A few acronyms defined

ASIC is Australian Securities and Investments Commission, this is the primary regulator of investment activity and licensing and if you want to sell something via prospectus you must submit a copy to ASIC first.

ASX is Australian Stock Exchange. It started out as a kind of "club" where brokers would meet to exchange stocks and over time has grown more formalised, you need to realise that the ASX is not a government authority but in fact is actually a listed company, which is itself traded on the ASX.

ATO is Australian Tax Office, they collect tax and audit people.

CA is Chartered Accountant, an industry accreditation for accountants.

CFA is Certified Financial Analyst, an industry accreditation for financial analysts.

CFP is Certified Financial Planner, an industry accreditation for financial planners.

CPA is Certified Practicing Accountant, an industry accreditation for accountants.

CHESS is Clearing House Electronic Subregister System, this is the computer that automatically processes the paperwork after the transactions on the stock market, keeps track of who owns what.

FAQ stands for Frequently Asked Questions, if you haven't figured that one out yet.

SEATS is Stock Exchange Automatic Trading System. It is the computer that actually carries out all of the transactions. SEATS is the silent modern equivalent of traders in colourful jackets hollering and gesturing to buy and sell stocks. The old spectacle has gone, and is now all computerised.

SFE is Sydney Futures Exchange, think ASX but for the futures market.

SOMA is Surveillance Of Market Activity. This is a computer program that monitors transactions in an attempt to identify stock manipulation and insider trading. This system allows a playback trade by trade of all transactions prior to or following a big announcement or big move.