones since that is used by thousands of people per day.

We are old school over here, so try to work with us. On the other hand, you can always email us your requests from your device and we can do transactions or updates for your using our desktop — so, either way you are covered.

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November 2, 2020

Notary Verbiage & Notary Wording

Filed under: Popular on Facebook (A little),Technical & Legal — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 11:07 pm

Originally published Nov 13, 2016.

Notary verbiage is a fancy way of saying Notary wording. Notary verbiage is legally required on all notarizations that are in writing. Oaths and Affirmations might not contain any written proof of the transaction other than in the Notary journal. The Notary form where the Notary wording is documented or written is called a Notary Certificate. A Notary Certificate would be a separate piece of paper where official state Notary wording is written or it could be the official notary wording embedded at the end of a legal document after the signature section.

Notary verbiage varies from state to state
You need to make sure that the Notary wording you are using is prescribed for your state. Each state has different wording, and you can look up that wording on Google by using terms such as, “New Jersey Acknowledgment Verbiage.” You need to specify which type of Notary act you want to know the wording for. Acknowledgments and Jurats are the two most common forms of Notary acts, although some states allow for certified copies of powers of attorney and other specialized notary acts.

Out of State Notary wording causes confusion
If you are a California Notary Public notarizing a deed with Florida Notary wording, you are allowed to Notarize the document. Notary wording on out of state documents might be a little different than what your state’s official Notary verbiage is. But, so long as it is not substantially different it is allowed. That means that so long as there are no differences in meaning behind the words in the Notary verbiage then it is okay. Most Acknowledgment sections claim that the signer appeared before the Notary on a particular date and acknowledged that they in fact signed the instrument (document).

International Wording
Out of state notary wording has never caused a problem in my personal Notary career of eight years. However, international requirements can cause a huge nightmare. It is common for overseas document custodians (the entity who will record or hold on to the document after it is notarized) to have requirements which are not only “not done” in the United States, but could be illegal. It is common for Chinese organizations to want an American Notary to put a stamp on a blank piece of paper with no Notarial wording which is completely illegal. In such a case, you have to explain to the signer that you are required by law to staple a notary certificate to the document being Notarized, fill it out completely, and then stamp it to complete the Notarization. Most states also require the signer to be identified and sign a journal.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT CERTIFICATE WORDING FROM TOP TO BOTTOM

(1) The Venue

Q. What is a Venue?
A. The venue comes at the top of a Notary certificate and documents the state and states the county.

State of California
County of Los Angeles

Certificate verbiage will contain a venue which is a section at the top of the notary certificate which includes the state and county where the notarization took place, and a signature section at the bottom which is where you put your signature and Notary seal impression. It is possible that a preprinted venue will have the wrong state which is a problem. If there is wrong information in the venue, you either have to do a cross out, or start with a brand new form. Most venues pre-print the state, but leave a blank where the county is to be inscribed. A prudent Notary will make sure all forms get filled out correctly with no cross outs as that is very unprofessional, especially on documents such as Deeds or Power of Attorney which are likely to be recorded by the county or some other organization.

(2) The body of an Acknowledgment.
Below the venue, the acknowledgment certificate will state that on such a date, a particular person or several named people personally appeared before a Notary Public and acknowledge that they signed the corresponding document. The wording will also include the fact that the signer was positively identified or perhaps known to the notary (some states allow for personal knowledge of a signer at a notarization.)

(3) The bottom of an Acknowledgment
Locus Sigilli is a lovely Latin term means the location of the stamp. At the bottom of the Notary certificate form is where the signature of the Notary goes and also where the stamp goes. Most Notaries use an inked Notary Seal while others use a non-inked Notary embosser in addition to prove authenticity of the notarization as it is possible to emboss all of the pages of the document to prove that pages were not swapped after the fact.

(4) Examples

Example of a Florida Acknowledgment Certificate

STATE OF FLORIDA

COUNTY OF BROWARD

The foregoing instrument was acknowledged before me this ___________ (date), by __________ (name), who is personally known to me or who has produced _____________ (type of identification) as identification.

______________________________

Notary Public

Printed Name:__________________

My Commission Expires:

____________________

Commission #_________

California Acknowledgment Wording

State of California
County of Los Angeles

On 7-21-2016 before me , Joe Smith Notary Public, personally appeared Sam Sarno
who proved to me on the basis of satisfactory evidence to be the person(s) whose name(s) is/are subscribed to the within instrument and acknowledged to me that he/she/they executed the same in his/her/their authorized capacity(ies), and that by his/her/their signature(s) on the instrument
the person(s), or the entity upon behalf of which the person(s) acted, executed the instrument.

I certify under PENALTY OF PERJURY under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing paragraph is true and correct.

