Greece is on the edge of a dramatic exit from the euro EURUSD, -0.06% . The Russians are meddling in the Ukraine again. The oil price CLH25, has been hammered, creating an arc of instability across the Middle East. The global economy is, as is so often the case, poised on the edge of another crisis. If it happens, money will start fleeing to safe havens, somewhere where it can be safely parked to ride out the turmoil.

But where’s it gonna go? For several generations, the answer to that question was easy enough. In a crisis, you parked your cash in the Swiss franc USDCHF, +0.34% , or else in U.S. Treasury bonds TMUBMUSD10Y, 0.701% , or in gold US:GCH5 . The trouble is, none of those safe havens are as “safe” as they once were.

Right now, the market is wide open for some new havens. Such as? Take a look at the Polish zloty USDPLN, -0.01% , the Israeli shekel USDILS, -0.27% , the Singaporean dollar USDSGD, +0.08% , agricultural land, and big bundles of banknotes stashed away in a secure place.

There were reasons why a small group of assets emerged as safe havens. They had proved over decades, and preferably centuries, they would maintain their value regardless of what chaos might engulf the world. The Swiss franc, preferably held in one of Geneva or Zurich’s discreet private banks, was always the best example, a reliable store of value through a couple of world wars and a few episodes of hyperinflation. Gold and T-bills were almost as good.

“ Cash doesn’t pay any interest, but in a world of deflation and negative rates that suddenly doesn’t matter anymore. ”

But the franc is no longer what it was. The Swiss are now punishing anyone impudent enough to hold their currency with negative interest rates that mean it actually costs you money to keep cash in the bank. Fierce tax enforcement means Americans will now find it virtually impossible to have a Swiss bank account, and so will many Europeans — indeed, so tough has the regulatory climate become that simply opening an account, never mind putting any money into it, looks suspicious.

Gold is trapped in a bear market. Treasury bills yield so little, and the Federal Reserve is eager to buy them itself, they no longer looks as safe as it once did. For a time, bitcoin looked like emerging as an alternative safe haven for anyone nervous of paper money. But has proved so volatile, it can hardly be regarded as reliable even during good times, never mind a crisis.

Instead, here are four alternative safe havens to think about for the next time the global economy blows up.

To start with, and especially if you happen to be European, take a look at the Polish zloty EURPLN, -0.01% .

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One of the largest of the former Soviet states that won their freedom a quarter of a century ago, Poland has made incredible progress since then. With low government debt, and a constitutional limit on borrowing, combined with a large population and robust growth, the Polish zloty is probably the safest major currency in Europe right now and arguably in the world. True, it is notionally committed to joining the euro at some stage, but the Poles have safely kicked that possibility to somewhere in the 27th-century.

Over time, its inherent qualities are likely to be more and more widely recognized, and the zloty will become a lot more sought after by global investors, so it may even appreciate in value. But even if that does not happen, it will certainly hold its value.

Next, take a look at the Israeli shekel, and the Singaporean dollar.

A small fiercely independent, financially conservative, high-tech nation, in many ways Israel is a hotter version of Switzerland. Like the Swiss, the Israelis have had to intervene in the market to lower the currency — a sure sign that fundamentals are driving it higher. Interest rates are not high, but at 0.25%, at least they are still positive. Over the years, the shekel has always been undermined by the threat of war, but if Israel was ever going to be wiped off the map, it would have surely happened by now.

Likewise, just as Israel is a hotter Switzerland, so too is Singapore, except with far less belligerent neighbors. With low debts and a hard-working population, there can be few safer homes for your cash, as its growing success as a private banking center shows.

Thirdly, consider agricultural land.

Mark Twain’s old adage about buying land because they are not making any more of it has seldom been more pertinent. In the U.K., land has gone up in value even more than houses in Kensington — according to estate agents Knight Frank, it has gone up in value by 300% since 2003, the same as gold, and far more than houses or equities. The same is true in many other parts of the world. Quality farming land is not a liquid market, and it requires a certain amount of maintenance, but with a growing global population it is always going to hold its value.

Finally, hang on to your banknotes. Visa and Mastercard might spend a lot of time trying to persuade us that the old-fashioned folding stuff is about as fashionable as a clamshell mobile. But in a world where negative rates are being imposed, and bond yields are often below zero as well, the bank note is going to seem surprisingly attractive. True, it doesn’t pay any interest, but in a world of deflation and negative rates that suddenly doesn’t matter anymore. Zero is a good deal if prices are falling and the bank is charging you to hold money. All you have are the storage costs — otherwise it should hold up well.

In fact, a safe to hold a decent roll of 1,000 Swiss franc notes — the highest denomination bill in the word — would probably be one of the best assets you could own right now. You just have to make sure no one nicks it. That, along with some zlotys and shekels, and a couple of hundred acres of farmland in England, should get you through any financial storms that might blow up over the next few years.