I am not discounting anything as far as pay is concern. You all are right about that. However all I’m saying is there’s a nicer way to bring forth this issue. I did not say newbies should work 100+ jobs and get paid low wages. They should at least get some experience in and then go for better pay. There are some companies that pay a decent fee. I think I need to leave this alone. I pray for the newbies that are reading this string. Always try to think positive, no matter what situation you’re in. Being a disgruntled person for the most part brings nothing good. Bye. Oh by the way, there’s nothing wrong with being “old”. I must say, I was a “fly by night” when I first started, oh boy, and look at me now. I definitely understand this business. That’s why I know what jobs to ACCEPT and which ones to leave alone. All the while staying positive and learning and thanking my creator. For real this time, BYE.
Weirdo energy. This intial post was literally a rant. That how I know you’re older with the mentality you have set. As a young Gen Z person working for scraps just to gain experience is unacceptable and a stupid way “the world work” or that’s just the way it is. This mentality is what keeps us poor, and scraping. At the end of the day I am a hustler and I just don’t like this industry that much. I don’t even know what a fly by night is, another hint to your age. But I hope it is not an insult, because I didn’t insult you directly. Yeah Bye miss, hoe you do well in whatever you do.
A Fly-by-Night company is one that’s here today and gone tomorrow. It’s a throw back term that refers to some who sets up a temporary business and after leaving a mess behind, packs up in the middle of the night and is never seen again. In Gen Z Terminology Fly-by-Night is Ghosting.
Traditional employment meant that young workers, aka whipper-snappers, take starter jobs that have low pay to gain the interpersonal, customer service, and dirty job skills that instill life long wisdom. It difficult to become a leader until you’ve gotten your nails dirty and worked for a few bad bosses. Bad Bosses are the best teachers on what not to do. As you gain both age and wisdom you’re ready for more responsibility and pay.
Unfortunately the NSA business doesn’t work this way as what we do is a commodity product that goes to the lowest price available. If an NSA bails out, ghosts, there will be another ready to step in. SS and the NSA trainers, not all but most, keep telling the newbies to go low to gain experience and your pay will grow. This is an untruth that many buy, because it worked 20 years ago. Things change but the advice hasn’t.
Also bad advice is the “go title direct”. Title Companies have plenty of NSAs due to many buying the 6 figure income pitch. A saturated market means the vast majority of NSAs are and will always work as independents, i.e. be one of the many commodity service providers.
I am seeing many of the newbies who are struggling to make a living, deciding to drop out. I’m not swimming cash. That’s why I have a second business. I decided to take advantage of the refi rush to make a few bucks on the side.
I wish you the best and sincerely hope you can find what you’re looking for.
I feel this makes sense. The reason I would ghost the industry is because it doesn’t serve me. And you’re right none of that advice works in this new day and age. Young people are struggling to make a living. I am a educator by trade. I’m just looking for flexible side gigs to help set me up for a more relaxing middle aged life. Work hard in my early twenties to have a peaceful midlife crisis. It doesn’t seem like it is gonna happen. I am also a “recent” college graduate so independent work was never the end goal. This is just something I stumbled upon to stay afloat, and I decent at doing it. And of course learning a lot along the way. Mainly from. The borrowers I meet. That’s probably the best part of the experience so far.
I’m an very experienced Engineer and Physicist with 30+ years working in Applied Electromagnetics and Clinical and Biomedical Engineering. Post Covid there aren’t many opportunities for those with my skills. I’ve also encountered age discrimination. Today I own a Financial Services company, handling the Taxes for those who wouldn’t offer me a job. Ironic isn’t it?
I’ve only been in this industry 6 months, my first three signings were $65 after that they were calling me asking if I was available for a refi and they could do $100. I took them of course, now they’re offering me $125.
I read a Facebook post and it was basically calling people like me an idiot for taking the lowball fees, and how I’m making the industry bad for others. Ones day I did the calculations and realized each refi package here in Maryland has 140 pages on the low side and 179 pages for most refi packages I do. Each package has 10 to 15 documents needing to be notarized and most signings I’m doing has two people. Most signings are 20 to 37 miles away from me. My calculations are below.
$17.90 document print and check fee
$60.00 document notarization fee
$21.09 mileage to signing _____________________________
$98.99 total cost to me before I’m even paid
From the looks of it above I’m losing out here but guess what, I’m not going to stop taking signings especially when every few months they’re increasing their offer to me.
While I’m building my bridge to success in this industry I will continue to sit back and cut and let you season professionals continue to turn down these offers and when they call me I will go and do that signing. Believe me I know my worth and apparently they do too because the offer continues to be increased without me asking.
Taylor, your absolutely right. Some notaries are accepting all assignments regardless of fee’s. They don’t realize that they are destroying our industry. There’s an old saying “pay peanuts and you get chips”. These inexperienced notaries are killing the industry, then we get calls to go out and redo the signings they made errors on. Meanwhile those who are experience are missing out on work because of the low pay structures being offered.
All we can do is say no, I won’t work for that chicken feed you offer. Contact the title companies and notify them of the problem! Best of luck to you!
Right… because getting direct work is just so easy and consistent. People can complain for whatever reason they choose and don’t need permission to speak and voice their concerns. Your attempts at shaming aren’t needed or helpful.