Witness my hand and official seal _______________
Description of Attached Document
Title or Type of Document: _______ Number of Pages: ________
Document Date: _____ Other: _____________

Crossing out verbiage is required
On an Acknowledgment form, the boiler plate wording in the middle of the form requires cross-outs. Normally on legal forms you don’t want to cross out anything, but these cross-outs establish whether you are dealing with an individual signer, a male, female, group, etc.
If you look at the California Acknowledgment wording above, you will notice the term “Person(s)”. If it is a single person, then cross out the (s). The term name(s) — if there is only one name then cross out the (s). If you are doing a name affidavit, you might have a single person and six or seven names in which case do not cross out the (s). Then there is the he/she/they wording which can be complicated if you are notarizing someone of ambiguous gender or for Siamese twins.

Jurat Wording
Jurat wording is substantially different from Acknowledgment wording in that the Jurat requires the signer to sign in the presence of a Notary and swear under Oath as to the truthfulness of the document. Many states have a simplistic wording that just says,

“Subscribed and sworn to before me this __________ date of ______, (enter year) _______. ”

Other states have more elaborate wording, but the basic facts documented are the same.

Certified Copy by Document Custodian
This is a type of Jurat that is used only from time to time. Many individuals want to make a copy of a document and then have a Notary “certify” that the copy is correct. Most states don’t allow a Notary to certify this information. However, a Notary could make the photocopy him/her-self and write a note claiming that they attest to the fact that the photocopy is a true and complete copy of the original. However, the offficial Notary act that takes place is a Jurat where the signer swears under Oath that the copy is genuine. I completed many such Notary acts for college transcripts especially for foreign clients.

Read More about Notary Wording

http://blog.123notary.com/?tag=notary-wording

Should you use book wording for Oaths or improvise?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19660

Notary Acknowledgment Wording
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18858

Index of information about documents
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20258

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March 26, 2020

Benefits of 123notary from Kate McKinnon. (detailed testimonial)

Filed under: Advertising — admin @ 8:38 am

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1. At least 3 title/escrow companies contacted me to thank me for the
time I’ve given to their Borrowers, at least 2 of whom were first-time Borrowers. I know that many people are overwhelmed from the moment I take documents out. I put them at ease by telling them that “now and in future transactions, they usually need to focus on 3 documents— all other paperwork is in support of these documents.” (I have reviews on 123 that speak to this.)

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2. Continuing on from above, I’d like to add that some notaries’
practice is to “do the signing quickly and get on the next.” I take whatever time is reasonable to make sure the signer is comfortable with and understands the process. In loan signings I am aware this is often one of the major financial commitments in people’s lives and they are understandably nervous; and, that the Client has entrusted me to complete this signing, so I am in essence representing them as well.

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3. From the start of my career as a notary, I learned from 123Notary to do my homework (up front): review the package, flag important and/or unusual things soothes are not missed; doing any other necessary research (e.g., trusts/adoption documents; attorneys in fact, etc.). The more knowledgeable I am about documents and procedures, the better notary I am. Also, I prefer to “re-do” rather than correct and initial. I like for my work to be correct and error-free. Clients notice (as reflected in some of my 123Notary reviews.)

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4. I have taken your marketing advice to heart, and its paying off more and more. I make it easy for people to not only find me, but to make them want to use me.

a. Increasingly my better paying jobs are coming as a result of the 123 website. I anticipate that paying for a higher listing will more than pay for itself with my first two orders coming from it.

b. I instill a sense of security in my client as a matter of course by advising them of receipt of confirmation, meeting/closing with the client, dropping/tracking of documents.

c. Occasionally I contact people who have used me more than once to thank them —in an attempt to keep my name before them without being pushy. Sometimes enclose a thank you note with my invoice and asking them to let me know what I can do to better serve them.

d. All of my marketing materials are coordinated in their look and easily identifiable (business cards, stationery, website, invoices, note cards, etc.).

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5. Both my corporate and individual clients appreciate that I text my photo and/or business card with my photo confirming our meeting. I never knew how impactful this would become. People like to know with whom they are meeting (especially for coffee shop or hospital signings as well as with seniors and single women)…and the “ice is already broken” before I show up.

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6. More and more I’m learning what separates me from the pack:

a. I always ask how they found me. Many answer 123Notary. If other than 123, I encourage them to read my 123 reviews.

b. Doing my research…usually on your blogs, NNA and the internet, bookmarking or maintaining notes.

c. Paying attention to detail.

d. Professionalism in my dress, communications and manners.

e. Being honest in what I do and do not know.

f. Getting back to designated contact(s) after noting issues during the closing. This only happened rarely and in the beginning of my
practice, but I always let Borrower know that we can communicate with their loan officer, etc.

g. Finally, the notary’s client is a person just as we are. I relate to them as such. (This is frequently mentioned in my 123 reviews.)

h. My overall knowledge of mortgage documents, types of residents (primary vs. second), homesteads, trusts/trustees; subscribing witnesses/signature by mark; Apostilles, etc.

i. For me personally, I both hate and appreciate doing detailed journal entries and loose certificates. It takes more time, but my record are perfect and my loose certificates always specify the document name, number of pages and date.

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