Tied and multi-tied advisors are nearly always rewarded via commission although in some cases (and if the advisor is employed rather than self employed) commission may be expressed in notional terms to justify a salary.

In the UK there has been much debate in the media about the effectiveness of financial advisors, especially in situations where there is perceived bias toward certain products which offer high commission.

There are issues of client accountability as the advisor — either tied or independent — has a moral duty to achieve this for clients. Best advice is difficult to achieve if the advisor is not independent; therefore a type of compromise exists where a tied or multi-tied advisor must recommend the most appropriate financial product available to him or her to suit their clients needs even if a more appropriate product is available in the market place.