CFPB Director Richard Cordray abruptly announced Friday that he would leave at the end of the day, giving the reins of the agency to a new deputy director.

The outcome of a case testing the president's power to fire a CFPB director will come too late to impact Richard Cordray, but may affect President Trump's interim and final picks to lead the agency.

A week before he is due to resign, CFPB Director Richard Cordray sent a letter to 29 CEOs at banks, credit unions and other financial companies, urging them to help consumers exert more control over credit cards, debit cards and other payment methods.

A new Republican director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is likely to take immediate action to change certain rules, including the "qualified mortgage" and payday rules, while curbing pending enforcement actions that are considered too harsh on financial firms.

It’s a seat the Trump administration has long wanted vacated, and now it gets a chance to fill it — and change the direction of an agency that’s been a thorn in Republicans’ side. Following are the top candidates.

The resignation of CFPB Director Richard Cordray gives President Trump the chance to name a director who could roll back agency rules and supervisory policies.

The announcement by the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ends months of speculation about how long he planned to stay at the agency.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is seeking more information about consumers' experience with free access to credit scores.

If CFPB Director Richard Cordray does not leave soon — as has been widely expected — it may be that he has used rumors of his possible political aspirations to successfully keep Trump from firing him.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau filed a lawsuit Wednesday against Freedom Debt Relief and its co-CEO for allegedly deceiving consumers.