Updated 5-18-16. Whether you’re a first-time attendee or a seasoned Conference veteran, the line-up of workshops and events at NNA 2016 is designed to give you the best possible experience. To help you get the most out of Conference, we’ve put together a recommended list of “can’t miss” events for new Notaries, Signing Agents and Notaries of all experience levels.
For Notary Signing Agents: Protecting Borrower’s Privacy
Protecting sensitive consumer financial information has become one of the most important issues of the 21st century, and lenders are going to great lengths to make sure that protection extends through every step of the mortgage origination — down to how Notary Signing Agents handle loan packages.
A panel of leading mortgage and title company executives will help Notaries navigate the many laws that affect privacy protection at the NNA 2016 General Session industry panel “Protecting Borrower’s Privacy Is Not An Option: What Every NSA Must Know.”
The panel, which includes representatives from Title Source, First American and Orange Coast Title, will discuss what steps Signing Agents must take to prevent identify theft involving loan documents, and how NSAs can guard themselves against privacy breaches that can result in serious liability.
“Protecting Borrower’s Privacy Is Not An Option: What Every NSA Must Know” takes place Monday, June 6.
For All Notaries: Two Takes On Identifying Signers
Notaries commonly rely on photo IDs to verify a signer’s identity — but what if the signer has changed their hair color? Or lost weight? Or recently had an illness that affected their appearance? Or what if the ID is a high quality fake?
Matching a photo ID to a person in front of you and determining if the ID is real or fake can be one of the toughest challenges for Notaries. In fact, a recent face-matching research survey of Notaries found that 28 percent of the time, Notaries failed to spot imposters — and 20 percent of the time mistook genuine signers for fakes.
Notaries can learn how to improve their ID face-matching skills at the NNA 2016 workshop “Using Proven Facial-Recognition Practices to Identify Signers.” Dr. Megan Papesh of Louisiana State University, who has extensively studied facial recognition for identification documents, will discuss the best features to look for when determining if a signer truly matches their ID photo, important cross-cultural differences to be aware of when presented with ID, and techniques to help you improve your skill at accurately matching a signer’s face to a photo ID.
To help you sharpen your skills in spotting fake IDs, Glen Garrity of G2 Identity Management will be presenting the workshop “How to Recognize a Fraudulent Identification.” Garrity will cover the four steps of the FLAG (feel, look, ask, give) system when examining an ID , describing the newest security features appearing on identification documents, and discuss tools that can help you verify ID security features.
For All Notaries: Panel Addresses Webcam Notarization
More states are exploring the possibility of webcam notarizations where a signer uses video instead of appearing in person before the Notary. But is this technology an innovation that will save time and money for signers, or a security risk that will enable fraud?
At NNA 2016’s Closing General Session, “Is Video Notarization the Next Big Thing?”, experts in the field of notarization technology will address these questions, discuss the pros and cons of webcam notarizations, and provide a demonstration of the process for attendees.
Panelists will include Ozie Stallworth, Director of Electronic Notarization and Notary Enforcement for the North Carolina Secretary of State’s office; Tim Reiniger, Director of the Digital Services Group for FutureLaw, LLC; Pem Guerry, Executive Vice President of the digital signature services company SIGNiX and Kathleen Butler, Executive Director of the American Society of Notaries. “Is Video Notarization the Next Big Thing?” takes place Wednesday, June 8.
For All Notaries: Liability Protection Workshops
Liability is something every Notary, regardless of experience level or industry, can face at any time, whether through an unintentional mistake or a dishonest third party forging or stealing your seal and information. Our workshops “Habits That Best Protect Notaries from Liability” and “Pitfalls that Trigger Lawsuits” have tips to help Notaries prevent costly lawsuits and legal battles. (Monday, June 6 and Tuesday, June 7)
For New Notaries: Basics and Fraud Prevention
If you’re a newly commissioned Notary and you’d like to work on your basic skills, “5 Essential Steps of Notarization” will help get you started on the right path. And to help protect yourself from would-be crooks, we recommend “How to Recognize a Fraudulent Identification,” which will teach you the warning signs of a phony ID. (Monday, June 6 and Tuesday, June 7)
For Notary Signing Agents: TRID And The New Closing Disclosure Rules
The new TRID Closing Disclosure rules implemented by the CFPB last fall have significantly changed the way loan signings are performed. Signing Agents at NNA 2016 can learn more about these changes in the workshops “The Good, The Bad and the TRID: What’s Next?” which gives an overview of these important changes and how they will affect Signing Agents in the months to come. (Monday, June 6 and Tuesday, June 7)
This is just the tip of the iceberg. NNA 2016 also features workshops on topics including signer privacy, business-building tips, income tax suggestions and much more. Check out our preliminary NNA 2016 events schedule online or visit our NNA Conference home page for more information. (Note: Schedule is subject to change. — The Editors)
David Thun is an Associate Editor at the National Notary Association.