Hi ~ reading everyone’s comments and I understand the frustration. Wish people would add what state they are in ~ I’m in WA State. As I stated before, holding out for my standard fair fees for each area. There are a lot of Million + properties in my neck of the woods so I know what I’m doing is right. A glimmer of hope ~ recently 3 different Notary Contractors contacted me because they know I’m a 10 star Notary (I never knew that) and have had my business 5+ years. Their orders for these large real estate transactions is to hire the better Notaries and pay the asking fee prior to working their way down the list to less experienced Notaries. They have been dealing with so many errors from Notaries accepting low ball fees and not being experienced that processes are being delayed. Know your worth and charge accordingly. Note I do not rely on my business for full time income. I’m retired and this is my part time income and I make $2,500 to $4,000 a month depending on hard I want to work. Those courses that encourage you to make 2 to 3 times more a month than I make you will have to work from early morning to late at night. I like my retirement time 
Been waiting 3 hours for a fee to be approved after they called back to make sure I was leaving my schedule open? Ha Ha Ha. Sure! Also this is fill in work but I refuse to be walked all over.
I’m in the state of Maryland and I am an educational aide in DC. So I also do this part time just to supplement my full time job. I do have low aims too. Like I will be good with 2k-4K a month of extra income. There are a lot of homes around here and since MD is small I can cover multiple counties. Since the school year is over and the summer is here I do this full time because my contract with the school was 10 months. I think this is a great way to make part time income. I just gotta respond to the signing offers within a minute or they are gone which is sooooo annoying.
Hello All,
While this is a platform to share the pros and cons of the Notary business, please do not be condescending. Basically, we all want the same thing…success in this business. God bless you all.
Happy to hear you have a business that is doing well. Question since you are a numbers person ~ I purchased gas yesterday in Kitsap County WA for $3.73 gallon for regular. What are prices for gas in your neck of the woods? Others may chime in because I’m curious since fuel prices are calculated into my fees.
I’m in PA- Philly suburbs
I feel all of your pain- this industry has definitely changed since I started in 2018. I doubt I’ll be renewing my commission next year, especially when Arichter is considering the same.
In 2019 things picked up for me- I was doing a lot of SS jobs. Then 2020 BOOMED- Refi market was crazy busy!!!. I was never able to get direct Title work on a consistent basis
Now- business has ground to a slow crawl. I haven’t printed out a package all year. (don’t miss it!)
All of my work this year has been from GNW- clients finding me from my website or past use. I get notifications for loan signing jobs, but won’t take the low ball SS offers. I don’t work to lose money.
The GNW is not enough to keep the bills paid, I claimed unemployment which will run out soon.
My appts are random, to accommodate the client - I might have one appt a day, a few days a week. It makes it difficult to use my free time productively in other ways, when I have a mid-afternoon appt and have to stop what I’m doing. That’s also frustrating.
I’m in my mid-60’s and this is my 3rd career- I still need to work but don’t know where to channel my talents that won’t be expensive or time consuming to get ‘up and running’.
Of course, I’d always thought I’d be sitting pretty by this time in my life, but the world changed all that. I’d really thought this notary gig would get me through…
I have other passive forms of income that I fallback on when the times are slow.
Taking what you can gets everybody lower signing fees. It’s proven!
I have been a NSA for one year. I read the forums for information because every now and then I pick up something helpful. Up until now, I have reframed from posting anything. However, I can’t resist anymore. I think there are a couple of points you may not be considering.
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I have worked my entire life and never had a job where I was paid to drive back and forth to work. Being an NSA at least you can claim the mileage as a tax deduction. So even though I am not technically being paid for driving, it does reduce my tax liability. If you are not claiming this deduction then you need to hire a better accountant. It actually helps in the long run if you do some signing that are further away.
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I am very comfortable with my goal of $1K a week. It’s all a matter of what you want and what you need. I do a few signings for $85 but most of them are $100. It’s really up to you how much you want to work. I am nearing retirement and what is really important to me is the flexibility. That in its self is worth its weight in gold.
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I read a post recently about someone who is working in a title office. Don’t forget the tax benefits of being an independent NSA. Self employed Notary Publics are NOT subject to self employment tax. A huge benefit for my husband and me come April 15th.
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Personally, I really like this job. I have never been stiffed by a Signing Service.
Again, I love the flexibility. If I want to go camping, I just don’t answer my phone. I don’t have to request time off or get it approved. The people I work with, both the signing services and the borrowers, are really nice. I could do more signings, but as I said before, I am comfortable. Not stressed or rushed. I like it way more than my 9 to 6 job at the bank. -
Every signing is different. Some take over an hour some take 15 minutes. You never know how the borrowers want the documents presented and you don’t know if they are going to be “readers”. So, if I do a signing for $85 and takes me 45 minutes then I’ve made $85 in less than an hour. To me, that’s not bad money. Again, I don’t really consider the expenses (gas, paper and toner) because its all tax deductible.
I hope some of these points will be food for thought.
Thanks to all the complaining by the “Experience Notaries”, as a newbie, I have been able to negotiate higher fees. Most of my jobs are $100 to $350 per signing.
If you spent as much time marketing yourself & service, as you do complaining, maybe you would find better paying jobs.
Most of the complainers, act entitled, but reality is if you do a great job, people will pay you. I have been self employed for 20+ years, but new to this business. Just because I’m new, doesn’t make me the problem of the industry. Look in the mirror and ask yourself what can you do better each day.
Complaining will not get anyone more money, but great service and reasonable fee’s will make you successful, in most cases.
Remember we are all in different states with different markets. I’ve been at this for a year. My mistakes with companies are low, but when I negotiate fees they do not budge at all. I lose almost every counter and they tell me, I well the average fee in your area is $80. So it depends. There is still way more cons to this than just the money, the companies are unorganized. I can not tell you the number of times the company lost the paper and want to blame it on me. Like I didn’t ship it or scan it back🙄. Just at the end of the day everybody experience with this business and industry is different.
Man You all up in my koolaid and don’t know the flavor. Don’t know nothing about me to make these assumptions that I do not market myself. I get steady work most days. I can push to make closer to 2k a week. The offers have considered dropped and when I asked they say because of the regional average is lower. So who is taking these lower offers then, since you got all the answers….