The grim impact of COVID-19 – extensive financial dislocations across asset classes and potentially large increases in morbidity and mortality – could pose a challenge to the insurance industry, particularly life insurers. This column urges central banks looking to preserve credit supply to account for changes in insurer risk appetite, which could take place well before capital levels approach regulatory thresholds. Financial stability assessments should examine the implications of the pandemic for insurers, which operate in some countries on a comparable scale to banks.