The SEC
The Securities and Exchange Commission — the U.S. government agency, created by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, that regulates the securities markets, enforces the federal securities laws, and oversees the SROs.
The SEC administers the Securities Act of 1933, the Exchange Act of 1934, the Investment Company Act of 1940, and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. SEC registration of a security means required disclosures were filed — it is never an endorsement of the investment’s merits, and claiming otherwise is a violation.