December 2016 - Notary Blog - Signing Tips, Marketing Tips, General Notary Advice - 123notary.com
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December 31, 2016

2016 Notary Timeline – a year in review

Filed under: General Stories — admin @ 11:13 am

2016 was a great year for Notaries. Here are some of the highlights of what happened at 123notary and in the Notary industry in general.

Jan 2016 — The Notary industry was slow for most of the year, but worse in the last quarter. To the point where some short of change for the laundry didn’t even have a last quarter.

Feb 2016 — Snapdocs becomes a force to be reckoned with and Jeremy writes many snappy blog posts over the next several months about them. Snap becomes jealous. Crackle & Pop couldn’t care less.

June 2016 — Jeremy visits Facebook headquarters to see where his Facebook advertising money is going. But, Facebook refuses to give him a tour after a seven hour drive, which Jeremy tells them he didn’t like. Since they’re used to seeing a thumb down instead, they have no idea what he’s saying.

Sept 2016 — 123notary introduces mobile pages for city and state search results pages. The pages still need to be tweaked.

Nov 08, 2016 — Trump elected. Half of Americans made America great again while the other half made America grating again.

Nov 09, 2016 — 3253 of Minnesota Notaries applied for a Notary commission in Saskatchewan. The Somalis in MN wanted to make America great for the first time by legalizing Shariah law, while Notaries in Colorado are staying put as notarizing while stoned remains legalized.

Nov 10, 2016 — 123notary removes many reviews in an attempt to motivate people to get new reviews.

Dec 10, 2016 — 123notary puts old reviews back online as many Notaries got upset and Google rankings fell.

Dec 11, 2016 — Carmen stubs her toe on way to Affidavit signing, and feels better after the ID for the signer had a really funny photo where the lady looked surprised and her hair was a mess. When Carmen diplomatically told the lady she took a nice picture, the lady looked surprised and her hair stood up just like her picture.

Dec 14, 2016 — Interest rates go up a quarter of a point and are expected to go up two to three times more. We could be looking at a very slow 2017. Which is good news for people living paycheck to paycheck and can’t believe how quickly the next month’s rent check is due.

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You might also like:

The history of 123notary.com
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=17458

123notary behind the scenes
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=2499

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December 27, 2016

The Care and Feeding of Mentors

Filed under: Ken Edelstein,Popular on Facebook (shares) — Tags: — admin @ 11:01 pm

The Care and Feeding of Mentors
Jeremy published an excellent article on finding a Mentor – http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16793 OK, you followed the advice and found one willing to work with you. Now what? That is the essence of this post.
“I’m in a hurry, I don’t have much time in my schedule to devote to study or research; the bottom line is this: I want to know specifically, using my Notary License, exactly what you can do to make me rich”.

Believe it or not, that is essentially what several Mentor requesting notaries have asked me. A common theme is that they want the “fast path” to the Big Bucks. They perceive their Notary status as having the deed to a gold mine, if only they could find the exact location of their mine, to pick up the nuggets lying about for the taking. In a similar manner, when I go to the NY State Dept. offices (which administer Notary and Real Estate Broker license tests) I often hear the prospective Brokers discussing the “killing” they plan to make by selling the Empire State Building – “that commission alone will set me for life”.

There is nothing wrong with having high aspiration, but it’s real life that it also requires a large amount of perspiration to “get there”. Delusional can be defined as a false or mistaken belief or idea about something. I don’t use that word to be critical, but rather to stress the point. A Mentor devotes their time, and shares their skills and knowledge; generally without compensation. That is not always the case. I had a request to teach how to process some rather complex documents – it took a full “hands on” day; and I was paid accordingly. However, that is a rare exception.

