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Disclosure: Some links may earn us a commission at no cost to you. We only list things relevant to our customers; we're not paid for placement.
A short list for notaries, small business owners and families: what each kind of tool is for, what to look for, and well-known providers you can compare yourself.
For notaries and signing agents
Errors and omissions (E&O) insurance
What it's for. E&O insurance helps pay to defend you, and to cover damages, if a signer or a company says a mistake you made in a notarization cost them money. It is different from a notary bond, which protects the public rather than you. Signing services, title companies and remote notarization platforms often set a minimum amount of coverage.
What to look for
- A coverage amount that matches the work you do, and at least the minimum set by each company or platform you work with
- Whether the policy covers remote online notarizations as well as in-person ones
- Whether the cost of defending a claim is paid on top of the limit or comes out of it
- The policy term, and that it renews before your commission or your signing work needs it
Well-known providers
- National Notary Association (NNA): Notary association that sells E&O policies along with supplies and training.
- American Association of Notaries: Notary association that sells E&O policies and notary supplies.
This is a list of places that sell notary E&O policies, not insurance advice. Read the policy, and ask a licensed insurance agent if you have questions.
Background screening for signing agents
What it's for. Signing services and title companies usually ask a notary signing agent for a recent background screening before sending loan signings, and many ask for it again each year.
What to look for
- The screening the signing services you work with say they accept
- How long results usually take, and how you share them with the companies you work with
- How long the result is treated as current before you need a new one
Well-known providers
- NNA background screening: The screening the NNA offers for notary signing agents.
- First Advantage: A background screening company. Check that the companies you work with accept its report before you order.
Notary seals, stamps and journals
What it's for. Most states require an official seal or stamp on each notarization, and many require or recommend a journal entry for each notarial act.
What to look for
- The exact seal format your state's rules set: size, shape, ink color and the wording it must show
- A journal with numbered pages and the fields your state asks for
- A safe, locked place to keep the seal and the journal when you are not using them
Well-known providers
- National Notary Association (NNA): Seals, stamps and journals made to each state's format.
- American Association of Notaries: Seals, stamps and journals by state.
From us
- Notary journal options compared: Our own guide to paper and electronic journals.
- Free notary journal template: A printable journal page from us.
Remote online notarization (RON) platforms
What it's for. To notarize remotely you work on a platform that handles identity proofing, the recorded audio-video session and the electronic seal. Your state decides which platforms and steps are allowed.
What to look for
- That the platform is approved or accepted for notaries commissioned in your state
- Identity proofing and recording storage that meet your state's rules
- Whether you can bring your own clients, take orders from the platform, or both
- Current fees, read on the provider's own site, since they change
What we use. Our New Jersey remote notarizations run on Proof, and we help the notaries who join us get set up there.
Well-known providers
Signing agent training and certification
What it's for. A notary signing agent handles loan document signings. There is no single government license for it; signing services usually ask for a certification and a background screening on top of your notary commission.
What to look for
- Whether the signing services you want to work with accept the certification
- Practice with a full loan package, not only videos
- Whether a background screening is included or sold separately
- What it costs to renew, and how often
Well-known providers
- NNA Notary Signing Agent certification: The NNA's signing agent training and certification exam.
- Loan Signing System: Signing agent training course.
- Notary2Pro: Signing agent training and certification.
From us
- Our loan signing agent course: Our own course on running loan signings.
For small businesses
Payroll software
What it's for. Payroll software works out each paycheck, withholds and pays payroll taxes, and files the quarterly and year-end forms, so you are not doing it by hand.
What to look for
- That it files and pays federal and New Jersey payroll taxes for you, not only calculates them
- New-hire reporting and year-end W-2 and 1099 forms
- Support for employees or contractors who live in another state
- That you can export your payroll history if you ever switch
Well-known providers
- Gusto: Payroll, benefits and contractor payments.
- ADP: Payroll and HR services for businesses of many sizes.
- Paychex: Payroll and HR services.
- QuickBooks Payroll: Payroll that works inside QuickBooks.
Accounting software
What it's for. Accounting software keeps your income and expenses, connects to your bank, and produces the profit and loss and balance sheet you or your tax preparer need.
What to look for
- Bank and card feeds for the accounts you actually use
- Whether your bookkeeper or tax preparer already works in it
- Invoicing, receipts and sales tax tracking if you need them
- A way to export everything if you change software later
What we use. When our bookkeeping service sets up a client's books, we work in QuickBooks Online or Xero.
Well-known providers
- QuickBooks Online: Cloud accounting software from Intuit.
- Xero: Cloud accounting software.
- FreshBooks: Accounting and invoicing for service businesses.
- Wave: Accounting and invoicing for small businesses.
From us
- MCC Books: Our own downloadable bookkeeping app.
- QuickBooks Online setup: Our setup service, if you would rather have it done for you.
Business bank accounts
What it's for. A separate business account keeps business money out of your personal account, which makes bookkeeping and taxes much simpler.
What to look for
- FDIC insurance for a bank, or NCUA insurance for a credit union; check it with the government tools below
- Monthly fees, and what it takes to avoid them
- Whether it connects to your accounting software
- Cash deposits, if your business takes cash
Well-known providers
- FDIC BankFind: The FDIC's free tool to check that a bank is FDIC-insured.
- MyCreditUnion.gov (NCUA): The NCUA's consumer site, with a tool to find federally insured credit unions.
Invoicing and card payments
What it's for. Invoicing tools send a bill with a pay button, so clients can pay by card or bank transfer and you can see who has paid.
What to look for
- Processing fees per payment, read on the provider's own site
- How fast the money reaches your bank account
- Automatic reminders for unpaid invoices
- That payments flow into your accounting software
What we use. Our online store takes payments through Stripe.
Well-known providers
- Stripe: Online payments and invoicing.
- Square: Card payments in person and online, with invoices.
- PayPal Business: Online payments and invoices.
For families
Document storage and organizers
What it's for. Birth certificates, passports, deeds, wills, insurance policies and a list of accounts are hard to replace and are needed fast in an emergency. Keeping them together, protected and findable by the right person saves a lot of trouble.
What to look for
- For a home safe: fire and water ratings tested by an independent lab
- For a digital vault: two-step sign-in, encryption, and a way to name someone you trust to get in
- A way to export or print everything
- Keep the originals of documents that must be originals (such as a signed will) where your family can reach them
Well-known providers
- Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (FEMA, Ready.gov): Free government checklists for gathering your family's key documents.
- SentrySafe: Fire and water resistant home safes and document boxes.
- Trustworthy: Online vault for family documents and information.
- Everplans: Online vault for estate and end-of-life planning documents.
- Dropbox: Cloud file storage, for scans of your documents.
- Google Drive: Cloud file storage, for scans of your documents.
From us
- Family emergency plan: Our guide to putting your family's plan on paper.
How this list works
- We list a provider because people we work with ask about that kind of tool. Being on the list is not a ranking, and we are not paid for placement.
- Some links may become affiliate or referral links. Those are labeled "(affiliate link)" and may earn us a commission at no cost to you.
- We don't show prices here, because they change. Check each provider's own site for current prices and terms.
- This is a resource list, not legal, tax, insurance or financial advice. For advice about your situation, talk to a licensed professional.
Last reviewed 2026-11-07. Spotted a broken link? Email us and we will fix it.