SSL Security

[Graham Todd]

I have just come across this Webopedia
(www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/SSL.html) entry:
 	
"SSL: Short for Secure Sockets Layer, a protocol developed by Netscape
for transmitting private documents via the Internet. SSL uses a
cryptographic system that uses two keys to encrypt data − a public key
known to everyone and a private or secret key known only to the
recipient of the message. Both Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer
support SSL, and many Web sites use the protocol to obtain confidential
user information, such as credit card numbers. By convention, URLs that
require an SSL connection start with https: instead of http"

SSL is generally advised for use with browsers and web sites that
support it, but as confidential information can be harvested (according
to the Webopedia entry anyway), could anybody advise me on using SSL
with my bank and similar sites and whether any alternative (and safe)
should be considered.

I generally use Tor as well when sending confidential information
through emails or through webmail. As I understand it, my bank does not
use OpenPGP and would not accept my public gnupg key for decrypting
encrypted transmissions. Short of changing my bank, can anybody give me
further advice on which extra measures I can take to be
reasonably certain I can prevent sensitive information from being
harvested, and the safest way of sending information by email and
through websites?

++ 

Graham Todd