Most requests for me to Mentor come via email and start with a liberal dose of flattery. OK, it makes sense to say something nice to someone you want to do you a favor. As covered in the above mentioned blog; I really don’t want to create competition “across the street”. So far, that has not been the case. It’s a heavy lift to train someone to be a Signing Agent from “scratch”. So I usually suggest they take a course on the subject and really learn the material. There are several sources for “basic training”. It’s just too time consuming to cover the Venue, ID requirements, Oath, and such. When I was learning to fly an airplane, initially I read about theory, and then flew simulation on my PC, graduating to renting a plane and an instructor. Getting in the plane with instructor and not knowing anything would be inefficient.

The following scenario has repeated itself several times over the past decade. I receive the request, with flattery, to help someone who wants to grow their business. Rarely is there a specific question included, just the general goal of self improvement (scores intent points) and, of course, the desire for more money. That’s fine with me – they are, in my mind, a “contender” wanting to better themselves. So, with my very first email reply I want to determine if they are willing to really WORK for their goals.

I give a “homework assignment” – it’s always the same. I ask that they read my last dozen, or more if they wish; blog entries. Then, citing which blog they are referring to: ask 12 detailed questions that relate to an issue or concept in that blog that is unclear or should be expanded upon. Why? If I’m to spend time being a true Mentor, I have to “know” the person I am working for (yes it’s working for). They have to show me that they really will put “skin in the game” and work for their own benefit. I also want to see their writing skills and get a sense of what they consider important to learn. This dispels the myth that I have a bucket of knowledge that I can simply pour in their direction. As Jeremy mentioned, there is a vast wealth in the blogs, of which my stuff makes a minor, but often useful contribution.

Sad to say: to date not a single “student” submitted their homework – not one! My intent was never to “chase them away” – If I wanted to do that I would simply reply that I was too busy. Beginners: let your prospective Mentor know that you are willing and able to WORK hard “with” them, for your gains.

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You might also like:

How to find a Notary mentor
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16793

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

Notary information for beginners – best posts
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=10472

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December 22, 2016

How do I get a notarized Power of Attorney?

Filed under: Popular on Facebook (some),Popular Overall,Power of Attorney — Tags: , , — admin @ 12:25 am

How do I get a notarized Power of Attorney?

It is common to need a Notarized Power of Attorney. The issue is that many people don’t know where to go for help. You need to either find a Power of Attorney form, or have a customized one drafted by a law firm. But, be careful. If you have the wrong Power of Attorney form, it might not be acceptable to whomever the custodian of the document is, or to the courts. I am not an Attorney and can’t advise you, but I suggest you first talk to the agency you are submitting the Power of Attorney to and see what their requirements are. After that, talk to an Attorney.

Step 1. Check with the Document Custodian

Many banks want customers to use their own Power of Attorney for Banking document to be used. This Banking Power of Attorney is sometimes not on an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper. I have seen them printed on card stock in such a way where there is not enough room for a Notary seal. Banks often insist that the Notary seal is on the actual document and won’t accept Attorney written documents. So, talk to the entity you are submitting the Power of Attorney for before doing anything else.

Step 2. Draft your Power of Attorney

If necessary, get your Power of Attorney drafted by an Attorney or someone who your Attorney recommends.
If you use a standardized form from an office supply store, make sure you get it all filled out before calling the notary.
You will need to have an Attorney in Fact (Agent or Grantee,) a Grantor, and you need to specify what powers you are granting, and for how long, and under what conditions. It’s complicated and critical, which is why you need an Attorney at $200-$400 per hour!

Step 3. Find a Notary on 123notary.com!
Any notary can notarize a Power of Attorney. They can also notarize a Durable Power of Attorney, or notarize a Health Care Power of Attorney. Certain states even allow the Notary to make certified copies of a Power of Attorney. 123notary offers a wide selection of mobile notaries who can come to your home, office, hospital room, or jail cell and get your Power of Attorney notarized. Make sure you have current photo-ID issued by government agency.

