5.4 Highlighting Instructions, Flagging & Spotting Issues
Key Takeaways
- Review the entire package before the signing: confirm completeness, check name spelling against the ID, highlight signature points, and flag issues
- Highlight sign here, notarize here, date here, and initial here tabs; mark lender-only sections as do NOT sign
- Flag missing pages, name mismatches, blank notary blocks, wrong dates, and missing riders for the lender or title company
- You may correct a blank or wrong rescission date on the Right to Cancel by lining through and having the borrower initial; never alter the main body of loan documents
The Pre-Signing Prep Workflow
Before you sit down with the borrower, you should review the entire loan package. This prep work is what separates a professional NSA from a courier. The goals are threefold: make the signing smooth, prevent errors that cause funding delays, and protect yourself by documenting issues before they become your problem. A rushed signing with an unreviewed package is where most notary errors happen.
A standard pre-signing review follows this order:
- Confirm the package is complete. Compare the document list to the signing order; verify no pages are missing and no rider (e.g., a correction agreement, name affidavit, or power of attorney) is absent. A missing rider discovered at the table can stop the signing entirely.
- Check borrower name spelling across every document and against the ID. The name on the Note, Mortgage/Deed of Trust, CD, and Right to Cancel must match the name on the borrower's government-issued ID. Name mismatches are a leading cause of re-signs.
- Highlight signature and notarization points. Mark where the borrower signs, where the borrower must notarize (acknowledgment or jurat), and where dates are required. Color-coded tabs or highlighter colors speed the signing and reduce skipped signature lines.
- Flag issues you cannot self-correct — wrong dates on loan documents, missing notary blocks, unsigned lender sections — so you can resolve them with the lender or title company before or during the signing.
What to Highlight
| Mark | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Sign here tabs | Where each borrower signs (and whether one or both sign) |
| Notarize here tabs | Where you will complete an acknowledgment or jurat |
| Date here flags | Where a date must be entered (signing date, rescission date) |
| Initial here flags | Pages requiring borrower initials |
| Do NOT sign flags | Lender-only or notary-only sections the borrower must skip |
What to Flag for Follow-Up
- Missing pages or incomplete documents in the package
- Name mismatches between documents or versus the ID
- Blank notary blocks (no venue, no date, missing notary signature or seal area)
- Wrong dates on the Note, CD, Mortgage, or Right to Cancel
- Missing riders or addenda referenced in the package
- Discrepancies between the CD and the loan terms in the Note (rate, payment, loan amount)
Flagging means a visible note (a sticky flag or a written note on a cover sheet) that survives into your report to the scheduler. Silent spotting — noticing an issue but not recording it — is how problems get to funding.
Name-Consistency Check vs. ID
The name on every document the borrower signs must match the name on their government-issued photo ID. If the ID says 'Robert A. Johnson' but the documents say 'Bob Johnson,' flag it. Do not assume a nickname is acceptable — the lender or title company must instruct you on how to proceed (e.g., a name affidavit, an AKA statement, or redrawing the documents). Signing documents with a name that does not match the ID can cause recording rejections and title-insurance problems.
Common name-mismatch scenarios:
| ID Name | Document Name | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Robert A. Johnson | Bob Johnson | Flag — nickname; lender decides |
| Jane Ann Smith-Williams | Jane A. Smith | Flag — surname truncated; may need redraw |
| Maria Elena Garcia | Maria E. Garcia | Often acceptable (middle initial) — confirm with lender |
| William T. Carter, Jr. | William T. Carter | Flag — suffix omitted; lender decides |
Spotting Issues You Cannot Self-Correct
Some issues are outside the NSA's authority to fix. If you find any of the following, contact the lender or title company rather than correcting it yourself:
- An incorrect interest rate, payment, or APR on the Note or CD
- A wrong property address or legal description on the Mortgage
- A missing or incorrect legal description or parcel number
- An incorrect loan amount
- Borrower names on the main body of loan documents that do not match the ID and cannot be resolved by a name affidavit
What You MAY Correct
You may correct clerical items on the Notice of Right to Cancel (rescission date blank or wrong) by lining through the error, writing the correct date, and having the borrower initial. You may not alter the main body of the Note, CD, Mortgage, or other loan documents — those corrections come from the lender. If a notary block is missing the venue or date, you complete the notary sections (venue, date, your signature, commission info, seal) — but you do not insert borrower information into lender sections.
A Pre-Signing Checklist
Use a consistent checklist at every signing:
- Package complete — no missing pages or riders
- Borrower name matches ID on every document
- Signature, notarization, date, and initial points highlighted
- Lender-only sections marked do NOT sign
- Rescission date verified (or filled in and initialed) on the Right to Cancel
- Notary blocks present with venue and date space
- Any discrepancies flagged for the lender/title company
During your pre-signing review, you notice the borrower's name on the Promissory Note reads 'Jane A. Smith' but her driver's license reads 'Jane Ann Smith-Williams.' What should you do?