An independent agency of the US government.
http://www.sec.gov
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is the federal agency with the primary responsibility for enforcing the federal securities laws and regulating the securities industry, the nation's stock and options exchanges, and other electronic securities markets in the United States.
Key Facts
The SEC oversees the key participants in the securities world, including securities exchanges, securities brokers and dealers, investment advisors, and mutual funds. Here the SEC is concerned primarily with promoting the disclosure of important market-related information, maintaining fair dealing, and protecting against fraud. the SEC enforces the Securities Act of 1933, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and other statutes. It is a primary enforcer of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010.
Additional Information
The Laws That Govern the Securities Industry
Who it affects
US securities exchanges, securities brokers and dealers, investment advisors, and mutual funds.
Wikipedia Entry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Securities_and_Exchange_Commission