Step 4. Submit your Notarized Power of Attorney
Once your POA is notarized, you might need to submit it to a particular party, or have it registered at some government office. Ask your Attorney what to do. Keep in mind that banks often have their own forms for Banking Power of Attorney which are often very simplified forms on card stock which would be significantly below the standards of an Attorney. But, if it is for their bank, they have the right to request any type of form they like. Just make sure your Attorney doesn’t object too terribly much. It’s complicated! Be prudent and consult the right people and Attorney before making your decision what to do.

Types of Powers of Attorney

Health care Power of Attorney documents which are often called health directives, medical power of attorney forms or living wills. These are normally very long documents written by an Attorney who specializes in these matters. These types of documents often specify what to do if the Grantor becomes mentally incapacitated, or have to be put on life support.

Limited Power of Attorney documents which grant authority to the grantee to perform certain actions on behalf of the Grantor.

Durable Power of Attorney documents which could stay valid even after the Grantor becomes mentally incompetent (ask an Attorney for details.)

General Power of Attorney — gives broad authorizations to the agent

Special Power of Attorney — gives specific and special powers and authorizations to the agent

Final Note
Don’t ask legal questions to Notaries or other non-Attorneys. First of all, Notaries are not trained to answer legal questions. Secondly, they are not allowed by law to answer legal questions. Get your legal questions out of the way with your Attorney before you make your initial call to the notary. Nothing is worse than keeping a notary on hold while you resolve issues that a responsible person would have resolved long before they called in a notary! Also, Notaries are not normally authorized to draft legal documents, so find someone who is legally authorized to draft legal documents which is normally someone who works as an Attorney or perhaps in the legal field.

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You might also like:

Index of posts about Power of Attorney
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20255

Logic errors can cost you as a notary
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20110

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

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December 21, 2016

DOJ — and the risks of unsupervised notaries public.

Filed under: Popular on Linked In,Technical & Legal — Tags: , — admin @ 12:18 am

On Feb 9, 2012, the Department of Justice released some settlement terms for some of America’s largest lenders regarding the mandate of proper training and supervision of notaries. In October, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released their Examination Manual which included requirements for the proper and correct execution of notarized documents.

There are risks to hiring uneducated and unsupervised notaries. Many do not know how to give Oaths, or properly fill out Acknowledgment or Jurat Certificates. Companies are exposed to losses should their notaries make serious mistakes. If you hire notaries, you should make sure you find a way to test them on basic notary procedures and inspect the forms that they fill out. Additionally, you should ask them all about what types of identification is acceptable and how to fill in journal entries. More than half of commissioned notary publics really don’t know what they are doing.

February 9, 2012, the U.S. Department of Justice released settlement terms for some of the nation’s largest financial institutions; including the mandate of proper training and supervision of notaries public. October 2012, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released their Examination Manual which includes requirements for proper execution of notarized documents.

For years, educators and advocates of notaries public have warned employers of the risks associated with uneducated and unsupervised notaries public. Employers of notaries public can no longer ignore the risk to which these vital employees expose our institutions and companies. This live audio conference outlines the critical protections your company should put in place to protect your reputation and financial assets, above any statutory or regulatory responsibility to do so. In addition to the relevant settlement released in February 2012, precedent setting case law demonstrates the need for employers of notaries public to take a closer look at their notary education standards, management program, and disciplinary actions to protect their company and business transactions from losses that result from unrelated or from their own uneducated notaries public. Considering that the majority of the commissioning agencies of notaries public do not require any education of your notary-employees; your company is exposed to losses as a result of their errant processes.

After completing this live audio conference, you will understand basic notarial responsibilities, identify specific actions of notary-employees that expose your company to risk, and be able to implement a management and supervisory program that includes basic notarial education and performance expectations for all notary-employees.

