Dan was born in Baltimore and raised in Laurel, Maryland, and is a graduate of Auburn University. After graduation, Dan joined the sales force of Service Corp International, working with them in Mobile, Alabama, and Raleigh, North Carolina. In 1997, Dan joined American Express Financial Advisors, which is where he met his business partner, Joe Matza. Dan and Joe left American Express in 2009 to form Murphy Matza Wealth Management.
Dan has more than 28 years of experience as a financial advisor. This long tenure gives Dan a distinct perspective on the financial markets that only time and experience can provide. He holds the Accredited Investment Fiduciary® certification, which signifies specialized knowledge of fiduciary responsibility, particularly as it applies to 401(k) and other retirement plans.
Dan and his wife, Ashley, live in New Bern, North Carolina. They have been married for 25 years and they have three children: Danny and Parker are both attending Liberty University and daughter Rheagan attends University of North Carolina Wilmington. Dan also enjoys (and Ashley puts up with his love for) Auburn basketball and football. Dan and Ashley enjoy their date nights and spending time traveling as a family or enjoying their second home in Atlantic Beach.
Dan is a commissioner for the town of Trent Woods and chairman of the board for The Epiphany School of Global Studies. He is a board member of the Fireman’s Local Relief Fund for the West of New Bern Volunteer Fire Department. He is a past board member of Big Brothers Big Sisters, serving on the finance committee, and was a youth leader of Garber Methodist Church for many years. Currently, much of Dan and Ashley's free time is spent doing family activities, where their photography hobby has shifted to many pictures of the kids! They are members of Garber Methodist Church.
You may see Dan and his dog Dave riding around town on his orange Ural Motorcycle. It is a replica World War II motorcycle with a sidecar, so it’s hard to miss!
2025 Forbes Best In State Wealth Advisors, created by SHOOK Research. Presented in April 2025 based on data gathered from June 2023 to June 2024. Not indicative of advisor’s future performance. Your experience may vary. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/3cyp2d47 
Dan is proud to have been recognized as a President’s Club advisor for 2023—a distinction based on annual production that places him among the top 11 percent of advisors affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network.
Each year, Commonwealth, the broker/dealer–RIA that helps us process investment transactions on your behalf, recognizes President’s Club advisors by inviting them to an exclusive gathering of their peers, leading industry experts, and Commonwealth home office staff. President’s Club advisors benefit from an intensive learning and networking experience designed to help them hone their expertise, share best practices, and provide ever-higher levels of service, education, and leadership to their clients.