LPL Financial has added Santa Monica, CA-based Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management to its broker-dealer and hybrid RIA platforms, bringing some $175 million of client assets under administration.

Kawasaki provides wealth management services for families and individuals, as well as younger investors, with an emphasis on social media and modern technology. The firm was founded in June 2010 as an independent advisory firm by Ross Gerber, president and chief executive, and Danilo Kawasaki. It currently has 19 affiliated financial advisors.

"Gerber Kawasaki focuses on both the needs of the baby boomers planning for retirement as well as on generations X and Y still learning to build wealth," said Ross Gerber, president and chief executive. "It is our vision to create not just a wealth management firm, but a revolutionary technology platform for clients to communicate, learn, and engage with their investment advisors."  For example, the firm uses Facebook, Twitter and Skype regularly to communicate with clients.

In a related move this month, LPL also added San Diego, CA-based Washington Wealth Management, an independent RIA with some $750 million of client assets, to its broker-dealer platform. Washington Wealth Management offers advisors and teams with $1 million and above in annual revenues ownership of their businesses, with an open-architecture approach to fee and commission-based investment choices. As part of the move, it is also affiliating with LPL's RIA platform.

LPL Financial is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nasdaq-listed LPL Financial Holdings.