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December 20, 2016

The Universal Residential Loan Application — AKA, the 1003

Filed under: (4) Documents,Popular on Linked In — Tags: , , , — admin @ 9:48 am

The Universal Residential Loan Application is a common loan document. Also known as the 1003, this document is very disturbing to the borrowers as it contains routine errors in its personal information about the borrower. This document goes over where the borrower is from, their age, where they went to school, what their income is, and social security number. It is very common for the clerks who create this document to make a plethora of mistakes.

There is often a blank page on the 1003 that says, this page intentionally left blank. That bothers borrowers as well. Some like to put a diagonal line through that page.

Backdating. Sometimes the 1003 is backdated or the lender will leave instructions not to date it at all. Why? Because the borrower, most likely, has submitted a more user-friendly form to the borrower, of which contains the same information that the 1003 does. At a closing you are often pretending that you are signing the 1003 when the borrower filled out an earlier version of the application several weeks prior to the signing. As a Notary, just don’t backdate Notary documents. But don’t worry, this one is not a Notary document, and you aren’t backdating, the borrower is.

Signing and initialing. There are different formats for the 1003. Many of the pages have one-centimeter initial lines in the bottom right corner. Keep your eyes peeled, as the different formats of this document have different arrangements. On some variations of this document, one of the pages is blank for the most part. Sometimes, you will need to have the borrower initial and sign the same page (which seems strange). Sometimes the initial lines aren’t easy to see. Sometimes you initial on top. Just make sure to check the document through and through. If you are not sure if a particular document needs an initial, it is generally a good idea to have the borrowers initial it. When in doubt, initial.

The good news is that the information in the Universal Residential Loan Application is not binding. Just make sure that the information in your Closing Disclosure or HUD is correct because that is final and binding information.

To learn more about loan documents, you can visit our free online 30 point course which goes over all of the major loan documents in a loan signing.

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You might also like:

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

The 30 point course – a free loan signing course
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=14233

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December 19, 2016

It’s like having a magnet on your listing

Filed under: Reviews — Tags: — admin @ 9:36 pm

Are you listed on 123notary.com? Do you not know why you are not getting as much traffic? Is it bad luck? Is it 123notary’s fault? Or is it just the industry?

Listings on 123notary.com that typically do well have certain components.
Some of the components are visible while others while others are harder to discern. Some people with relatively modest looking listings on 123notary do very well simply because they gravitate business by having experience and skills. Those people are also likely to answer their phone and be helpful. You can’t know all of this just by looking at a listing. But, for the rest of us, what is important is what you can see.

Having a great notes section is very important for gravitating clients.
People want to read about you before they call you. If there is nothing to read, they will not want to call. If there is something to read, but that something is dull, disorganized or generic sounding, they will also be less likely to call. You need a unique and informative well organized notes section to attract business.

Having 123notary certifications means everything on 123notary.com.
Your NNA certification won’t gain you any points on our site as everybody else also has it. However, only 25% of Notaries on 123notary.com can pass the 123notary certification test and only 3% can get through the Elite test. So, if you want to stand out on our site, I think you know what you need to do.

Reviews are the most important magnet on your listing.
People want to read 3rd party information about you more than they even care about our tough certification test. So, if you are too busy to ask for reviews, or just don’t want to bother people — think again. Five or six reviews doubles your business. So, try to get some reviews today! And don’t forget to send them a link to your review page after you ask them.

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You might also like:

You lose $333 each time you don’t ask for a review
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18893

123notary’s comprehensive guide to getting reviews
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16290

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December 17, 2016

Who is involved with 123notary behind the scenes?

Filed under: Advertising,Popular on Facebook (shares) — Tags: — admin @ 12:05 am

When most of us see a website, we see the front end and are absolutely oblivious to what goes on behind the scenes. The fact is that running 123notary involves all types of work that you might not be aware of. Here is a breakdown of what gets done and who does what.

Hosting
123notary is hosted by Connectria and has been for eight years. They keep the site online and help solve technical issues with the servers. You might be surprised to know how much it actually costs to host 123notary. The cost is about $1500 per month and that is before a single hour of programming is billed.

