Seems like some Notaries set their equipment up to track the developments of the Artemis II Saga…
I never thought of it as a side hustle. It seems way too important to me. I just think it’s dangerous.
I’ve completed maybe 30 or so signings thus far. I only had to be called back 1 time and that was earlier on in my signings. I have E&O insurance up to $1 mil to protect myself. What exactly is dangerous?
Matt I came at this mobile notary gig with a Process Server mentality. Most normal people are not as worldly as we are.
I think she’s saying it’s dangerous not to take this business seriously, whether it be a side gig or a full-time profession. Not taking it seriously can result in major major issues
Yes, it’s dangerous to your Social Security. I’m willing to wager that most of you had a successful career before retiring to this side hustle, and if that’s the case, you’ve already got your 40 credits.
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What are the 40 credits? I haven’t heard that one. I guess you could say that I arguably had a successful career as an independent software consultant. Successful enough, at least, that I don’t have to rely solely on earnings as a notary to live on.
I’m not sure where the 40 credit comment came from but I think it is a reference to your working career and how much social security you earn when you retire- https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/credits.html
“Forty work credits represent the minimum amount of work history needed to qualify for Social Security retirement benefits. Because you can earn a maximum of four credits per year, reaching 40 credits takes at least 10 years of covered employment. In 2026, you earn one credit for every $1,890 in wages or self-employment income, meaning you need $7,560 in covered earnings that year to pick up all four credits.[1](javascript:void(0)) Those 40 credits also unlock premium-free Medicare Part A hospital coverage, making the threshold one of the most important milestones in the entire Social Security system.”
So if you don’t pay into social security during your independent contracting gig, you are affecting your social security as your payments are based on how much you’ve put into the system (and don’t forget, it’s not just collecting at 62/65, but also SS Disability)
P.S. An afterthought - keep in mind when you’re an employEE, your employer pays into SS for you too; as an independent, both of those contributions are on you. If you don’t pay anything into it, you’re also forfeiting the employER contribution toward SS earnings. Apologies for not thinking of this sooner.
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thanks Linda. i’m done mansplaining for the day.
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LOL Joe - gotcha covered!
Hi Antonio, I appreciate you explaining your RON setup. One of my daughters has a similar home setup working as a freelance production manager in Hollywood.
Hi, I appreciate you sharing that. I’m sure her setup is a lot more impressive than mine—especially considering the level of data and production work she’s handling. That kind of workload definitely requires a more advanced and robust system.
I and my only competitor will not leave home for less than $100.00 and that would be within City limits. Outside of city limits $150 for within 20 miles. $200 for calls 20 to 50 miles. 50+ miles is going to be $250. or more.
I’m in a small rural community in Eastern Washington population about 12000. There are at least 12 notaries here. Up and down the valley probably over 60. Some work on the way cheap.
Hi Matt, I work in an area where many of the signings are 40+ miles for the round trip. I have been doing mobile notary signings for many years as a full time job and the only years I came close to grossing six figures was around 2005-2008 and I had two other notaries working for me (so I wasn’t netting near six figures). I think a realistic income for full time notary work is more like 60k-70k if you have consistent busy work (3-4 per day). The tough part of notary work is that you can be very very busy for two or three months which can lull you into a sense of false security and then things can slow down for a month or two and that can be very stressful if you are supporting a family. I think loan signing work is a great job as a side hustle or retirement age (like me) where you are not raising a family that depends on your income from it to pay all the bills. When the market crashed in 2009 my notary income literally stopped and I was raising two kids as a single mom. I had to make some quick decisions and ended up going back to school and then teaching. It was a pretty tough time after being so busy! So…if you want this to become fulltime, save all your notary money (since you don’t need it to pay bills) that you are making now so you have a nice cushion for months that are slow and yes take the $80 jobs if and only if it works neatly into your schedule and you have the time to fill to make it a full day of work.
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Great thread — a lot of solid perspective here. The side-hustle angle does shift things a bit, but the reality is if you’re going through signing services you’ll probably have to take some of the lower-paying ones early on to build a track record before the better companies open up.
One lane worth looking at alongside loan signings — being 50 miles outside the city probably puts you in a good spot for general notary work (hospitals, assisted living, estate docs). Less competition out there and per-visit fees tend to hold up better. Could be a nice complement to the loan side while you’re ramping.