Programming 1999-2010
123notary has had many programmers over the years.

Mark — was our main programmer and he built most of the functions on 123notary.

SzeWan — worked with Mark and did a lot of the phone lists and other functions of 123notary.

Peter — The original programmer for 123notary was actually Jeremy’s dad Peter who is a retired Ada Compiler programmer. Peter worked on much more sophisticated projects during his day and figured out web programming from the ground up. All of Peter’s work had to be rebuilt in newer languages such as ASP, and once again ten years later needs to be rebuilt in a newer version of ASP. When does it end?

Programming 2010-2016

InvitraTech — after Mark quit, which was a huge tragedy for 123notary, we used some programmers in India who we had used on another project. Due to some technical reasons logging into the server, we had to transfer programming to someone in Phoenix.

Phoenix Programmers –Unfortunately the guy in Phoenix had such a temper problem we had to cancel a very critical migration the day it was scheduled. We tried many programmers after that, but found them to be either incompetent, or to be unwilling to work. After that, it many months of trial and error to find another programmer who I liked and who would be loyal to us, and about two years of paying for two servers to finally get the migration to go through since I was so busy (and frustrated.)

Fred — Now, we are laying low on programming and Fred does small fixes for us. Fred was responsible for finally completing the migration and got it done very smoothly I might add.

Brent — In addition to Fred, Brent and his team help us out with fixes from time to time. This is a very long list of programmers. I think my life would have been easier if I could have found one who would stick to the job. Maybe I should have learned programming.

Sales

Carmen — has been with 123notary since 2003 which was the year our business started to really pick up. I remember sitting in the car in March 2003 answering a sales call and my friend (ex-friend) tried to get me to shut the phone off. I explained to him that my business is finally taking off, and why stifle myself? After a few months of the phone ringing off the hook which was a welcomed form of over-work after years of poverty — I came to my senses and realized I needed help. So, in 2003, I pleaded with Carmen to get her on board. She was very resistant at first believe it or not, and then developed a love and loyalty for the job which has lasted until today and hopefully for many years to come. Carmen became full-time with 123notary in 2005.

Jeremy also does outbound sales from time to time.

Adine, Wendy, Sally, and Leah have also done sales, although they all got busy with other things and decided not to work for 123notary anymore.

Writers

123notary’s blog became very popular around 2012. Instead of the world ending like the Mayans claimed, 123notay’s world got filled with interesting articles. 123notary was able to find a few amazing writers to help out. Ken does writing mostly about technical and business advice issues. Since he is an accomplished Notary, it is easy for him to write about the finer points of Notary marketing, pricing, and documents. Jeremy does a little of everything at 123notary and writes the majority of the articles. Andy is a professional TV and screen writer who wrote for Cheers, Seinfeld and more. Andy helps write comedy articles for 123notary and also helps with idea generation. Andy’s blog articles became hits and we have a folder for him in our Guest Bloggers category on our blog.

So, who else?
Mrs. Meao helped 123notary guard its working quarters from unwelcomed intruders (mice.) But, there were no mice, so Mrs. Meao took naps most of the time. In the future, I’d like to see more variety of blog writers. The problem is that the blog writing applicants come up with such lame topics that I never hire them. They are simply not in tune with what people want to read. We tried to create a teaching program, but none of the Notaries who had teaching backgrounds wanted to cooperate. So, we’ll see how 123notary develops. Wish us luck!

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You might also like:

The story of 123notary
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=710

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December 16, 2016

Frequent signer miles?

Filed under: Humorous Posts — Tags: — admin @ 12:04 am

I had a dream where I met a notary who was very zealous about marketing his business. He offered frequent signer miles to his customers.

You get:
400 miles for each Acknowledgment
260 miles for a Jurat
Free peanuts & coke on your flight if you do an Oath.
1000 miles for a complete loan signing
1500 miles for a reverse signing

If you cash in 6000 miles, you get a free loan signing with 100 pages or less.
Or cash in 2000 miles and get a free mobile notary visit for two signatures and a complimentary wet nap.

The dream evolved after this — or should I say “went sideways.” I started out just with the signing agent talking about pricing. Then, we were on a British Airways where they announced, “At British Airways, we fly on the left side of the sky!” Then the captain announce that they would be doing a reverse signing and the plane started going backwards. Then we started going straight down and the flight attendant made the pilot swear under Oath that we were not going to crash. Right when we were about to hit ground, I was in someone’s living room having peanuts and coke — the notary was there saying, “Hey, would you like to get your free Oath now?” My response was — “Hell no — not on your life — or my life!”

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You might also like:

Airline meals verses Notary Oaths & Affirmations
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19549

Signing with a former Airline Captain
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=12870

Compilation of Notary sit-com episodes including Shark Tank!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=15949

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December 14, 2016

Do you compare yourself to others on the 123notary search results?

Filed under: Advertising — Tags: , — admin @ 12:00 am

We want to remind all Notaries that you are in a constant state of competition. It behooves you to look regularly at what the others are doing in your area wherever you do notary advertising. If you in Timbuktu, IL, see how the others are doing. Otherwise, the phone will stop ringing and you won’t know why. Perhaps Tom in your area will have twenty new reviews while your last review is collecting cyber dust. Or perhaps Mary will have passed our Elite test while you failed our regular certification test two years ago and never tried again.

If you compare yourself to others on the list you will quickly notice certain things.

1. Some Notaries offer late night service. Our icons for Owl hours and 24 hours attract a lot of callers.

2. Some Notaries have many reviews and recent reviews. Others have three reviews the same day back in 2009 which looks fake by the way.

3. Some Notaries have a very evolved looking notes section while others have a one liner or leave their notes blank.

4. Some Notaries have a company name that sounds good while others just use their personal name.

5. Those using our site regularly are painfully aware of how much less knowledgeable signers are who are not 123notary.com certified. Those uncertified folks tend not to get picked much despite their claims that — “But, I’m NNA certified, so why should I have to pass another test? I already know it all.” Those who use our site think that you do not know it all if you can’t pass our test which is timed!

It boils down to — do you want jobs or not? Are you willing to do several quick things to make sure you get jobs or do you want to do the minimum and hope to get by? This is not Junior High folks, this is real life, and the minimum doesn’t cut it. You have to make sure you have all of your bells and whistles. You need notes, certifications, reviews, company names, good skills, you need to answer your phone regularly, and do good work. If you goof in any one area, your business will suffer. So, why not do everything right, and prosper?

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You might also like:

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

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

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

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December 13, 2016

The Good Faith Estimate

Filed under: (4) Documents — Tags: — admin @ 9:49 am

The Good Faith Estimate may or may not be used anymore in loan signings as the new Closing Disclosure has an accompanying document called the Closing Estimate as of 2015. However, it is possible that some Lenders still use a Good Faith Estimate as different Lenders use different forms and variations on forms.

The Good Faith Estimate documents an estimate of what the various closing costs will be. The final numbers show up on the Closing Disclosure or HUD Settlement Statement. It is important for borrowers to understand which document is final and which one is merely a non-binding estimate.

The good faith estimate must be provided within three days of applying for a loan. Costing costs could include inspections, title insurance, taxes, appraisals, notary fees, title charges, reserves, and other fees.

How do I get a Good Faith Estimate Notarized?
If you need to notarize a Good Faith Estimate, just find a Notary on 123notary.com. However, The Good Faith Estimate is not normaly a notarized document, so save your money for getting your Deed of Trust notarized as that is always notarized in my experience!

Who drafts the Good Faith Estimate
It is normally the Lender who drafts or hires an entity to draft a Good Faith Estimate for him/her.

You might also like:

The APR
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=14483

The 30 point course synopsis
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=14233

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